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Vera Stanhope #8.5
Frozen
As New York Times bestseller Ann Cleeves' popularity explodes in print and on TV, this gripping e-short will introduce readers to the inimitable DI Vera Stanhope.
For once, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is managing to have a good day off. Strolling around town, she ducks into a new bookshop in a renovated chapel. But just as she does, a skeleton is discovered in the old baptismal font. Soon, a decade old mystery is revived, and Vera must uncover secrets long buried before this case once again goes cold.
For once, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is managing to have a good day off. Strolling around town, she ducks into a new bookshop in a renovated chapel. But just as she does, a skeleton is discovered in the old baptismal font. Soon, a decade old mystery is revived, and Vera must uncover secrets long buried before this case once again goes cold.
22 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2020
1458 people are currently reading
2422 people want to read
About the author
Ann Cleeves
131 books8,810 followersAnn is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands...
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
September 2, 2020
Short stories are the hardest to write, so I am told and I can well understand that. In this one Vera didn't take the reader with her in her line of thought, there were just conclusions.
October 27, 2020
First Sentence: Vera woke to a free day and an unexpected longing for exercise.
It's her day off and DI Vera Stanhope takes the opportunity to visit a new bookshop located in a renovated chapel. What she was not looking for was a skeleton unearthed in a cellar baptismal font. Time for Vera to solve this long-cold case.
Cleeves' descriptions allow one to see places we've not been, in the present and the past—"Standing with her back to old stones, she imagined squads of legionnaires marching… they must have policed the region then, so she saw them as her forbears, as kindred spirits, and felt a connection across the centuries." Bringing us to the present, she carries forth that sense of timelessness with her wonderful imagery—"the building that had once been built to the glory of God, now celebrated the story in all its forms." Whereupon the mood is effectively broken and the investigation begins.
Even though the books are separate from the television series, those who watch may clearly hear the voice of actress Brenda Blethyn as Vera. Rather than a negative, it adds a warmth and personal touch to the story. Still, this is not Vera's story alone, but one which includes her team, including Joe who is still her second in the books, and Holly in a scene that makes one smile. However, if one is looking for in-depth descriptions of the characters, or quantities of backstory, it's not here. This is a short story, after all.
What is here is atmosphere and Cleeve's creative use of the weather almost as another character. Nothing is lost in the construction of this fascinating short story. Suspects are identified, clues tracked down with twists and red herrings.
"Frozen" may be a fairly simple story, but it is well-crafted and, if one has not previously read Ann Cleeves, this a perfect introduction to her writing and the Vera series.
FROZEN (PolProc/SS-DI Vera Stanhope-England-Contmep) – VG+
Cleeves, Ann – Short Story – 8.5 in series
Minotaur Books, Sept 2020
It's her day off and DI Vera Stanhope takes the opportunity to visit a new bookshop located in a renovated chapel. What she was not looking for was a skeleton unearthed in a cellar baptismal font. Time for Vera to solve this long-cold case.
Cleeves' descriptions allow one to see places we've not been, in the present and the past—"Standing with her back to old stones, she imagined squads of legionnaires marching… they must have policed the region then, so she saw them as her forbears, as kindred spirits, and felt a connection across the centuries." Bringing us to the present, she carries forth that sense of timelessness with her wonderful imagery—"the building that had once been built to the glory of God, now celebrated the story in all its forms." Whereupon the mood is effectively broken and the investigation begins.
Even though the books are separate from the television series, those who watch may clearly hear the voice of actress Brenda Blethyn as Vera. Rather than a negative, it adds a warmth and personal touch to the story. Still, this is not Vera's story alone, but one which includes her team, including Joe who is still her second in the books, and Holly in a scene that makes one smile. However, if one is looking for in-depth descriptions of the characters, or quantities of backstory, it's not here. This is a short story, after all.
What is here is atmosphere and Cleeve's creative use of the weather almost as another character. Nothing is lost in the construction of this fascinating short story. Suspects are identified, clues tracked down with twists and red herrings.
