Midnight at Marble Arch

Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, Book 28

By: Anne Perry

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

In this superbly accomplished new Charlotte and Thomas Pitt adventure, Anne Perry takes us beneath the glittering surface of wealthy Victorian society into a nightmare world of fear and intimidation, where women are too often blamed for the violent attacks against them, and powerful men take what they want, leaving others to pay the price.

The horrifying rape and apparent suicide of Catherine Quixwood, wife of a wealthy merchant banker, falls outside the new jurisdiction of Special Branch head Thomas Pitt, but so pervasively offensive are the rumors about the victim that Pitt quietly takes a hand in the investigation.

Yet even with the help of his ingenious wife, Charlotte, and his former superior, Victor Narraway, Pitt is stumped. Why did high-minded, cultured Catherine choose not to accompany her husband to a grand party on the night of her demise? Why did she dismiss all her servants for the evening and leave the front door unlocked? What had been her relationship with the young man seen frequently by her side at concerts and art exhibits? And what can be done to avenge another terrible crime: the assault on Angeles Castelbranco, beloved teenage daughter of the Portuguese ambassador?

©2013 Anne Perry (P)2013 Recorded Books

Wow

That was a complicated murder mystery that had me holding my breath!

Great narration by Davina as usual and wonderful storyline !

A Detective Story Lacking the Detection

What would have made Midnight at Marble Arch better?

The book could have been better if there was less narrative about the consequences of rape (how would I feel if my wife, my daughter, my sister-in-law, my elderly friend was raped?... how would the violated woman feel?... how can I ensure my son won't become a rapist?... how would society treat the raped woman and her husband?... and on, and on, and on). The book is 6.5 hours long, and most of it was devoted to a discussion of the above. There was almost no detection happening and certainly no action (until the very last scene).

Has Midnight at Marble Arch turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I will continue to read books by this author. Several of Ms. Perry's recent books have been filled with suspense, detection, and action, so I'm not giving up on her.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The pace was fine. Ms. Porter's narration has been better, though. I felt that the character voices tended to merge a bit. In previous books, she did a better job of keeping the characters distinct.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Midnight at Marble Arch?

Too many to mention.

Preaching to the choir about rape

What would have made Midnight at Marble Arch better?

A single exposition on Victorian attitudes and practices regarding rape would have been sufficient. But it seemed that every character had to have a long explanation of how rape is handled, who it affects, the consequences, etc. And virtually no detecting

Has Midnight at Marble Arch turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, but I will be careful with this author if there are other social issues mentioned as being part of the plot. Perhaps violence towards women is a particular hot button issue for her.

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She has a lovely way of capturing the social graces with her phrasing and tone of voice.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Annoyance. Really. I started with the expected anger at the treatment of women but the repetitive drumming on this theme just distracted from any plot advancement. The whole mystery solving part of the book happened almost as an afterthought in the last couple chapters.