Anne Perry (born October 12 1938), born Juliet Hulme in England, is a British historical novelist and convicted murderer.

The daughter of Dr. Henry Hulme , a physicist, Perry was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was sent by her family to the Caribbean and South Africa in search of healthier climates. She rejoined her family when her father took a position as rector of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Together with her friend Pauline Parker, Hulme murdered Parker's mother in June 1954. Mrs. Honora Parker stopped Pauline from going to South Africa with Hulme, so the two girls decided to scare the woman into letting Pauline go. However, when the girls were done with her, Mrs. Parker had died of the 45 head injuries the two had inflicted on her. Parker and Hulme stood trial in Christchurch in 1954, and were found guilty. As they were too young to be considered for the death penalty under New Zealand law at the time, they were convicted and sentenced to be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure. In practice, this sentence meant they were to be detained at the discretion of the Minister of Justice. They were released separately some five years later.

These events formed the basis for the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures where Kate Winslet portrayed her as a teenager.

After being released from prison, Hulme returned to England and became a flight attendant. She eventually settled in the United States, where she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She later settled in Scotland.

Hulme's first novel, The Cater Street Hangman , was published in 1979. Her works generally fall into one of several categories of genre fiction, including historical mystery novels and fantasy. Many of them feature a number of recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt, who appeared in her first novel, and William Monk , who first appeared in her 1990 novel The Face of a Stranger . As of 2003 she has published 47 novels, and several collections of short stories.

External links

• Official site
• Original Newspaper articles of the trial