"Frozen" may be a fairly simple story, but it is well-crafted and, if one has not previously read Ann Cleeves, this a perfect introduction to her writing and the Vera series.
FROZEN (PolProc/SS-DI Vera Stanhope-England-Contmep) – VG+
Cleeves, Ann – Short Story – 8.5 in series
Minotaur Books, Sept 2020
September 19, 2020
Frozen: A Vera Stanhope Short Story by Ann Cleeves, Kindle Edition. Series: Vera Stanhope. Published 04 August 2020 by St. Martin’s Publishing Group. 5 Stars.
This is a great short masterpiece by Ann Cleeves.
With a deep understanding of human nature, the understated Vera, a person who sees what we often miss, skips the usual steps and leaps quickly to the conclusion of a long-unsolved mystery.
At times transparent herself, she provides an unblurred look at the land, her land—a place where reality shines through her and no truth can be obscured—and one cannot visualize this world without her.
This is a great short masterpiece by Ann Cleeves.
With a deep understanding of human nature, the understated Vera, a person who sees what we often miss, skips the usual steps and leaps quickly to the conclusion of a long-unsolved mystery.
At times transparent herself, she provides an unblurred look at the land, her land—a place where reality shines through her and no truth can be obscured—and one cannot visualize this world without her.
August 4, 2020
A very short but delightful visit with Vera - a gift from the author! Free Kindle book
June 21, 2021
Really sold short story that I think could have taken a bit longer to be resolved. The story also ended at 39 percent so part of me was all was it worth the price I paid to get this? Still enjoyed and think this would be a great book to read on a winter's night.
"Frozen" follows Vera and her team when Vera on her day off finds remains under a church. The remains end up being the body of a missing teen from 10 years ago. Vera meets again with the family and others who were around at that time.
I think honestly in the end that the reveal about what happened to the dead girl was very sad. I just think the story could have been stretched a bit further. We go from investigating to someone just flat out telling Vera what happened.
"Frozen" follows Vera and her team when Vera on her day off finds remains under a church. The remains end up being the body of a missing teen from 10 years ago. Vera meets again with the family and others who were around at that time.
I think honestly in the end that the reveal about what happened to the dead girl was very sad. I just think the story could have been stretched a bit further. We go from investigating to someone just flat out telling Vera what happened.
October 27, 2020
This is a slight story from Ann Cleeves, an addition to her Vera Stanhope series. But even a slight story from Cleeves is fun to read if only to watch how Vera manages to read people and situations so well. That’s what she does here, in a small town near her home, in winter, when confronted with evidence of an old death, one she recalls working on as a missing persons case. Any more plot details would give the story away so I will stop here. This was available free for kindle. Glad I learned about this from one of my GR friends.
February 16, 2021
A brief interlude featuring Vera Stanhope.
Vera is trying to enjoy a rare day off, but ends up solving a cold case instead. This is a good introduction to the character, though the story is so short there's no time to follow her thought processes.
Vera is trying to enjoy a rare day off, but ends up solving a cold case instead. This is a good introduction to the character, though the story is so short there's no time to follow her thought processes.
October 28, 2020
A short story involving one of my favourite detectives, Vera Stanhope.....
Enjoying a rare day off, Vera stumbles upon an event which re opens an old case, and sets her on the trail of what did happen to a girl who disappeared a decade ago.
I enjoyed this little tale, all the more because I’m so very familiar with the places in which it’s set.....
Enjoying a rare day off, Vera stumbles upon an event which re opens an old case, and sets her on the trail of what did happen to a girl who disappeared a decade ago.
I enjoyed this little tale, all the more because I’m so very familiar with the places in which it’s set.....
August 19, 2020
Short and satisfying.
August 23, 2020
Frozen: A Vera Stanhope Short Story by Ann Cleeves begins with Vera having the day off and wanting to get out and about. After getting some fresh air and seeing the sights, Vera decides to go to the small town of Corbridge for some tea and cakes. She has some and then goes across the street to Forum Books as she is enjoying her day off and not ready to go home just yet.
