BUCKINGHAM PALACE GARDENS
By Anne Perry
Ballantine Books, 2008 ($26.00)
ISBN-10: 0345469313
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-46931-1
Reviewed by Shirley Wetzel
Thomas Pitt, now working for the Special Branch of the London police department, is used to finding murder victims in a variety of odd places, but never did he dream the day would come when the body of a murdered prostitute would turn up at Buckingham Palace. His own reverence for Queen Victoria makes it almost impossible to fathom the kind of man who would desecrate her home in such a terrible way. Still, someone did kill one of the "entertainers" brought into the palace for the amusement of Victoria’s son Edward, Prince of Wales, and a group of men hoping to develop an important African railway that would bring power to England and money to their pockets. The men are of high social standing, and they have much to lose if this scandal reaches the public. Especially if one of them turns out to be the murderer.
Thankfully, the Queen was not in residence when the house party took place, and the palace staff is hoping she’ll never find out. Pitt is brought in with the expectation that he will solve the murder quickly, with the utmost discretion. He has difficulty getting those involved to talk -- the men and their wives look down on him, and the servants worry about getting into trouble if they give him information that implicates people in high places. He and his boss, Victor Narraway, devise a plan to get his family maid, Gracie, a job on the palace domestic staff, and she proves to be an able and spirited mole.
This is one of the strongest books in the long-running series. I had hoped for more details about life inside the palace, but what there is is very interesting. One has to tread carefully when including a historical figure in a work of fiction, but Perry’s portrayal of Prince Eddie fits well with his reputation as a self-indulgent man with extravagant tastes.
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