Treason at Lisson Grove, Anne Perry

 The Book

Special Branch work is dangerous and secretive. Thomas Pitt and his junior, Gower, are chasing a man through the slums of London. The man is an informant, and they must get his information before it's too late to foil a major plot. Alas, they arrive on the scene too late and West is murdered mid-chase by a very bold assassin. Pitt and Gower follow the assassin to France, where they find he is staying with a disenchanted British ex-patriot. But the chase is so hot, Pitt cannot tell his wife why he's not coming home. 

Meanwhile, back in London, Victor Narraway is falsely accused of embezzling money meant for an informant to leave Ireland. Because the money didn't get to the informant, the informant was murdered. Narraway is out, but he needs to clear his name. He turns to Pitt's wife Charlotte for help. She agrees to go to Ireland with him, knowing that Pitt, as Narraway's protégé, will be targeting for dismissal next. 

After many fruitless days in France, Pitt finally figures out there is at least one, and likely far more traitors in Special Branch. He arranges to return to London. On the trip back he's assaulted by a traitor, at the cost of that man's life plus someone who came to Pitt's aide. He is detained by the local police. When Pitt cannot get through to Charlotte, he calls Aunt Vespasia, who arranges for him to be release. 

Returning to Special Branch work, Pitt is promoted to take over Narraway's job and he knows he's not ready. He can see, after sifting through the papers that something big is coming, and coming to Britain. But can he assemble the pieces in time. And can he clear Charlotte and Narraway of murder? If not, they might all be living on the streets. 

My Thoughts

From time to time in this series, I believe Anne Perry jumps the shark. Perhaps she did in the last book, which ridiculously had Pitt and Gracie inside of Buckingham Palace, but the Prince and Princess of Wales were barely peripheral players. And Queen Victoria wasn't present at all. 

But this book, is way more grounded in what might have been. Of course, by writing historical fiction, Perry has the advantage of knowing and studying the types of plots that proliferated throughout Europe during this time, and she clearly knows the types of betrayals people make when they get caught up in "The Game" of spying. A number of things in this story are logical precursors to what will actually happen in 25 or so years. The tide of communism, socialism, and anarchy are rising. While we may never know how many individual plots were thwarted, World War I is coming. 

It is through this lens, the plot takes place. I find the traitors to be both chilling and plausible. I find the steps they were willing to go to, logical. In American, we tend to forget that Europe was in the hands of violent extremists for a long period of time. The violence peaked as the accumulation of imperial wealth peaked. And I find that is not a coincidence. 

If you have a interest in history, you can do way worse than reading Anne Perry, who will educate you to both the emotional attachments and the political arguments of the day when the story is set. All of this with a rustle of Charlotte's skirt or the panache of a politician's well time wry observation. 

How Much My Library Card Saved Me

This book came to me from Algonquin Area Public Library. Stickers on the inside of this 326 page book state this book entered their collection in May of 2023. I might ahve been the first person to read this particular book. as it seems brand new. It was normal "new book" difficult to hold. The cover and interior are immaculate. On the back cover the retail price is listed as $17.00, that is the number we will go with. 

This Book                                                         $17.00

I

Items Reviewed This Year                             $666.99

Private Books

This Book                                                       $15.00

Total of Private Books                                    $67.88

Total of All Items Reviewed This Year         $734.87

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