Book Review:The Cater Street Hangman
The Cater Street Hangman is the first in Anne Perry’s Thomas Pitt mystery series. When it was made into an A&E mystery, they changed a great deal of the story and added on bits. And yet, the story was recognizable and worth watching. So far as I know, they haven’t filmed any more of the series. The Cater Street Hangman is filled with the complexities of middle-class Victorian daily life. It’s almost incredible how much information the author manages to convey throughout the course of the story. Also, it makes me very glad that I wasn’t born then. I would not have fit in at all. The first time I read this book, I had no idea who the murderer was until just a little bit before the characters. This may be due to the complex storyline. There is just so much romantic intrigue and character development that occurs as the book progresses. (Alternatively, I could be a bit dim…) Even the characters in this story are well wrought and full of layers. At the very heart of the book lies a love story, that I would have liked to read more about. Sadly, the book ends a bit abruptly. All the important loose ends had been tied up, but I still would have liked a bit more. So, I just went back and read the end again. Just so that you all know, this book isn’t a cozy mystery. It’s more of a period piece that includes a disturbed killer. In any case, I loved Charlotte and Thomas the best of all the characters, and I expect that you will as well. To sum up: Historical murder mystery with romance. Great book. Not for children. I loved it.
The Cater Street Hangman, Anne Perry, Thomas Pitt
December 26th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
I really enjoyed the first five novels in this series, then I stepped away for a breather and haven’t come back to them, yet. I find British mystery series( Ellis Peters, P.D. James, Lindsey Davis) so much more enjoyable than American ones. How about you?
December 27th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
I forget how far I got before I did that. I am very fond of book one, but after that…well someday I’ll get back to them. I offer you: Charlotte Macleod (American/Canadian) and Nancy Atherton (american author, mostly takes place in England)