Although this isn't the first of the Anne Perry novels by a long way, it's the first one I've read and i liked it. It features Pitt, a Victorian police inspector who has testified at a murder trial and whose testimony manages to help get the man convicted. He was guilty but there didn't seem to be any motive. Pitt gets demoted and sent to the east end of London to try to keep an eye on possible anarchist conspirators.

Meanwhile, his coworker is trying to unravel another mystery with the help of Pitt's kitchen maid and Pitt's wife. It all seems unconnected but it is in the end. It even draws in a possibly solution to the identity of Jack the Ripper who had terrorized the East End four years before the timeline of this book. ( )

I don't usually care for historical fiction, even though I do not know much about the history, I really enjoyed this book. The Story was about Thomas Pitt, a detective in London, who caught and convicted a murderer. However this murderer had friends in high places (the Inner Circle) who punished Pitt by forcing him to step down from his position on Bow street and work, as well as live, in the poor side of town. His Wife, maid, and coworker all work together to try and understand why the murder was committed and thereby get Pitt reinstated. The Plot is very involved and leads to republican conspiracy, Monarchy cover-ups and even Jack the Ripper. The thing I liked most about this book was the budding relationship between Gracie (the maid) and Tellman (the detective). All of the characters are memorable and love-able. I think I will read more of this series. ( )

A nice, comfortable read. Anne Perry writes in a style that is much like an afghan that belonged to your grandmother and now you. It sort of wraps around me, is familiar and nonthreatening and when I close my eyes, I can really see the scene she has created (just like when I can see my granny tucking me in with the afghan). But her scary moments aren't so scary I couldn't sleep afterward. These are familiar characters in a familiar setting (Thomas Pitt and family in Victorian London). There were twists and turns, especially in the major plot (it's no accident it's titled _The Whitechapel Conspiracy_, and that's all the spoiler you'll get from me). But I enjoyed the twists and turns in the subplots. These are characters that I've grown close to through their previous books, and to see them grow and watch as their lives take them to unexpected places - that's a real treat and the author handled it quite well. This was just the thing to get me through a day of being sick in bed. ( )