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Vera Stanhope #10
The Rising Tide
Vera Stanhope, star of ITV's Vera, returns in the tenth novel in number one bestseller Ann Cleeves' acclaimed series. Fifty years ago, a group of teenagers spent a weekend on Holy Island, forging a bond that has lasted a lifetime. Now, they still return every five years to celebrate their friendship, and remember the friend they lost to the rising waters of the causeway at the first reunion. Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . . But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . .
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2022
2183 people are currently reading
9382 people want to read
About the author
Ann Cleeves
133 books8,778 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 1,683 reviews
July 15, 2022
Ann Cleeves's latest DI Vera Stanhope is a chilling and shocker of an addition to her wonderful Northumberland set series. Vera is all too excited when she is informed of a 'suicide' on the beautiful and windswept Holy Island, she is desperate for it to be a murder and acts accordingly, one should be careful what one wishes for. At the Pilgrim's House retreat, 5 friends have been meeting for 50 years, celebrating their first meeting as teenagers, students at Kimmerston Grammar, when they had bonded so strongly and remembering Isobel Hall, lost to the rising tide across the causeway. Philip Robson is a priest, Ken Hampton is a ex-headteacher, now suffering from dementia, looked after by his highly competent and well organised wife, Louise, Annie Laidler is part owner of the popular Bread and Olives, and celebrity former journalist, Rick Kelsall, has been sacked after sexual assault complaints from an intern.
As they drink and tell stories, Rick is remarkably upbeat, he has plans in the pipeline, but by the morning he is dead, and Vera is to be proved right when his 'suicide' turns out to be a case of murder, one which attracts the attention of the media. This adds to the pressure passed down by Superintendent Watkins that is faced by Vera, and her well established team of family man DS Joe Ashworth and DC Holly Clarke. Vera is certain the past, the history between these friends, is relevant, although her team are less convinced, but she is their boss and what she says goes. So along with delving into the complaints made about Rick recently, secrets from the past are set to be revealed as the team interview others who are part of the picture, including Rick's ex-wife Charlotte, retired teacher Judith Marshall, Annie's ex-husband, Daniel Rede, local boy made good with his exclusive holiday developments along the stunning coast, and his partner, PCC Katherine Willmore.
Cleeves turns the location of Holy Island, that simply drips with atmosphere, into a wonderful central background character, popular with tourists, with its menacing mists and fogs, and the dangers of the rising tide. Vera is a star of a protagonist, overweight, with a shambolic appearance that has her giving off the vibes of a bag lady, and here she is mistaken as a cleaner, not that it bothers her in the slightest. She is tenacious, intuitive, although a little too careless of her own safety as she follows leads in this most challenging and tragic of investigations. This is a brilliant crime series, and if you have never read it, I strongly urge you to give it a try. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
As they drink and tell stories, Rick is remarkably upbeat, he has plans in the pipeline, but by the morning he is dead, and Vera is to be proved right when his 'suicide' turns out to be a case of murder, one which attracts the attention of the media. This adds to the pressure passed down by Superintendent Watkins that is faced by Vera, and her well established team of family man DS Joe Ashworth and DC Holly Clarke. Vera is certain the past, the history between these friends, is relevant, although her team are less convinced, but she is their boss and what she says goes. So along with delving into the complaints made about Rick recently, secrets from the past are set to be revealed as the team interview others who are part of the picture, including Rick's ex-wife Charlotte, retired teacher Judith Marshall, Annie's ex-husband, Daniel Rede, local boy made good with his exclusive holiday developments along the stunning coast, and his partner, PCC Katherine Willmore.
Cleeves turns the location of Holy Island, that simply drips with atmosphere, into a wonderful central background character, popular with tourists, with its menacing mists and fogs, and the dangers of the rising tide. Vera is a star of a protagonist, overweight, with a shambolic appearance that has her giving off the vibes of a bag lady, and here she is mistaken as a cleaner, not that it bothers her in the slightest. She is tenacious, intuitive, although a little too careless of her own safety as she follows leads in this most challenging and tragic of investigations. This is a brilliant crime series, and if you have never read it, I strongly urge you to give it a try. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
September 10, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this chilling addition to the Vera Stanhope series. I had read only four books previously by Ann Cleeves in no particular order, watched some episodes of Vera on TV, and thought the character and the stories were compelling. The Rising Tide was a dark, tragic, shocking novel about secrets, mystery and crime.
I found the story slow-paced at first. Vera and her team interview people connected with a death years earlier, and the same people (and others connected to them) are questioned in the present time when a murder is committed. As they conduct interviews of suspects, searching for clues, motivations, and connections over the years, I felt tempted to keep notes to avoid confusion. I found this part tedious but necessary in order to get acquainted with its many characters.
School friends first bonded fifty years earlier at a retreat on Holy Island. They were led by a young teacher. They have had a reunion every five years since. On their first reunion, one of the participants, Isobel Hall, died when caught in the rising tide while crossing the causeway. Now, the five who have returned regularly at five-year intervals plan to spend their time with good food and drinks while they reminisce, remembering their youth and good times. The memory of Isobel's death haunts them still. It has been fifty years since they first met, but how well do they know each other? Have they been involved over the years?
Rick is a celebrity journalist recently fired after an intern complained that he sexually assaulted her. He is now enthused about a crime novel he is writing. Philip is now an Anglican vicar, thinking of retiring. Annie is part owner of a popular bakery. Ken is a retired school headmaster. He suffers from dementia and is cared for by his wife, Louise. They gather together for a hearty evening meal with plenty of alcohol and discuss memories and their present lives. In the morning, Rick is found dead.
A call goes out to DI Vera to attend to Rick's suicide. Vera hopes it turns out to be a murder as she is happiest when solving murders. The overweight, outspoken, dishevelled, poorly dressed Vera has been mentioned as resembling a bag lady and is mistaken as a cleaning lady in this story. Due to her sloppy appearance, people tend to underestimate her as a detective but come to admire her sharp intelligence and crime-solving skills.
The story takes place on Holy Island, connected to the mainland by a causeway, The rising tide covers the causeway twice a day, making it inaccessible by car when the tide is high, and isolating the site. The reader can almost feel the mist, fog, and rising tide. A vivid sense of place is established.
Vera will be conducting the investigation with her team of DI Joe Ashworth and DC Holly Clarke. They think the murder may be due to Rick's present transgressions or some rivalry among the group, but Vera is insistent that it is somehow connected to the long-ago death of Isobel. In addition to questioning the four who last saw Rick and were also witnesses to events prior to Isobel's death, other vital connections may play a role in the murder and its solution.
There is Charlotte, Rick's ex-wife and former celebrity model. She now runs a yoga studio. Judith Marshall, a 'hippy new-age' personality who led the first group in bonding activities, is now retired and heavily involved in the church. Daniel Rede is Annie's former husband, now a wealthy developer of exclusive holiday resorts on the island. He lives with his partner, police and crime commissioner (PCC) Katherine. Rick left a will that may add to further complications and motivation for his death.
It becomes apparent that many of the suspects are lying or hiding vital information. A second murder occurs, killed in the same manner as Rick. Vera's tenacity and determination to solve the two present murders and expose events 50 years earlier have led herself and her two detectives into mortal danger. Once the interviews with the suspects lessen, the story picks up briskly, with many unexpected reveals, twists and turns, and a big shock near the end. Despite many clues, I failed to identify the culprit among the possible suspects.
I found the story slow-paced at first. Vera and her team interview people connected with a death years earlier, and the same people (and others connected to them) are questioned in the present time when a murder is committed. As they conduct interviews of suspects, searching for clues, motivations, and connections over the years, I felt tempted to keep notes to avoid confusion. I found this part tedious but necessary in order to get acquainted with its many characters.
School friends first bonded fifty years earlier at a retreat on Holy Island. They were led by a young teacher. They have had a reunion every five years since. On their first reunion, one of the participants, Isobel Hall, died when caught in the rising tide while crossing the causeway. Now, the five who have returned regularly at five-year intervals plan to spend their time with good food and drinks while they reminisce, remembering their youth and good times. The memory of Isobel's death haunts them still. It has been fifty years since they first met, but how well do they know each other? Have they been involved over the years?
