Ashworth Hall (A Victorian Murder Mystery) Book

Long-time readers of Anne Perry will be familiar with Inspector Thomas Pitt, the low-born London copper and his better-bred wife, Charlotte. Set during the Victorian era, Perry's mysteries usually examine the dark underbelly of aristocratic life. Homosexuality, adultery, and paedophilia have all been subjects of her previous books; in Ashworth Hall she injects a new ingredient--politics. Ashworth Hall is the name of an estate where, in the autumn of 1890, a highly secretive meeting is being held to discuss Anglo-Irish relations. The "Irish Problem" soon takes a backseat to murder, however, and Inspector Pitt, who as the son of servants grew up on just such an estate, is called in to solve the case. While he investigates below-stairs, Charlotte gathers clues above. As usual, their collaboration is successful, both in terms of solving the crime and as literature.Read More