Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Death Times Seven by Anne Perry, Victoria Zackheim Series: Daniel Pitt #7
Published by Ballantine on April 14, 2026
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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1913: Junior attorney Daniel Pitt must step in for his friend, fellow attorney Toby Kitteridge, whose parents have been brutally attacked. Toby's mother is dead and his father, a village vicar, is barely alive. With Toby returning to the family home in rural Ipswich, struggling with grief and disbelief, Daniel remains in London to substitute for Toby and defend Peter Ward, on trial for the sexual assault and murder of a young woman.
Daniel is convinced that Ward is innocent, yet the evidence seems to prove otherwise. Eager to assist, his pathologist wife, Miriam fford Croft, offers her forensics expertise and exposes a community of fellow pathologists who may have purposefully omitted information from their autopsy reports. Despite Miriam’s involvement in the case, Daniel finds himself distracted by his desire to help Toby, who is too distraught to investigate the attack on his parents. And when the evidence points to Toby’s father as the killer of Toby’s mother, Daniel faces two of the greatest challenges of his young proving the innocence of both Peter Ward and Reverend Kitteridge. One mistake in London and a blameless man will hang. One mistake in Ipswich and Toby’s father will go to prison for life.
It all seems to happen at once for poor Daniel when first his best friend learns his parents were shot and it seems the father shot the mother and Daniel must take the high-profile case his friend was working on. It will take all Daniel has including his incredible, talented wife Miriam and their friends to learn the truth in both cases before innocent people are punished.
Death Times Seven is that bittersweet book in that it was the last book Anne Perry was working on when she passed away. She had started it and close friend, Victoria Zackheim has completed it. It is the seventh in a series that works best when read in order because of the excellent character and relationships developed over the course of the series. In fact, Daniel Pitt series is a follow up to the previous Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series about the previous generation of detecting Pitt family members.
Death Times Seven opens with Daniel working in the law office on some case background work when he learns his friend Toby Kitteridge’s parents have died in a horrific fashion. Toby’s in court working a case of a man accused of rape. Toby is convinced his client is innocent, but the case needs delicate treatment and the evidence is damning so far. But, in the meantime, Toby’s own family situation back home where his father the vicar is barely holding onto life himself and stands suspected of having shot his wife and then himself.
Daniel needs to take on Toby’s current case, but he also needs to help his friend find the evidence to prove what happened with his parents. Both are life and death and both needed to be handled with superb care, care he is fearful his tired and tireless efforts won’t do well. But, he has Miriam and the others. He is not alone even if what he starts to uncover upsets dark powers that be who want him to not rock the status quo in the trial.
Death Times Seven has a thrilling premise and is settled in the legal Edwardian world Daniel Pitt inhabits. Anne Perry wrote historical backdrop so well. But, there is that philosophical and psychological depth she brings that slows the pace, yet sinks the foundation deep in each story she wrote. Daniel’s steel determination to do the right thing and his weaknesses are all layered parts of who he is and the choices he makes. I love seeing him brilliant in investigation and courtroom drama and Miriam with her evolving, growing knowledge of forensics and pathology partnering once again. It took half the book for the plot to really get rolling, but it was worth it and paid off as usual in the end.
I’m going to disappoint some folks because I have to admit I can tell there were differences from first half to latter half writing style, but I’m not really good at telling you where Anne Perry cut off and Victoria Zackheim came in. I thought Victoria did a fab job of entering a talented writer’s world and plot to finish off the mystery with some aplomb. I was well satisfied with the book as a whole and in its parts. Those who love historical mystery with carefully researched backdrop, cunning plot, and complex characters should definitely give the Daniel Pitt and earlier series about his parents a go.
About Anne Perry
Anne Perry (born Juliet Hulme) is a British historical novelist.
Juliet took the name “Anne Perry,” the latter being her stepfather’s surname. Her first novel, The Cater Street Hangman, was published under this name in 1979. Her works generally fall into one of several categories of genre fiction, including historical murder mysteries and detective fiction. Many of them feature a number of recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt, who appeared in her first novel, and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in her 1990 novel The Face of a Stranger. As of 2003 she had published 47 novels, and several collections of short stories. Her story “Heroes,” which first appeared the 1999 anthology Murder and Obsession, edited by Otto Penzler, won the 2001 Edgar Award for Best Short Story.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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This looks and sounds like it would be a good read.
Yes, I love that it is courtroom drama and murder mystery solving all in one.
Sounds like a fun series. 😀
It sure did grab me and I was so glad to see the Pitt family stories extended to the next generation.
Oh, how sad knowing she passed while working on this. It’s nice that the story was finished, but bittersweet that it’s not the same.
Yeah, it was sad. I was actually very surprised when I realized this one was coming out as I thought a different book was her last one and didn’t know this was progressed enough to finish. Yay, for one last book.