In the history of Anne Perry's bestselling Victorian mystery series, the stakes have never been greater than now--as a mission for queen and country places the future of the British Empire squarely in Thomas Pitt's hands.
It is not the custom for the commander of Special Branch to receive a royal summons--so Thomas Pitt knows it must be for a matter of the gravest importance. The body of Sir John Halberd, the Queen's confidant, has been found in the shallow water of the Serpentine in Hyde Park, bearing the evidence of a fatal blow to the head. At Her Majesty's request, Sir John had been surreptitiously investigating Alan Kendrick, a horse-racing enthusiast who seems to have had an undue amount of influence on her son, the Prince of Wales.
Now Commander Pitt must navigate the corridors of power with the utmost discretion and stealth, for it seems certain that Sir John's killer is a member of the upper classes. Aided by his wife, Charlotte, and her social contacts, Pitt seeks out the hidden motives behind the polite facade of those to the manner born--and uncovers a threat to the throne that could topple the monarchy.
With Murder on the Serpentine, Thomas Pitt nears a crossroads in his brilliant career--one that promises new challenges, both professional and personal, still to be met. But first, he and Charlotte must conquer the twists and turns of suspense master Anne Perry's most cunningly crafted plot yet--to achieve their finest hour, or suffer their darkest.
Advance praise for Murder on the Serpentine
"The mystery may follow familiar lines, but even newcomers are likely to be charmed by scenes that deepen Pitt's family relationships. This entry's main strength lies in the quiet, emotionally intelligent interactions among its characters."--Publishers Weekly
PRAISE FOR ANNE PERRY'S CHARLOTTE AND THOMAS PITT NOVELS
Treachery at Lancaster Gate
"A story that is as exciting and tense as it is revealing and thought-provoking."--Yorkshire Evening Post
The Angel Court Affair
"Perry melds the intellectual debates of the day with a suspenseful plot line."--Publishers Weekly
Death on Blackheath
"Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining . . . The period detail is beautifully done, and realistic characters and tense action are woven seamlessly together."--Historical Novels Review
Midnight at Marble Arch
"Sweeping and scandalous . . . Perry has perfected a delicate touch."--The New York Times Book Review
Dorchester Terrace
"The always clever Anne Perry infuses Dorchester Terrace with the right amount of intrigue and complex relationships that have made this prolific series one of the finest in modern mystery fiction."--Bookreporter