Genre Fiction
![Anne Perry - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B000APAS2A.jpg)
The Fourth Enemy: A Daniel Pitt Novel
Daniel Pitt is under pressure to prosecute a beloved philanthropist whose good deeds may hide dark-and dangerous-secrets, in this gripping mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.
Working his way up at the London law firm fford Croft and Gibson, Daniel Pitt is named junior counsel on a fraud case with the potential to make or break his-and the firm's-reputation. The trouble is, Malcolm Vayne, the man on trial, has deep pockets, and even deeper connections. Vayne's philanthropic efforts paint him a hero in the eyes of the public, but Daniel's friend Ian, a police officer, has evidence to suggest otherwise. Nervously working alongside Gideon Hunter, the new head of his firm, Daniel must find a way to prove that Vayne is guilty.
Meanwhile, Daniel's new bride, forensic scientist Miriam fford Croft, befriends Rose Hunter, Gideon's wife, and the two become engrossed in the women's suffrage movement. Miriam finds herself among women who are brave and determined enough to undergo hunger strikes and prison sentences. Vayne's image is improved by his support of their cause, but Miriam is not deceived.
Vayne's trial reveals his deep political ambitions, and it heats up further when a crucial witness is found dead. When another witness is kidnapped, Daniel must set out on a rescue mission that puts his life-and the case against Vayne-in peril.
Anne Perry delivers another pulse-pounding mystery in her latest stand-alone Daniel Pitt novel.
Working his way up at the London law firm fford Croft and Gibson, Daniel Pitt is named junior counsel on a fraud case with the potential to make or break his-and the firm's-reputation. The trouble is, Malcolm Vayne, the man on trial, has deep pockets, and even deeper connections. Vayne's philanthropic efforts paint him a hero in the eyes of the public, but Daniel's friend Ian, a police officer, has evidence to suggest otherwise. Nervously working alongside Gideon Hunter, the new head of his firm, Daniel must find a way to prove that Vayne is guilty.
Meanwhile, Daniel's new bride, forensic scientist Miriam fford Croft, befriends Rose Hunter, Gideon's wife, and the two become engrossed in the women's suffrage movement. Miriam finds herself among women who are brave and determined enough to undergo hunger strikes and prison sentences. Vayne's image is improved by his support of their cause, but Miriam is not deceived.
Vayne's trial reveals his deep political ambitions, and it heats up further when a crucial witness is found dead. When another witness is kidnapped, Daniel must set out on a rescue mission that puts his life-and the case against Vayne-in peril.
Anne Perry delivers another pulse-pounding mystery in her latest stand-alone Daniel Pitt novel.
Editorial Reviews
Paise for The Fourth Enemy
"[Anne] Perry's courtroom drama . . . increases in intensity as the author craftily captures the reader's attention. The richly atmospheric tale brings the summer of 1912 to detail-rich life, from Titanic headlines to Miriam's bright-red Speedster."-Booklist
"Set in 1912, bestseller Perry's strong sixth Daniel Pitt novel (after 2021's Three Debts Paid) finds London barrister Daniel facing major changes in his professional life. . . . The author cleverly makes the most of a plotline not centered on a crime of violence. Four decades after her debut, Perry shows no sign of losing steam."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Barrister Daniel Pitt is thrown into the prosecution of a powerful man accused of a swindle that will remind readers of much more recent times than 1912. . . . [The Fourth Enemy is] familiar fare well served in Perry's plush, comfortable prose."-Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Three Debts Paid
"The prolific Ms. Perry is expert at summoning the looks and moods of her books' chosen periods, and her characters, from working-class to upper-crust, are well-drawn and engaging. . . . The solution to the mystery [provides] an undeniable jolt."-The Wall Street Journal
"As with the Thomas Pitt stories, author Perry fills her novels with commentaries on the social mores of the times, as well as its legal aspects, giving a mini-history of the period while weaving a complex tale of mystery and murder told from the point of view of Pitt's son, Daniel."-New York Journal of Books
"Perry has another winner on her hands. Once again she is not afraid to show the dark side of the human condition, and she does so with such impeccable style."-Bookreporter
Praise for Death with a Double Edge
"[Anne] Perry's courtroom drama . . . increases in intensity as the author craftily captures the reader's attention. The richly atmospheric tale brings the summer of 1912 to detail-rich life, from Titanic headlines to Miriam's bright-red Speedster."-Booklist
"Set in 1912, bestseller Perry's strong sixth Daniel Pitt novel (after 2021's Three Debts Paid) finds London barrister Daniel facing major changes in his professional life. . . . The author cleverly makes the most of a plotline not centered on a crime of violence. Four decades after her debut, Perry shows no sign of losing steam."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Barrister Daniel Pitt is thrown into the prosecution of a powerful man accused of a swindle that will remind readers of much more recent times than 1912. . . . [The Fourth Enemy is] familiar fare well served in Perry's plush, comfortable prose."-Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Three Debts Paid
