The Rising Tide (Vera Stanhope)

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I think is the weakest of the Vera series. Ann Cleeves’ books are usually solid and well-crafted, with a decent plot that moves right along. This one, however, was much more simplistic and felt “rote” somehow. (There was a lot of interview/conversations; a lot of "telling," not much "showing.") I enjoy mysteries-with-more (the more being strong, well-developed characters) – and this series definitely fills that bill, although this one (until the twist at the end) really just tread familiar ground. I typically find Vera to be an engaging and refreshing crime-solver, and I usually look forward to a pleasant read from Ann Cleeves. 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. That said, I’m thinking that this entry to the Vera series missed the mark for me on three main fronts:

Brenda also revealed that she feels she’d be “letting people down” if she stepped away from the role. Ann is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands... I am late to the party of reading the Vera Stanhope series (not just watching the wonderful tv series). I’m loving the more in-depth experience that a book allows.Cleeves 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 As she always has, Ann Cleeves really grabbed my attention with her latest book, The Rising Tide. And didn’t let go... Vera Stanhope is one of the literary world’s most realistic detectives… This just might be my favorite Vera book, at least thus far.”— Free-Lance Star

The writing was redundant enough that I noticed it, and in a way that seemed like the editing process had been rushed. Plus (and worse) there is some that awful fat-shaming bullshit AGAIN that I can only assume means Cleeves herself is fat-phobic because otherwise why would multiple characters repeatedly describe Vera's body in such mean ways? It really puts me off because it doesn't do anything to advance the character development or the story itself, and it's just cruel. From the beginning, Vera is certain that the motives for this killing lay in the past. The past was her territory. She always said it explained the tensions and stresses of the present. Northumberland by the rise and fall of tidal waters. A fabulous setting for a murder mystery, with its sudden fogs, and the dangers stemming from its rising tides. The writing was great, typical Cleeves. You go down one path and find out you are dead wrong. The flow was a bit up and down (but not enough for me to drop a star). 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.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 Despite my levity, I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end. I tried to slow down my reading because who knows when or if there will be another Vera book but I couldn't control myself. I had to find out "who dunnit." 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.