Rick is a celebrity journalist recently fired after an intern complained that he sexually assaulted her. He is now enthused about a crime novel he is writing. Philip is now an Anglican vicar, thinking of retiring. Annie is part owner of a popular bakery. Ken is a retired school headmaster. He suffers from dementia and is cared for by his wife, Louise. They gather together for a hearty evening meal with plenty of alcohol and discuss memories and their present lives. In the morning, Rick is found dead.
A call goes out to DI Vera to attend to Rick's suicide. Vera hopes it turns out to be a murder as she is happiest when solving murders. The overweight, outspoken, dishevelled, poorly dressed Vera has been mentioned as resembling a bag lady and is mistaken as a cleaning lady in this story. Due to her sloppy appearance, people tend to underestimate her as a detective but come to admire her sharp intelligence and crime-solving skills.
The story takes place on Holy Island, connected to the mainland by a causeway, The rising tide covers the causeway twice a day, making it inaccessible by car when the tide is high, and isolating the site. The reader can almost feel the mist, fog, and rising tide. A vivid sense of place is established.
Vera will be conducting the investigation with her team of DI Joe Ashworth and DC Holly Clarke. They think the murder may be due to Rick's present transgressions or some rivalry among the group, but Vera is insistent that it is somehow connected to the long-ago death of Isobel. In addition to questioning the four who last saw Rick and were also witnesses to events prior to Isobel's death, other vital connections may play a role in the murder and its solution.
There is Charlotte, Rick's ex-wife and former celebrity model. She now runs a yoga studio. Judith Marshall, a 'hippy new-age' personality who led the first group in bonding activities, is now retired and heavily involved in the church. Daniel Rede is Annie's former husband, now a wealthy developer of exclusive holiday resorts on the island. He lives with his partner, police and crime commissioner (PCC) Katherine. Rick left a will that may add to further complications and motivation for his death.
It becomes apparent that many of the suspects are lying or hiding vital information. A second murder occurs, killed in the same manner as Rick. Vera's tenacity and determination to solve the two present murders and expose events 50 years earlier have led herself and her two detectives into mortal danger. Once the interviews with the suspects lessen, the story picks up briskly, with many unexpected reveals, twists and turns, and a big shock near the end. Despite many clues, I failed to identify the culprit among the possible suspects.
April 30, 2022
4+
DI Vera Stanhope #10
Fifty years ago a group of teenagers go to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) for a bonding experience that is so successful some of them have returned every five years since then. They always reflect on Isabel Hall, a friend who they tragically lost on their first reunion. In the present day, one of their number, a well-known journalist Rick Kelsall is found hanging from a vaulted ceiling. Despite it being her weekend off Vera is called in, she’s suspicious from the start and as per usual her hunch proves right as Richard has been murdered. DS Joe Ashcroft uncovers information about Rick including allegations of harassment but this proves to be just the tip of the iceberg in this increasingly troublesome investigation.
Absolute kudos goes to Ann Cleeves who after so many years of writing still manages to produce something that feels fresh and is immersive and compelling for readers to get their teeth into. Like many others I love Vera (brilliantly portrayed on television by Brenda Blethyn) and her larger-than-life personality shines through the pages and she is undoubtedly the centre and star of her own show. She’s brilliantly intuitive, instinctive, a little bit manipulative of her team (in a good way) and her affection for her team especially DS Joe Ashcroft is almost transparent. Got to love Joe too! It’s a well written novel with a plot that goes at a brisk pace and which is extremely well thought out, it thickens and deepens taking us on a twisty journey backwards and forwards across the causeway to Holy Island. This is a superb setting especially as the tide rises and rolls in adding an extra dimension of atmosphere especially as concealed secrets find their way to the surface, bubbling up like the waves. The finale is surprising and very dramatic, there is danger and tragedy which strikes real blow.
If you've nar read this Newcastle (the toon) / Northumberland based series, eeee, howay man, you should because it’s canny and champion. Vera is a legend!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan MacMillan for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
DI Vera Stanhope #10
Fifty years ago a group of teenagers go to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) for a bonding experience that is so successful some of them have returned every five years since then. They always reflect on Isabel Hall, a friend who they tragically lost on their first reunion. In the present day, one of their number, a well-known journalist Rick Kelsall is found hanging from a vaulted ceiling. Despite it being her weekend off Vera is called in, she’s suspicious from the start and as per usual her hunch proves right as Richard has been murdered. DS Joe Ashcroft uncovers information about Rick including allegations of harassment but this proves to be just the tip of the iceberg in this increasingly troublesome investigation.
Absolute kudos goes to Ann Cleeves who after so many years of writing still manages to produce something that feels fresh and is immersive and compelling for readers to get their teeth into. Like many others I love Vera (brilliantly portrayed on television by Brenda Blethyn) and her larger-than-life personality shines through the pages and she is undoubtedly the centre and star of her own show. She’s brilliantly intuitive, instinctive, a little bit manipulative of her team (in a good way) and her affection for her team especially DS Joe Ashcroft is almost transparent. Got to love Joe too! It’s a well written novel with a plot that goes at a brisk pace and which is extremely well thought out, it thickens and deepens taking us on a twisty journey backwards and forwards across the causeway to Holy Island. This is a superb setting especially as the tide rises and rolls in adding an extra dimension of atmosphere especially as concealed secrets find their way to the surface, bubbling up like the waves. The finale is surprising and very dramatic, there is danger and tragedy which strikes real blow.
If you've nar read this Newcastle (the toon) / Northumberland based series, eeee, howay man, you should because it’s canny and champion. Vera is a legend!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan MacMillan for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
July 23, 2022
I am late to the party of reading the Vera Stanhope series (not just watching the wonderful tv series). I’m loving the more in-depth experience that a book allows.
The story involves a group of older friends. They’ve been meeting every five years for fifty years at Holy Island, the site of a school trip. The same place where one of the group died at the first reunion. Cleeves takes the time to introduce us to each of the friends and the death doesn’t occur for several chapters. The death initially looks like a suicide, but Vera quickly cottons to it being a murder. There are numerous suspects and I never did cotton to the actual one. I did find a few loose ends that I wish had been cleared up.
Cleeves excels in character development. There are multiple POVs, including each of the team and some of the suspects. The almost rivalry between Joe and Holly works well and I like that this team isn’t the seamless group that other series have. The ending really caught me off guard.
I have not read all of this series and each book can definitely be read as a stand-alone.
I must be getting used to Janine Birkett’s voice because it didn’t bother me as much with this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio/St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
The story involves a group of older friends. They’ve been meeting every five years for fifty years at Holy Island, the site of a school trip. The same place where one of the group died at the first reunion. Cleeves takes the time to introduce us to each of the friends and the death doesn’t occur for several chapters. The death initially looks like a suicide, but Vera quickly cottons to it being a murder. There are numerous suspects and I never did cotton to the actual one. I did find a few loose ends that I wish had been cleared up.
Cleeves excels in character development. There are multiple POVs, including each of the team and some of the suspects. The almost rivalry between Joe and Holly works well and I like that this team isn’t the seamless group that other series have. The ending really caught me off guard.
I have not read all of this series and each book can definitely be read as a stand-alone.
I must be getting used to Janine Birkett’s voice because it didn’t bother me as much with this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio/St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
June 6, 2022
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Tell that to a group of friends who continue to meet on Holy Island off the Northumberland coast. It's become a ritual over fifty years to set the stage of time within increments of gains and losses. The aging tribe meet at Pilgrims' House to light candles, reminisce over their years together at grammar school, and dine and drink heartily into the night. But there's always the unwelcomed visitor of memory over a tragedy that occured there in their midst so long ago.
Philip is now an Anglican vicar in London. Lou and Ken were married years ago and Ken now has Alzheimers so his memories are long gone. Annie runs a bakery on the island. Her ex-husband, Daniel, runs a family business there. Rick has just stepped back from his popular show on BBC being accused of some unseemingly behavior with a female staff member. His ex-wife, Charlotte, is a former model who now runs a yoga salon on the island. Their former teacher, Judy Marshall, still lives on the island quite differently from her new age mindset.
After that night of heavy drinking, each member straggles into the kitchen. But breakfast will never be served. Annie lets out a mournful moan. She's found Rick hanging from the beam in his guest bedroom. Immediately, it looks like suicide. But once D.I. Vera Stanhope and her team of Joe and Holly arrive, there's a murder on the books.
