Precipice    by Robert Harris Order:  USA  Can Harper, 2024 (2024) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson British author Robert Harris's bestsellers include Pompeii, Imperium, Munich, Enigma and many others. Now, he brings fans Precipice, set in England in the summer of 1914, on the brink of World War I, when H. H. Asquith was Prime Minister. Asquith is one of the main players here and is romantically involved with bored, intelligent young aristocrat Venetia Stanley, less than half his age. In fact, he's utterly obsessed with her, sharing sensitive state secrets in conversations and the notes he sends to her daily. One wonders what's in it for Venetia, aside from a proximity to power and a window into a world normally closed to women in that day and age. Another key actor in this drama is Paul Deemer, who starts as a New Scotland Yard detective sergeant, but then transitions to work as an intelligence officer for the Special Branch. He's assigned to look into classified Foreign Office telegrams that have been found by the public in different London locations (where readers saw the PM toss them after meeting with Venetia). That leads him to Venetia and he's sent to spy on her. As the situation in Europe steadily worsens and Britain's involvement in the war looms, Venetia begins to pull away from Asquith, starts training as a nurse, and plans on marriage to escape her increasingly untenable situation. Deemer, growing less and less comfortable with his role - and with the use being made of the information he uncovers, does the right thing. In his Historical Note at the end, the author calls Venetia 'one of the most consequential women in British political history.' She comes alive on these pages, which give fascinating views of the intersection of love and politics, and of aristocratic life and priorities on the eve of the Great War. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews