Customer Reviews

Traitors Gate

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fairly late installment in Anne Perry`s long series of mystery novels set in late Victorian England (1890, in the present case.) These novels feature Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, he a policeman (just promoted to Superindent), and she an upper-class woman who married shockingly beneath herself, but who maintains a limited entree to society, useful in helping Thomas with cases involving crimes among the upper class.

Traitor`s Gate features Thomas much more prominently than Charlotte. Thomas` surrogate father, Sir Arthur Desmond, the owner of the estate for which Thomas` actual father was the gamekeeper, has died in his club in London. The death is ruled accidental, or suicide, but his son Matthew, Thomas` close boyhood friend, is convinced it must have been murder, and asks Thomas to investigate.

Thomas is unable to officially investigate Desmond`s death, but rather fortuitously he is asked to investigate a case of missing information at the Colonial Office, to do with Africa and with British support for Cecil Rhodes. As it turns out, Arthur Desmond, formerly employed in the Foreign Office, had just prior to his death been making "wild" accusations of abuse of power in the government support of Rhodes. Naturally, Desmond`s death and the missing information are linked, and, more importantly, both are linked to the mysterious organization Thomas has run afoul of in previous books, The Inner Circle.

As Pitt`s investigations continue, his own life and Matthew`s are threatened, another murder is committed, and finally Pitt`s discoveries trigger a chain reaction of suicides and murders, ending somewhat in medias res with Pitt apparently ready to openly take on the Inner Circle.

The story is entertaining, and the solutions to the crimes are reasonably clever and interesting. However I don`t rank this as highly as the best books in the series for a few reasons. The Inner Circle has become non-credible to me, in its villainy, and its apparent size and power, not to say the incompetence of such a powerful organization in dealing with such a minor figure as Pitt. Pitt`s solutions to the crimes take on the all-too-familiar form of confronting the criminal with the (often rather sparse) evidence of his wrongdoing, upon which he either confesses or commits suicide. The device of having Pitt assigned to investigate a case of espionage is rather unconvincing. Also, the key crime of the book (the second murder) is not only difficult to credit as far as motive is concerned, but is committed in a foolish manner which seems calculated to ultimately draw attention to the murderer (indeed Thomas is misled rather more than I think he should be).

Finally, a key element of the enjoyment of this series is the ongoing stories of the advancing social life of the continuing characters. The books generally feature a love story or two, and this is no exception, but I didn`t find the love stories very involving. And as I said, Charlotte`s role in this book is minor, which is understandable for this book, but something of a drawback nonetheless.

Fine book for fans with an interesting look into Thomas's life before London, but not one I would recommend for someone new to the series. Too many characters and a complicated (and boring) plot about the exploitation of Africa by Europeans. I had a hard time sticking to it and I don't usually struggle to get through Perry's work. Really not one of her best.

This is a late entry in the author's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series and is best appreciated by longtime fans, who will enjoy meeting familiar faces enough to forgive the dullish plotting. Newer readers will be charmed by Perry's vivid characters and her knack of contrasting their real selves with the requirements of Victorian society -- but the dramatic tension this usually generates is missing here, except in a couple of scenes near the end. A fun read, but not an involving one.

This entry in the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series suffers from its dependence on "the Inner Circle," an all powerful secret organization that requires absolute loyalty of its members, at the center of its plot. Previous novels in the series have dealt with the Inner Circle, but that organization is central to the plot of Traitor's Gate, and the breadth of its reach stretches credulity beyond the breaking point.

The idea that the superintendent of the Bow Street police station would be asked to investigate a major case of espionage is also far-fetched.

Those criticisms aside, the plot moves briskly and the characters are complex and interesting. The last 50 or so pages are gripping as the novel moves toward its climax.

I have to admit this is by far, the best, most exciting book Perry
has written so far. I normally like Monk and Hester better than I do
Charlotte and Thomas. Charlotte doesnt seem as clearly defined as
Hester. Hester seems so real to me that I would love to sit down,
have a spot of tea with her and listen avidly of her experiences with
the suffering. One thing that seems rather unusual in Perry,s books
is the way women of the 1800's are speaking out about politics. They
go to balls and spend alot of time discussing what,s happening in
Africa, Germany, etc. Of course most of the time they arent talking about it to the men but maybe I am naive but I had assumed that back
in the 1800's women remained silent no matter what they thought and
men would laugh to think they would listen to any female,s opinion as
they literally knew nothing. But in these books women are much
more in the round of what,s happening...yet we are told they do not
read newspapers. I would imagine that while husband and political
friends are discussing important worldly things, unknown to them, the
little wife is listening to every word. This is a book that is very
hard to put down at any time until you reach the conclusion and just
when you figure you have figured it all out, another shocker comes
along. P.s. I would love to know where and how Perry gained so much
insight to 1800's history. AS my grandaughter might say: it's awesome!

Another enjoyable tale from the episodes including Thomas & Charlotte Pitt. The ending was well worth the wait. The added historical information concerning the settlement and colonization of Africa holds the readers attention and creates a more difficult puzzel to solve.