The store is situated in a unique building that has historical significance. It also has a body. The body has been there awhile, but, from the various items with the body, Vera is very sure of the identity. Jenny Summerhill vanished years ago, and her case has haunted Vera ever since it happened. Vera believes Jenny has now finally been found.
It is long past time to find out what happened to Jenny and Vera and her team set out to do just that in the fast moving Frozen: A Vera Stanhope Short Story. If you are like me and have never read any of the books or anything else the television series is based on and have only watched the series, there is not a lot here in terms of what Vera looks like or her past history. In fact, there is almost nothing about the background of the characters in the story except for the family of the deceased. There is some background history of them but, only in a limited sense. The focus here in this atmospheric story is pretty much only on the case and the complications caused by the winter weather as Vera and her team work to finally solve the case. You may also get the television theme song stuck in your head while reading the short story and still have it stuck in your head days later.
An enjoyable and fast read that I picked up for free after reading Lesa Holstein’s recent review of the first book in the series, The Crow Trap. Because of her review, I put a hold on a copy and that book is now in transit in my local library system headed to my Lochwood Library Branch for my next curbside pickup.
Frozen: A Vera Stanhope Short Story
Ann Cleeves
https://anncleeves.com/
Minotaur Books
https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
August 2020
ASIN: B08CT5FFPD
eBook
22 Pages
Kevin R. Tipple ©2020
The store is situated in a unique building that has historical significance. It also has a body. The body has been there awhile, but, from the various items with the body, Vera is very sure of the identity. Jenny Summerhill vanished years ago, and her case has haunted Vera ever since it happened. Vera believes Jenny has now finally been found.
It is long past time to find out what happened to Jenny and Vera and her team set out to do just that in the fast moving Frozen: A Vera Stanhope Short Story. If you are like me and have never read any of the books or anything else the television series is based on and have only watched the series, there is not a lot here in terms of what Vera looks like or her past history. In fact, there is almost nothing about the background of the characters in the story except for the family of the deceased. There is some background history of them but, only in a limited sense. The focus here in this atmospheric story is pretty much only on the case and the complications caused by the winter weather as Vera and her team work to finally solve the case. You may also get the television theme song stuck in your head while reading the short story and still have it stuck in your head days later.
An enjoyable and fast read that I picked up for free after reading Lesa Holstein’s recent review of the first book in the series, The Crow Trap. Because of her review, I put a hold on a copy and that book is now in transit in my local library system headed to my Lochwood Library Branch for my next curbside pickup.
Frozen: A Vera Stanhope Short Story
Ann Cleeves
https://anncleeves.com/
Minotaur Books
https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
August 2020
ASIN: B08CT5FFPD
eBook
22 Pages
Kevin R. Tipple ©2020
July 18, 2021
Frozen Earns 3.5/5 Cold Case Files…Not Up to Usual Standards!
I am an eager VERA fan, whether long and complex or short and sweet or whether based on version on television or the original image created by Ann Cleeves. However, I am sad to say I was disappointed in how this cold case mystery was revealed...short is one thing, but to just throw out the solution without any lead-up or her typical “oh, my”revelation was unfortunate. Cleeves’s writing style, sans a few odd typos, was engaging as expected with descriptive language illustrating well the wintery environment, the inner thoughts about the area’s Roman heritage, and Vera’s personality and interactions that we fans have grown to love. The cold case mystery was intriguing with the discovery of the remains of a fourteen-year-old girl who disappeared ten years ago. Vera had been involved in the original investigation dealing with a devastated family, and she was surprised that the family, despite the passage of time, seemed “frozen” in their grief. The ultimate answer, however reasonable and shocking, just happened…no lead-up, no smoking gun, no intimidating the perp to confess. I expected more, even a few extra pages to set up the solution better wouldn’t have ruined its short story status, but it would have made the book better received by fans.
