The Cater Street Hangman

by Anne Perry

Book Overview

"An ingenious mystery and an excellent example of manners and caste systems of the Victorian era."
THE CHATTANOOGA TIMES
While the Ellison girls were out paying calls and drinking tea like proper Victorian ladies, a maid in their household was strangled to death. The quiet and young Inspector Pitt investigates the scene and finds no one above suspicion. As his intense questioning causes many a composed facade to crumble, Pitt finds himself couriously...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345513568
• ISBN13: 9780345513564
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Beginning of a Great Series Good Surprise Ending

This is the first book in the Thomas Pitt and Charlotte series and introduces Ms. Perry's style of writing for this and the Monk series: her attention to detail of the surroundings and customs of that period, the division of the classes, the expected behavior of women of good social standing, the attitude of the upper classes towards the police, and the hidden wishes and desires of members of a family. Desperate to solve the string of killings of young women, one of whom is Charlotte's sister, Thomas finds himself coming back to the household again and again. Soon he begins to realize how strongly he is drawn to Charolotte, even though a match between the two would be unthinkable. Things are never what they seem, which is another thing that Anne Perry does so well. The shocking revelation of the murderer makes a great ending.

I loved it!

This is the first Anne Perry mystery I have read and I wanted to begin with the first Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novel so that I could read them in order if I chose to continue with the series. I just loved it! It was a book that was almost impossible for me to put down. That phrase is used so often in reviews that I hesitate to use it but nothing else comes close to describing how truly absorbed I became in this story. Other reviewers have covered the plot so I will only say that I found everything I am looking for in a period mystery in this novel. I had no idea who the killer was up until the reveal and then could only marvel at how ingenious this author is in her thinking. I had suspected someone else of the crimes but was wholly satisfied with Perry's results. That says a lot coming from a longtime mystery reader. If there was a tiny niggle, it would be that Charlotte did not get quite enough time to realize that her feelings for Pitt were changing. But in the end, who cares? All's well that ends up with them becoming a team. I can't wait to dig into Callander Square, I just have to find a good clear space of time to be totally uninterrupted.

Fantastic introduction to Victorian mystery series

This novel is the first featuring Thomas Pitt and Charlotte (Ellison) Pitt, and set in Victorian London. In some ways, the novel is a standard mystery, with the victims, suspects, police and other interested parties all involved, sometimes to the detriment of the investigation! What makes this novel stand above other contemporary novels set in the Victorian era is the author's obvious knowledge of that era and her attention to detail which makes the reader feel as if s/he has truly glimpsed what it must have been like to live at that time. I also thought that it was critical to spend a significant portion of the novel on the class system in Britain (London society in particular) during the late 1800s. This is more than mere background--it is crucial because the class system determines how the characters act and react to the murders around them, to the investigation, and to eachother.I also liked the romance which developed between Charlotte Ellison and Thomas Pitt, and found it entirely believable. Anne Perry pulls it off, despite Charlotte and Thomas being from different classes, because she had the foresight to make Charlotte something of a social misfit. She was honest. She said precisely what was on her mind without considering what the listener wanted to hear. She did not accept the double standard of behavior that her family, friends, and neighbors subscribed to (one set of rules for men, another more strigent set of rules for women). She read the newspapers and "unfeminine" books on topics such as military history to the shock and horror of her family and friends. All of these things made her, as her mother put it, "a liability on the marriage market". She would not attract a suitor of her own class (nor of the aristocracy nor gentry). The only option (not spoken of in the novel) is for her to marry down socially, but she also gains far more emotionally from her relationship with Thomas. She has found someone she can love and respect, and who loves and respects her in return. Thomas is also something of a social misfit as well. Anne Perry accomplishes this by making him a member of the servant class by birth, but because he was educated side by side with the Lord of the manor's son, he, too, does not quite "fit" neatly into one class or another. A good example of Thomas being not quite in the class that people expect is how his voice and appearance are described. In the Victorian era, as well as now, voice (and diction) are a good indication of class. Thomas, because of his education, did not sound like a servant or a tradesman (which is how policemen were ranked socially). The development of their relationship was also well done. There is no rush to sexual relations. The dislike that Charlotte and Thomas initially feel for eachother changes to respect, admiration, and finally each acknowledges their love for eachother. It was nice to see how Charlotte came to change her feelings about Thomas. The main characters actually get to know eacho

The book that revived the historical mystery.

What plot! What a setting! What characters! Anne Perry started a revolution with this book, the first in her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series (Charlotte is not "Pitt" yet in this book). When murder disturbs the elite and proper world of the Ellison family, the cracks begin to show in the family's heretofore placid exterior. Family members start to look at each other with fear and doubt, and suspicion is as frightening as truth.Perry's depiction of Victorian England is detailed and fascinating--she is as knowledgeable of upper-class life as she is of the working-class. Her characters are realistic and sympathetic, and the kicker of an ending in this book is the sort that has become her trademark.You cannot call yourself a fan of the historical mystery without reading this book.

Eternal gratitude to A & E for introducing me to Anne Perry

After I saw "The Cater Street Hangman" on A & E, I immediately rushed out to the library and devoured every Perry novel I could get my hands on. This book is enthralling, as much as a study of Victorian society as a murder mystery. Charlotte and Thomas are superbly matched and unusually compelling; Perry spares them the all too common fate of fictional detectives who are reduced to the level of thinking machines. Everything I have read by her is gripping and highly recommended.

Thundering good read!

I was aware of Anne Perry's historical mysteries and assumed I would not be interested in them since in general I prefer more contemporary mysteries. Then I saw A & E's production of The Cater Street Hangman and was captivated by it. I immediately bought the book and found it to be even better than the TV version - the characters have more depth and the plot is tighter and more credible. Anne Perry has a wonderful knack for creating characters. I feel as though I know (and like) Charlotte Ellison and Thomas Pitt. Charlotte is a wonderful creation: she speaks her mind, almost unheard of in the Victorian well-to-do world she inhabits. Thomas Pitt is an equally interesting creation and seeing the two of them pass beyond instant dislike to attraction and admiration for each other is very entertaining. We SO want them to get together. This is edge-of-the seat stuff which, together with all the wonderful details of life in Victorian London and an intelligent love affair, makes for a thundering good read!