Don't shy away from the #10. The Rising Tide can definitely be read as a standalone because of the exceptional writing of Ann Cleeves. Although there is quite the pack of characters in this one, Cleeves works her magic and keeps Vera's intuitive nature at the forefront. Her descriptors of island life and the rising tide along the Lindisfarne Causeway add to the pending dangers from Nature itself. And then there's a murderer among them as well. When another body is found, Vera knows full-out that this will hardly be an easy case.
The Rising Tide will be a tricky read with vibes of Knives Out. You'll keep readjusting your list of the usual suspects.....again and again. And the ending will be a shocker with a blade of an unexpected thrust to the heart. Seriously......
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Ann Cleeves for the opportunity.
Tell that to a group of friends who continue to meet on Holy Island off the Northumberland coast. It's become a ritual over fifty years to set the stage of time within increments of gains and losses. The aging tribe meet at Pilgrims' House to light candles, reminisce over their years together at grammar school, and dine and drink heartily into the night. But there's always the unwelcomed visitor of memory over a tragedy that occured there in their midst so long ago.
Philip is now an Anglican vicar in London. Lou and Ken were married years ago and Ken now has Alzheimers so his memories are long gone. Annie runs a bakery on the island. Her ex-husband, Daniel, runs a family business there. Rick has just stepped back from his popular show on BBC being accused of some unseemingly behavior with a female staff member. His ex-wife, Charlotte, is a former model who now runs a yoga salon on the island. Their former teacher, Judy Marshall, still lives on the island quite differently from her new age mindset.
After that night of heavy drinking, each member straggles into the kitchen. But breakfast will never be served. Annie lets out a mournful moan. She's found Rick hanging from the beam in his guest bedroom. Immediately, it looks like suicide. But once D.I. Vera Stanhope and her team of Joe and Holly arrive, there's a murder on the books.
Don't shy away from the #10. The Rising Tide can definitely be read as a standalone because of the exceptional writing of Ann Cleeves. Although there is quite the pack of characters in this one, Cleeves works her magic and keeps Vera's intuitive nature at the forefront. Her descriptors of island life and the rising tide along the Lindisfarne Causeway add to the pending dangers from Nature itself. And then there's a murderer among them as well. When another body is found, Vera knows full-out that this will hardly be an easy case.
The Rising Tide will be a tricky read with vibes of Knives Out. You'll keep readjusting your list of the usual suspects.....again and again. And the ending will be a shocker with a blade of an unexpected thrust to the heart. Seriously......
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Ann Cleeves for the opportunity.
August 13, 2022
4.5 My first introduction to this author was her Shetland series. I read them all and then watched the series on television. Both were brilliant. I then discovered this series and Vera but my intro was reversed. Watched the series and then read the books. I seem to love pretty much anything this author writes.
Vera is a wonderful character, while she doesn't fit the regular mold of brilliant detective it is quickly discovered that one underestimates her at their own peril. Her frumpy look belies her intelligence. Taking place on Holy island, an island that is blocked off when the tide rises, a group of now elderly school friends meet for a scheduled reunion, but not all survive.
So begins a case that seems at first to be slowly progressing as Vera and her team try to figure out if this is a crime that stems from the last or present. Once it does start unravelling, the pace moves quickly and soon the tangled mess of people and motive becomes clearer. To Vera at least but as for me, I didn't guess the who done it.
The audio and the narrator, Janine Burkett, were marvelous.
ARC from Netgalley.
Vera is a wonderful character, while she doesn't fit the regular mold of brilliant detective it is quickly discovered that one underestimates her at their own peril. Her frumpy look belies her intelligence. Taking place on Holy island, an island that is blocked off when the tide rises, a group of now elderly school friends meet for a scheduled reunion, but not all survive.
So begins a case that seems at first to be slowly progressing as Vera and her team try to figure out if this is a crime that stems from the last or present. Once it does start unravelling, the pace moves quickly and soon the tangled mess of people and motive becomes clearer. To Vera at least but as for me, I didn't guess the who done it.
The audio and the narrator, Janine Burkett, were marvelous.
ARC from Netgalley.
December 17, 2023
A group of school friends has been meeting on Lindisfarne (Holy Island) for the last fifty years. They first met there as part of a sixth form retreat organised their keen young English teacher. Forming a close knot group, they decided to have a reunion after five years and then continued meeting every five years, bringing along partners and kids until now they are back more or less to the original core group.
When Vera is called over to the island to investigate a possible suicide, she is sure the victim Rick Kelsall, has been murdered. Rick was a popular TV presenter who has recently been stood down by his network for allegations of sexual assault by an intern, so Vera wonders that one of his female victims could have exacted her own revenge. However, when a second member of the group is murdered, she also begins to wonder whether secrets in the group’s past may be the key to solving this case.
This is a perfectly paced suspense that builds up gradually, with the pieces taking some time to uncover and fall into place. Even with DI Joe Ashworth and DC Holly Clarke interviewing suspects and chasing evidence, there is no obvious culprit. The dynamics between Joe and Holly are interesting as Joe is clearly Vera’s favourite and Holly longs to be noticed more by the boss. The suspects, now mostly in their sixties, are a mixed bunch, with a range of professions including teacher, a priest an ex-model turned life coach and yoga teacher and the owner of a nearby holiday resort, all at a comfortable stage of life where murdering a friend seems unlikely.
The island is atmospheric backdrop for the story with its ruins and religious history, landscape and wildlife and the shifting tides that make the causeway so dangerous to those who don’t pay attention to the them, and plays a very central and tragic part of the novel. Vera as always is Vera, slipping under people’s radar with her frumpy appearance but smart, perceptive and hard on her team although she does appreciate them even if she doesn’t know how to tell them so. As always the well written plot is intriguing and compelling, with an ending that is both riveting and heartbreaking.
When Vera is called over to the island to investigate a possible suicide, she is sure the victim Rick Kelsall, has been murdered. Rick was a popular TV presenter who has recently been stood down by his network for allegations of sexual assault by an intern, so Vera wonders that one of his female victims could have exacted her own revenge. However, when a second member of the group is murdered, she also begins to wonder whether secrets in the group’s past may be the key to solving this case.
This is a perfectly paced suspense that builds up gradually, with the pieces taking some time to uncover and fall into place. Even with DI Joe Ashworth and DC Holly Clarke interviewing suspects and chasing evidence, there is no obvious culprit. The dynamics between Joe and Holly are interesting as Joe is clearly Vera’s favourite and Holly longs to be noticed more by the boss. The suspects, now mostly in their sixties, are a mixed bunch, with a range of professions including teacher, a priest an ex-model turned life coach and yoga teacher and the owner of a nearby holiday resort, all at a comfortable stage of life where murdering a friend seems unlikely.
The island is atmospheric backdrop for the story with its ruins and religious history, landscape and wildlife and the shifting tides that make the causeway so dangerous to those who don’t pay attention to the them, and plays a very central and tragic part of the novel. Vera as always is Vera, slipping under people’s radar with her frumpy appearance but smart, perceptive and hard on her team although she does appreciate them even if she doesn’t know how to tell them so. As always the well written plot is intriguing and compelling, with an ending that is both riveting and heartbreaking.
July 17, 2024
This is my first experience with the DT Vera Stanhope. This book is #10 and can be read as a stand alone. The audio is narrated by Janine Birkett and I thoroughly enjoyed her voice. It is based on some 60 year old friends that met on Holy Island 50 years ago on a school trip. They have met every 5 years on the island in honor of their friend they lost on the causeway when the rising tide swept her away. When one of their friends, Rick, is found hanging they though it was a suicide due to allegations against him. Dt Vera investigates and finds it was a murder. When she connects the dots, she finds a connection with the first death.
It is Fast-paced and keeps you searching for answers among a multitude of deception and lies. I haven't watched the Netflix series Vera, but I loved the book enough to watch it.
It is Fast-paced and keeps you searching for answers among a multitude of deception and lies. I haven't watched the Netflix series Vera, but I loved the book enough to watch it.
November 1, 2024
3.5 stars
Ann Cleeves is well known for her popular Shetland Island mystery series, featuring Detective Jimmy Perez and her Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope mystery series, set in northern England. In this 10th novel in the Vera Stanhope series, the intrepid sleuth investigates a suspicious death on Holy Island, a tourist destination off the west coast of Scotland. Holy Island has the distinction of being approachable only during certain hours, at low tide, when the causeway is accessible.
