The area surrounding Cater Street is a pleasant Victorian neighbourhood but is disturbed by the vicious attack on a young girl. Most consider that it wasn’t a random killing; that she must’ve kept bad company. One such family, the Ellisons, were acquainted with her and even they shake their heads with sad disapproval. The Ellisons are the epitome of gentle decency and respectable people - so when a maid, trusted and bright, becomes another victim their foundation of superiority is shaken.
The case is investigated by young Inspector Pitt who immediately sets nerves jangling and starched collars creaking. He’s untidy, has no respect for etiquette and is determined to ask indelicate questions. He is, however, determined and incisive. Absolutely concerned with justice and doing his duty, he will do anything to find the murderer. And there is something about him that the middle daughter Charlotte finds compelling; she, too, is driven to discover the identity of the killer for her own reasons and finds Pitt sympathetic.
The Cater Street Hangman is the first in the Inspector Pitt stories by Anne Perry and is both charming and fascinating. The plot is intriguing with a steady drive towards a shocking yet reasonable solution. The detection is logical, with little reliance on coincidence or chance. The characterisation is involving with the protagonists realistic; Pitt is likeable yet somehow imperfect. The novel is so well-written that one feels completely understanding towards Victorian morality and standards, at the same time a little frustrating.
The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry.
Published by Harper Collins, 1979.
ISBN: 0-00-651120-1
Verdict: A fascinating yet chilling investigation in the world of Victorian gentility.
