A Breach of Promise, Anne Perry
A Breach of Promise, Anne Perry
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A Breach of Promise

Author: Anne Perry

Narrator: Terrence Hardiman

Unabridged: 14 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/01/2000

Synopsis

The plaintiffs in a sensational breach of promise suit are wealthy social climbers Barton and Delphine Lambert, suing on behalf of their beautiful daughter, Zillah. The defendant is Zillah’s alleged fiancé, brilliant young architect Killian Melville, who adamantly declares that he will not, cannot, marry her. Not even to his counsel, distinguished barrister Sir Oliver Rathbone, will Killian explain his rejection of rich and charming Zillah. Utterly baffled, Rathbone turns for help to his old comrades in crime—Monk, the private investigator who knows his city like the back of his hand, and fearless nurse Hester Latterly. But even as they scout London for clues, from Mayfair to sordid Devil’s Acre, the case suddenly and tragically ends. An outcome that no one—except a ruthless murderer—could have foreseen.

About Anne Perry

Sometimes the personal story of a particular author seems almost as intriguing as the books they write. Such is the life of British author Anne Perry (aka Juliet Marion Hulme). As a child Hulme was very ill with tuberculosis and ended up being fostered out by a family in the Caribbean. She did get better, and the family moved to a private island in New Zealand, where she describes her life as a Swiss family Robinson type existence. She became ill again and during her bouts of illness through her teen years, she missed most of her childhood education. However, her mother had prepared her by teaching her how to read and write by the time she was four. Her heart always seemed to be in writing.

At the age of 15, Juliet and her best friend plotted and killed her friend's mother. The three went for a walk in the park and Hulme dropped a stone, causing the mother to bend over to pick it up, and her friend hit her own mother on the head with a half brick. They had planned on the strike killing her, but they had to strike her 20 times before she was dead. The girls were put on trial and each served five years in prison. It is said that they never saw each other again after being released. For many years, nobody connected author Anne Perry as the teen murderer, Juliet Hulme. In 1994, the film Heavenly Creatures, portrayed Hulme and her friend Pauline Parker with characters being played by Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey respectively.

Perry's genre of writing covers Victorian Era Detective fiction for the most part. Her novels have been centered around two main characters, Thomas Pitt and William Monk. She has published 47 novels and several collections of stories.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Heidi on July 02, 2024

I love Anne Perry's Victorian England mysteries and although I started with the Charlotte Pitt books, I've quickly discovered that Monk and company are more my style. This particular installment will remain one of my favorites-- and it offered one of Perry's best plot twists yet. It will be interesti......more

Goodreads review by Vickie on November 27, 2012

I try not to read Anne Perry's books back to back because sometimes she gets bogged down in character self-reflection and, in the extreme, self-questioning and self-regret that I feel drags down the story without adding much appeal. If you read a couple in a row, the weight of those personal revelat......more

Goodreads review by Emma on February 20, 2019

I love the complexity of these cases. I particularly enjoyed this one. This story highlights several important issues- the fate of disabled children in Victorian Britain, and the growing awareness and ambition of women to be treated fairly and not confined to stereotypes. Yet again I didn’t come clo......more

Goodreads review by Tom on March 12, 2020

Anne Perry is known for her slow burn start mysteries. In A Breach of Promise she takes this to a new level especially for the first six chapters you feel as if you are plodding through London cobblestone by cobblestone without getting anywhere. The only interesting things happening in seven chapter......more

Quotes

“A period piece in the best sense, the action seamlessly growing out of the social tapestry she weaves.” People

“The surprise Perry leads up to is among the best ever sprung by a writer not named Agatha Christie.“ Washington Post

“Full of feeling and weighted with intelligent thought about the status of women in mid-Victorian society.” New York Times

“No one weaves plot and subplots as seamlessly as Perry…Fans will be delighted by the long-awaited romantic denouement, which brought tears to my eyes.” Los Angeles Times

“Perry deftly brings her characters alive within a rich, finely detailed tapestry of Victorian London.” Library Journal

“Perry…makes Victorian London come brilliantly alive with authentic period details; her plot is stunningly original; and she has a knack for making her characters both real and genuine.” Booklist

“Perry manages to show us the many ways in which women were made to pay for their place in a male-dominated society. She also delivers a touching and surprisingly suspenseful story.” Amazon.com

Awards

  • Washington Post Pick
  • People Pick of the Week
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