Death
Times Seven: A Daniel Pitt Novel (Book 7 of 7 in the series)
by Anne Perry and Victoria Zackheim
Publication
Date: Apr 14, 2026
Available
in Kindle, HB, ($30) and Paper
ISBN#: 978-0593982518
Published
by Ballantine Books
Pages: 288
in HB
Review
by Joan Leotta
Imagine
that you’ve been out of touch with an old friend for a while and then,
unexpectedly, you meet again. That’s how I felt about reading the newest Daniel
Pitt mystery from the pen of the late great Anne Perry. I’m a hardcore Perry
fan—all of her series. Several of the lines ran their course naturally, but the
Daniel Pitt series and the Elena Standish series have young protagonists, so it
was harder to say good-by to them when news of Perry’s death was published.
However, it seems that before her death she entrusted Daniel and his wife Miriam and the other regulars of this series which follows the young lawyer and wife in their quest for justice for individuals and for society as a whole, in the early twentieth century. By allowing Victoria Zackheim, a close friend as well as an editor to finish this book she has given us a gift from beyond the grave, a legacy of words.
Death
Times Seven takes place in 1913 England. Daniel is asked to take over (mid
-trial) for a more senior person in the law firm, fellow attorney, Toby
Kitteridge, who had to leave London upon learning of the sudden brutal attack
on his parents in their parsonage—mother dead, accused father.
Miriam
Ifford Croft (Daniel’s wife), of course, as always, has much to offer, helping
Daniel to defend the hapless Peter Ward, the client, whose innocence it seems
was only believed by Kitteridge and then herself and Daniel. As the two cases
develop, we are given entry to the courts as the trial proceeds as well as to
the workings of forensic pathology in that era. New evidence surfaces. We are
also party to the mystery in the countryside where Toby is valiantly trying to help
his father recover and clear the cleric’s name. Daniel travels out to the
countryside to help his friend. It’s a satisfying dual mystery, well plotted,
character driven, and full of excitement.
I’m
often wary of these posthumous additions to a series. But this one is a true
gem. Zackheim has seamlessly woven whatever part of the story she was to
finish.
How
did she do it? From a reader’s standpoint, plot and structure are well done.
But what brands this book as a piece true to Perry is the way the characters
are handled, particularly young Daniel. As I was reading the book, reserving
judgment as I traversed the paragraphs, I was confronted with a scene that made
me realize the depth of Zackheim’s commitment to the sharing the character of
Daniel as Perry had oft portrayed him---she sets a scene where Daniel cuts off
a thick slice of bread and slathers it with butter (jam in another place) and
eats it as much as for its comfort as for its value as sustenance.
This
gesture, one that defines Daniel as a man who enjoys the simple things, is typical
of Perry and the particular gesture is one that reminds us of Daniel’s youth
and even harks back to the time when we knew him as a boy in the William and
Charlotte Pitt (his parents) series. I could not stop reading it. Stayed up all
night, not wanting to miss any part of it. Will likely read it a second time
for the shear enjoyment of the language and to say goodbye once more to these
characters. I suppose ending with the seventh is a series is fitting since
seven is considered one of the perfect numbers, but I would certainly not be averse
to reading number eight, even if wholly penned by Zackheim.
But
if this is the end, the last new novel by Perry to read, it is certainly a
fitting tribute to her talent and her love of the characters she has created
and we, her loyal readers, have come to know and love.
My
electronic copy came from a reading service. I’m already on the wait list at my
local library; I’d like to hold the hardback in my hand to read. Definitely one
of my top three books so far this year.
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4bbv3Cw
Joan Leotta ©2026
Joan
Leotta plays with words on page and stage. Her poetry, essays, cnf, short
stories, and articles are widely published. Mysteries are favorite things to
read.. short and long.. and to write.
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