This is the first of the Anne Perry mysteries that I have read. As pointed out, it is a Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novel. I have not as yet read any of her William Monk series.
I found it to be an enjoyable period piece with good characterizations and plotting in the Sherlockian mode. As in the Holmes stories, there are few moments of high drama and excitement, no 'on the edge of your seat' suspense, yet the gifted writer kept me in her grip, turning pages, until the end. I should say, it is a book for those who can be engaged by a Victorian story with the quiet dynamics of people facing loss of reputation, deprivation of status and calmly imposed unofficial death sentence.
Among writers of historical mystery fiction, I should think her standing to be above the average.
While I am unable to make any recommendations to regular readers of Perry, I can commend it to new readers as an involving story of public treachery and private murder.
Never having heard of the writer, I resorted to the internet for some background which might encourage or discourage me by a detailing of her record of publishing and the types of books she has done. I have to admit that the mention of her having been convicted, with a girl friend, of the brutal murder of the latter's mother, who wanted to move, with her daughter, away to a location which would separate the two girls, was rather disturbing. Beyond the fact of the murder and a description of the manner of putting the women to death, quite savagely, there was little to inform me about her. The psychological question of why one who has committed an utterly sickening murder would want to write murder mysteries is beyond my analytic skills. At any rate, there is nothing in the book to reflect either the crime or the punishment.

The title refers to the river gate into the Tower of London, the route by which those convicted of treason traditionally were conveyed to execution. This is the 15th title in the Late Victorian mystery series about Inspector (now Superintendent) Thomas Pitt of the Metropolitan Police and his wife, Charlotte, who often takes part in his cases, asking questions in the drawing rooms of Society while her husband more often pursues truth in the streets. The theme this time is betrayal in all its forms, from betraying one's country to betraying one's own principles, from the choice between personal honor and family loyalty to the choice between love and practical necessity. As the gamekeeper on the Desmond estate in Hampshire, Pitt is not and never will be a "gentleman." But Sir Arthur Desmond had him educated beside his own son, as a competitive companion of his own age, and Pitt owes much of his success to the knowledge drummed into him by his tutor and to his educated elocution. Now Sir Arthur has been found dead in his London club, in circumstances suggesting senility or suicide, but Matthew, his son, can't accept that -- nor can Pitt. Sir Arthur had been a low-level member of the Inner Circle (a sinister secret society the author invented a number of books ago and which often takes the place of more believable bad guys), and had begun speaking out regarding the activities of its members in Cecil Rhodes's economic conquest of southern Africa. (That's the secondary theme of the book: extractive colonialism, which succeeded the explorers and missionaries.) Then Pitt is summoned to the Foreign Office to investigate suspected treason, specifically the passing of sensitive information on British colonial plans and negotiations to her principal rival, Germany. He's slowly working his way through the possibilities, being forced to investigate people without actually telling them anything, when the wife of a Very Important Person Indeed is murdered and her body seemingly is washed up at Traitors Gate. Naturally, all three cases tie together eventually and Perry handles the details very skillfully. In fact, in structure and character, this book is one of the best in the series. She also manages to orchestrate three separate climaxes, and even includes a hilarious closing scene in the gentleman's club involving Charlotte's sister's uncle-in-law, Eustace March, whom readers will remember from earlier stories. And Pitt even manages to get in a couple of good licks at the end against the Inner Circle, . . . though one may blink at his methods.

I find the Inner Circle not very credible. They were good for a few books but they have worn out their plot value. However, I did like the fact that Pitt is featured more prominently. I for one am losing interest in Charlotte and find her more unappealing with each book. Actually I find Emily and Great Aunt Vespasia more entertaining than Charlotte. Less Charlotte is a step in the right dirction. Despite the Innter Circle this is quite a good book with a satisfying ending.

TRAITORS GATE is another entry in the long-running Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry. I like these stories, as evidenced by the fact that I've read them all up through this one. Given that this is a series, though, you should consider whether or not it's a good idea to start here if you haven't read any of the others. Part of the enjoyment of a series is the development of the personal lives of the main characters and this one is no exception. You can, however, pick TRAITORS GATE up and read it on its own. As far as the central plot is concerned, what you don't know won't hurt you.

This novel has been faulted for the overwhelming presence of the "inner circle", for the idea of a precinct superintendent being chosen to investigate an espionage case, and because this case doesn't involve Charlotte as much as usual. I agree that the "inner circle" seems a bit overdone and I also agree that Thomas' role in such a case is rather unlikely. Neither of these issues really detracted from my enjoyment of the story, though. After all, it's fiction and some degree of suspension of disbelief is called for. As for Charlotte's role, I find it refreshing to get a story that focuses more on Thomas every now and then.

My problem with this book, and it's a common one in this series, is the long-winded pontificating on some social or political ill of the day that Perry likes to indulge in. In TRAITORS GATE it's the evils of European colonialism in Africa. Perry takes to her soapbox and, while I may sympathize with her point of view, I just don't think a mystery story is the place for it. I read mysteries for entertainment, and TRAITORS GATE entertained me most of the time. Only when I found myself wading through digressions on colonialism and rhapsodies on the beauties of unspoiled Africa did it get tedious.

Perry's moralizing aside, her mysteries are pretty good. I enjoyed the mystery that is central to this book and I enjoyed the renewal of my acquaintance with Thomas Pitt and the other main characters in the series. I expect most fans of the Pitt series will feel the same way.