Anne Perry

Anne Perry is a successful author of historical detective fiction. She was born in England just before World War II in 1938. Her family moved around a lot and she also suffered from tuberculosis, so she was sent away to the Caribbean and South Africa for most of her teen years. As a result, her education was unconventional. However, she learned well enough because she was a very prolific and gifted writer.

Anne was born with the name Juliet Hulme. She changed it to take on the surname of her stepfather as a way to escape the error of her youth. She and a friend, Pauline Parker, conspired to kill Pauline’s mother as a way to stay together as friends. That is ironic, because as part of their punishment, they were forbidden to see each other for the rest of their lives. Because the girls committed the crime as minors, they escaped the death penalty. They served time for about five years. The crime was committed in New Zealand.

Once released, Anne worked as a flight attendant in the United States for a time. Later, she lived with her mother in a Scottish village called Portmahomack. In 1979, Anne’s first novel, The Cater Street Hangman, was published. It would be the first of many.

As of 2003, Anne had written 47 published novels and short stories. Fifteen of those novels featured the character William Monk and 25 featured the famous character, Thomas Pitt. Being an author of historical detective novels, Anne also wrote a series on World War I, including five novels.