Stunning revelation!

Triple Jeopardy (Daniel Pitt #2) by Anne Perry             




A slow beginning opening with a Pitt family reunion. Daniel's sister Jemima, her husband Patrick and their two lovely children having come from Washington D.C. to England for a visit. A visit that coincides with the charge of embezzlement for a young English diplomat, Philip Sidney, who had fled Washington claiming diplomatic immunity against a more serious charge, the attack and theft from a young woman Miss Rebecca Thorwood whilst she was sleeping. Rebecca is a friend of Jemima's. Her father is a powerful man and has been a friend to Patrick. Patrick wants to see the opportunistic coward Sidney brought to justice. Coincidentally the Thorwoods have arrived in London to settle an inheritance for Rebecca from her aunt. Rebecca's  parents desire for punishment of Sidney seems to override the harm the publicity might do to their shy, retiring daughter. Patrick requests that Daniel take on the case of defending Sidney and in doing so reveal his attack on Rebeccca, "a smaller case to carry a bigger one.”
Disgusted by the cowardly Sidney staining the reputation of the Foreign Office, Daniel intends to help his brother-in-law seek justice for Rebecca. However as he becomes more familiar with the case he realizes that things just don't fit together. He also questions his own actions if he doesn't give his client a determined defense.
The whole setup is puzzling in the extreme. It's only after he approaches his friend and forensic pathologist, Dr. Miriam fforde Croft, for her help that things become even more disjointed. The patterns are just not there. Daniel senses that there is a "dark center of the whole elaborate web of accusations and lies, [an] unseen shape."  As Daniel tries to put form and reason to the case's many conundrums, with the guidance of Miriam and other friends, things start slowly to become apparent to Daniel. (Not to me!)
The climax is just that! Surprisingly brief and fittingly concluded. I did not see it coming although with hindsight there were clues along the way.
I must admit from the measured start I wondered where things were going. By the end I was deeply immersed in not only Daniel's stunning court case resolution, but his relationship with his family and various friends. I was charmed by the whisper of his feelings for Miriam, the slight moments of awareness between the two, quickly dispatched. Which is ridiculous as Miriam is much older than Daniel and "she must look at him as if he were a boy". Mmm?!

A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley

*****

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