One Fatal Flaw (Daniel Pitt #3) by Anne Perry

One Fatal Flaw by Anne Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Daniel really seems to have come into his own in this book and his relationship with Miriam seems to be progressing albeit slowly but I think now they each realize they care a lot about the other.

A young girl (Jessie Beale) comes to Daniel asking him to represent her fiance (Rob Adwell) who is accused of arson resulting in the death of Paddy Jackson. Convinced the young man is innocent Daniel takes the case. At a loss how to prove his innocence he goes to Miriam for advice and she suggest a former teacher Sir Barnabas Saltram may be able to help. And indeed Sir Saltram's testimony gets Adwell off. But in the meantime through Pitt and Charlotte Daniel discovers that Saltram isn't what he seems.

When Adwell turns up dead in exactly the same manner as Paddy Jackson and they arrest Jessie Beale for his murder, Daniel is dismayed when Jessie demands he represents her convinced she is guilty but with no way to turn down her request Daniel works with Miriam to find a witness who can overturn Saltram's expert testimony. Miriam's mentor Ottershaw suggest Dr. Evelyn Hall (apparently in Holland women can work in whatever field they choose). Hall completely dismantles Saltram's testimony and Jessie Beale is found guilty.

And now things get really dicey for Daniel. James Leigh's widow ask him to overturn her husband's conviction which was based on Saltram's evidence. Pitt always felt James Leigh was innocent and that it was Marguerite's husband Roger Daventry who killed her, and set the fire to cover it up. The police even arrested Roger Daventry for her murder but he was found not guilty due to Saltram's evidence. It was only then James Leigh (a young laborer) was arrested for arson that lead to a death because he was in the vicinity at the time. Daniel seeing no honorable way out of not taking the case and with the support of Marcus (his boss) and Kitteridge, Daniel goes full Don Quixote.

A fire at Ottershaw's shortly after Saltram visited Miriam and knocked her unconscious almost results in the death of Miriam and the young boy who works for them. It is only Daniel's arrival that saves them.

Marcus who hasn't argued a case in a decade goes before the court to get James Leigh's conviction overturned. Kitteridge acts as his second and he is going to call Daniel as a witness. And Marcus does a brilliant job of destroying Saltram's testimony in fact he does such a good job that Saltram visits Daniel and attempts to blackmail him into changing his testimony when he is crossed examined. Miriam reveals to Daniel that at 19 she had a crush on Saltram and thought she was in loved with him, she was prepared to sleep with him but Saltram was impotent. But she insist that no matter what the risk to her reputation Daniel must tell the truth.

And tell the truth he does while neatly turning the tables on Saltram. James Leigh's conviction is overturned.

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