Rating: 
Summary: life and (gruesome) deaths in late Victorian London...
Review: 'The Cater Street Hangman' is my first foray into the world of Anne Perry mysteries. The book generally lived up to my expectations: a well-structured murder mystery which keeps the readers guessing to the last page. Fans of such 'page-turner' reads will love this book.The story is about a series of murders through strangulation (using a piece of wire) on an unassuming street in London. The victims are all women positioned low on the social ladder. One family living on the street has their lives turned upside-down with worry and suspicion. Fortunately one member of that family, a young women named Charlotte, and a talented police inspector (Thomas Pitt) are able to work together to solve the murders. Believable? Not terribly. But a fun, fast read. On the negative side I find Ms. Perry's handling of Victorian era societal issues to be a bit simplistic. Those wanting to know more about late Victorian life should read the works by George Gissing. And those who want to read a great Victorian-era mystery should look to the works of Wilkie Collins, with his 'The Woman in White' being his best. Bottom line: a murder mystery that will keep you guessing. Lightweight, but fun. (PS - I found one strange historical faux pas in this book. Completely unrelated to the story, the author has a Charlotte's mother looking at her wedding photograph taken 30 years early. This would mean wedding photos were taken in 1850. Even if such a thing were possible, which I strongly doubt, it would not have been available to middle-income people.)
Rating: 
Summary: A good book---but a terrible series
Review: ...That said, The Cater Street Hangman is enjoyable. The mystery is good-it's genuinely unclear who has been killing women in the area around Cater Street. And the characters, at least in this novel, are actually somewhat realistic. Charlotte, her heroine, is a bit tedious in her self-righteousness but Thomas Pitt, the inspector who is investigating the murders in the neighborhood in which Charlotte lives with her parents and sisters, is a good foil. He is straight-forward, unapologetic and seems curiously immune from the usual fallout created by the Victorian class system. I especially liked Emily, Charlotte's younger and highly ambitious sister. The Ellisons, Emily's and Charlotte's family are genteelly middle-class but Emily intends to marry up-and she manages to achieve it-even as the world in which the Ellisons live falls apart when a killer begins stalking the Ellisons and their neighbors....
Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to Charlotte and Thomas
Review: Having been introduced to Anne Perry when my brother gave me The Twisted Root, I was eager to read more. Unable to find Face of a Stranger, the first in the Monk's series, I bought The Cater Street Hangman. I loved the way Anne Perry was able to take us inside each character's thoughts. Though, I figured out the ending, like I did in The Twisted Root also, I found her characters well worth the read. I'm eager to read more Perry books.
Rating: 
Summary: The perfect start for a wonderful series
Review: I love good period pieces, but they are few and far between. To find one combined with a delectable mystery is exceedingly rare. Anne Perry adds perfectly realized characters, each with a complete personality that she never betrays for the sake of a tale, which turns this book into an absolute classic. Mystery fans who have not yet discovered Charlotte & Inspector Pitt are missing a rare and special treat, especially if you enjoy Dorothy Gilman (Mrs. Pollifax) or Agatha Christie (Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot). I enthusiastically recommend this book to start you on this exceptional series.
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Summary: A good mystery MURDERED by high society!!
Review: I understand that many things in life just don't live up to the hype that precedes them and unfortunately this book falls within that category. I certainly didn't think this would be the case when I picked it up. After all, Anne Perry is a MAJOR author in the world of mystery. Over 20 books with two distinct series within those 20. That is a solid resume and one that I took for granted upon reading this, the first of the Inspector Pitt/Charlotte Ellison series. I knew one thing for sure as I turned to page 1 -- that this was a novel set in Victorian England and that society and the class system that went with it at that time was a factor in the novel. However, what I didn't know was that this was the ONLY factor in the novel. Hence, my major problem with the book. Chapter after chapter of character introspection on how their lives (and by this I mean their place in society) are being affected and what their neighbors are thinking about them. The murders are treated as an afterthought even when the mystery clearly enters their own home. At that point, all the characters start thinking about how they think of each other -- a sort of microcosm of the societal problem. The reader never gets a chance to experience the mystery. There are no clues to be found, no murderer to watch closely, no clever detective to root for. The ending slightly raises my hopes but only to the extent that there was finally some sense of danger and excitement which, by the way, lasts for a whopping total of four pages. I'll conclude by saying that while I didn't particularly enjoy this book it didn't destroy my hopes for the remaining books written by Anne Perry. Clearly, she can write and write well. I just hope that in the future, the actual mystery will guide the path of the story and not Anne Perry's extensive knowledge of class structure in 19th century Britain.