I am an eager VERA fan, whether long and complex or short and sweet or whether based on version on television or the original image created by Ann Cleeves. However, I am sad to say I was disappointed in how this cold case mystery was revealed...short is one thing, but to just throw out the solution without any lead-up or her typical “oh, my”revelation was unfortunate. Cleeves’s writing style, sans a few odd typos, was engaging as expected with descriptive language illustrating well the wintery environment, the inner thoughts about the area’s Roman heritage, and Vera’s personality and interactions that we fans have grown to love. The cold case mystery was intriguing with the discovery of the remains of a fourteen-year-old girl who disappeared ten years ago. Vera had been involved in the original investigation dealing with a devastated family, and she was surprised that the family, despite the passage of time, seemed “frozen” in their grief. The ultimate answer, however reasonable and shocking, just happened…no lead-up, no smoking gun, no intimidating the perp to confess. I expected more, even a few extra pages to set up the solution better wouldn’t have ruined its short story status, but it would have made the book better received by fans.
December 15, 2020
A little too short to really get invested, but enjoyable enough and I could read it on my lunch hour.
August 12, 2020
“Frozen: a Vera Stanhope Short Story” is written by Ann Cleeves.
After a brisk walk on Hadrian’s Wall and a shopping trip for supplies in the small market town of Corbridge, Vera decides to stop in to a new bookshop, looking for a book on the Romans who built the ancient Roman Wall.
Vera is surprised and shocked at what the new owners have found in the renovated church, home to their bookstore. A long ago sad case of a missing young girl may finally see closure.
This is a very short story, but I found it so soothing and very interesting. The views from Hadrian’s Wall; the Wall itself; Vera’s musings on the ancient peoples of the area and the scores of Roman legionnaires who were sent to subdue them and ‘mark their territory’; the sad effects of the cold case involving a local family; the way time seemed to stand still for the family; and, of course, Vera, herself. *****
After a brisk walk on Hadrian’s Wall and a shopping trip for supplies in the small market town of Corbridge, Vera decides to stop in to a new bookshop, looking for a book on the Romans who built the ancient Roman Wall.
Vera is surprised and shocked at what the new owners have found in the renovated church, home to their bookstore. A long ago sad case of a missing young girl may finally see closure.
This is a very short story, but I found it so soothing and very interesting. The views from Hadrian’s Wall; the Wall itself; Vera’s musings on the ancient peoples of the area and the scores of Roman legionnaires who were sent to subdue them and ‘mark their territory’; the sad effects of the cold case involving a local family; the way time seemed to stand still for the family; and, of course, Vera, herself. *****
July 13, 2022
This super-short short story is a good proper mystery puzzle, and very enjoyable. Normally a Vera mystery has multiple layers and as soon as one layer is peeled back, another is revealed. This story is so short that there's only time for one layer, but it's a good one.
Vera woke to a free day and an unexpected longing for exercise. The impulse must have come from the shard of winter sun that forced itself through her grubby bedroom window and from a week of being shut in the cupboard they called her office.... Now the desire for fresh air and exercise had already passed. The connection had been broken. A craving for tea and cake had taken over.
Recommended for: Vera fans. And if you're not familiar with Vera mysteries, this is a great place to start.
Where I found it: This short story is free in the Kindle store.
Vera woke to a free day and an unexpected longing for exercise. The impulse must have come from the shard of winter sun that forced itself through her grubby bedroom window and from a week of being shut in the cupboard they called her office.... Now the desire for fresh air and exercise had already passed. The connection had been broken. A craving for tea and cake had taken over.
Recommended for: Vera fans. And if you're not familiar with Vera mysteries, this is a great place to start.
Where I found it: This short story is free in the Kindle store.
August 4, 2020
What Does Vera Do On Her Day Off?
Vera goes on a hike along Hadrian’s Wall. Her mind wanders as she envisions Roman Legions marching here. Since the Romans must have policed this wild country side, she envisions them as a kindred spirit to the point that she sees her in a tunic and cloak marching with them. Well, enough of this. Vera drives to a local town and find a bookstore called Forum Books. Well, she thought, she may find something in here about the place of women along Hadrian’s Wall. She found something not so ancient, a dead body. She immediately recognizes the clothing. They belong to a young girl that went missing ten years earlier. Vega had investigated at the time, the case went cold.
