Anne Perry Group Read--Part 1

We've decided to have a year-long group read of Anne Perry's mysteries for 2013.

If you're interested in joining us, please jump right in. Welcome!!

She's got plenty of books to choose from, including 28 Pitt novels, 18 Monk novels, 10 Christmas novellas, and 5 World War 1 mysteries.

HMMMMMMMMMMMM interesting. I will at least try a book or two.

I'm reading one of the Christmas novellas next month for my December book club. But next year I'd like to get my Monk reading current (that's 5 books as long as she doesn't come out with a new one) and I'd really like to get back to the Pitt series too, though I did kind of lose my liking a bit of that series when she changed his assignment (no other spoiler than that).

Don't forget to sign up on the wiki too!
ETA - I added a link on the wiki to this thread.

I think I'm going to aim for 4 - one per quarter. I've got 3 of her books in my TBR stash, and that leaves room for at least one of the Christmas novellas.

Why not - I had been planning to read the Pitt novels in order for a while anyway (and started at one point - need to remember where I left off... or to start again) :)

Oh, I'm definitely in on this one!

Within the past week, I read #7, I think, in the Pitt series. Death in the Devil's Acre. Also read the brand new Christmas novella, the one set in India.

I've never read any of the Monk books or any of her World War 1 series.

I'll be aiming for 10 books across the four series. I've just changed one of my 2013 category challenge categories to an Anne Perry challenge. Perhaps 3/3/3 plus next year's Christmas novella.

>7 lindapanzo:
The new novella is already out?

#8 This year's Christmas novella is A Christmas Garland. I'd been getting tired of that series but really enjoyed this one.

She takes a character from the Pitt books (though I've never encountered him, or at lesat don't remember him) and goes back to his army days in India.

>9 lindapanzo:
Thanks. For some reason I thought it is coming out at the end of November... :) Guess I know what I am reading on my next flight.

Which series is best to start with? Or does it not matter? Does anyone have a decided preference for one over the others?

I've never heard of Anne Perry until now but you have all made me very interested to give her a try!

Whichever interests you more - it does not matter.
So read the description of the first books in each and decide for yourself. Or read the first in each of them :)

Not sure how many Perry books I will fit into my 2013 reading but I will use this group as encouragement to make further progress with the Pitt series - I have only read book 1 so far - and I also want to dive into her Christmas novellas.

I've never read any of her books. Oh, dear. This could spell trouble!

I know I've read several of the Pitt series but can't remember when I stopped or why I stopped for that matter. Seems like I should try a few for next year.

Lots of people prefer the Monk books. I've never read any of those but willing to give them a try.

I am considering whether or not to join. I'm sure I'll read one or more Anne Perrys next year. I'll keep thinking about how much I want to commit to it and see where I am on all the series I've been getting behind on.

Lori,
that's the beauty of the year long read, you can read as many or as few as you want and still join in because it's no particular book, just an author.

I tried the first Monk novel a year or so ago, and quit in the middle; it annoyed me no end.

I read the first in the Pitt series last month, and found it OK. I may join you in one or two of those. But don't look for me on the wiki. I'm no good with those.

I thought I'd posted on this thread, but it doesn't look like I have.

I'm planning to continue with Christmas mysteries in Dec 2012 (and probably also Dec 2013).

I'll have to figure out where I am on both Monk and the Pitts; I know I'm behind since I haven't read any for several years. And, although I more or less read them in order, I'm pretty sure I missed some of them. Without the help of LT, I'm not quite sure what to do about that... (Although I like both series, Monk was my favorite.)

I haven't read any WW I mysteries, and would like to try that series next year.

Glad you're joining us, Ivy.

The confusion probably arose because we were talking about Anne Perry on the group reads thread. When we decided to make it a yearlong group read, I started a separate thread.

I've never read any of the Monk books so one of my first orders of business will be to start that first one.

