Ashworth Hall

I did not enjoy this book as much as I have most of the other books by Ms. Perry that I have read. Some things just did not ring true. I hardly think that in that day and age, the relationship between a married man and another woman would have been displayed so blatantly. There was not much to distinguish some of the main characters from one another and it was hard to keep them all straight. I did enjoy seeing Gracie start to have feelings for a young man. This young man's character was skillfully drawn. The person who almost killed the first victim was somewhat of a surprise, but her background story was not believable to me. I was glad to see Emily's husband, Jack, have a more active role in this book. The relationship between Tellman, one of Pitt's subordinates, and Pitt is interesting and at times amusing. All in all, there was some good reading, but not one of her best.

This is another excellent book by Anne Perry. It is one of the books in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series and takes place in the 1890's at the home of Charlotte's sister, Emily. Emily's husband is a member of Parliament. A meeting between the differing factions in the "Irish Problem" is being held at Emily's home. Two of men involved are murdered. It is Thomas's job, as a police superintendent, to find out who did it and why. Charlotte is also a house guest and gets involved in the investigation. As always, the ending has a twist. Anne Perry really makes her books more realistic by not using the same old "the butler did it" type of ending. I would highly recommend all of her books. She has obviously done a lot of research into the Victorian period. She really shows what life was like. I did a little checking of some of her facts after I read my first book by her. She is remarkably accurate. If you like this type of period piece please pick up one of her books. I would recommend starting from the beginning of the series as each book has references to the books that came before.

This is the third Anne Perry novel I have read. They are all well crafted, intelligent cozy mysteries, along with an interesting portrayal of the culture and politics of Victorian England. This particular book revolves around a peace conference for Ireland which is being held at Ashworth Hall, hence the title. Ashworth Hall happens to be the home of the sister-in-law of Inspector (now Superintendent) Pitt, who is the hero of this series of Perry's novels. Moreover, the politician presiding over the conference has been the subject of death threats in the recent past. So Pitt is asked to attend the conference, without revealing his identity, as a security measure to prevent foul play.Unfortunately, Pitt fails. Two murders are committed despite his efforts, terrifying both the guests and the sizable contingent of servants. We then have the usual collection of suspects and motives, and Pitt eventually sorts through all of the information to solve the mystery - with considerable help from his wife Charlotte and their maid Gracie.It's a tightly written mystery, along with a convincing portrayal of Victorian mores and the unending hatreds in Ireland. It doesn't quite rise to the level of true literature, as Elizabeth George's and P. D. James's books often do, but it's a solid, high-quality production.

A recent visit to the Biltmore House in Ashville, NC was fresh in my mind as I read this fine Anne Perry novel. Talk about coming alive! If they ever want to make a movie of this novel they need no set- just do the whole thing at the Biltmore House, a marvelous turn-of-the-century mansion built by the Vanderbilt family. If you liked Ashworth Hall you'll love the Biltmore House!

After reading this book, I am hungry to go back and read all about the Irish Problem in the scholarly literature. In addition to her usual satisfying mysteries wrapped around the sights, sounds, and--yes--the smells of Victorian England, Anne Perry gets us to care about people on both sides of the political dispute at the heart of the conference at Charlotte's sister Emily's lordly estate. The characters who are here from earlier volumes in the Pitt series continue to grow, surprise, and delight--none more so than Gracie, the Pitts' "maid of all work." Her worse-than-impoverished childhood has left her unafraid in the face of danger, but here we see her first journey into affairs of the heart. Whoever wins her heart in future adventures will be a lucky man indeed. I'll have some more tea, and yes, please pass the crumpets. .

Police Superintendent Thomas Pitt has the unenviable task of safeguarding Ainsley Greville during a meeting to discuss home rule between Irish Catholics and Protestants at ASHWORTH HALL. Though the location seems to be more of a place for a tea party, the participants do not give any pretense of being friends. Religious and National differences leave both sides loathing the other side. However, as bad as things seem, they only get worse when Greville is murdered. While Thomas, his wife Charlotte, and his assistant Tellman investigate the case, the meetings continue, but in an even more hostile environment. Even the servants of the gathering of leaders are bickering. If Thomas and cohorts do not solve the murder soon, the impassioned emotions may lead to more killings and perhaps even civil war. The Victorian Era is incredibly described by that master of English historical who-done-it, Anne Perry. The over fifteen tales starring the Pitts are clearly some of the juiciest fruits on the sub-genre tree. ASHWORTH HALL may be the best of a superior lot because a political thriller adds even more dimension to an already multi-faceted tale. Ms. Perry succeeds in reminding readers that unbridled anger (regardless of whether it is historical or the nineties) is not the way to resolve conflict. Great novel from a great "historian". Harriet Klausner ----