Anne Perry, crime writer with a murderous past, dead at 84

NEW YORK — Anne Perry, the best-selling crime novelist known for her Thomas Pitt and William Monk detective series and for her own murderous past that inspired the movie “Heavenly Creatures,” has died at age 84. Perry published more than 100 books, often set in Victorian England, with notable works including the novels “Death of a Stranger,” “Buckingham Palace Gardens,” and one scheduled for September, “The Traitor Among Us.” She sold millions of copies and received some of the top honors for crime writing, among them an Edgar Award for the short story “Heroes” and an Agatha Award for lifetime achievement.