Krishna
Another one of Victorian mysteries from Ann Perry, featuring Thomas Pitt. We have reviewed other books in which he appears : for example Death in Devil’s Acre or Half Moon Street, though this may chronologically predate both.
Two young lovers head for a romantic outing in the Hyde Park for a romantic, solitary tryst and come upon a corpse whose head was missing. The police are called and seeing that this was a gentleman who had retired as the officer of the Navy, named AAA. The case is dropped onto the lap of the newly promoted Superintendent Thomas Pitt
Thomas Pitt’s wife, Charlotte has now bought a bigger house and is rebuilding it – it needs remodelling. Her sister Emily visits her, lamenting how their mother in her older age has gone and fallen for a man much younger and how this scandal could affect her.
Meanwhile Monk meets the wife of the murdered man mainly to get an impression of the family and the wife’s brother is one of those bullies who tries to insult Monk so that he will go away. Also he meets her friend Thora Garrick who was in the army and her son Victor Garrick, who seems to be a musician, fond of the cello.
In the meanwhile Aunt Vespacia comes to meet Charlotte and shows an interest in the case, the same as Emily, Charlotte’s sister.
When there is a second victim whose head is also chopped off, the whole town panics and the pressure is extreme on the police, and Monk, to solve the case.
Gracie, the maid, investigates and learns that there is a customer to the regular hookers who is particularly violent. Meanwhile, Charlotte learns that the wife of the first victim has been physically beaten – she discovers this through the unexpected accident where hot tea was accidentally poured on her hands.
Meanwhile, there is a third headless corpse found. But this time it is that of a poor bus conductor, baffling the police. He was found on a cart in a desolate spot, with no horse (and of course no head attached to his torso)
The one revelation Monk comes to is that the first victim, Arledge, was gay (secretly) and even his wife was unaware. He had a relationship with a friend called Carwell. Monk resolves to keep this out of the press, unless of course, he is forced to by any connection with the murder.
When there is another murder, that of Carvell’s footman Scarborough. Now all the police department including Tellman a petulant but efficient assistant to Monk, conclude that Carvell is the culprit and pressure Monk to arrest him. However, Monk is still not convinced, to the outrage of both Tellman and Monk’s own boss.
They realize, however, that the case will not stand up in court as there is no evidence and no murder weapon to trap Arledge. Meanwhile, Monk is convinced that the attack on Jack and his wife Emily (Charlotte’s sister) is by the crooked opponent in the election called Uttley and makes very veiled threats against him, unnerving him but otherwise not producing any results at all.
When there was no more progress, Monk’s boss orders him demoted and moved to the Siberian equivalent of a police station. Monk is devastated, and so is Charlotte when she learns of this. Is her dream of uplift in her economic circumstances a pipedream?
Meanwhile Jack, Emily’s husband, wins the election against Uttley and the whole group rejoices.
After a tense confrontational scene, Pitt has the ‘Hyde Park Headsman’ follow him and turns to see who it is. (No spoilers here). Since he was prepared, he easily overcomes him but the man loses his balance and falls onto the track and under an onrushing train. Before dying, he admits to not committing one murder, the first one (Winthrop).
Not knowing this development, Emily and Charlotte try to ‘break into’ Dulcie’s residence in the night to ensure that Thomas keeps his job.
What they find there, and how they come close to being discovered and jailed, but find out the murderer of Arledge in the ensuing chaos. Pitt keeps the job (for now as you know what he does in later books)
A wonderful and typical mystery – her trademark Victorian conditions embedded all the way through, the sense of justice comes shining through and the mystery is satisfactorily explained.
While this may not be one of the great mysteries of this author, it is satisfying enough to garner a 6/10
— Krishna