Holy Island
Causeway to Holy Island
Fifty years ago a group of teenage school friends participated in a retreat called 'Only Connect' on Holy Island. The event, led by a young teacher named Judith Marshall, resulted in all night drinking, deep discussions, and exploration of the students' feelings. The pupils - Philip Robson, Annie Laidler, Daniel Rede, Rick Kelsall, Isobel Hall, Kenneth Hampton and Charlotte Thomas - bonded with one another and agreed to have a reunion on Holy Island every five years.
By the time of the first reunion - when the participants were in their early twenties - Rick and Charlotte were married, and Annie and Daniel were married and mourning the recent loss of an infant. Sadly, tragedy struck the reunion event when Isobel's car was caught by a high tide and she drowned. From then on, Isobel's death has haunted many of the friends.
It's now fifty years since 'Only Connect' and the reunion participants are well into their sixties. Annie and Daniel are long since divorced, as are Charlotte and Rick....who has the reputation of being a playboy Don Juan. Philip is an Anglican priest; Annie is co-owner of a local deli; and Kenneth - now married to a woman named Louise - is succumbing to dementia.
The first night of the reunion consists of the usual eating, drinking and talking.....
......but things take a drastic turn the next morning when Annie finds Rick hanging in his room.
Rick's death is initially called a suicide, amid speculation that Rick was depressed about losing his broadcaster job because of sexual harassment charges. Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope suspects a wrongful death, however.....
.....and the medical examiner confirms the fact that Rick was murdered.
The obvious suspects are the reunion participants followed by Rick's supervisors, co-workers, acquaintances, and so on. Vera and her team interview and re-interview people who knew Rick and some surprising secrets are unearthed. Another murder occurs soon afterward, and Vera suspects the deaths - possibly including Isobel's demise 45 years ago - are connected. Thus Vera pokes and probes and eventually exposes the truth.
It's fun to see Vera interact with her team, especially Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth......
.....and Detective Constable Holly Clarke, who vie for Vera's attention like contentious siblings.
Vera herself - a chunky woman with a hearty appetite who's totally unconcerned about fashion - is my favorite character. Ann Cleeve's Vera Stanhope books are the basis for the TV series 'Vera', in which the Detective Inspector is wonderfully played by Brenda Blethyn.
Brenda Blethyn plays Vera
This is an entertaining mystery that leads to a satisfying denouement.
Thanks to Netgalley, Ann Cleeves, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
March 15, 2025
Another really enjoyable book in the Vera Stanhope series. It is set mostly on Holy Island where 5o years ago a young woman in a car was washed away on the causeway. The group she was with meet again every five years only this time one of their number is found hanged in his room. Is it possible he was driven by guilt? Was he in fact murdered? Vera and the team are called in to investigate.
There are plenty of red herrings, and Vera, Joe and Holly are kept busy. I half expected that a certain person would be responsible, but I was in no way prepared for the shocking event which occurs towards the end. I am still wondering what made Ann Cleeves do that! One thing for certain her books are never boring. Five stars.
There are plenty of red herrings, and Vera, Joe and Holly are kept busy. I half expected that a certain person would be responsible, but I was in no way prepared for the shocking event which occurs towards the end. I am still wondering what made Ann Cleeves do that! One thing for certain her books are never boring. Five stars.
September 8, 2022
Vera felt the flutter of excitement that came at the beginning of an interesting case. It was shameful to want this to be murder, but all the same.
…
’So, Rick Kelsall was murdered.’
‘Just so.’ Keating gave a lovely smile. ‘Your boss was right, and will be, I’m afraid, insufferable. I think perhaps you should go and tell her, so she can be triumphant, and then start to get the investigation moving.
Bear with the slow start at the beginning of THE RISING TIDE. Once Vera enters, in Chapter Seven, the story takes off and never lets go. Most of it takes place in a rather unique location—Holy Island—an area regularly cut off from the rest of
Northumberland by the rise and fall of tidal waters. A fabulous setting for a murder mystery, with its sudden fogs, and the dangers stemming from its rising tides.
This one is complex, with several people who might have wanted Rick dead, and many unexpected twists and turns. For once, I wasn’t able to identify the killer, or their reason, before Vera did. I just kept revising my favourite choice from among the suspects, until Vera nailed it.
So it’s a nice, complex murder mystery, but it is Vera that draws the reader in, Vera who holds the reader’s attention. Admittedly, someone who hadn’t read several of the earlier Vera books would miss many of the references to her past, wouldn’t fully understand her tenacity, her reasoning, how life with Hector, her father, warped her mind. Hector was always there, bullying her from the grave.
From the beginning, Vera is certain that the motives for this killing lay in the past. The past was her territory. She always said it explained the tensions and stresses of the present.
Overweight, disheveled, dowdy Vera resembles a bag lady and is mistaken for a cleaning lady in this story. But her team, and some of the suspects, know that she possesses a sharp intelligence and uncanny crime-solving instincts.
But although Vera is front and centre in the investigation, two members of her team also get a chance to shine in this one—Joe, Vera’s favourite, and Holly, who wants to move up in the ranks. …but [Vera] was a control freak. She’d always found it hard to delegate to the team. She told herself: It was time she learned that lesson and gave her team some freedom to act alone.
The ending is a shocker. ..everything went silent and the light seemed to leave the room.
Kudos, Ms. Cleeves, for making the 10th novel in the Vera series such an outstanding read.
…
’So, Rick Kelsall was murdered.’
‘Just so.’ Keating gave a lovely smile. ‘Your boss was right, and will be, I’m afraid, insufferable. I think perhaps you should go and tell her, so she can be triumphant, and then start to get the investigation moving.
Bear with the slow start at the beginning of THE RISING TIDE. Once Vera enters, in Chapter Seven, the story takes off and never lets go. Most of it takes place in a rather unique location—Holy Island—an area regularly cut off from the rest of
Northumberland by the rise and fall of tidal waters. A fabulous setting for a murder mystery, with its sudden fogs, and the dangers stemming from its rising tides.
This one is complex, with several people who might have wanted Rick dead, and many unexpected twists and turns. For once, I wasn’t able to identify the killer, or their reason, before Vera did. I just kept revising my favourite choice from among the suspects, until Vera nailed it.
So it’s a nice, complex murder mystery, but it is Vera that draws the reader in, Vera who holds the reader’s attention. Admittedly, someone who hadn’t read several of the earlier Vera books would miss many of the references to her past, wouldn’t fully understand her tenacity, her reasoning, how life with Hector, her father, warped her mind. Hector was always there, bullying her from the grave.
From the beginning, Vera is certain that the motives for this killing lay in the past. The past was her territory. She always said it explained the tensions and stresses of the present.
Overweight, disheveled, dowdy Vera resembles a bag lady and is mistaken for a cleaning lady in this story. But her team, and some of the suspects, know that she possesses a sharp intelligence and uncanny crime-solving instincts.
But although Vera is front and centre in the investigation, two members of her team also get a chance to shine in this one—Joe, Vera’s favourite, and Holly, who wants to move up in the ranks. …but [Vera] was a control freak. She’d always found it hard to delegate to the team. She told herself: It was time she learned that lesson and gave her team some freedom to act alone.
The ending is a shocker. ..everything went silent and the light seemed to leave the room.
Kudos, Ms. Cleeves, for making the 10th novel in the Vera series such an outstanding read.
July 31, 2022
This tenth installment of the Vera Stanhope series see Vera involved in a very intriguing case. A group of friends who knew each other in grammar school gather every five years on Holy Island for a weekend together. Their first visit had been with their teacher. At the first five year revisit to this place, one of the friends died in a car accident, being swept away by the tide crossing recklessly to the mainland. In present day, the friends are getting rather old and one of them is murdered at their weekend gathering. This is where Vera and her team become involved.
The history of this group was interesting and, of course, they all became suspects. There were other suspects as well. There were a lot of avenues to investigate and Vera's team stayed busy following all the leads. I've ready quite of few books in this series and have enjoyed them overall. Vera and her team work well together and each seem to have their own special expertise. I like the characters very much. I was disappointed by how many times the author mentioned that Vera was overweight, though. What's up with this? The ending to this was a real surprise to me.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 6, 2022.