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Summary: Thundering good read!
Review: 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!
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Summary: It's not all romance in Victorian London . . .
Review: My wife is a great fan of the Charlotte Pitt / Inspector Thomas Pitt mystery series. She often asks for clarifying information about the details of Victorian society, and retails bits of business and dialogue from the stories, and she finally got me interested, too. And I have to say, this first one, which introduces all the principal characters, is quite good. Charlotte's two sisters, Sarah and Emily, her parents, Edward and Caroline, her brother-in-law, Dominic, and Emily's intended, Sir George Ashworth -- all are drawn in fine, fully rounded narrative and descriptive lines. And Charlotte herself, of course, is a fascinating person, as is Thomas Pitt, with whom she becomes acquainted during the search for a serial killer apparently living in their own neighborhood. Perry does an excellent job delineating the caste system of late 19th century London society, with women living almost in purdah and under a rigid double moral standard. Not to forget the mystery plot, either, which is well thought out and developed.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic introduction to Victorian mystery series
Review: Perry sets the mood in this novel with extrodinary detail that keeps you guessing with every page. She develops the characters wonderfully and makes you see yourself in Charlotte or Inspector Pitt. I enjoyed the mystery but I also enjoyed the love story between Inspector Pitt and Charlotte Ellison. Warning, if you read this book you will be addicted to the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels. Read this captivating story of mystery, trajedy and love in the hardships of the Victorian social system.
Rating:
Summary: An Intriguing Start to a Brilliant Series
Review: Read the Carter Street Hangman and you will find yourself quickly lost in the world of Victorian London. Full of mystery, high society, and murder, this book is intriguing to say the least.
This book is the first book in the popular Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery series and will have you running to the bookstore to get the second installement(if not the whole series, like me!) The Carter Street Hangman is a fabulous start to a wonderful collection of crime mysteries. What I found so refreshing about this book was that fact that it was so calm, so sophisticated. Because of it's Victorian setting there were no gunshots, no foul language or explicit sex scenes. Even though the characters were watching their servants, neighbors and family members die at the hands of a madman, they remain composed and somewhat calm. The high society Ellison family faces these deaths with a sense of purpose as well as dignity. The romance between Charlotte Ellison and police officer, Thomas Pitt begins to take place in this book, and by the end pages a true partnership is made. The sweet love affair between these two characters lends an enchanting twist to the story. Historical fiction and mystery lovers, you will find the perfect mix of both genres in this book. Read it and see for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: An Intriguing Start to a Brilliant Series
Review: Read the Carter Street Hangman and you will find yourself quickly lost in the world of Victorian London. Full of mystery, high society, and murder, this book is intriguing to say the least.
This book is the first book in the popular Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery series and will have you running to the bookstore to get the second installement(if not the whole series, like me!) The Carter Street Hangman is a fabulous start to a wonderful collection of crime mysteries. What I found so refreshing about this book was that fact that it was so calm, so sophisticated. Because of it's Victorian setting there were no gunshots, no foul language or explicit sex scenes. Even though the characters were watching their servants, neighbors and family members die at the hands of a madman, they remain composed and somewhat calm. The high society Ellison family faces these deaths with a sense of purpose as well as dignity. The romance between Charlotte Ellison and police officer, Thomas Pitt begins to take place in this book, and by the end pages a true partnership is made. The sweet love affair between these two characters lends an enchanting twist to the story. Historical fiction and mystery lovers, you will find the perfect mix of both genres in this book. Read it and see for yourself.
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