[Charlotte & Thomas Pitt 14] • Mord im Hyde Park

Not since the bloody deeds of Jack the Ripper have Londoners felt such terror as that aroused by the gruesome beheadings in Hyde Park. And if newly promoted Police Superintendent Thomas Pitt does not quickly apprehend the perpetrator, he is likely to lose his own head, professionally speaking. Yet even with the help of Charlotte Pitt’s subtle investigation, the sinister violence continues unchecked. And in a shocking turn of events that nearly convinces the pair of sleuths that they have met their match, the case proves to be Pitt’s toughest ever. **

### From Booklist

Perry's name is synonymous with deft plotting and wonderfully authentic period ambience, characters, and dialogue. Her fourteenth mystery featuring inspector Thomas Pitt and his wife, Charlotte, is every bit as intriguing as the previous 13. Turn-of-the-century London comes vividly alive as readers follow Pitt, recently promoted to superintendent, as he struggles to solve the brutal and confounding murder of Captain the Honorable Oakley Winthrop, R. N., who's been found beheaded in Hyde Park. Pitt suspects the victim knew his killer, but it's only after three more deadly murders take place that enough evidence can be mustered to accuse the real killer. Perry's fans won't be disappointed in this fast-paced, clever, absorbing tale of crime in Victorian London, and those new to the author will find it an intriguing introduction to a captivating world. *Emily Melton*

### From Kirkus Reviews

Victorian London is being plagued by a series of axe murders, and it's the job of newly promoted Thomas Pitt, now Police Superintendent, to find the killer. Three men have been beheaded, for no obvious reason, and with no apparent connection between them. Aristocratic Naval Officer Oakley Winthrop was first, his headless body found in Hyde Park, as was that of society orchestra leader Aldan Arledge. The third victim, a bus conductor, was found just outside the gates. In his 14th outing, Thomas (Farrier's Lane, p. 102) struggles to make sense of it, bedeviled by his superiors, with intimations of the powerful forces of the Inner Circle working against him (Belgrave Square). He uncovers hidden domestic scandals like wife-beating and homosexuality but, meanwhile, misses the help of wife Charlotte, preoccupied with the move to a new house, and of sister-in-law Emily, absorbed in husband Jack's MP election campaign. In the end, though, it's the ladies who succeed in wrapping up the solution that eluded Thomas. Elaborately and repetitively festooned with details of Victorian life (mostly upper-class), the story moves at a snail's pace, obscuring an equally elaborate plot and a nicely surprising finish. The same mixture as before--but more, much more of it. -- *Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.*