The history of this group was interesting and, of course, they all became suspects. There were other suspects as well. There were a lot of avenues to investigate and Vera's team stayed busy following all the leads. I've ready quite of few books in this series and have enjoyed them overall. Vera and her team work well together and each seem to have their own special expertise. I like the characters very much. I was disappointed by how many times the author mentioned that Vera was overweight, though. What's up with this? The ending to this was a real surprise to me.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 6, 2022.
January 7, 2023
The Rising Tide is a good addition to the Vera Stanhope series, but some descriptions felt repetitive, and I felt like something was missing in comparison to previous books of the series!
The story starts with a reunion of friends who meet every five years and, of course, there are hidden secrets and past sins that are threatening to resurface to the point that someone desperate enough is led to murder to keep his secrets hidden!
Vera and her team start to investigate and try to figure out what each one of the friend's group is hiding and who has the strongest motive! Their case becomes more complicated when one of their own is revealed to be connected to the case!
In the end, the case is resolved, but at a high cost to Vera Stanhope and her team!
I enjoyed reading it!
The story starts with a reunion of friends who meet every five years and, of course, there are hidden secrets and past sins that are threatening to resurface to the point that someone desperate enough is led to murder to keep his secrets hidden!
Vera and her team start to investigate and try to figure out what each one of the friend's group is hiding and who has the strongest motive! Their case becomes more complicated when one of their own is revealed to be connected to the case!
In the end, the case is resolved, but at a high cost to Vera Stanhope and her team!
I enjoyed reading it!
February 18, 2023
Listened to the audiobook with Simon. The writing was truly compelling and we became quickly immersed in the story again each time we picked up where we had left off.
Standout quotes:
"What was a sermon after all if not a story?"
"He hoped [Vera] would pull some solution out of the bag at the last minute like some overweight female magician, she often did."
Standout quotes:
"What was a sermon after all if not a story?"
"He hoped [Vera] would pull some solution out of the bag at the last minute like some overweight female magician, she often did."
June 14, 2022
The fatphobia and massive stereotyping in this book for the main character was appalling. You would think that an author that includes a plus sized woman as the main character and has done so for 10 books now (including a TV show, apparently) would understand the difference between fatphobia and plus sized representation. The author does not describe the skinny women as though they eat like birds or may fall through the cracks in the floorboards if they turned sideways, nor does she make much mention of the larger male character in the story’s size beyond what is necessary to convey he has put on weight as he’s aged. Yet, somehow, every mention of Vera Stanhope implies she eats like she’s never going to get another meal, or like her meal will be taken from her so she shovels it in as fast as she can and is constantly thinking about eating. She is apparently so wide she fills entire hallways and blocks out the entire light in a room if she’s standing near the light source. Even other characters' POV seems to compare their meals to how Vera Stanhope eats when she's NOT EVEN IN THE SCENE. Every mention of food makes her sound like a gluttonous pig that does nothing but think of food. To top it off, she can’t dress either, because the first impression others have of her is how terrible her clothes are. It is obvious the author hates plus sized women in general and takes it out on her main character. She’s put down the whole way through the book, with occasional mentions about how smart she is to, from what I gather, try and detract from the negative way she is described the rest of the time. This author should be ashamed of herself. She offers absolutely no kindness towards her lead character. Why bother writing a plus sized character if you hate her (and really ALL plus sized women) so much?
As far as the story goes, nothing happened other than the insults in the first 40% of the book. The story didn't pick up until nearly 50% in and there was really nothing to uncover. There just wasn't anything to it. It wasn't very interesting and if not for the obligation I felt having been given early access on NetGalley from the publisher, I wouldn't have finished the book. I won't be reading anything further from this author after being bored by the story and enraged by the cruelness directed to her main character over and over again.
As far as the story goes, nothing happened other than the insults in the first 40% of the book. The story didn't pick up until nearly 50% in and there was really nothing to uncover. There just wasn't anything to it. It wasn't very interesting and if not for the obligation I felt having been given early access on NetGalley from the publisher, I wouldn't have finished the book. I won't be reading anything further from this author after being bored by the story and enraged by the cruelness directed to her main character over and over again.
November 14, 2022
I started getting into the Vera Stanhope novels after the great tv series (you can watch on Acorn via Amazon if you are in the U.S.). I felt a bit disappointed by some of the earlier books because they were a slog to get through. But with the latest installments, this Vera still seems someone similar to the tv series one and also separate at times. Unlike in the tv series, the book series still has Joe and Holly working for Vera. All I have to say is this, sometimes things do not end in a whimper but instead they end with a howl. What a fantastic and heart breaking installment.
"The Rising Tide" takes place about a year after the events in the last novel. Vera is about to go away with her next door neighbor to a book retreat. She's thrilled though when a possible suspicious death on Holy Island could be a murder. With Vera, Joe, and Holly on Holy Island they realize that a group of friends who have been coming to the island for 50 years may know more than they are saying after their friend is found dead by hanging. Per usual, Cleeves gives us perspective not on just the group of friends, but also Vera, Joe, and Holly.
Joe it seems is getting fairly tired of Vera trying to pit Holly being on scene more than him. He shockingly chooses his wife a few times in the book which is a surprise.
Holly is worried she is going to be like Vera, alone and single and nothing to show for it but her job.
Vera though of course loves the hunt. She loves being nosy. And she is actually flummoxed during the investigation. When another person turns up dead, she still can't see who the murderer is.
The writing was great, typical Cleeves. You go down one path and find out you are dead wrong. The flow was a bit up and down (but not enough for me to drop a star).
The setting of Holy Island just felt desolate. I don't know if I would be comfortable running around a place that gets cut off due to the tides.
The ending was wonderfully done. I do wonder if there will be another book in the series, and if so, how does it pick up?
"The Rising Tide" takes place about a year after the events in the last novel. Vera is about to go away with her next door neighbor to a book retreat. She's thrilled though when a possible suspicious death on Holy Island could be a murder. With Vera, Joe, and Holly on Holy Island they realize that a group of friends who have been coming to the island for 50 years may know more than they are saying after their friend is found dead by hanging. Per usual, Cleeves gives us perspective not on just the group of friends, but also Vera, Joe, and Holly.
Joe it seems is getting fairly tired of Vera trying to pit Holly being on scene more than him. He shockingly chooses his wife a few times in the book which is a surprise.
Holly is worried she is going to be like Vera, alone and single and nothing to show for it but her job.
Vera though of course loves the hunt. She loves being nosy. And she is actually flummoxed during the investigation. When another person turns up dead, she still can't see who the murderer is.
The writing was great, typical Cleeves. You go down one path and find out you are dead wrong. The flow was a bit up and down (but not enough for me to drop a star).
The setting of Holy Island just felt desolate. I don't know if I would be comfortable running around a place that gets cut off due to the tides.
The ending was wonderfully done. I do wonder if there will be another book in the series, and if so, how does it pick up?
January 8, 2025
I loved this book! I have enjoyed all the Vera books (as I also love the tv series--I hear Brenda Blethyn's voice now when I read the books) but this one is, I think, my favorite. I think I feel that way when I finish all her books but this one is, for me, the best.
A group of elderly (=my age!) people gather every five years in a reunion of a bonding weekend they'd attended while in high school (not, of course, called that--this is in Northumbria). They are in a beautiful but isolated place which becomes an island when (you guessed it!) the tide rises. Then no one can get on or off the island, at least by car which is how these folk arrived.
At the first reunion, someone died. Nevertheless, the group continues to meet over the decades. Now, once again, they are gathered--and (being a murder mystery) there is another death. This time a murder.
Despite my levity, I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end. I tried to slow down my reading because who knows when or if there will be another Vera book but I couldn't control myself. I had to find out "who dunnit."
The end was both shocking and satisfying but I can't say more than that. Cleeves often goes a little darker (though not very) in her books than the tv show does.
A satisfying mystery, with the characters I love and some interesting suspects as well.
A group of elderly (=my age!) people gather every five years in a reunion of a bonding weekend they'd attended while in high school (not, of course, called that--this is in Northumbria). They are in a beautiful but isolated place which becomes an island when (you guessed it!) the tide rises. Then no one can get on or off the island, at least by car which is how these folk arrived.
At the first reunion, someone died. Nevertheless, the group continues to meet over the decades. Now, once again, they are gathered--and (being a murder mystery) there is another death. This time a murder.
