When an author passes away, we lose not only their enormous talents but also the lives of the great characters they have created. In the case of Anne Perry, who left us in 2023, we have the legacy of her various series that have entertained us for decades. Among them are William Monk, Elena Standish, Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, and Daniel Pitt.

DEATH TIMES SEVEN is the final Daniel Pitt novel, and the responsibility for wrapping up the series falls on Perry's friend, Victoria Zackheim, who pays homage to her in the book’s dedication and by breathing life into her protagonist for one more mystery.

Daniel is faced with the unspeakable burden of having to inform his mentor and friend, fellow attorney Toby Kitteridge, that Toby’s mother is dead and his father is barely alive. Even worse, it appears that Reverend Justin Kitteridge may have shot his wife before turning the gun on himself.

"The dual murder mysteries at the heart of DEATH TIMES SEVEN make for a dynamic and gripping read.... It’s a remarkable finale for such a beloved and memorable series."

Now, the junior attorney must work on an important case for Toby. Peter Ward is accused of the sexual assault and murder of a young woman. Daniel is convinced that Ward is innocent, but the evidence against him most certainly would sway any jury.

The first hurdle for Daniel is accompanying Toby to the town where he was raised to face his mother’s body in the morgue while his father continues to fight for his life. Toby also has a tough battle with his sister, Alberta Walsh, who still resents him and his success while she was left behind. When Toby and Daniel insist that an autopsy be performed on their mother to find out if there were any other contributing factors to her death, Alberta is not happy. She eventually relents, and Daniel’s wife, Miriam fford Croft, performs the autopsy. Her findings only raise more questions.

Daniel realizes that Toby is not up to return to the Peter Ward case, so he steps into a trial where everything is stacked against his client. As the proceedings edge forward, Daniel finds that the best way to save Ward from execution is to discredit the forensics that the prosecution is using. He has a big advantage on his side --- leaning on the expertise that Miriam brings to the game as she has uncovered evidence showing a community of pathologists who may have withheld and even fraudulently misrepresented evidence that could have instantly exonerated Ward. 

How will Daniel be able to convince a jury of this alleged conspiracy without causing an even bigger scandal? This is at the center of what has become the classic moral dilemma that every Anne Perry novel poses.

The dual murder mysteries at the heart of DEATH TIMES SEVEN make for a dynamic and gripping read. Like all of Anne Perry’s longtime readers, I am very grateful to Victoria Zackheim for taking on this daunting assignment. It’s a remarkable finale for such a beloved and memorable series.