Customer Reviews

The Whitechapel Conspiracy

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Anne Perry fans, rejoice! Reading this book was like running into an old friend and discovering the friendship still vibrant and alive. After some of Perry's recent, less-than-stellar efforts, this book showcases her mastery of the intricate plot, compelling characters, and flawless historical description (London 1892).

This book finds Superintendent Thomas Pitt paying the price for his discovery of a murder (and subsequent identification of the murderer, despite the lack of a motive) that was meant to look like an accident. Having foiled the malevolent Inner Circle (a secret society of powerful men who protect one another and scheme to control the country) once too often, Pitt finds himself demoted to working undercover in the slums of East End, separated from his family and embroiled in danger and revolution.

His wife, Charlotte, and their maid, Gracie, in an effort to restore Pitt's reputation, set out to discover the motive for murder, the one aspect of the case Pitt was unable to unearth. They enlist the help of Sergeant Tellman, loyal to Pitt and even more so to Gracie, to help them discover the truth. In the meantime, Pitt finds himself deeper and deeper in political intrigue, with no one to trust with what he discovers.

As the title suggests, the murders of Jack the Ripper come to play a role in the plot, as do the excesses of the monarchy, the recklessness of tabloid journalism, the virtues and evils of the status quo, and the price one is willing to pay for political gains. At its heart, this book asks, do the ends ever justify the means? It is to Perry's credit that she does not attempt a pat answer to this provocative question.

The increasing involvement of Gracie and Tellman in the Pitt series adds a welcome vibrancy to the otherwise stark tale. Watching these two stumble over their own feelings is a wonderful reminder that even in times of chaos and terror, the human heart dares to hope and dream. Perry has introduced and developed many side characters in this series over the years, but Gracie and Tellman are not only the most enjoyable, their involvement in solving the mystery adds a fresh and interesting element to the mix. I look forward to their continued involvement.

This is not so much a mystery as it is a political thriller, but mystery fans should enjoy it just the same. Perry provides a neat and credible solution to the Ripper murders, but cleverly leaves open the possibility that her solution is untrue. The story is told through varying perspectives--Pitt, Charlotte, Tellman, Gracie, Aunt Vespasia--as each person gathers information, but the solution to the mystery is never obvious.

My faith in Anne Perry is restored.

I sometimes have the tendency to overlook shortcomings in authours I admire very much. And until I read "The Whitechapel Conspiracy", I didn't realise how much I've missed reading Anne Perry at her best. And in this latest Thomas & Charlotte Pitt mystery novel, Anne Perry is in top form! This novel with all it's dangerous conspiracies, and it's seemingly motiveless murder made for some very compelling reading indeed.

The novel opens with the trial of John Adinett: he has been accussed of murdering his friend Martin Fetters. Pitt was the investigating officer in this case, and while he found evidence of Adinett's guilt, and of Adinett's hasty attempts of trying to pass of Fetter's murder as an accident, Pitt was unable to discover a motive for the murder. Pitts acquits himself well in the witness box in spite of the Adinett's lawyer's attempt to paint Pitt as a vindictive and envious man. Adinett is found guilty; but Pitt is vilified in the newspapers, and Adinett's powerful friends who seem to be member of the Inner Circle (a secretive group that Pitt has locked horns with before) cause Pitt to relieved of his post at Bow Street and seconded to the East End as an undercover agent for the Special Branch.

While devasted at the turn of events, Charlotte Pitt and the Pitt's maid Gracie refuse to take things lying down. To this end they decide to try and discover a motive for Fetters's murder. Charlotte decides to enlist Fetter's widow to this end, while Gracie recruits Sergeant Tellman. So while Charlotte and Mrs. Fetters go through Fetters's private papers and effects, Gracie and Tellman roam the streets of London, never dreaming that their quest to vindicate Pitt would lead them to Whitechapel and into the very middle of one of England's most notorious of cases.

This novel pivots mostly on the detecting efforts of Gracie and Tellman; and the chapters the describe Tellman and Gracie scurrying around all over London, following faint clues, until they finally end up at Whitechapel, makes for riverting and breatheless reading. I couldn't stop reading until I reached the end of the book! This novel also belongs to the female characters: Charlotte and Juno (Fetters's wife) who intrepidly go on in their search for answers even when they realise that there are those that will try to stop them by whatever means necessary; to Gracie who stubbornly keeps going in spite of the danger; and to Vespasia who uses whatever little power she has to help Pitt. "The Whitechapel Conspiracy" also centers around questions that were on everyone's mind back in the 1890s and it is now: whether or not there was a place for a rather out of touch monarchy in modern times, and the need for drastic social reforms. Unlike the Amazon.com reviewer, I found such ruminations interesting and compelling. For quite a few Victorians, the very thought of a revolution that would do away with all the instituitions they were familair with, would have been frightening; and I found getting the points of view of people from differnt walks of life -- from Sgt. Tellman to Vespasia -- enlightening. The need for reform is obvious, but would a revolution that took away all that was good as well all that was bad be beneficial to all?