Despite my levity, I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end. I tried to slow down my reading because who knows when or if there will be another Vera book but I couldn't control myself. I had to find out "who dunnit."
The end was both shocking and satisfying but I can't say more than that. Cleeves often goes a little darker (though not very) in her books than the tv show does.
A satisfying mystery, with the characters I love and some interesting suspects as well.
January 1, 2023
I would have abandoned this book the minute the "false sexual assault allegation" came up, but I wanted to know if I was right about the murderer (I wasn't). This was the first Vera book I've read (thought I'm a faithful fan of the TV series), and I've come to the surprising conclusion that the television version is better. Vera comes across as crass and unfeeling in the book, and the incessant fat-shaming was annoying. Plus, the pacing was very, very slow, with frequent detours into the private thoughts of various characters.
I'm deeply disappointed by the author using a false allegation trope as a plot device. We all know how difficult it is for women to be believed in the first place, and false allegations are rare. I think I'm going to stick to the TV version of this series!
(Review copy from NetGalley)
I'm deeply disappointed by the author using a false allegation trope as a plot device. We all know how difficult it is for women to be believed in the first place, and false allegations are rare. I think I'm going to stick to the TV version of this series!
(Review copy from NetGalley)
October 15, 2022
2.5 stars, rounded down.
I think is the weakest of the Vera series. Ann Cleeves’ books are usually solid and well-crafted, with a decent plot that moves right along. This one, however, was much more simplistic and felt “rote” somehow. (There was a lot of interview/conversations; a lot of "telling," not much "showing.") I enjoy mysteries-with-more (the more being strong, well-developed characters) – and this series definitely fills that bill, although this one (until the twist at the end) really just tread familiar ground. I typically find Vera to be an engaging and refreshing crime-solver, and I usually look forward to a pleasant read from Ann Cleeves.
That said, I’m thinking that this entry to the Vera series missed the mark for me on three main fronts:
First, the false accusation of sexual assault just . . . rankles. Really, Ann Cleeves? Really? This plot line was not well developed, and certainly not handled with compassion or a solid understanding of the issue.
Second, I am finding the author’s descriptions of Vera’s body (over the entire course of the series) to be extremely tiresome. I suspect Ann Cleeves has persistent body image issues, and these emerge in her writing/character development.
Third, now let's talk about ageism. How many times did Cleeves use the word “elderly” to describe the primary cast of characters? Many. Over and over and over again. So many times it made me sigh out loud each time she did it again! These characters (with one exception) were healthy, active, fit adults in their late 60s/early 70s. Elderly? Elderly? (Who do you think is the primary audience for your books, Ms. Cleeves?)
Okay. I’m finished now.
(And I may also be finished with the series.)
I think is the weakest of the Vera series. Ann Cleeves’ books are usually solid and well-crafted, with a decent plot that moves right along. This one, however, was much more simplistic and felt “rote” somehow. (There was a lot of interview/conversations; a lot of "telling," not much "showing.") I enjoy mysteries-with-more (the more being strong, well-developed characters) – and this series definitely fills that bill, although this one (until the twist at the end) really just tread familiar ground. I typically find Vera to be an engaging and refreshing crime-solver, and I usually look forward to a pleasant read from Ann Cleeves.
That said, I’m thinking that this entry to the Vera series missed the mark for me on three main fronts:
First, the false accusation of sexual assault just . . . rankles. Really, Ann Cleeves? Really? This plot line was not well developed, and certainly not handled with compassion or a solid understanding of the issue.
Second, I am finding the author’s descriptions of Vera’s body (over the entire course of the series) to be extremely tiresome. I suspect Ann Cleeves has persistent body image issues, and these emerge in her writing/character development.
Third, now let's talk about ageism. How many times did Cleeves use the word “elderly” to describe the primary cast of characters? Many. Over and over and over again. So many times it made me sigh out loud each time she did it again! These characters (with one exception) were healthy, active, fit adults in their late 60s/early 70s. Elderly? Elderly? (Who do you think is the primary audience for your books, Ms. Cleeves?)
Okay. I’m finished now.
(And I may also be finished with the series.)
June 3, 2022
A group of school friends has been getting together every 5 years for the past 50. Their reunion is held at a place by the sea which is inaccessible for part of the day when the tide comes in. When one of them dies, Vera and her team are called in. Was it suicide or murder? Could the murderer have come in from outside before the causeway was inaccessible? And is a subsequent death related? Vera is doggedly pursuing the truth, but the story still ends tragically. It's a real page turner for anyone who enjoys British police procedurals. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
June 5, 2023
I so enjoyed this latest Vera, I had run out of books on my 5 week European trip, thankfully found this at Heathrow right before I flew to Atlanta (skipped #9 but didn't seem to matter!) This story has so many threads going on, but it is a terrific story, with both a cold case and a new one, that I was totally engrossed in. It seemed to have a touch of suspense towards the end, which I did not manage to figure out on my own, but Vera shines again! This has become one of my favorite series!
October 18, 2022
First Sentence: Philip was the first of the group to the island.
It is the 10th Anniversary of Only Connect, a group of friends who’ve been meeting every five years for fifty years at Pilgrims’ House on Holy Island, a place that can only be reached at low tide via a causeway. The group is down to Annie, Daniel, Lou, Ken, Rick, and Phillip; Isobel having crossed the causeway too late and having drowned several years before, and Charlotte who stopped coming. When one of the group is found hanged, Vera and her team are called in. Was it a suicide or murder?
Cleeves introduces the characters in such a way that they become fully dimensional. One learns about their backgrounds and how they interconnect. Although the story is written with multiple points of view, it is Annie, the organizer and mainstay, who is the principal of the secondary characters and the one with the greatest depth of character—“The years, stretching ahead of her, seemed empty, devoid of light or fun.” Cleeves presents a myriad of suspects, trying to glean the motive, which is not at all obvious, and fully engages the reader.
The author is skilled at hinting at something coming without ever using actual portents. Nor does she resort to prologues which is such a relief. For those who both read the books and watch the television series, it must be said that it’s a pleasure to still have Joe Ashworth as Vera’s second in the books—“her surrogate son, and her conscience. … Her boy. Her favourite. Sometime, she supposed, she’d have to release him and send him out into the world beyond her sphere of influence, but not yet. She’d miss him too much.”
Cleeves’ books are strongly character driven, and Holly Island becomes another character in this story. As Vera rarely leaves Northumberland, this is a delightful change of scene. It also sets up a barrier and threat to the investigation. Vera is such a strong, clever character. She is not perfect, occasionally vulnerable, and sometimes has self-doubts. She’s human.
If there is a criticism, it is that there is considerable repetition and too much time spent on the professional competition between Joe and Holly—“She didn’t dislike Joe, but she saw him as competition.” Vera knows exactly how to lead her team to get the best out of each of them, and Cleeves doesn’t do things without having a purpose. Learning the reason for the focus is a game changer.
THE RISING TIDE is yet another example of Cleeves’ skillful writing, especially including a reference to COVID without dwelling on it. The ending is powerful, and one must applaud Ms. Cleeves for it. The story leaves one anxious for the next book.
THE RISING TIDE
PolProc-Ins. Vera Stanhope-UK-Contemp
by Ann Cleeves
10th D.I. Vera Stanhope – 374 pp.
Minotaur Books, 2022
Rating: VG/A-
It is the 10th Anniversary of Only Connect, a group of friends who’ve been meeting every five years for fifty years at Pilgrims’ House on Holy Island, a place that can only be reached at low tide via a causeway. The group is down to Annie, Daniel, Lou, Ken, Rick, and Phillip; Isobel having crossed the causeway too late and having drowned several years before, and Charlotte who stopped coming. When one of the group is found hanged, Vera and her team are called in. Was it a suicide or murder?
Cleeves introduces the characters in such a way that they become fully dimensional. One learns about their backgrounds and how they interconnect. Although the story is written with multiple points of view, it is Annie, the organizer and mainstay, who is the principal of the secondary characters and the one with the greatest depth of character—“The years, stretching ahead of her, seemed empty, devoid of light or fun.” Cleeves presents a myriad of suspects, trying to glean the motive, which is not at all obvious, and fully engages the reader.
