The Rising Tide (Vera Stanhope)

Product Information

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. She finished by saying: “Never say never. Things happen, circumstances change. Enthusiasm and opinions change. So watch this space.” Is writer Ann Cleeves writing another Vera novel? 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. 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.

Vera fans have every reason to feel a bit sorry for themselves as Brenda Blethyn has cast doubt on the future of the ITV detective drama – so is Vera ending? 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.Who doesn’t love “large and shabby” Vera Stanhope, the blunt detective in Ann Cleeves’s Northumberland police procedurals? She is already one of the genre immortals."— The New York Times 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. Vera…roots her way to the truth with the charm of a next-door neighbor and the steely resolve of an army general.”— The Wall Street Journal 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. He got to his feet, walked down the narrow aisle and out into the sunshine. He could smell seaweed and salt. He felt at home.

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. But Philip hadn’t moved. He’d stayed where he was, staring out of the window like a nebby old woman, waiting to see what would happen next. And Isobel had started her car and driven to her death. Usually it means six months away from home in Kent for me and, in 2022, it was the best part of 10 months.” 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.The new film is based on the latest Ann Cleeves’ Vera novel of the same name which was published in September 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. 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.