The Whitechapel Conspiracy (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The courtroom at the Old Bailey was crowded..." (more)
Key Phrases: omnibus stop, wot yer, sugar factory, Martin Fetters, Cleveland Street, John Adinett (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

After a less-than-impressive outing with the more-turgid-than-tense Half Moon Street, Anne Perry is back on familiar--and entertaining-- turf with The Whitechapel Conspiracy. As if apologizing for their last efforts, the whole Victorian crew seems thankfully less concerned with respecting social mores than with ratcheting up the pressure in a nicely paced political-conspiracy potboiler.

For Inspector Thomas Pitt, doing one's job can have unpleasant consequences. When his testimony sends distinguished soldier John Adinett to the gallows for the murder of Martin Fetters, traveler and antiquarian, Adinett's friends (members of the Inner Circle, "those men who had secret loyalties which superseded every other honor or pledge") ensure that Pitt loses his command of the Bow Street station. He is forced to leave his family and take up an undercover existence in the slum district of Spitalfields, chasing anarchists (though he feels he might as well be chasing his own tail). But when his wife, Charlotte, their maid, Gracie, and her would-be suitor, Sergeant Tellman, apply themselves to the task of restoring Pitt's good name, they uncover an anarchist's conspiracy that dwarfs even Guy Fawkes's Gunpowder Plot. The secrets and lies of respected men lurking in the halls of power, who will stop at nothing short of abolishing the monarchy, form the backdrop for the trio's frantic investigations. To top everything off, Perry throws in a marvelously effective subplot--but to divulge how Jack the Ripper figures into the narrative would be to spoil a highly entertaining read.

The novel has its flaws; Charlotte's great-aunt Vespasia seems less the dynamic character she has been throughout the series than a mouthpiece of mourning for the waves of change. Yes, the reader is tempted to say, the potential downfall of the British monarchy would no doubt be painful and unspeakably unsettling for those who respect Victoria and her forebears--but must one natter endlessly on about it? Better to let the whole shebang go gracefully into that good night. No fears for contemporary Victorian-philes, though; with Thomas and Charlotte around, who could doubt that the monarchy will live to fight another day? --Kelly Flynn

From Publishers Weekly

In her 21st novel featuring Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, Edgar Award-winner Perry pulls out the stops and delivers one of the finest performances of her career. Four years after the Ripper terrorized London, Thomas's testimony in a murder case is enough to convince a jury to convict distinguished soldier John Adinett of the murder of his friend, Martin Fetters, despite Adinett's having no clear motive for the killing. Upon conclusion of the case, Thomas finds himself removed from command of the Bow Street Station and sent to work undercover for the Special Branch in the East End. Somehow, unknowingly, he has offended the powerful members of the sinister Inner Circle, and his banishment to the slums puts him in the middle of alleged anarchist plots and dangerous conspiracies. His only allies are his wife, Charlotte, their servant girl, Gracie, and his subordinate officer, Tellman. As a team, they dig into the puzzle behind the Adinett-Fetters murder, believing that, if they can understand why the murder occurred, they can restore Pitt to his job. What none of them realize, however, is that the murder is only a small part of a terrifying conspiracy, one that threatens the very fabric of English society. That the conspiracy itself is so plausible is a testament to Perry's knowledge of her period. This is a mesmerizing and suspenseful tale, rich in period detail, rife with articulate and believable characters. (Feb. 1)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (January 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345433289
• ISBN-13: 978-0345433282
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,096,995 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 21 in The Thomas Pitt Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An edge-of-your-seat historical, political thriller., February 17, 2001

By	Sharon Wylie (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Group Effort to Solve This Case, February 6, 2001

By	D. Bell "Imzadi" (Olney, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Anne Perry is back in top form, February 2, 2001

By	tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.