"The Whitechapel Conspiracy" showcases Anne Perry's brilliant tale spinning art at her best. I read the book in one sitting: I simply could not put this book down. Definitely recommended reading.

This book is a rare example of Pitt and Charlotte having to work on their case totally separately, as Pitt has been transferred in disgrace thanks to the powerful Inner Circle. However, the intrepid Gracie and her reluctant swain Sergeant Tellman more than take up the slack. There is an intrepid Clark Kent type reporter, a Supreme Court justice with his own agenda, and, of course, a brief visit by Emily, who functions as a shoulder to cry on and a babysitter, which is something of a loss to those who remember her courage and resourcefulness in other books. Aunt Vespasia is a major figure, and we learn some secrets of her past. About halfway through the book, it began to remind me of a movie I had seen about 20 or so years ago called Murder by Decree, starring Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes, James Mason as Doctor Watson, Susan Clark as a London prostitute, and Genevieve Bujold as an unfortunate young woman. If it's available to you, watch it in conjunction with this book. You'll see what I mean. It was good to see the Gracie/Tellman story unfold a little more. Anne Perry is outstanding at developing romances. Long may she write!

The Whitechapel Conspiracy shows that even Thomas Pitt is not immune from the grasp of the Inner Circle. Punished for doing his duty, Pitt is exiled to the misery of Whitechapel and Spitalfields in East London where he has been attached to the undercover branch of the Metropolitan Police dealing with anarchists and bombers; a far cry from his usual cases. The greater down side to this is that Pitt must leave his family and live on his own in his new patch.

The minor charecters in this latest work by Anne Perry get a great deal of developement. Gracie Phipps and Samuel Tellman are back scraping and fussing with each other, as their regard for each other grows deeper. Tellman especially has his work cut out for him since he has been forbidden to contact or work with Pitt. Tellman has to do the bulk of the work to get Pitt returned to his position at Bow Street. But at times, Gracie is the better detective.

Then to add to the mixture, another secret organization makes its appearance. This group, the Masons, is a much more public organization, even the Prince of Wales was a Mason. Yet they have their agenda as well. It is interesting to see the competing agendas get worked through in this book.

Aunt Vespasia's early life is revealed in much more detail. Who'd have throught it will be many readers reactions, I think.

The only down side to the book as far as I could see is that with all the turmoil going on, with Pitt's transfer and all, that the Pitt's children's reactions to this are left out. I can imagine that for two young children to suddenly have dad disappear without an explanation they can understand, it would be quite upsetting. I would think that Charlotte's reading to them at night and visits with Aunt Emily wouldn't be enough to compensate.

In all, this is a very good book. I devoured it at one sitting. I think everyone who reads this will feel the same. I highly recommend it to all Victorian period enthusiasts.

This is an excellent book. It's more a political story than a mystery in some ways, but the mystery is still there, and Ms. Perry keeps you guessing until the very end. This book is quite a bit different than the later Thomas Pitt series, but still exciting. Thomas has offended some very highly placed political enemies, and they have seen that he has been separated from his wife and family and placed in the degraded East End of London, to ostensibly look for anarchits. More than anarchists are found though, and this plot threatens the whole Engligh way of life as it was known at this time in history. We see Charlotte and Vespasia play less dominant roles in this book than they usually do, but Gracie has stepped up to the plate and what a delight she is! This is an excellent mystery, and again the era is so well depicted it feels like you're actually there.

Superintendent Thomas Pitt of the Bow Street police station testifies against John Adinet, under trial for allegedly murdering antiquarian Martin Fetters. Martin and John were best friends who believed in social reform.

Though no motive surfaces, circumstantial evidence and Pitt's compelling testimony swings the jury to deliver a guilty verdict. John's appeal fails leaving his execution in three weeks.

Meanwhile, the verdict leaves Thomas with some powerful foes since John was a member of the "Inner Circle," a group of influential men protecting each other's interests. They know that cannot save John, but they need to release their anger while also gaining revenge for one of their members.

They go after Pitt starting with obtaining a transfer for him to the East End slum looking for anarchists. This forces John to separate from his wife and children, but his spouse, peers, and friends refuse to sit back while an injustice occurs.