First, I must note that this book is listed as 22 pages which it is cover to cover. The length of the actual story is 12 pages — a very, very short novella. Those pages still are straight Vera. The only other regular making a significant appearance is the young detective, Holly. There are a few twists so my attention was held for the hour read.
Even in this short novella, a little more is learned on how Vera lives and her relationship with Holly.
There is absolutely nothing in these twelve pages that anyone should find objectionable. One characteristic of Ann Cleeves novels was present here. The use of British and local colloquial language required several searches of the Internet to determine their meaning. Using an e-reader was a plus in reading this novella due to ready ability to search the Internet from within the novella.
My major criteria of capturing and maintaining my attention was met. The little B-storyline was a plus. The read was quick, obviously.
I rate this novella a qualified five stars. The reason for the qualification is because it is for a 12 page story which cannot be as weighty as for a full length novel, but it was an enjoyable read. I pre-purchased this free novella and received it last night just before midnight. Currently, it is free so I do recommend reading it.
Vera goes on a hike along Hadrian’s Wall. Her mind wanders as she envisions Roman Legions marching here. Since the Romans must have policed this wild country side, she envisions them as a kindred spirit to the point that she sees her in a tunic and cloak marching with them. Well, enough of this. Vera drives to a local town and find a bookstore called Forum Books. Well, she thought, she may find something in here about the place of women along Hadrian’s Wall. She found something not so ancient, a dead body. She immediately recognizes the clothing. They belong to a young girl that went missing ten years earlier. Vega had investigated at the time, the case went cold.
First, I must note that this book is listed as 22 pages which it is cover to cover. The length of the actual story is 12 pages — a very, very short novella. Those pages still are straight Vera. The only other regular making a significant appearance is the young detective, Holly. There are a few twists so my attention was held for the hour read.
Even in this short novella, a little more is learned on how Vera lives and her relationship with Holly.
There is absolutely nothing in these twelve pages that anyone should find objectionable. One characteristic of Ann Cleeves novels was present here. The use of British and local colloquial language required several searches of the Internet to determine their meaning. Using an e-reader was a plus in reading this novella due to ready ability to search the Internet from within the novella.
My major criteria of capturing and maintaining my attention was met. The little B-storyline was a plus. The read was quick, obviously.
I rate this novella a qualified five stars. The reason for the qualification is because it is for a 12 page story which cannot be as weighty as for a full length novel, but it was an enjoyable read. I pre-purchased this free novella and received it last night just before midnight. Currently, it is free so I do recommend reading it.
August 20, 2020
Frozen is a short story by Ann Cleeves, one of my favorite authors, set in the Vera story line. It is a brief case that Vera gets involved in when she actually has a day off. I normally do not read too many short stories, however this one is free on Amazon (at least when I purchased it). Vera is visiting an old church when a body is discovered. Artifacts on the body trigger her memory of missing child and Vera immediately knows who the body is and starts an investigation. Great short interlude into Vera and her team’s work.
August 10, 2020
Pleasantly surprised to find this small novella for free on Amazon. Thanks to Ann Cleeves and MacMillan her publisher for this small gift.
I enjoyed hearing what Vera might have done on a day off and that she lives close to Hadrian's Wall, just wish it wasn't so short and that the quick confession had a bit more expression to it.
Again I am happy to have read it! Just finished rereading the whole series and recently reviewed the two newest Vera books! Carry on Ann and Vera! Loved the cover also!
I enjoyed hearing what Vera might have done on a day off and that she lives close to Hadrian's Wall, just wish it wasn't so short and that the quick confession had a bit more expression to it.
Again I am happy to have read it! Just finished rereading the whole series and recently reviewed the two newest Vera books! Carry on Ann and Vera! Loved the cover also!
September 1, 2020
I was introduced to the character of Vera Stanhope in a roundabout way-through the TV series starring Brenda Blethyn. Vera is crusty, smart, and demanding in the television program and it appears (happily) she is the same in print. Frozen would have served as a nice intro to the character if I had not met her already. There is just not enough room in a story this short to do anything but paint with broad strokes. Ann Cleeves can definitely write-looking forward to reading more.