The author is skilled at hinting at something coming without ever using actual portents. Nor does she resort to prologues which is such a relief. For those who both read the books and watch the television series, it must be said that it’s a pleasure to still have Joe Ashworth as Vera’s second in the books—“her surrogate son, and her conscience. … Her boy. Her favourite. Sometime, she supposed, she’d have to release him and send him out into the world beyond her sphere of influence, but not yet. She’d miss him too much.”
Cleeves’ books are strongly character driven, and Holly Island becomes another character in this story. As Vera rarely leaves Northumberland, this is a delightful change of scene. It also sets up a barrier and threat to the investigation. Vera is such a strong, clever character. She is not perfect, occasionally vulnerable, and sometimes has self-doubts. She’s human.
If there is a criticism, it is that there is considerable repetition and too much time spent on the professional competition between Joe and Holly—“She didn’t dislike Joe, but she saw him as competition.” Vera knows exactly how to lead her team to get the best out of each of them, and Cleeves doesn’t do things without having a purpose. Learning the reason for the focus is a game changer.
THE RISING TIDE is yet another example of Cleeves’ skillful writing, especially including a reference to COVID without dwelling on it. The ending is powerful, and one must applaud Ms. Cleeves for it. The story leaves one anxious for the next book.
THE RISING TIDE
PolProc-Ins. Vera Stanhope-UK-Contemp
by Ann Cleeves
10th D.I. Vera Stanhope – 374 pp.
Minotaur Books, 2022
Rating: VG/A-
August 22, 2022
An Intriguing Murder Mystery with a Multitude of Suspects
SUMMARY
A group of aging friends meet every five years on Holy Island off the Northumberland coast for the past 50 years. They reminisce and celebrate the school trip where they first met as teenagers at the Pilgrim’s House. Tragedy followed at a reunion five years after they first started meeting when Isobel Hall, one of their friends, drowned in the rising tide on the causeway that leads to the island. Now a second member of this small group, journalist Rick Keisail has hung himself in his room on the reunion weekend.
Vera Stanhope D.I. and her team are called in to investigate and verify if it was a suicide. After a quick review of the scene and much to her delight, Vera is sure that it’s a murder and not a suicide. Vera soon learns that Rick had recently been fired after allegations of sexual misconduct, although he had been very upbeat with his plans for the future on the weekend. Vera knows she must find out what the friends are hiding and whether the events of the past and present are connected.
REVIEW
THE RISING TIDE is a murder mystery with enough suspect twists to have your head spinning. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, adding to the drama.
Character development was good, but the story truly begins when Vera enters the Pilgrim House. She is quite the character and drives the story. She is more reminiscent of an overweight bag lady and not afraid of speaking her mind. Her self-assurance is admirable, and her manner of investigation is interesting. The more you read, the more intriguing the story gets
The Rising Tide is the tenth book in the Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleeves. It was the first book by Anne Cleeves I have read. Reading it as a stand-alone did not inhibit my enjoyment.
My favorite part of the book is the location. Interestingly, the accesibility of Holy Island is totally dependent by the tides. The causeway to the island is totally inaccessible two times per day whenever the tide is high. This timing plays a big role in the story.
The performance by narrator Janine Birkett was fair. She uses tone, mood, and accents to distinguish characters. Her voice is a good match for the book. I could easily visualize Vera and the other characters in the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher Minotaur / Macmillian Audio
Published September 6, 2022
Narrated Janine Birkett
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
A group of aging friends meet every five years on Holy Island off the Northumberland coast for the past 50 years. They reminisce and celebrate the school trip where they first met as teenagers at the Pilgrim’s House. Tragedy followed at a reunion five years after they first started meeting when Isobel Hall, one of their friends, drowned in the rising tide on the causeway that leads to the island. Now a second member of this small group, journalist Rick Keisail has hung himself in his room on the reunion weekend.
Vera Stanhope D.I. and her team are called in to investigate and verify if it was a suicide. After a quick review of the scene and much to her delight, Vera is sure that it’s a murder and not a suicide. Vera soon learns that Rick had recently been fired after allegations of sexual misconduct, although he had been very upbeat with his plans for the future on the weekend. Vera knows she must find out what the friends are hiding and whether the events of the past and present are connected.
REVIEW
THE RISING TIDE is a murder mystery with enough suspect twists to have your head spinning. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, adding to the drama.
Character development was good, but the story truly begins when Vera enters the Pilgrim House. She is quite the character and drives the story. She is more reminiscent of an overweight bag lady and not afraid of speaking her mind. Her self-assurance is admirable, and her manner of investigation is interesting. The more you read, the more intriguing the story gets
The Rising Tide is the tenth book in the Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleeves. It was the first book by Anne Cleeves I have read. Reading it as a stand-alone did not inhibit my enjoyment.
My favorite part of the book is the location. Interestingly, the accesibility of Holy Island is totally dependent by the tides. The causeway to the island is totally inaccessible two times per day whenever the tide is high. This timing plays a big role in the story.
The performance by narrator Janine Birkett was fair. She uses tone, mood, and accents to distinguish characters. Her voice is a good match for the book. I could easily visualize Vera and the other characters in the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher Minotaur / Macmillian Audio
Published September 6, 2022
Narrated Janine Birkett
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
October 7, 2022
Secrets kill!
Vera Stanhope. A dumpy woman with an incisive mind, a terrier-like hold on problems, and the habit of chivying her staff to get results, sometimes pitting them against each other, all in the name of solving the case.
Holy Island. Known to southerners as Lindisfarn. The scene of an ancient tragedy. Isobel Hall flew into a rage and left the island just as the tide was coming in. Her car ran off the causeway and Isobel died. That was 45 years ago.
Every five years the group of friends who had been there gets together to remember Isobel and what they all had had. A special group bonded by their shared experiences when they were in last year in high school.
Now another of their group has been murdered—although dressed up as a suicide.
There’s a swathe of clues to go through, and false starts, overlayed by the sense of time and Hector’s bits of nonsense bullying Vera from the grave.
The ending is one that gives me chills. Vera will recover, but will she be wiser?
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
Vera Stanhope. A dumpy woman with an incisive mind, a terrier-like hold on problems, and the habit of chivying her staff to get results, sometimes pitting them against each other, all in the name of solving the case.
Holy Island. Known to southerners as Lindisfarn. The scene of an ancient tragedy. Isobel Hall flew into a rage and left the island just as the tide was coming in. Her car ran off the causeway and Isobel died. That was 45 years ago.
Every five years the group of friends who had been there gets together to remember Isobel and what they all had had. A special group bonded by their shared experiences when they were in last year in high school.
Now another of their group has been murdered—although dressed up as a suicide.
There’s a swathe of clues to go through, and false starts, overlayed by the sense of time and Hector’s bits of nonsense bullying Vera from the grave.
The ending is one that gives me chills. Vera will recover, but will she be wiser?
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
October 3, 2022
To all those who love a really good murder mystery with so many twists and turns to make your head spin and keep you guessing who did it until the end, this is the book for you!!!! I've learned a valuable lesson: beware of high school reunions,even if they are every 5 years, with all the same " friends" who you thought you knew so well, you will find out that you never really knew them at all!!!
I really enjoyed this book. Ann Cleeves is a very clever author! All the characters are fully developed and believable. You can really relate to all of them! There are two people that I really liked. One is Annie and the other is Holly. Annie is one of the people in the the high school reunion. This story takes place in England and all the high school reunions take place on Holy Island and the reunions are always in same place. Pilgrims House. Holly is a wonderful but young police detective who is always looking for validation from Vera, her boss. Holly will try every avenue to find the culprit.🥲
I've never read a book by Ann Cleeves,but I'm sure that I will now!! I highly recommend this book!! 🌊😊📖🍀
I really enjoyed this book. Ann Cleeves is a very clever author! All the characters are fully developed and believable. You can really relate to all of them! There are two people that I really liked. One is Annie and the other is Holly. Annie is one of the people in the the high school reunion. This story takes place in England and all the high school reunions take place on Holy Island and the reunions are always in same place. Pilgrims House. Holly is a wonderful but young police detective who is always looking for validation from Vera, her boss. Holly will try every avenue to find the culprit.🥲
I've never read a book by Ann Cleeves,but I'm sure that I will now!! I highly recommend this book!! 🌊😊📖🍀
September 5, 2022
Ann Cleeves’s Vera Stanhope is a great character and series and The Rising Tide is now my favorite of her novels. It combines a complex plot with interesting characters who have known each other for 50 years and, naturally have a mixed history to go with that amount of time. Every five years, these former school mates meet for a reunion on Holy Island, a small piece of land that becomes a literal island at high tide. They stay at Pilgrims’ House, an austere setting and former nunnery, the scene of their initial getaway when they were teenagers.
