The Rising Tide (Vera Stanhope)

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Was it Isobel who kept the group returning to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne every five years? Had her death at the first reunion bonded them together so tightly that, despite their differences, they were as close as family? Perhaps that deserved gratitude too, because these people were the only family he had left. Perhaps that was why he’d never married. Later, there’d been women he’d fancied himself in love with, but there’d never been the same depth of understanding, and in the end, he’d refused to compromise. If one of the women who’d shared that first weekend of connection had been free, perhaps that would have worked. Now, it crossed his mind again that Judith, the teacher who’d brought them together, might make a suitable partner, that he might find company and intimacy in old age. They were both alone after all. But Philip knew that he was probably too cowardly and too lazy to make a move. He smiled to himself; he wasn’t sure he wanted to share his life after all this time. He was too comfortable, and too set in his ways.

The Rising Tide: A Vera Stanhope Novel (Vera Stanhope, 10)

In the tiny chapel, with its smell of damp and wood polish, he closed his eyes and he pictured her. Blonde and shapely and sparking with life. A wide smile and energy enough for them all. A friend of mine once joked that the work of Ann Cleeves is the closest the crime-fiction genre comes to evoking ASMR — the euphoric, pleasant, spine-tingling sensation that’s all the rage on YouTube. The books never get too dark, never venture too far into dangerous territory, but aren’t outright cozy, either…. This is the work of a pro — a diverting, solidly crafted mystery that’s guaranteed to entertain.”— New York Times Book Review Mail on Sunday Cleeves’s Northumberland novels are strong on atmosphere, combining old-fashioned detective work with a modern take on class So, here Philip was, a priest on the verge of retirement, an old believer, yet with no great desire to meet his maker. Here he sat, hands clasped and eyes shut, waiting for his friends, longing again for the connection and the ease that only they could give, pondering the moment of Isobel’s death. It seemed to him now that he’d spent the rest of his life trying to find relationships that were as intense and fulfilling as those developed here. Nothing had lived up to expectation. Not even, if he was honest, his trust in Christ.Mail on Sunday 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. Cleeves delivers some choice Vera moments in The Darkest Evening Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves - Pan Macmillan The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves - Pan Macmillan

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. 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 The engrossing plot delves into the friends' reminiscences, which seem innocuous but possess an underlying menace. Vera--blunt, intelligent, frumpy and obsessive yet deeply affectionate toward her team--continues to prove her investigative mettle. A visit with Vera--whether in the series or via the television adaptation, now in its 11th season--is always welcome."—Oline Cogdill, Shelf AwarenessCleeves crafts a clever central puzzle, then confers remarkable emotional complexity using her keenly drawn characters’ advancing age, wistful nostalgia, and thorny shared history. A pinwheeling third-person narrative drives the pace, while Vera’s candor tempers the plot’s darker elements. Fair-play mystery fans will delight."— Publishers Weekly Philip had no fear of dying. Sometimes, he thought he would welcome death, as an insomniac longs for sleep. It was as inevitable as the water, which twice a day slid across the sand and mud of the shore until the causeway was covered. Eventually, he would drown. His faith provided no extra comfort, only a vague curiosity. Almost, he hoped that there would be no afterlife; surely that would take energy and there were days now when he felt that he had no energy left. It had seeped away in his service to his parish and the people who needed him. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Returning with her tenth novel in the number one bestselling series Ann Cleeves' brings us yet another gripping thriller in the Vera Stanhope saga - The Rising Tide. 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 . . .