To coincide with the screening of Vera on ITV, I’ve been reading Ann Cleeves’ new book about DI Vera Stanhope, Silent Voices, which is the fifth in the series to date. It gets off to a great start with Vera discovering a body in a health club, and there are many twists and turns before an intriguing solution (which I must admit I didn’t figure out) is revealed.
Ann worked as a probation officer back in the 80s, and her knowledge of social work plays an important part in the story-line, and adds a good deal of strength to the material. The North East setting is, as usual, very well done.
I also thought that the portrayal of Vera and her sidekick Joe Ashworth was very well done. It may be that seeing Brenda Blethyn play Vera has given Ann even more ideas for the character, who really is very well-rounded in more senses than one!
It’s thought-provoking that at one time, amazingly, Macmillan didn’t publish Ann in paperback, and that she once wrote a book, Sea Fever, which took years to achieve publication in the UK. She has come a very long way since then, and this enjoyable book shows her on very good form.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Silent Voices - review
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8 comments:
Martin - So glad you enjoyed this book. I like the Vera series quite a lot, and it's good to know this newest entry is just as good.
I went to Amazon to buy them and it says that 'Silent Voices' is the fourth not the fifth in the series. Checked Ann's website and it says the same. Unless you know something we don't.... :-)
Alistair, you are spot on. Never was that good at adding up!!!
A lawyer not good at adding up...... don't tell your clients!!
Though Ann´s Shetland series is terrific, I must say I am looking forward to a new Vera Stanhope story. She is such a memorable character.
Alistair, it's as well I'm not an accountant!
Dorte, she certainly is.
Sounds like a very interesting
novel - I haven't read a good
mystery in ages.
Hi Cynthia, I'm sure you would like this one.
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