Midnight At Marble Arch. Anne Perry (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Anne Perry is know for tackling some of the vilest, darkest subjects that occurred behind closed doors, out in the streets, and in the halls of government of Victorian London. This book was no exception. It actually is a bit different from the last few that Pitt and the others have investigated as it is more like Pitt's cases when he was a police officer than a case for Special Branch. There were ties to the events leading up to the Boer War, but the investigation is more of a personal nature.A warning now for those who are sensitive to rape being discussed and taking place in story. It is not explicitly described, but the aftermath is and the characters are all forced to see how it is perceived in society, how it affects their own thinking, and must investigate it as part of the murder mystery. There was so much I liked about this one. I enjoyed that it was one of the cases that had such a horrific crime attached to it that I was chomping at the bit for Pitt and the others to solve it and bring justice to the victims. I loved the immediacy of it. The pace and tension were spot on as the story moved beyond the establishment of the characters and the crime. There was a huge courtroom drama with a huge climax for the end. I was burning through the pages waiting to see if they would make it in time.I was also taken with the ongoing personal plot threads involving Victor and Vespasia as they continue to be strong lead characters as well as Thomas and Charlotte's home life. These slices into the private lives have kept me vested in the series as much as the mysteries and historical backdrops. I enjoy the shifting narrators as each main character ponders how they feel about the social ills, injustices, fears, sweet moments, and tender feelings they experience.All in all, I was really engaged in this one and was sorry to finish it. I'm not quite sure what the title has to do with the book, except that most of it takes place in Victorian London. No one was murdered under Marble Arch!A young woman is murdered and raped, and the head of the Special Branch is pulled into solving the crime when a second rape occurs of the daughter of a foreign diplomat. Before any of these crimes can be solved, a third rape of a young society teenager is reported. No one will point the finger at the real rapist as his father is a prominent banker who has the ability to destroy families finances.On top of this, a young man is accused of the first murder and rape and goes to trial. To save his own wife from destitution he is willing to be hanged for a crime he did not commit! The Boar war is thrown in, the plot becomes complicated, but I read it to the bitter end! Was a gift from a friend!
What do You think about Midnight At Marble Arch. Anne Perry (2013)?
Wow! I'm happy that Narraway & Lady Vespasia will find happiness in their "twilight" years.
—Charlize
Good book in wonderful series. Not as good as some of the earlier books but still fine.
—jia
I don't get the title but i guess I missed the reference.
—1statewide
I've read most of the Anne Perry books. I enjoy them.
—pawan
