The Cater Street Hangman (original 1979; edition 2008)

I enjoyed two books of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series and figured it be a series to read from start to finish. Plus I have to confess a part of me wanted to read how Charlotte and Tom met. I guess there is a bit of romantic in me but just a very teeny weeny bit.

Cater was a bit slow but it soon picked up pace and was an enjoyable read. I thought the romance part bit between Charlotte and Mr Pitt was a bit well let's say silly but I'm not in to romance but the fact that Charlotte says yes to marrying some guy she's never dated or never referred to by his first name Thomas but as Mr Pitt brought a bit of laughter to the story but perhaps that's the way things were back in Victorian England. I'll have to consult with my romance writer and reader expert Kym McNabney

The mystery of whodunit was a mystery to me just about to the end but one scene made me switch my original guess to another member of the same household.

I so much enjoyed 'Cater Street Hangman' I was tempted to make my next check out #2 in the series Callander Square' but since the library did not have a copy it eliminated the temptation, but I'm a fan of Anne Perry's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series ( )

Apparently, Anne Perry was one of the young women that the film Heavenly Creatures was based on. She's written an enormous amount of detective fiction and this book is the first in an apparently popular series about the married protagonists. It was a reasonably enough cosy read until the end and then it distressed me with what, to me, was callous disregard. ( )

Exactly What I Hoped It Would Be

The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry is the first in a long series of novels featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. I'm delighted to have found these new-to-me Victorian mysteries and relish the thought of reading the entire series.

I liked the writer's voice from the very start. Perry expertly combines two stories here: one about the morals and manners of the Victorian period, the other a gruesome mystery.

While some readers may find the author a bit heavy-handed, I was interested in her description of the role of women within the family and the patriarchal, societal and religious influences on their restrictive lives. In spite of this, while not without her faults, Charlotte evidences intelligence and a strong will.

Perry does an exceptional job describing the dynamics of the Ellison family and their lives. I felt like I was right in their midst enjoying tea in the withdrawing room, and being overcome with confusion, fear and doubt as the murders progress. Well-drawn and distinctive characters here in the daughters and other family members.

There is a sharp contrast between Charlotte's sheltered existence and the harsh realities of the Victorian netherworld as recounted by Insp. Pitt. I particularly enjoyed the delightful scene when Charlotte gets quite an education of the criminal class while waiting in Pitt's office.

Well paced, especially as we zero in on the murderer, I flew through the book and admit, while I had lots of suspicions, it took me nearly until the reveal to identify the perpetrator......I love that in a mystery.

While really not looking for too much more romance, I might have enjoyed a little more development of Charlottes's feelings for Insp. Pitt, especially as we don't get much information on how he rather quickly goes from admiring Charlotte to proposing to her.

I felt the book ended a bit abruptly and perhaps a final short epilogue was needed, but all in all, The Cater Street Hangman was a very satisfying read. I'm looking forward to the other books in the series, which some reviewers have stated may be even better than this one. Lots more fun to look forward to. ( )

Great characters and fun mystery, but lost momentum for me at the end - and had an extremely abrupt ending. Still, I will probably look for the second in the series. ( )

This was a wonderful historical mystery, it is the beginning of Charlotte Ellison and Inspector Thomas Pitt's romance. A madman is garroting women at night on Cater Street. These women are a mixture of classes, both maids and young ladies of the family. When the Ellison's maid is murdered Inspector Pitt goes to their home to question the family and that is where he meets Charlotte. Things progress and each develops feelings that neither will admit until the final murder occurs. A well written storyline and great characters make this a great book.

Thank Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group. ( )