Thomas Perry (author)


Thomas Perry is an American mystery and thriller novelist. He received a 1983 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel.

Writings

Perry's work has covered a variety of fictional suspense starting with The Butcher's Boy, which received a 1983 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel, followed by Metzger's Dog, Big Fish, Island, and Sleeping Dogs. He then launched the critically acclaimed Jane Whitefield series: Vanishing Act, Dance for the Dead, Shadow Woman, The Face Changers, Blood Money, Runner, and Poison Flower. The New York Times selected Nightlife for its best seller selection. From this point, Perry has elected to develop a non-series list of mysteries with Death Benefits, Pursuit, Dead Aim, Night Life, Fidelity, and Strip. In The Informant, released in 2011, Perry brought back the hit-man character first introduced in The Butcher's Boy and later the protagonist in Sleeping Dogs.

Biography

Perry was born in Tonawanda, New York, in 1947. He received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1969 and his Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Rochester in 1974. He has been a laborer, maintenance man, commercial fisherman, weapons mechanic, university administrator and teacher, as well as a television writer and producer. Through January 2020, Perry has published 27 novels. He lives in Southern California with his wife Jo and two children.

Works

YearTitleISBNSeriesNotes
1982The Butcher's Boy0-684-17455-3Butcher's Boy1983 Edgar Award winner for Best First Mystery Novel
1983Metzger's Dog978-0-6841-7948-2
1985Big Fish978-0-684-18367-1
1987Island978-0-399-13327-5
1992Sleeping Dogs978-0-679-41064-5Butcher's Boy
1995Vanishing Act978-0-679-43536-0Jane Whitefield
1996Dance for the Dead978-0-679-44911-9Jane Whitefield
1997Shadow Woman978-0-679-45302-4Jane Whitefield
1998The Face-Changers978-0-679-45303-1Jane Whitefield
1999Blood Money978-0-679-45304-8Jane Whitefield
2001Death Benefits978-0-679-45305-5
2001Pursuit978-0-679-45306-2
2002Dead Aim1-4000-6003-6
2006Nightlife1-4000-6004-4
2007Silence978-0-15-101289-3Jack Till
2008Fidelity978-0-15-101292-3
2009Runner978-0-15-101528-3Jane Whitefield
2010Strip978-0-15-101522-1
2011The Informant978-0-547-56933-8Butcher's Boy2012 Barry Award for Best Thriller
2012Poison Flower978-0-8021-2605-4Jane Whitefield
2013The Boyfriend978-0-8021-2606-1Jack Till
2015A String of Beads978-0-8021-2329-9Jane Whitefield
2016Forty Thieves978-0-8021-2452-4
2017The Old Man978-0802125866
2018The Bomb Maker978-0802127488
2019The Burglar978-0802129000
2020A Small Town978-0802148063
2020Eddie's Boy978-0802157775Butcher's BoyThe fourth book in the Butcher's Boy series available December 2020