August 1, 2021
Ann Cleeves successfully creates a Vera mystery in only 23 pages!
I liked the premise, a body of a missing girl is found in the font of a chapel converted into a bookshop and Vera and her team get straight to work. It's a pity it wasn't a full length novel as it could have been a really good one!
I liked the premise, a body of a missing girl is found in the font of a chapel converted into a bookshop and Vera and her team get straight to work. It's a pity it wasn't a full length novel as it could have been a really good one!
August 4, 2020
Too short, but pure avera
Didn’t realize it was a short story. But every word picture was wonderful and the characters, though drawn more like stick figures, were quite real and lovely to look at.
Didn’t realize it was a short story. But every word picture was wonderful and the characters, though drawn more like stick figures, were quite real and lovely to look at.
August 11, 2020
Vera- short story
Vera is one of my favorite characters, anything I learn about her is enjoyable. This short story takes place on her home territory and helps resolve a cold case. I would love to hear what happened the next day.
Vera is one of my favorite characters, anything I learn about her is enjoyable. This short story takes place on her home territory and helps resolve a cold case. I would love to hear what happened the next day.
April 26, 2023
The shortest of short stories, Vera Stanhope quickly solves a local mystery surrounding a girl who disappeared ten years ago and was never found. Well written, as always. If you are a Vera Stanhope fan, it will leave you wanting more!
September 16, 2020
So pleased to have a copy of this,,brilliant from Ann Cleeves.
August 5, 2020
It's always a pleasure to meet up with Vera Stanhope, but there certainly isn't much meat on the bone in this 22-page short story. Vera is so psychic that the mystery is solved in seconds. I enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery more than anything else.
August 4, 2020
Condensed
Wish she had fleshed out the story and we had a proper novel it’s like 200 pages of the plot was missing
Wish she had fleshed out the story and we had a proper novel it’s like 200 pages of the plot was missing
December 31, 2020
It’s hard to review a short story because it’s here and gone so quickly. This was very good, but I couldn’t figure find a clue to how Vera knew what happened and I read it twice
August 22, 2020
Why does a successful writer like Ann Cleeves do this. She is not introducing a new character as Vera Stanhope has been around for ages in print and even more recently on our screens.
May be because I had just watched one of those TV repeats , this was my next read that I picked from my shelf.
Readers of my notes will know that I have little time for short stories in mid series. I had missed the note of the cover of this one but it is a perfect example of why.
Because you already know the characters there is no need for any introductions and the scene setting here is minimal. The bones of the story are as bare as the bones of the skeleton uncovered at its centre.
Ann Cleeves writes brilliant who-done-its with lots of twists and turns and deep character histories, perhaps this was an idea for one that didnt work out because just as you are getting into the story, it was over.
It wasnt so much a short story , it was more like a long paragraph. I was disappointed.
If you are a fan of Vera or Ann Cleeves this is a waste of time. If you are new to either and think that this will be a good introduction to the series, forget it. Go for one of her full length novels and learn from a master about character and plot development and interaction between the players.
Am I being cynical by suggesting that this is a publishers way of making a bit of extra money from this excellent series? - Surely not.
I end with the same question as I started. "Why does a successful writer like Ann Cleeves do this"
As a PS. I may be getting over cynical now but my Kindle has shown an error on each of three occasions I have tried to enter this 1* rating !
May be because I had just watched one of those TV repeats , this was my next read that I picked from my shelf.
Readers of my notes will know that I have little time for short stories in mid series. I had missed the note of the cover of this one but it is a perfect example of why.
Because you already know the characters there is no need for any introductions and the scene setting here is minimal. The bones of the story are as bare as the bones of the skeleton uncovered at its centre.
Ann Cleeves writes brilliant who-done-its with lots of twists and turns and deep character histories, perhaps this was an idea for one that didnt work out because just as you are getting into the story, it was over.
It wasnt so much a short story , it was more like a long paragraph. I was disappointed.
