| Thomas Perry | |
| Birth Place: | Tonawanda, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Writer |
| Education: | Cornell University (BA) University of Rochester (PhD) |
| Genre: | Mystery, Thriller |
Thomas Perry (born 1947) is an American mystery and thriller novelist. He received a 1983 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel for The Butcher's Boy.
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 (chosen as one of the "100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century" by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association), Dance for the Dead, Shadow Woman, The Face Changers, Blood Money, Runner, and Poison Flower.
Perry developed a non-series list of mysteries with Death Benefits, Pursuit (which won a Gumshoe Award in 2002), Dead Aim, Night Life, Fidelity, and Strip. The New York Times selected Night Life for its best seller selection. 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.
The Informant was awarded the 2012 Barry Award for Best Thriller.[1] Eddie's Boy received the 2021 Barry Award for Best Thriller.[2] In 2021, Vanishing Act was included in Parades list of "101 Best Mystery Books of All Time".[3]
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 (Simon & Simon, 21 Jump Street, ). Through December 2024, Perry has published 31 novels. He lives in Southern California with his wife, author Jo (née Lee),[4] and their two children.[5]
| 1982 | The Butcher's Boy | Scribner | Butcher's Boy | |
| 1983 | Metzger's Dog | Scribner | ||
| 1985 | Big Fish | Scribner | ||
| 1987 | Island | Putnam | ||
| 1992 | Sleeping Dogs | Random House | Butcher's Boy | |
| 1995 | Vanishing Act | Random House | Jane Whitefield | |
| 1996 | Dance for the Dead | Random House | Jane Whitefield | |
| 1997 | Shadow Woman | Random House | Jane Whitefield | |
| 1998 | The Face-Changers | Random House | Jane Whitefield | |
| 1999 | Blood Money | Random House | Jane Whitefield | |
| 2001 | Pursuit | Random House | ||
| 2001 | Death Benefits | Random House | ||
| 2002 | Dead Aim | Random House | ||
| 2006 | Nightlife | Random House | ||
| 2007 | Silence | Harcourt | Jack Till | |
| 2008 | Fidelity | Harcourt | ||
| 2009 | Runner | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | Jane Whitefield | |
| 2010 | Strip | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | ||
| 2011 | The Informant | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | Butcher's Boy | |
| 2012 | Poison Flower | Mysterious Press | Jane Whitefield | |
| 2013 | The Boyfriend | Grove | Jack Till | |
| 2014 | A String of Beads | Grove | Jane Whitefield | |
| 2016 | Forty Thieves | Mysterious Press | ||
| 2017 | The Old Man | Mysterious Press | ||
| 2018 | The Bomb Maker | Mysterious Press | ||
| 2019 | The Burglar | Grove | ||
| 2020 | A Small Town | Mysterious Press | ||
| 2020 | Eddie's Boy | Mysterious Press | Butcher's Boy | |
| 2021 | The Left-Handed Twin | National Geographic Books | Jane Whitefield | |
| 2023 | Murder Book | National Geographic Books | ||
| 2024 | Hero | Mysterious Press | ||
| Not Yet Released | Pro Bono | Mysterious Press | ||