Anne Perry is the author of several series of novels, in addition to some stand-alone novels. She is best known for Victorian murder mysteries, but also has some short story collections, and a series of novels that take place during World War I. Her Christmas Stories series features some characters from her other novels, and explores religious themes and family secrets.
Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novels
The Cater Street Hangman was Perry's first novel. It features Charlotte Ellison, an upper class young woman, and Thomas Pitt, a police officer who investigates the murder of a maid in the Ellison household. The novel is set in Victorian England, and Perry is well known for the historical accuracy of her novels.
So far she has written 25 novels in this series, during the course of which Charlotte and Thomas marry and continue investigating murders. The series is distinguished by the way Perry describes both lower class and the upper class in England. Charlotte's upbringing allows her to move seamlessly through society to gather information, while Thomas' lower class upbringing and knowledge of the upper classes allows him a unique approach to figuring out most murders. He is not afraid to show insubordination by suspecting the lord and lady of the house just as easily as he'd suspect the hired help.
William Monk Novels
Perry's other popular series of novels stars William Monk, who is a police officer turned private investigator. The first novel is The Face of a Stranger. Also set in Victorian England, Monk solves crimes with the help of his friend Hester, who later becomes his wife, Hester. While still a police officer, Monk suffered an accident causing him to lose his memory. The first few novels deal with Monk trying to work through this disaster, and recovering as much of his past as possible.
Murder of Honora Rieper
Anne Perry and her friend Pauline Parker were convicted of murdering Parker's mother, Honora Rieper, in New Zealand in 1954. The girls were both underage at the time, and served roughly 5 year sentences in prison. After being released, the girls had the unusual punishment of being forbidden to see each other ever again.
Perry's website refers to this period of her life as including "the tragedies and errors of my childhood about which I have already said all there is to say," according to her official biography on her website. The movie Heavenly Creatures, which stars Kate Winslet, was made about Perry's story. She did not have any part in creating the movie, and prefers not to associate herself with it.
Anne Perry's Victorian mysteries are the best in their class. She has an impressive knack for accurately describing Victorian dress, culture, and society. She also creates a wonderful mystery, leaving readers wondering whodunit until the very end.
Allison Russo - Allison Russo holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Most recently she ...
Join the Conversation