"The prolific Ms. Perry is expert at summoning the looks and moods of her books' chosen periods, and her characters, from working-class to upper-crust, are well-drawn and engaging. . . . The solution to the mystery [provides] an undeniable jolt."-The Wall Street Journal
"As with the Thomas Pitt stories, author Perry fills her novels with commentaries on the social mores of the times, as well as its legal aspects, giving a mini-history of the period while weaving a complex tale of mystery and murder told from the point of view of Pitt's son, Daniel."-New York Journal of Books
"Perry has another winner on her hands. Once again she is not afraid to show the dark side of the human condition, and she does so with such impeccable style."-Bookreporter
Praise for Death with a Double Edge
Readers Top Reviews
mara
This one started out a little slow for me as the story was being set up. Daniel and Miriam are still adjusting to marriage when Miriam's father, Marcus fford Croft, announces he's retiring and Gideon Hunter will now be King's Counsel. The first case the firm takes on after this change is to prosecute high profile philanthropist Malcolm Vayne for fraud (as in a Ponzi scheme). How will they be able to get the jury to convict someone who's looked on as a hero? When Vayne's assistant Nadine Parnell is injured by a car and then a crucial witness turns up dead the heat is on Daniel to find evidence proving Vayne is guilty. When Miriam and Eva's autopsy results show the witness didn't kill himself but was murdered they find themselves in danger. I really enjoyed this latest addition to the Daniel Pitt series. I felt once the scene was set and the trial started the pace of the story really picked up. My favorite character in the trial was Nadine Parnell, as she answered all the prosecution's questions in simple terms for the jury and yet somehow made the prosecutor look foolish. I don't want to give any spoilers but I was certainly surprised by the twist involving Miriam. I didn't suspect that person at all. I received a complimentary digital copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
Annette Johnson
I thought this was a good legal thriller. It was a little slow moving for me at times. I do like Daniel and Miriam together and look forward to more with them Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
Carole A. Barker
A wealthy and influential businessman is suspected of a fraudulent investment scheme…but he might be guilty of far worse. When lifelong friend and policeman Ian Frobisher stops by the home of lawyer Daniel Pitt and his new wife, Miriam, it is not a social call. Ian has recently discovered that Malcolm Vayne, a highly popular and influential businessman (who owns a string of newspapers amongst other things), has in fact been operating what would today be called a Ponzi scheme. Vayne’s sphere of influence is extensive, and Ian wants Daniel’s legal advice as to what would be needed to convict Vayne in a court of law. Not many people are brave enough to provide testimony against someone of Vayne’s stature and financial resources…he would make a formidable enemy. Daniel has concerns of his own upon which to focus. The head of the law firm where he is employed is his father-in-law, Marcus fford Croft, who has decided due to some recent health problems that it is time for him to step down, and turn over the reins to someone new. He has chosen Gideon Hunter, a well-known and successful lawyer who has proven himself to relish challenging and controversial cases. When Malcolm Vayne is suddenly arrested, it is not terribly surprising that Hunter asks to prosecute the case. Daniel is extremely concerned; he knows that the arrest was made prematurely, Ian’s hand being forced by an attack on his most important informant. When Daniel’s father Thomas Pitt, now head of the Home Office’s Special Branch, expresses an interest in the case, Daniel’s fear only intensifies. Miriam, his wife and forensic scientist, is brought into the case when a witness is found dead. She, along with Hunter’s wife Rose, have encountered Vayne as they pursue a mutual interest in the women’s suffrage movement, of which Vayne is a vocal supporter. While they like the focus Vayne as brought to the movement, they don’t trust him at any level. The trial begins badly, with a prosecution witness changing his story on the stand. As it becomes more and more unlikely that Hunter and Daniel will be successful in winning Payne’s conviction, it becomes increasingly clear that they must succeed for the good of the country and, possibly, the world. It has been a while since I had read an Anne Perry book, though I’m not sure why as i always enjoyed her stories. Her William Monk series was my favorite, but I enjoyed the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt books as well. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this is the sixth in the series of books featuring the son of Charlotte and Thomas! Despite not having read the first five in this series, I was able to quickly figure out the relationships between characters, so readers can read this easily as a standalone. Just as in earlier books Charlotte, from a well-to-do and societally well-placed family, was a strong enough woman to purs...
Jl
By diversifying, that is starting spin-off series, Perry has managed to keep her writing fresh and wonderful. In this, the fourth in the Daniel Pitt series we explore the May December marriage of Daniel and Miriam (he is the younger) and are presented with a complex mystery to which Perry skillfully applies her tools of excellent research, good paving, twists, turns, and even a cameo from the Standish series! All of this makes for a great read! Yes, I received a free advance copy but without any promise of review. You will not be disappointed in this book. If it’s the first one you read in this series you will enjoy it, but maximum enjoyment will come if you read the series in order
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One
Daniel smiled at his wife. "Your father might forget people's names, if he doesn't particularly like them, or office meetings entirely, but he's never late for dinner." He passed by Miriam and did not even try to resist the desire to touch her, kiss her cheek again, and feel the softness of her hair before leaving to go upstairs to wash and tidy up a little before dinner.
Marriage was still a new and wonderful adventure for him, a happiness so intense he found it hard to accept. He and Miriam had known each other for some time, but they had only realized their relationship went far deeper than friendship, or even collaboration, in the past year. He recalled the end of the last case on which they had both worked and how, as they had stood in the torrential rain in the graveyard, he had finally understood that it was love. Now they were together, and this was rich, new, and infinitely sweet to him.
As expected, Miriam's father, Marcus fford Croft, arrived exactly on time. He was standing on the doorstep, smiling, when Daniel answered the bell. At this time of year, it was still full daylight at this hour, and Marcus practically glowed in the slanted rays of the evening sun. He was wearing a yellow-gold velvet waistcoat under his light jacket, and his bow tie was a deep bronze. He was smiling with sheer pleasure.
"Come in," Daniel invited him, standing back so that Marcus could step into the hall.
Once inside, Marcus paused for a moment, looking at the paintings Miriam had brought from his house, where she had lived all her life. It clearly pleased him to see her old childhood possessions here in her new home. It was a sign that she felt this was now where she belonged.
Miriam came out of the kitchen and greeted Marcus. She hugged him quickly, met his eyes for a moment, then turned and led him into the sitting room, where she poured him a glass of sherry. They kept it especially for him, knowing how much he enjoyed it. The doctor had said that one glass was acceptable, but since Marcus's first heart attack, not more than one-and definitely none of the much stronger brandy he preferred.
Miriam brooked no argument. She loved her father deeply. Her mother had died long ago, leaving the two of them behind. But Miriam was strict about him obeying orders where his health was concerned. It was the only issue on which she always prevailed.
Marcus settled in his chair comfortably, glancing at his daughter and then back again at Daniel.
Daniel could see that he had something to say. It was there in the way he sat, a certain tension in his shoulders.
It was Miriam who broke through the pleasantries. "You have news." It was a statement. "Tell us, before dinner spoils," she said with a smile. "Don't put my cooking to the test. Please." It was a sincere request.
While she had lived in her father's house, she had never concerned herself with any domestic tasks at all, including preparing meals. All her time and passion had gone into her study of pathology. Daniel had learned by trial and error what to say regarding her culinary skills and what to leave unsaid. But Marcus had never learned, nor, indeed, had he tried to. But then, Miriam would take a lot of criticism from her father because they adored each another, and she was secure in his acceptance of her eccentricities, as he was secure in her acceptance of his.
Daniel was still discovering how easily he could hurt her, sometimes without realizing it until it was too late. She was older by fifteen years, and his admiration for her was immense, but admiration was quite different from love. Their marriage was new, exciting, frightening, and comfortable, all at the same time. It touched emotions he had not known before.
"I have news for you, yes," Marcus said, breaking what had been a few moments of silence. He was smiling, as if he was anticipating their surprise . . . and pleasure.
Miriam inhaled, as if preparing to speak, then apparently changed her mind.
