SOURCE: "Interview with Anne Perry," in Clues, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 52-65.

In the following interview, Perry discusses her writing style, her major characters, and the reason she places her detective fiction in the Victorian Era.

[Cooper Clark:] You first published The Cater Street Hangman in 1979. As a novelist who is relatively new to the world of detective fiction, what kinds of problems have you encountered? In getting acknowledged? Having your books available? With sales? Advertising?

In America I have had few problems, although I don't know about advertising of course, not having been there. In Britain unfortunately I have had almost every problem—neither advertising nor reviews, except one in a local paper. I took my book to the paper myself because I happened to know the journalist. But other than that, nothing in Britain. I have been very fortunate with reviews in America which my publisher has...