One of my favorite writers, Thomas Perry, passed away suddenly on September 15, 2025. We had just awarded him his third Barry Award for HERO eleven days before. It seems impossible that he would die before we even get a chance to read his soon-to-be published THE TREE OF LIGHT AND FLOWERS (January, 2026), the tenth in his very popular Jane Whitefield series.
I’ve especially enjoyed his standalone novels of late, especially FORTY THIEVES (2016), THE OLD MAN (2017), THE BURGLAR (2019), A SMALL TOWN (2019) and HERO (2024). All these contained unforgettable protagonists, who could have easily been made into series characters if Thomas had so desired. THE OLD MAN has been made into a popular streaming movie starring Jeff Bridges (FX and Hulu).
His other popular series was the Butcher’s Boy series. The first book in that series, THE BUTCHER’S BOY (1982) won the Edgar for Best First Mystery. Two subsequent novels in that series, THE INFORMANT (2011) and EDDIE’S BOY (2020) also won Barry Awards.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Tom and his wife Jo on a number of occasions. He impressed me as a highly intelligent person, yet a quiet and unassuming one as well.
A good author always leaves a legacy of good reading. I encourage you to read or re-read a Thomas Perry novel. He has left us a treasure trove of gems to mine.

Here is the notice I got from his publisher Mysterious Press:

The Mysterious Press is sad to report the passing of Thomas Perry, who died suddenly on Monday, September 15, as reported by his wife, Jo Perry. Our hearts go out to her, their two children, and all his family.

Tom was a bestselling thriller writer who 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, 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. 

The author of 31 novels, he has received numerous awards, including the Barry for Best Thriller of the Year for Hero earlier this month.

Many of his books have been acquired by Hollywood studios, most recently The Old Man, a limited run television series starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow which premiered on FX on June 16, 2022; a second series made its debut on September 12, 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.”