In the first book of an all-new series, a young lawyer races to save his client from execution, putting him at odds with his own father: Thomas Pitt, head of London’s Special Police Branch.“[Anne] Perry’s excellent new series launch expertly takes the Pitts into a new century.”—Library Journal (starred review)1910: Twenty-five-year-old Daniel Pitt is a junior barrister in London and eager to … Pitt is a junior barrister in London and eager to prove himself, independent of his renowned parents’ influence. And the new case before him will be the test. When his client, arrogant biographer Russell Graves, is found guilty of murdering his wife, Daniel is dispatched to find the real killer before Graves faces the hangman’s noose—in only twenty-one days.
Could Mrs. Graves’s violent death have anything to do with her husband’s profession? Someone in power may be framing the biographer to keep damaging secrets from coming to light. It is a theory that leads Daniel’s investigation unexpectedly to London’s Special Branch—and, disturbingly, to one of his father’s closest colleagues.
Caught between duty to the law and a fierce desire to protect his family, Daniel must call on his keen intellect—and trust his natural instincts—to find the truth in a tangle of dark deception, lest an innocent man hang for another’s heinous crime.
Praise for Twenty-One Days
“Readers will quickly fall in love with [Daniel] Pitt, following along as he investigates a gruesome murder and chuckling as he throws those involved off kilter. Perry is a master at bringing setting to life, and readers will be taken in by the time and place as they get to know Daniel Pitt and those close to him in this engaging novel.”—RT Book Reviews
“The maven of well-crafted Victorian mysteries and author of both the William Monk series and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries introduces the Pitts’ son, Daniel, junior barrister, in this first of what proves to be an intriguing, entertaining, and character-centric new series. . . . Perry introduces Daniel and his cohort, the brilliant Miriam Fforde Croft, and raises the knotty question of whether some clients are truly undefendable.”—Booklist
“[Anne Perry] seems just as comfortable in 1910 as she ever did back in Victoria’s day.”—Kirkus Reviews
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Twenty-one Days by Anne Perry is the debut novel in a new series from the author who brought us William Monk as well as Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. The new series features Daniel Pitt, a young barrister, the son of Charlotte and Thomas. He is the least senior barrister at a prestigious law firm in London, possibly hired because he is his father’s son. He is trying his first case, a murder charge against Roman Blackwell who requested him or it would never have been allowed. Blackwell is a private inquiry agent who has his own individual morality and had been an officer when Thomas Pitt had been a Bow Street. Daniel was doing his best, but even he was not entirely convinced Blackwell was innocent.
As luck would have it, Daniel had to finish his case quickly, as a more senior member of the firm needed him to assist at a murder trial at Old Bailey, but he cleverly found proof that Blackwell was innocent. The accused at Old Bailey was a much higher profile client than Blackwell and has been found guilty and sentenced to be hung in 21 days. Pitt and the senior barrister have that much time to find a reason for a retrial. The Head of Chambers, Marcus fford Croft, has requested this of his staff and has offered his spinster daughter, who has studied Chemistry and Medicine, to assist. Miriam turned out to be invaluable in their quest. She is kind of a rebel and because of the time, have no degree and no standing in the scientific community. Daniel is fascinated by her.
It is delightful to see a new series launch, to meet the people who will become the basis of the new series, especially when the new series is written by an author you can count on and is full of people you already know. I enjoy the formality of these books as well as how historically accurate they are. Perry is a master. I heartily recommend this new series if you are a fan at all. If the other series are intimidating based on how many books there are, here is your chance to begin at the beginning and grow with the series.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for posting a review. #netgalley
I can hardly begin to tell you how excited I am about this new series – and I almost missed it! It takes place in a later time period than I normally read, so I almost passed it by. However, it is by an author whose writing I enjoy and it featured the son, Daniel, of the lead characters, Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, in another series that I really enjoy – so I decided to give it a try. The writing is great, the plot is excellent and I came to really like and appreciate the characters. I couldn’t tell for sure which characters would be recurring in the series, nor could I decide if I thought there would be a romance between Daniel and Miriam – since she is almost his mother’s age. It will be a delight to find out what is going to happen next!
Daniel Pitt, twenty-five years of age, is a newly minted lawyer with a degree from Cambridge. 1910 is an exciting time in which to live. Women are beginning to be more and more insistent about their rights and the field of forensic science is in its infancy. They are able to identify an individual by their fingerprints, bullets can be matched, they can tell human blood from animal and x-rays have been invented. Daniel grew up learning about honesty, honor, and integrity from both his father and his mother. His father, Thomas Pitt started out as a Bow Street Runner and moved on to the newly formed police force and he is now knighted and is the head of the Special Branch. I have read and loved the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series and can highly recommend it as a series.