If you are a fan of Vera or Ann Cleeves this is a waste of time. If you are new to either and think that this will be a good introduction to the series, forget it. Go for one of her full length novels and learn from a master about character and plot development and interaction between the players.
Am I being cynical by suggesting that this is a publishers way of making a bit of extra money from this excellent series? - Surely not.
I end with the same question as I started. "Why does a successful writer like Ann Cleeves do this"
As a PS. I may be getting over cynical now but my Kindle has shown an error on each of three occasions I have tried to enter this 1* rating !
August 9, 2021
Estou apaixonada pela série Vera, baseada nos livros de Ann Cleeves, e ainda não tinha tido a oportunidade de conhecer a personagem literária. Comecei por esse Frozen, porque se diz uma introdução à personagem, porém, escrita bem recentemente (2020). Gostei, por várias razões. A principal é a série e a atriz que desempenha o papel da detetive. Mas também pelos locais onde se ambienta. Adorei ver o primeiro episódio (o que passou na tv aqui, não necessariamente o primeiríssimo, porque o canal Film&Arts não tem consistência, apresenta série ótimas, mas nem sempre começa por onde deveria, que é, obviamente, o começo, a primeira temporada), porque mostrava um dos lugares mais fascinantes que já visitei, a muralha de Adriano, na Inglaterra. Obviamente é curtíssima, uma very short story, mas achei que o fato de ser curta comprometeu a construção dos personagens e do enredo. Dá pra aceitar? Dá. Mas achei o final abrupto demais. Ficou faltando o processo de investigação, a partir do qual mesmo o mais "mágico" dos detetives (digamos, um Hercule Poirot) consegue montar seu enredo e tirar suas conclusões, até apontar o culpado. Me pareceu que a solução saiu de uma cartola mágica, e o que eu mais gosto nesse gênero de literatura é a construção, mesmo que eu NUNCA adivinhe o final.
September 29, 2020
Frozen is a short and exciting introduction to a detective inspector (DI) series. Even as an intro, it is a self-contained story, complete, and entertaining.
Vera Stanhope is a DI having a normal day when she chances upon chapel being redone into a bookstore. Then, to her surprise, there is a skeleton there! One thing leads to another, and a mystery unfolds. This is a cold case. The victim had died many years before. The clothes alert Vera to an unsolved case about a missing girl.
Vera searches for answers and comes across as clever and intuitive.
She approaches relatives and acquaintances of the poor victim and digs deeper for answers. Who could have killed the girl? The details are just right, bringing readers along for the ride.
Even though this is a short story, it is told in such a manner and with a few twists to lead readers to a satisfying conclusion. Why not give this little mystery a try?
Vera Stanhope is a DI having a normal day when she chances upon chapel being redone into a bookstore. Then, to her surprise, there is a skeleton there! One thing leads to another, and a mystery unfolds. This is a cold case. The victim had died many years before. The clothes alert Vera to an unsolved case about a missing girl.
Vera searches for answers and comes across as clever and intuitive.
She approaches relatives and acquaintances of the poor victim and digs deeper for answers. Who could have killed the girl? The details are just right, bringing readers along for the ride.
Even though this is a short story, it is told in such a manner and with a few twists to lead readers to a satisfying conclusion. Why not give this little mystery a try?
February 3, 2022
This is a short story that is part of the Vera Stanhope series. I do not mind short stories but I do have issues with price. This one I got for a dollar which I feel was still a bit much for the length of the story. If you have read any of my ramblings on here, you will know that I mainly love every book I read. I am the 5-star queen. I pick books I am interested in and it is not hard to enjoy what I read. This one gets an average rating. Either I missed a page or skipped a paragraph--i feel like I missed a vital clue. A girl that has been missing for around ten years is found in a chapel that had been converted into a bookstore. Seems the girl knew the boy whose father was minister there when she disappeared. Five minutes later the truth is coming out. Not really but it felt like it. I feel like I was cheated out of a good mystery. Think from now on, I will be more careful about how short a story is before I read it.
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