Linda, I'm not at all sure that I read the first in either of the series, although the titles of both sound familiar to me. Back in the 1980s and 1990s when I was dealing with small children (and some other not so pleasant things), I often bought books in the checkout line at the grocery store -- I used the library some, but the only local bookstore was small and not very good, and I got to Powell's in Portland probably only a couple of times a year -- and I was always pleased when I found a new Anne Perry on the shelf. I tried to backtrack on some of the series that I especially liked, but I'm just not sure what I did with these two series. Even if I still have (and can find) some of the books, I may have gotten some from the library as well. I may just try to figure out the last one I read in each of the series and pick up from there.

I have some of these on my shelves that my mother gave me years ago. At that time I read two or three and then wandered off to other books. Maybe I'll go back and read some with you though I think I might have to start at the beginning. Most were probably from the Pitt series but there's at least one Monk.

hmmm. I'd have to figure out where i left off to join. Not sure where the heck I've read to.

I'll be reading the Thomas Pitt series for this challenge

I'm in for her new Monk book whenever it comes out as I am caught up with her books. She is one of my very favoite writers.

Read me first Anne Perry from the Pitt collection not bad. Found a couple more the other day so will be reading many more.

I was looking for the first Cadfael book under Peters and noted with pleasure a large number of Perry books. I will go back to investigate further.

I noticed several people reading Cater Street hangman - first Pitt book.
Maybe they'll join.

In just read Cater Street Hangman this past fall. It was a pretty decent mystery with a surprising ending that I didn't see coming. A bit too heavy on the social status kind of thing for my taste, but now that they got the characters introduced and settled, I'm hoping that may smooth out a little?

Terri, I've enjoyed the next few more than I liked that first one.

I'm hoping that the same is true for the Monk series. If I'm remembering right, I started it at one point and didn't care for it. I'm intending to give it another try.

I'm hoping that the same is true for the Monk series. If I'm remembering right, I started it at one point and didn't care for it

Me, too, Linda! I tried the first Monk book on audio, and Pearl ruled it (guessing the 50-page point). It just drove me nuts.

I didn't finish my current audiobook, A Christmas Beginning, before the end of the year. The good news is that it will now count for the Anne Perry group read! I made the mistake of trying to listen to it on the plane and fell asleep at some point so I ended up going back to the beginning and starting over.

I started in the middle of the Monk series, which is something I don't normally do. However, I inherited several books in the middle of the series from my grandmother and decided to read them before I looked for more. I've ended up liking the Monk series better than the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt books. It's a little darker, but maybe that's why I like it better.

I like the Monk series better than Pitt.

> 30 - A bit too heavy on the social status kind of thing for my taste,

That is pretty much my overall impression of The Cater Street Hangman, which you have nicely nailed down to one succinct statement!

I also prefer the Monk series. I'm pretty sure I started a few books into the series, and I can't remember if I went back to the beginning.

I finished the audio of A Christmas Beginning, book 5 in Anne Perry's Christmas series. I started it before Christmas but didn't manage to finish it before the end of the year. This one features Superintendent Runcorn from the Monk series. We see a softer side of Runcorn in this book, who is afflicted by unrequited love for a beautiful widow whose brother turns out to be a suspect in this case. It's not my favorite of the Christmas books, but it's still good.

I'm in the midst of reading the 8th Pitt novel, Cardington Crescent. I don't want to spoil anything but this one hits closer to home for the main characters than most books in this series.

Lady Vespasia, Charlotte and Emily's aunt, seems to be playing a prominent role as well.

After this one, I think I'll either give the first Monk book or the first World War 1 book a try.

I've finished The Face of a Stranger, the first William Pitt novel. I liked it quite a bit and will probably read A Dangerous Mourning in February.

I finished Cardington Crescent the other day. I can't say much without spoiling it but it has to be the most notable book in the series for me so far. I'm dying to read the next one asap now.

Isn't great when you read a book in a series and it makes you want to read the next one right away and you can?!

Cheli, how far along are you in each of these series? Have you read Cardington Crescent yet?

ETA: Oh wait, I see that you have read it but didn't like it nearly as well as I did.

