Author Anne Perry is a well known mystery writer. Perry’s most successful works are two Victorian era mystery series. Perry’s big break came with her first published work in 1979 titled The Cater Street Hangman featuring the character Thomas Pitt. The Pitt character continued into a series with the latest book published in 2008. Perry launched a second series in 2006 with The Face of a Stranger featuring character William Monk with the latest in that series published in 2009. Ms. Perry has written several other works in addition to these series.
Ms. Perry’s private life has been just as full of intrigue and notoriety as her works. Perry was born Juliet Marion Hulme in Blackheath, London in October of 1938. As a young girl Perry developed tuberculosis and the family sent her to live in the warmer climates of the Caribbean and South Africa in hopes that her medical condition would improve. At age 13 Ann joined her family, then living in New Zealand, and developed a strong friendship with Pauline Parker. In June of 1954, Perry’s parents were divorcing and moving from New Zealand, in an effort to remain together Perry and Parker developed and executed a plan to kill Parker’s mother, Honora Rieper. Parker and Perry brutally beat Riper over the head with a brick 45 times. The girls were convicted as minors and spent 5 years in reformatory. Upon release Hulme changed her name to Anne Perry and moved to the United States for a short period of time and became a flight attendant. Later she moved to Scotland with her mother and began her writing career. She continues to live in Scotland.