Daniel has just wrapped up a really tricky murder case when he’s ordered to another courtroom to assist another lawyer, Kitteridge, in yet another murder trial. This one isn’t going well and neither lawyer really believes that the defendant is innocent. They think that, in a stretch, he could be, but they aren’t convinced of it. Besides, the defendant is a total jerk and nobody, including the lawyers, likes him. When he is convicted and sentenced to hang, they aren’t surprised. They have twenty-one days to find a reason to appeal the verdict and keep him from being hanged.
As Daniel investigates and makes more and more discoveries, he becomes convinced that Graves is really innocent. However, he has no idea how to prove it. He believes that his only option is to find out who the real murderer is and his investigation leads to some real soul searching on Daniel’s part. The client is a writer and he is writing an expose that could ruin his father. It isn’t true, but can Daniel prove that?
It was a really great read and there wasn’t a dull moment in it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
Twenty-One days by author Anne Perry is an easy paced murder mystery set in about 1910 London. It is a continuing series with a second generation lawyer named Daniel Pitt. He has recently graduated from Cambridge and is now trying the earn the respect of his peers. It seems he gets the cases no one else wants and his boss is very demanding. The book starts out with Daniel Pitt trying to save his client, Roman Blackwell from a guilty verdict with the sentence of hanging. He has taken the case at the request of his father, and Daniel knows he will be watched closely during this trial. On the last day before the case is scheduled to go to the jury, Pitt receives a directive to leave the case and come back to help Kitteridge in the more prominent murder case of Mr. Graves who is on trial for murdering his wife. He tells them repeatedly that he did not kill his wife, even though there are some strange circumstances abut this case. Mr. Graves seems to very impersonal and cold in his answers regarding his defense. Pitt and Kitteridge uncover some twists of mystery about several suspicious aspects of this case. There are only 21 days left to prove Graves is innocent of murder.
The story is very interesting and well written. There is more to the plot as you might think until all the loose ends are neatly tied together!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When is a murder case not just a murder case? This is a question that Daniel Pitt has to answer when he is tasked as second chair in the case against accused wife killer, Russell Graves. But as he races to discover another suspect in her death, he learns that one such reason could be related to Grave’s future biography…a tell-all book about the head of London’s Special Branch…a book that also implicates Daniel’s own father in nefarious deeds. This is a new series from Anne Perry, author of two previous best selling series…William Monk Mysteries and Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Mysteries. in this case, Daniel is the son of Charlotte and Thomas. It was enjoyable to go back in time to 1910, as Daniel tries to find motives and methods in this crime. There were enjoyable characters that I hope return in future novels, including the rascally Roman Blackwell and his delightful mother, his senior associate Kitteridge, and the modern-thinking and learned Miriam fford Croft. The story had several unexpected twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing to the end. I also liked the interaction with his father and mother during the case, reminiscent of their own series. Hopefully future books in this series will be equally entertaining. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book.
As a big fan of Anne Perry’s mysteries, I was a bit skeptical of a spin-off from the excellent Pitt series, as spin-offs don’t always deliver. This one does. All the books in the series so far have been very good. Start with this one,
Perry always provides a good read and I enjoyed seeing the story arc from previous series opening up new possibilities around a new generation of Pitt
Well written, relatable characters
A story of Pitt’s son who is a lawyer, a three fold case. I liked Pitt stories better.
A very good mystery. It was interesting and I enjoyed it very much.
Love her books and always learn something! Interesting characters and riveting stories.
Enjoyed
Not great literature, but good enough to make you want to see how the series develops. Fun to see characters from an earlier series enter the 20th century.
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Thomas Pitt’s son all grown up and a lawyer. I’ve read almost all of the Pitt books and I was happy to see this new series. Great read. Daniel Pitt has his first murder trial and has 21 days to get sentence overturned. Twist and turns in this one. Loved it.
You can’t go wrong with Anne Perry for historical mysteries and this doesn’t disappoint. Great plot, characters, and a joy to read as are all of her books.
Interesting Not grippinh
I have enjoyed all the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt books, the movie, and now after all these years their son is an attorney!!!! Wow! I do admire Anne Perry’s characters.
Anyone who enjoys historical mystery novels needs to read and cherish these books!!!
Another winner for Perry. Her books are absolutely fabulous. I love the characters. She really is a remarkable writer.
Anne Perry is on my list of top British authors, and this book does not disappoint. Well-developed characters and great plot.
Anne Perry never disappoints. Having read all of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt stories, I was a little dubious, but enjoyed reading a book that has very good writing, an absorbing plot, and satisfactory ending. Hope there will be more of son Daniel’s story to come.