The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry

What a great book! I just finished this book and then handed it off to the first friend I ran into, telling her she just had to read it.

In The Cater Street Hangman, a series of grisly murders shock an affluent neighborhood of London. Everyone in Cater Street would like the pretend that one of the "criminal classes" is to blame, rather than face the growing realization that the killer is likely living in their midst. Family relationships crumble and unpleasant lies are brought to light as the investigation brings out everyone's secrets.

At the center of the novel is the beautiful but outspoken Charlotte Ellison. Her strange mix of candor and compassion generally bewilders people, but it also earns her the respect and admiration of Inspector Pitt, the policeman assigned to the Cater case.

The novel is brilliantly paced and wonderfully told - a delicate balance of mystery, romance, historical fiction, thriller, and even, morality tale. Interestingly, Perry tells the story from the Ellison family's point of view - rather than following the Inspector around on his inquiries. The result is a crime story told from the point of view of the people left in the dark and confused - more a story about what crime, secrets, and violence does to people than a simple whodunnit.

And yet, for all the bleak coldness of the Victorian setting, there is a strange sort of hopefulness to the novel - a firm belief that true love really can blossom in any circumstances between two worthy people and that the truth really is freeing to the soul, if only we would seek it.