Marcus said, "I have decided to retire. I think perhaps, finally, it is time."
Miriam drew in another sharp and audible breath, but Daniel saw that it was out of relief, not apprehension. She was only too aware of the danger of another, more serious heart attack-perhaps fatal this time. After the first one, she had come home from Holland, interrupting her studies, and she had not gone back until her father was out of immediate danger, regardless of the lectures she was missing and the exams awaiting her.
Daniel looked at her and saw her shoulders relax.
Whatever might happen to the chambers of fford Croft and Gibson without her father's lea...
Daniel smiled at his wife. "Your father might forget people's names, if he doesn't particularly like them, or office meetings entirely, but he's never late for dinner." He passed by Miriam and did not even try to resist the desire to touch her, kiss her cheek again, and feel the softness of her hair before leaving to go upstairs to wash and tidy up a little before dinner.
Marriage was still a new and wonderful adventure for him, a happiness so intense he found it hard to accept. He and Miriam had known each other for some time, but they had only realized their relationship went far deeper than friendship, or even collaboration, in the past year. He recalled the end of the last case on which they had both worked and how, as they had stood in the torrential rain in the graveyard, he had finally understood that it was love. Now they were together, and this was rich, new, and infinitely sweet to him.
As expected, Miriam's father, Marcus fford Croft, arrived exactly on time. He was standing on the doorstep, smiling, when Daniel answered the bell. At this time of year, it was still full daylight at this hour, and Marcus practically glowed in the slanted rays of the evening sun. He was wearing a yellow-gold velvet waistcoat under his light jacket, and his bow tie was a deep bronze. He was smiling with sheer pleasure.
"Come in," Daniel invited him, standing back so that Marcus could step into the hall.
Once inside, Marcus paused for a moment, looking at the paintings Miriam had brought from his house, where she had lived all her life. It clearly pleased him to see her old childhood possessions here in her new home. It was a sign that she felt this was now where she belonged.
Miriam came out of the kitchen and greeted Marcus. She hugged him quickly, met his eyes for a moment, then turned and led him into the sitting room, where she poured him a glass of sherry. They kept it especially for him, knowing how much he enjoyed it. The doctor had said that one glass was acceptable, but since Marcus's first heart attack, not more than one-and definitely none of the much stronger brandy he preferred.
Miriam brooked no argument. She loved her father deeply. Her mother had died long ago, leaving the two of them behind. But Miriam was strict about him obeying orders where his health was concerned. It was the only issue on which she always prevailed.
Marcus settled in his chair comfortably, glancing at his daughter and then back again at Daniel.
Daniel could see that he had something to say. It was there in the way he sat, a certain tension in his shoulders.
It was Miriam who broke through the pleasantries. "You have news." It was a statement. "Tell us, before dinner spoils," she said with a smile. "Don't put my cooking to the test. Please." It was a sincere request.
While she had lived in her father's house, she had never concerned herself with any domestic tasks at all, including preparing meals. All her time and passion had gone into her study of pathology. Daniel had learned by trial and error what to say regarding her culinary skills and what to leave unsaid. But Marcus had never learned, nor, indeed, had he tried to. But then, Miriam would take a lot of criticism from her father because they adored each another, and she was secure in his acceptance of her eccentricities, as he was secure in her acceptance of his.
Daniel was still discovering how easily he could hurt her, sometimes without realizing it until it was too late. She was older by fifteen years, and his admiration for her was immense, but admiration was quite different from love. Their marriage was new, exciting, frightening, and comfortable, all at the same time. It touched emotions he had not known before.
"I have news for you, yes," Marcus said, breaking what had been a few moments of silence. He was smiling, as if he was anticipating their surprise . . . and pleasure.
Miriam inhaled, as if preparing to speak, then apparently changed her mind.
Marcus said, "I have decided to retire. I think perhaps, finally, it is time."
Miriam drew in another sharp and audible breath, but Daniel saw that it was out of relief, not apprehension. She was only too aware of the danger of another, more serious heart attack-perhaps fatal this time. After the first one, she had come home from Holland, interrupting her studies, and she had not gone back until her father was out of immediate danger, regardless of the lectures she was missing and the exams awaiting her.
Daniel looked at her and saw her shoulders relax.
Whatever might happen to the chambers of fford Croft and Gibson without her father's lea...
