Anne Perry and the murder of the century

Anne Perry and the murder of the century

Peter Graham, 1949-

Book - 2013

On June 22, 1954, teenage friends Juliet Hulme-- better known as bestselling mystery writer Anne Perry-- and Pauline Parker went for a walk in a New Zealand park with Pauline's mother, Honora. When Honora Parker was found in a pool of blood with the brick used to bludgeon her to death close at hand, Juliet and Pauline confessed to the killing. Their motive: a plan to escape to the United States to become writers, and Honora's determination to keep them apart. Graham offers a brilliant account of the crime and ensuing trial and shares dramatic revelations about the fates of the young women after their release from prison.

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Subjects
Perry, Anne.
Murder > New Zealand > Case studies.
Parricide > Case studies.
Published
New York : Skyhorse Pub [2013]
Language
English
Main Author
Peter Graham, 1949- (-)
Item Description
"A Herman Graf book."
"Originally published in 2011 under the title of So brilliantly clever : Parker, Hulme and the murder that shocked the world by Awa Press, Wellington, New Zealand"--Title page verso.
Physical Description
341 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 326-328) and index.
ISBN
9781620876305
  • Author's Note
  • 1. A Walk in the Park
  • 2. State of Shock
  • 3. The Investigation
  • 4. Taking the Blame
  • 5. A Suitable Man
  • 6. Strains of War
  • 7. Cathedral City
  • 8. A New Residence
  • 9. "Sapienta et Veritas"
  • 10. Family Secrets
  • 11. Indissoluble Bond
  • 12. Two Beautiful Daughters
  • 13. Charles and Lance
  • 14. Angelic Behaviour
  • 15. The Temple in the Garden
  • 16. Serious Trouble
  • 17. A Lovely Remark
  • 18. Hectic Nights
  • 19. To Be Together Forever
  • 20. No Ordinary Crime
  • 21. The Only Possible Defence
  • 22. A Crime in a Million
  • 23. Dirty-Minded Girls
  • 24. A Rare Form of Insanity
  • 25. The Thing Called Bliss
  • 26. Sleeping with Saints
  • 27. "I See Nothing Insane..."
  • 28. The Jury Retires
  • 29. Her Majesty's Pleasure
  • 30. The Presence of Evil
  • 31. Life in Prison
  • 32. A Difficult Year
  • 33. A Fresh Start
  • 34. Blighted Lives
  • 35. A Secret Past
  • 36. A Lesbian View
  • 37. Stripped Naked
  • 38. A Piece of Fiction
  • 39. The Other Girl
  • 40. What the Heck Was It?
  • 41. Separate Lives
  • Epilogue
  • Select Bibliography
  • Acknowledgements
  • Index
Review by Library Journal Review

In June 1954, one New Zealand teenage girl decides to help the other murder her mother, exposing a complicated story of love, delusion, and family secrets. New Zealand lawyer Graham's (Vile Crimes: The Timaru Poisonings) well-researched book on the case that inspired filmmaker Peter Jackson's 1994 movie Heavenly Creatures is a readable and eye-opening story of 1950s Christchurch and the complicated family dynamics that produced one of New Zealand's most famous murder cases. The book explores not only the murder itself but the backgrounds of the two girls, Pauline Parker/Rieper and Juliet Hulme (now well-known mystery writer Anne Perry); their forbidden and rumored lesbian relationship; and their troubled family lives, as well as what happened after the young women were released from prison after serving "at Her Majesty's pleasure." There are few other books on this case, and this one looks at all sides of the debate around the girls' motivation for the murder of Pauline's mother, Honora. Graham uses primary source material like the girls' diary entries, writing, and poetry, along with standard sources such as court reports, interviews with lawyers and psychiatrists, and police and news records to try to address still unanswered questions about the case. Verdict Recommended for general readers, true-crime buffs, those interested in LGBT history, and fans of Heavenly Creatures.-Amelia Osterud, Carroll Univ. Lib., Waukesha, WI (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A New Zealand lawyer revisits the highly publicized, mysterious case of matricide in his country in 1954. Graham (Vile Crimes: The Timaru Poisonings, 2007) makes the old seem fresh as he tries to explain why teenagers Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme murdered Parker's mother during a walk in a nature area. The murder, sensational on its own, gained extra resonance later--once because of the Peter Jackson film about the case, Heavenly Creatures, and once after Hulme, released from prison, reinvented herself as best-selling novelist Anne Perry. Graham explores conundrums, such as the mental states of the teenagers at the time of the murder and afterward; whether the teenagers were starry-eyed lesbian lovers; and why each defendant served so little time given that they never expressed contrition. Turning his re-examination into a contemporary detective story, the author builds up drama about whether he will be able to locate Parker (who assumed a new identity) and Hulme. And if he can locate them, will they talk to him and reveal undisclosed details about the crime? Though Graham does not learn anything new from the perpetrators, he does gain insights from numerous other individuals who became enmeshed in the case. An epilogue informs readers about the fates of the major and minor players. Graham psychoanalyzes Parker and Hulme from afar but does so tastefully and insightfully. Matricide is a rare crime. As a result, it has not been written about much in the popular literature, a gap Graham fills admirably. A worthy retrospective that feels chilling in the manner of novelist Perry.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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