London-born crime author Anne Perry, who was jailed as a teenager for murdering her friend’s mother, has died at the age of 84, her agent has confirmed. The writer – who was known for her Pitt and Monk detective novel series, alongside her dark past that was turned into the Oscar-nominated Peter Jackson film Heavenly Creatures – died on Monday in Los Angeles, where she had been living.
A statement from Ki Agency said: “Anne was a loyal and loving friend, and her writing was driven by her fierce commitment to raising awareness around social injustice. Many readers have been moved by her empathy for people backed into impossible situations, or overwhelmed by the difficulties of life. Her characters inspired much love among her fans, and comforted many readers who were going through tough times themselves.”
It announced her death along with the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York and Ken Sherman & Associates in Los Angeles, saying she died on April 10. In 1954 at the age of 15, Perry, who was born Juliet Hulme, was convicted along with her friend Pauline Parker of murder.
