Thomas Perry, the author of 31 mystery and thriller novels, died suddenly on September 15. He was 78.
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Mysterious Press said Perry "was beloved by all who knew and worked with him and was part of the Mysterious Press family for a quarter of a century."
His first book, The Butcher's Boy, won the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1983. He launched his popular and critically acclaimed series about Jane Whitefield in 1995 with Vanishing Act; it was chosen as one of the "100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century" by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association and was included in Parade's list of "101 Best Mystery Books of All Time." The last book in the series, The Tree of Light and Flowers, will be published in March 2026. Perry also wrote many stand-alone mysteries, including Death Benefits, Pursuit (which won a Gumshoe Award in 2002), Dead Aim, Night Life, and Fidelity. He received many awards, including the Barry for Best Thriller of the Year for Hero earlier this month.
Many of his books were acquired by Hollywood studios, most recently The Old Man, a limited-run TV series starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow that premiered on FX in 2022. A second series made its debut in 2024. His novel Strip has completed filming as Bear Country, starring Russell Crowe.
Otto Penzler, who published Perry for 25 years, spoke for all those at the Mysterious Press who worked with him, especially Luisa Cruz Smith, his editor for the past four books, stating, "Tom was not only one of the most distinguished writers of crime fiction for more than four decades, he was an unfailingly kind and thoughtful gentlemen that it was a joy and honor to know. We all will miss him, as will his countless fans in all parts of the world."