With her blotchy skin and hefty weight, Vera seldom feels
comfortable in the health club, but has begrudgingly taken
up swimming at her doctor's insistence. With a little
envy, she admires the relaxed woman in a seemingly yoga
pose in the steam room after her swim. But as the mists
swirled and cleared, she suddenly realizes that the woman
is not relaxed, but dead.
Taking charge, Vera quickly dresses and now is full in
command as Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope. With her
sharp intellect and extensive knowledge, she soon realizes
this is no simple death and begins getting her team in
place to begin the process of investigation.
Her young sergeant Joe Ashworth is Vera's trusted partner
and they work well together. Being a single woman who has
never married, Vera throws all her attention into her work
and expects the same from others. Yet, she knows the
pulling match going on in Joe's life between the police
work and camaraderie he loves while balancing the needs and
demands of his wife and young family that he also cherishes
and loves.
Despite their efforts, another murder happens. While
seemingly not connected, they both know there has to be a
connection. What is the link between the cases of the
social worker that was killed? Just what is it and can
they figure out the murderer before more are harmed? To
what depths of evil will the killer go?
Bestselling British author Ann Cleeves has written this
highly captivating book, the latest in her very popular
Vera Stanhope mystery series that has already been
serialized in the highly popular Public Television Series
VERA. As Cleeves instantly immerses the reader into the
story and the character of Vera, SILENT VOICES is also
fully satisfying as a stand-alone book.
A master storyteller, Cleeves fluidly sets out a complex
and multi-layered plot that flows smoothly; yet, is filled
with hidden depths as the plot and the ongoing
investigation narrows and widens letting the reader see
more deeply into the various characters and their
motivations. I totally enjoyed Vera and her many and
varying ways of interacting with others, shifting easily
from almost bullying to total compassion, both with her
staff and the people being interviewed.
Vera is a very compelling and eccentric character who likes
to drink her whiskey and lick up the last crumb of the
cakes, yet, who puts her love and soul into her work and
well knows the great sweeping moorlands and towns in
Northumberland. Joe Ashworth is a great character as well
as he shifts between his ambitions to move further up in
the fierce while still being in awe of how much he still
can learn from Vera and her ways. The wonderful and
insightful descriptions and dialogue between the sometimes
scruffy, but sharp witted Vera and her well-dressed
Sergeant Joe Ashworth are worth the price of book alone and
that is only the tip of the iceberg!
As the tension builds and complexities beneath the surface
are revealed, new fans to Cleeves' books, be warned!
SILENT VOICES will be a difficult book to put down as you
will just want to keep turning the pages to find out what
is happening in the investigation! This is a powerful and
compelling police procedural book and series not to be
missed. I can't wait to read more! Enjoy!
Ann Cleeves has thrilled readers everywhere with her
critically acclaimed mystery series set in the Shetland
Islands, which began with the award-winning Raven Black.
Now, Cleeves is back with another compelling mystery series
(set in Northumberland, England). This one features
detective Vera Stanhope, the lead character played by
Brenda
Blethyn on the hit television series “Vera.” Destined for
the same kind of fame achieved by Colin Dexter’s Inspector
Morse, the show is a favorite of millions of viewers in the
U.K. and is available here on Netflix, PBS, and Amazon.
When Vera finds the body of a woman in the sauna of her
local gym, she wonders briefly if, for once in her life,
she’s uncovered a simple death of natural causes. But when
a
closer inspection reveals bruises around the victim’s
throat, Vera’s team start their investigation. Vera and her
colleagues soon uncover details in the victim’s past that
may explain her untimely death. But Vera knows from
experience that there’s no such thing as a simple case, and
this one gets more baffling by the minute.
With pitch-perfect writing, a finely tuned mystery, and a
protagonist with a complex past of her own, Silent Voices
is
a stand out penned by one of Britain’s most successful
mystery writers.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy