Farriers' Lane

Anne Perry always astounds with her inticate yet warmly drawn characters and plots. This story is a BEST on my list -her writing always satisfies, and educates. I am amazed at the talent of this woman.

If you are looking for a good book, I suggest getting this book, because I have only read 2 chapters and I am already captivated! I also suggest a book by Jill Jones, Bloodline, WHICH IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ!

The murder of a judge is wittnessed by the Pitts. It leads Thomas to open a five year old case, a murder for which a man was hung. Step by step the author leads us through a 19th century maze of prejudices and social barriers. An additional murder ups the stakes. Charlotte has her own problems. her mother has fallen in love with a Jewish actor fifteen years her junior and to make matters worst he is a suspect in the murders. As always Anne Perry is letter perfect in her depiction of the period. Her plot is particularly puzzling. I enjoyed the twists.I highly recommend this book.

Even though I'm familiar with Anne Perry's rhythms as a writer, her characters, her fascination with the secrets people keep, and her addiction to slipping messages about today's prejudices into her books on 19th-century England, I thoroughly enjoyed Farrier's Lane, and was baffled until the very end!While Thomas and Charlotte Pitt enjoy a rare night at the theatre, an appeals court judge dies of a seeming heart attack in a nearby box. However, the death is much more suspicious than it seemed at first and opium poisoning is suspected. But who would poison Judge Stafford? There are many suspects: his wife Juniper, his wife's lover, or even people involved in a five-year old case in Farrier's Lane. No matter how hard Thomas Pitt tries to solve the case by exploring more up-to-date possibilities, Charlotte continues to be preoccupied with a murder and crucifixion in Farrier's Lane. Ugly motives like anti-Semitism and the rush to judgement eventually disclose the murderer of Judge Stafford and the miscarriage of justice that happened five years earlier.

Anne Perry creates characters that teach us a bit about how racism & prejudice might have skewed justice in Victorian England