Paragon Walk

by Anne Perry
September 5, 2011

The third Thomas and Charlotte Pitt book. I read this one.  All of the audio versions of the Pitt mysteries are narrated by Davina Porter. She's excellent, but for some reason, I'd rather hear a male narrator.

Paragon Walk continues the theme of The Secrets of the Rich and Idle.  Paragon Walk is the street on which Lord George and Lady Emily Ashworth live. Emily is, of course, Charlotte Pitt's sister.  One of the residents of Paragon Walk, the young Fanny Nash, is found raped and murdered. It's almost certain that the murderer did not come from outside of the walk. The night of the murder, one end of the walk was filled with carriage drivers and footmen waiting for their employers to leave a party.  The other end was patrolled by a constable.

And so the soap opera of Paragon Walk begins.  This one is not quite as pointed in its presentation of the social divide between rich and poor as the first two books.  Instead, it's about the interactions of the people living on Paragon Walk. Most of them live there only during "the season", which I assume is summer.  The women spend their days calling on one another.

In this book we are learning a little bit more about Thomas Pitt, but most of the story involves Charlotte and Emily, who help to solve the mysteries through detection done while attending parties and afternoon tea.

I enjoy these Pitt mysteries. But, I hope that Anne Perry takes us beyond the lives of the rich and famous.