I've read through Brunswick Gardens for the Pitt series and Death of a Stranger in the Monk series. I haven;'t started the WWI series or the Tudor series.

I also finished the Brunswick Gardens and enjoyed it. I cant remember the next one coming up since Im not reading them in any order.

>44 ALWINN:
Bedford Square

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Thanks Annie. ;)

I finished my first Anne Perry this morning, Face of a Stranger and found it very satisfying. It's hard to imagine that the continuation of the series will be as interesting as the first. I have the second one from the library and will be getting to it soon.

I finished another Anne Perry book. A Dish Taken Cold is a novella set in Revolutionary Paris. I think Perry was a bit heavy-handed in setting up what was supposed to be a surprise plot twist. I wasn't surprised and it spoiled the tension of the plot.

Just finished Shifting Tide. Forgot how much I loved Monk and Hester.

I still haven't read a Monk book yet, Cheli, but hope to do so soon.

I'm thinking that my next Anne Perry might be the first book in her World War 1 series, No Graves As Yet.

I've started the fifth in the Monk series The Sins of the Wolf.

At long last, I started the first in Anne Perry's World War 1 series today. No Graves as Yet. I'm not that far into it but I'm liking it so far.

I think Thomas and Charlotte Pitt are less interesting characters than Hester and Monk. But I think the trials in the Monk books are just a boring rehash of things. I never saw the appeal of CourtTV either. Trials just seem to move at a snails pace to me.

Read Defend and Betray.

I rather like the courtroom scenes.

I have read Defend and Betray and thought that I had heard the entire trial transcript. Maybe the audiobooks are part of the problem. I have to listen to repetitive bits
that other people are skimming through. I had a similar problem with a novel filled with letters. I had to listen to the same headings over and over. Anyone reading it on the page would naturally have started skipping over the headings. LT taught me that this called an episitlotory novel but I was afraid to spell it.

I've finished the third in the WWI series Angels in the Gloom ... while I generally like this series overall, you sometimes get the feeling that she kind of loses her way in telling the story. This episode was very strong in portraying the horror of waiting at home and the not knowing ... the underlying sinister backstory, well, I'm not really sure where she's going or even really where she's been on that. There are two more books in the series and I will finish them just to see how it all winds up.

#56 Thanks for the insights. I was going to make WW1 a big reading focus this year and I'm only now getting into it. I want to read at least the first Anne Perry WW1 mystery. It seems like there are quite a few very good WW1-focused fictional works out there.

Defend and Betray is a story of extremes ... the first half will drive you mad with frustration; while the second half (mostly the trial) will have you riveted and leaking tears all over the place. Have to give it a "terrific" just for the trial scenes!

I'm on track with my quarterly Anne Perry reads this year. I just finished Blind Justice, the 19th book in her Monk series. I thought it had too much Rathbone and not enough Monk.

Forgot to note here that I read A Sudden Fearful Death in August. I'm still liking Monk enough to look for the next one in a month or two.

Just started Dark Assassin 15th in the Monk series.

I read Anthony Trollope's The Eustace Diamonds this summer. After all the Anne Perrys that I have read, it was interesting to see a real Victorian's take on detectives dealing with the upper crust.

I have not read many Anne Perry's this year. I need to read one, even before the annual Christmas one comes out.

finished Dark Assassin

I finished the 9th Pitt mystery from Anne Perry in the wee hours of the morning. Silence in Hanover Close is excellent, probably my favorite in the series so far. Emily is extremely bored and goes undercover as a ladies' maid to help figure out whodunit.

Bethlehem Road is next for me.

Silence in Hanover Close is a favorite of mine also for the same reason.

If you haven't noticed, the new Anne Perry Christmas book is an ER book this month. I imagine that a lot of people will be asking for this one.

I forgot to post last month when I read Anne Perry's newest Christmas novella, A Christmas Hope. I finished another one today - A Christmas Grace. A Christmas Hope has the better mystery plot, while A Christmas Grace has more likeable characters.