A

nne Perry, known for her enthralling Victorian historical mysteries, provides her audience with an unusual take on the Ripper murders. The various subplots, each one starring a different main character, adds up to a fascinating and plausible story line. THE WHITECHAPPEL CONSPIRACY highlights the squalor of the lower classes while only a few miles away the heir apparent is hosting a party that could feed the masses for a week. Ms. Perry's fans will receive plenty of pleasure from her latest novel.

Harriet Klausner

I look forward to every Anne Perry novel, and also the excellent audio recordings of her novels. The last couple of books have had a bit too much of stilted moralizing. I am happy to say this new book is much more like her earlier novels--exciting, vivid, a real page turner. I like the way Perry gives different regular characters the focus each time. If anyone found this "jack the ripper" info intriguing, read Robin Paige's "Death at Whitechapel". It is more detailed and will definitely give you giant goosebumps. Thanks also to Harriet Klausner for all recommendations. When she says a mystery is worthwhile I know I won't regret buying it.

In this new novel, Anne Perry returns to her popular sleuths, Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. Pitt once again angers the Inner Circle by gathering evidence against one of their members in a murder case. The member is found guilty and hanged. Soon after, he is stripped of his command and sent to the East End to work undercover with a unit charged with exposing anarchists. It would be giving the story away to tell any more, but let it suffice to say that Pitt uncovers much more than he ever expected.

The characters are as well drawn as ever, giving more emphasis to Gracie and Tellman. Charlotte's family and Vespasia are not as important. I didn't enjoy Vespasia as much, Perry seems to be letting her spirit grow old, I liked her much better in the past. Read and enjoy!

In the course of investigating a death that most considered accidental, Thomas Pitt, Superintendent of the Bow Street Station, compiles a package of damning circumstantial evidence that sends John Adinett to the gallows for the murder of his friend, Martin Fetters - traveler, antiquarian, and a vocal anti-royalist with strong republican sentiments. While the evidence leaves no question in the minds of the jurors as to guilt, Pitt can see no reason why Adinett would have murdered his long-time friend and is unsatisfied with the results of his investigation. Adinett's cronies, members of a shadowy cabal known as the "Inner Circle" whose secret membership and pledge of loyalty to one another includes men from the highest level of English society exact a swift, brutal revenge on Pitt for Adinett's execution. He is removed from his command in Bow Street Station and exiled to an undercover operation with the Special Branch in Spitalfields, a grimy London slum, looking for elusive evidence of the operations of anarchists.

Pitt is forced to live away from his family. In order to clear his name, to prove him right and to allow Pitt to return to hearth and home, his canny, strong minded, and very feminine wife, Charlotte, their tough cockney maid, Gracie, her beau, Sergeant Tellman, and their aunt, Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould, seek out the mysterious missing motive for Fetters' murder. They uncover a frightening Inner Circle conspiracy to foment violent revolution in working class England, destroy the monarchy and replace the existing government with a republic, a senate and a president. While every reader will have no doubt the climax of the story will wrap up Charlotte's and Thomas' separate investigations neatly into a single conclusion, Perry has pulled a real rabbit out of her hat by tying the Inner Circle's nefarious revolutionary ideas into the gruesome Whitechapel Ripper killings with an exciting and novel re-interpretation of the long-standing theory that Jack was a member of the Royal family.

Less focused on Victorian atmosphere and scenery than usual, Perry has used The Whitechapel Conspiracy to concentrate on development of her key characters. The relationship between Gracie and Tellman, in particular, is heartwarming and no reader will fail to cheer them on as they come to the realization that they care for one another deeply but remain uncertain as to how to act on their growing affection for one another. The plot, a realistic believable political thriller, is cleverly drawn on the real life Victorian working man's disgust with Prince Albert's profligate spending habits and dissolute lifestyle and the increasing distance and isolation between Queen Victoria and her subjects. The labyrinthine twists and turns that finally disclose the identity of the bad guys in the Inner Circle but leave the identity of the Ripper a continuing mystery are ingenious and surprising without being forced or contrived.

Perry has produced another winner that will thrill Thomas and Charlotte's legion of followers.

Her last book left a bit to be desired but she's back in her best form with this one. I like Anne Perry and I've read every one of her books. This rates right up there as one of the best, maybe the best. Certainly it's the best book she's put out in the last few years. It's a great read. I enjoyed every minute of it. She has such a grasp of Victorian England. This book just kept taking quick turns like the streets of Whitechapel, dark and scary. A must read for any Anne Perry fan.