- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New Ed edition (20 Feb 1995)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006479057
- ISBN-13: 978-0006479055
- Product Dimensions: 17.4 x 10.6 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 278,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Synopsis
The naked body of a teenage boy is found drowned in the sewers of filthy Bluegate Fields. His aristocratic family believe his tutor killed him. So why can't Inspector Thomas Pitt accept the obvious solution? Pitt's quest for truth uncovers child prostitution and deep corruption.
From the Back Cover
THE FILTHIEST OF CRIMES
The naked body of a teenage boy is found dead in the stinking sewers of Bluegate Fields. Enquiries prove that he was a sixteen-year-old aristocrat, that it was no ordinary drowning and that he showed unmistakable signs of syphilis. Not the best news for Inspector Thomas Pitt to bring to the parents, Lord and Lady Waybourne. Yet, surprisingly, they co-operate and a suspect is arrested – the boy's tutor.
However, Pitt is troubled by the tidiness of the case, feeling that when the upper classes close rank against inferiors, there is no such thing as 'innocent until proven guilty'. His quest for the truth uncovers child prostitution and deepest corruption. But only when his wife, the astute and aristocratic Charlotte, explores the case from a very different angle, can the shameful and sordid solution be brought to light…
"Her novels are sheer pleasure"
WALL STREET JOURNAL
"Anne Perry can write a Victorian mystery that would make Dickens's eyes pop"
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The body of a young man dumped in a sewer leads to all sorts of sordid revelations as Inspector Pitt, helped and hindered by his wife Charlotte, investigates.
Decent murder mystery, which takes a potentially sleazy subject matter and treats it with some restraint. Details are not skipped over but she doesn't linger over the more sensationalistic aspects of the crime. Characterisations are adequate for purpose, though it does feel slightly odd that, for example, we never really hear from the victim's mother. She's always somewhere else. It makes the book feel slightly, low-budget, as if Perry only had a certain amount of people to work with. However, the book has impact, doesn't dither and just gets on with being a thought-provoking whodunnit.
Decent murder mystery, which takes a potentially sleazy subject matter and treats it with some restraint. Details are not skipped over but she doesn't linger over the more sensationalistic aspects of the crime. Characterisations are adequate for purpose, though it does feel slightly odd that, for example, we never really hear from the victim's mother. She's always somewhere else. It makes the book feel slightly, low-budget, as if Perry only had a certain amount of people to work with. However, the book has impact, doesn't dither and just gets on with being a thought-provoking whodunnit.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Perry really gives you a sense of how difficult it was for the police to do their job in the last century. When Pitt discovers the body of a young male prostitute in the sewers he suspects foul play but has a very difficult time proving it. Homosexuality was taboo in the last century, especially when it involved wealthy families. Everybody except Pitt wants a cover up and his job is on the line for pursuing justice. It is also interesting to see how hard it was to solve a crime, not only because of corruption and social constraints, but because there are none of the modern day scientific methods we take for granted. No DNA, no fingerprints, the list goes on. It amazes me how anyone was ever caught for anything.
Format:Paperback
Yet again Anne Perry keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last Her knowledge of Victorian London is remarkable
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
