The Cater Street Hangman

By: Anne Perry

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The Cater Street Hangman is the first of Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries. Set in the Victorian era, it is an elegant and complex mystery full of well-drawn characters and rich period detail. When a maid in the upper class Ellison household is strangled, Inspector Pitt is called in to investigate. He finds a world ruled by strict manners and social customs, where the inhabitants of the Ellison's neighborhood appear to be more outraged by the thought of scandal than they are by murder. Inspector Pitt finds a most unlikely ally in Charlotte, the Ellison's spirited daughter. But as the murders continue, Charlotte and Pitt find themselves drawn together by more than the investigation.

©2005 Linda Lael Miller (P)2007 Recorded Books,LLC

It went on a little overlong.

A nice beginning, but a little long and the family members sure take on better characteristics as the books move along. I don't mind rereading them, altho this one was a bit tedious the 2nd time thru

Murder Mystery Amidst Snobbery in 19th C. England

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller set within the benighted values of 19th Century England.

Three quarters time period, one quarter story

Many of the reviews I read before buying this book mentioned the plot being weak or the book being tedious and I bought it anyway. Having listened I now understand what they were getting at. The time period itself is a large part of this book. If you want to know more about the Victorian Era and how things worked at that time, it's great. If you're looking for a strong plot that is front and center, this isn't your book.

Essentially this was a nice mystery that could have been described in a quarter of the time had the time period not become a major part of the writing.

A glutton for punishment, I listened to the next in this series hoping that now that we know about the time period the plot would become more important. No such luck.

Davina Porter was, as always, amazing. I listened, in part, just because she was narrating and I love listening to her voice.

Perfection

I want to listen to it again! Highly enjoyable. First rate. Recommended to everyone. Enjoy!

Cater St is first in a really good series!

Love Anne Parry’s research, personal experiences turned stories…….and depth of character understanding…..such good lessons about human beings.

Well done

The writing draws one in and the plot is perfectly paced. The relationships develop with insight, and humanity is portrayed with its flaws and sadness yet overall there is such a feeling of hope. Love the growing romance that is exactly right for the time period.

Bit predictable

This story was ok. I don't think I could have "stuck with" this book had it not been for the fast moving plot as I hated 99% of the characters in this book. I actually cheered when one of them was murdered.

Less than I expected

Would you consider the audio edition of The Cater Street Hangman to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version.

Would you recommend The Cater Street Hangman to your friends? Why or why not?

It depends on the friend. There are other books that I'd be more likely to recommend.

Which character – as performed by Davina Porter – was your favorite?

I almost always enjoy Davina Porter's narrations and did for this book. No one specific character.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not extreme - just a sense of disappointment. I purchased it based on the many 5-star reviews but wasn't as satisfied as those listeners were. It seemed shallow and the murderer became obvious about 2/3 the way through.

Loved reading the first in this series.

Having read so many of Anne Perry's novels in which Thomas & Charlotte Pitt figured predominantly I truly enjoyed going back and reading this, their first encounter. Davina Porter is the quintessential narrator for Ms. Perry's books; she imbues each character with unique traits, qualities and patterns of speech which help bring them to life as you listen. This combination of author and narrator is one of the best on the market.

Not only is this the story a wonderful period piece of detecting, it is also the background for the entire series of books involving this crime solving duo and through this novel you come to understand a bit more about how each of these individuals became who they were and how they were destined to become so much more together.

You will notice almost immediately that part of Ms. Perry's writing style involves the inclusion of mundane, day to day happenings such as problems with the tweenie or cook and how the lives and expectations of society during that era are very much removed from those of today. Far from slowing down the novels these references give the story line a better sense of context, allowing the reader/listener to understand the situations and perceptions as they would have seemed to residents of Victorian England as opposed to the impressions we, living in 2013, might entertain.

If you are a fan of Ms. Perry's books and haven't done so you definitely need to read the Cater Street Hangman. If you have yet to experience the writings of this talented author you are in for a treat!

Very good writer

Enjoyed this one immensely. Highly recommended for readers like me who want cleanish content but don't want silly writing. It was realistic enough for me and yet felt somewhat indulgent.