Now they are 50 years older, all at different places in their lives, about to begin another weekend of eating, drinking, meditation, swimming, and lots of walking and talking. But plans change; one of there number won’t survive the weekend!
Vera Stanhope and her crew are called in as Holy Island is in their bailiwick. And, suffice it to say, she will find a confusing situation when she arrives. I really enjoyed the Vera presented in this episode: more introspective about those she works with (and how she treats them!), having and enjoying friends outside of work, but still headstrong in moving forward.
I highly recommend The Rising Tide to add to your Ann Cleeves collection.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Now they are 50 years older, all at different places in their lives, about to begin another weekend of eating, drinking, meditation, swimming, and lots of walking and talking. But plans change; one of there number won’t survive the weekend!
Vera Stanhope and her crew are called in as Holy Island is in their bailiwick. And, suffice it to say, she will find a confusing situation when she arrives. I really enjoyed the Vera presented in this episode: more introspective about those she works with (and how she treats them!), having and enjoying friends outside of work, but still headstrong in moving forward.
I highly recommend The Rising Tide to add to your Ann Cleeves collection.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
October 1, 2022
4.5*…….
I love Vera, she’s definitely one of my all time favourite detectives ….she’s so unconventional, and unaffected by what others may think of her, but she’s an excellent detective, she’s demanding when it comes to her murder squad team, but they are only too eager give her their best efforts, and please her.
In this, the tenth in Anne Cleeve’s excellent series, Vera find’s herself on the lovely but isolated island of Lindisfarne…..also known as Holy Island, a small community only reached by a causeway, completely cut off from mainland Northumberland at high tide.
She’s called in to investigate a suspected suicide, but as always, her instincts prove to be spot on, and she’s soon looking for a murderer.
Her main suspects are a group of men and women, all in their sixties, who’ve been friends for decades, all of whom have their worries, problems and issues….and it seems secrets…..Vera, with the help of her team, must painstakingly dissect their lives, looking for the truth of what has really happened.
The setting of this whodunnit is hugely atmospheric, cold, misty, wild and ancient….I loved it….I know the island well, and many of the other locations, so, for me, this really adds another layer of pleasure to this favourite series.
Spoilers until the book is finished…..
I love Vera, she’s definitely one of my all time favourite detectives ….she’s so unconventional, and unaffected by what others may think of her, but she’s an excellent detective, she’s demanding when it comes to her murder squad team, but they are only too eager give her their best efforts, and please her.
In this, the tenth in Anne Cleeve’s excellent series, Vera find’s herself on the lovely but isolated island of Lindisfarne…..also known as Holy Island, a small community only reached by a causeway, completely cut off from mainland Northumberland at high tide.
She’s called in to investigate a suspected suicide, but as always, her instincts prove to be spot on, and she’s soon looking for a murderer.
Her main suspects are a group of men and women, all in their sixties, who’ve been friends for decades, all of whom have their worries, problems and issues….and it seems secrets…..Vera, with the help of her team, must painstakingly dissect their lives, looking for the truth of what has really happened.
The setting of this whodunnit is hugely atmospheric, cold, misty, wild and ancient….I loved it….I know the island well, and many of the other locations, so, for me, this really adds another layer of pleasure to this favourite series.
Spoilers until the book is finished…..
June 12, 2022
The Rising Tide (Vera Stanhope Novel #10) by Ann Cleeves. Digital pre-publication review. Uncorrected proof from NetGalley.com. Publication date is set for 06 Sept 2022. Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. 5 Stars.
The rising and waning tides impose a parenthetical relationship upon both residents and the dwindling swell of tourists to the historic Holy Island of Lindisfarne in October. A foggy atmosphere that seems to manipulate both time and dimension obscures allegiances between local people who are deeply bound by the gravitational pull of their shared secrets, a group of old schoolmates’ with a seeming inability to transform itself.
In this standalone that includes characters Joe and Holly, murder suspects drop their defenses before Colombo-like detective Vera Stanhope, a character who understands natives and criminals better than most—and who seems to carry a deep empathy for them all.
The unassuming Vera—thickset, untidy, and sometimes blunt—endures til the very end, revealing an uncanny genius for plucking a resonant subject from the experience of each suspect with her probing intelligence and unsolicited questions—often understanding the trajectory of a person’s history far better than they do.
Cleeves, who captures the world and its people in shades of gray tone, evokes compelling images of nostalgia, sadness, yearning, envy…and murder. She is adept at conjuring the texture of their complex relationships, their stories, and the stories they tell themselves to keep on going.
With gem-like precision, she has created a world that surrounds you like a chilly blanket on a frosty evening—a story that you’ll want to read straight through to its shocking ending. Get ready for another great read from the masterful Ann Cleeves. Highly recommend!
Thanks to Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for providing this ebook for review.
The rising and waning tides impose a parenthetical relationship upon both residents and the dwindling swell of tourists to the historic Holy Island of Lindisfarne in October. A foggy atmosphere that seems to manipulate both time and dimension obscures allegiances between local people who are deeply bound by the gravitational pull of their shared secrets, a group of old schoolmates’ with a seeming inability to transform itself.
In this standalone that includes characters Joe and Holly, murder suspects drop their defenses before Colombo-like detective Vera Stanhope, a character who understands natives and criminals better than most—and who seems to carry a deep empathy for them all.
The unassuming Vera—thickset, untidy, and sometimes blunt—endures til the very end, revealing an uncanny genius for plucking a resonant subject from the experience of each suspect with her probing intelligence and unsolicited questions—often understanding the trajectory of a person’s history far better than they do.
Cleeves, who captures the world and its people in shades of gray tone, evokes compelling images of nostalgia, sadness, yearning, envy…and murder. She is adept at conjuring the texture of their complex relationships, their stories, and the stories they tell themselves to keep on going.
With gem-like precision, she has created a world that surrounds you like a chilly blanket on a frosty evening—a story that you’ll want to read straight through to its shocking ending. Get ready for another great read from the masterful Ann Cleeves. Highly recommend!
Thanks to Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for providing this ebook for review.
September 14, 2022
I was excited for this to be released and was really enjoying it until I got to the part where an important plot point is a young woman's false accusation of sexual harassment. Ugh. This kind of trite contrarianism in writing about sexual harassment and assault is so tiresome and lame and sad. Disappointed Cleeves couldn't have found a more interesting and believable story to tell if she wanted to touch on these issues in her novel.
Otherwise it was fine but that spoiled it for me.
Otherwise it was fine but that spoiled it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2022
What a wonderful creation Vera Stanhope is! Quick, intuitive, tenacious, and never to be underestimated. She's a hard taskmaster and not above manipulating her team to get her own way, but detective work is absolutely what she does best.
When the book opens, Vera is half-heartedly packing for a weekend trip, trying hard to convince herself that it won't be so bad to get away and to be social for a while. Luckily, a call from work comes in and Vera positively lights up at the prospect of a new investigation, even if it's an apparent suicide.
The setting is Holy Island off the Northumberland coast. It's linked to the mainland by a causeway that's covered at high tide twice a day. That's important to the story, as it limits the pool of suspects that could have been involved in the death of celebrity journalist, Rick Kelsall.
I enjoyed the book, although I was not quite sold on the tight bond between the group of friends, which was key to the story. And seeing so much of it through Annie's eyes .
When the book opens, Vera is half-heartedly packing for a weekend trip, trying hard to convince herself that it won't be so bad to get away and to be social for a while. Luckily, a call from work comes in and Vera positively lights up at the prospect of a new investigation, even if it's an apparent suicide.
The setting is Holy Island off the Northumberland coast. It's linked to the mainland by a causeway that's covered at high tide twice a day. That's important to the story, as it limits the pool of suspects that could have been involved in the death of celebrity journalist, Rick Kelsall.
I enjoyed the book, although I was not quite sold on the tight bond between the group of friends, which was key to the story. And seeing so much of it through Annie's eyes .
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