Audiobook review of the latest riveting Vera Stanhope novel from Ann Cleeves
Ann Cleves is one of my favorite writers, and The Rising Tide reminded me why. It's an atmospheric, smart, and immersive detective story featuring the rumpled and unconventional detective Vera Stanhope.
Every five years for the last fifty, a group of friends descends upon Holy Island on the northeast coast of England for a reunion. Unfortunately, one of them is found hanged on this trip, and Vera and her colleagues must determine if the murder is linked to a death in the past or if it stems from misconduct allegations against the victim. As the tide and fog roll in, it might wash up long-held secrets and new dangers.
As can be expected with a Cleeves novel, there is excellent character development and plenty of background information about this group, so we see what makes them tick and what makes them all potential suspects. However, unconventional detective Vera Stanhope is the stand-out character. She is a tenacious, acerbic, brilliant, and highly intuitive force of nature.
Cleeve's writing pulls you in immediately to a briskly paced mystery. Janine Birkett narrates this audiobook wonderfully. This book had several characters, and Birkett brought them all to life so well that it was easy to visualize them and keep them straight. She also captured the emotional tone of the story. Altogether, this audiobook makes for compelling listening and a clever whodunnit.
If you've never read an Ann Cleeves novel, I encourage you to try them! And even though this is the tenth in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. This book series also has a popular and long-running TV adaptation called Vera.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this gifted Advance Listening Copy to review. All opinions are my own.
My steep was Fog Horn Grey black tea by Beach House Teas. Its a delicious take on Earl Grey with bergamot, lavender, orange peel, and vanilla. An artisan loose leaf tea company, find them online at www.beachhouseteacompany.com
From the blurb:
For fifty years a group of friends have been meeting regularly for reunions on Holy Island, celebrating the school trip where they met, and the friend that they lost to the rising causeway tide five years later. 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 . . .
#murdermystery #verastanhope #anncleeves #macmillanaudio #netgalley #audiobookreview #bookandtea #readthisandsteep
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