The November Feel
The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves, Minotaur Books, September 2022
“Outside it had started to rain, a November drizzle, boring like the service.”
by Debby Montague
Weirs Times Book Reviewer
Ann Cleeves’ The Rising Tide, her tenth Vera Stanhope mystery, confirms that Cleeves does not rest on her laurels as a master of moody crime novels. The Rising Tide is just as fine in tone and setting as any of the other Vera Stanhope novels and Cleeves’ characters are stronger than ever.
The book has a November feel to it, gray and cold and sad. But also, like November, there are times when the gray shows a bit of silver, and the sun warms the air. The Rising Tide is set on Holy Island, an ancient and hallowed place in Northumberland in the northeast part of England. Twice a day, when the tide is out, one can cross between the mainland and the island by car. Miss the tide and you are stuck overnight, which can work for good and bad when solving a mystery.
Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope and her main crew, Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth and Detective Constable Holly Lawson arrive on Holy Island to investigate the murder of Rick Kelsall, a recently fired television personality. Rick and his grammar school friends – Annie, Louisa and Ken, and Philip – have been coming together every five years on Holy Island to commemorate their school outing fifty years ago. This year is not turning out to be a happy meeting for the old friends. Rick’s death on the first night of the gathering, Ken’s dementia, memories of the death of Charlotte, one of the original reunion attendees forty-five years ago, and secrets long buried make for a less than successful get-together.
Vera is a skilled and respected detective, admired despite her formidable manner. She loves to be right. She nudges Joe, her second in command and Holly, her up and coming detective, to dig deeper, do better, work harder but Vera wants to be the best and brightest. She wants to be the one to find the solution to Kelsall’s death. Kelsall’s friends are all suspects, all have secrets, and all seem to be succeeding at hiding those secrets much to Vera’s chagrin. Neither she nor Joe and Holly stop probing to find the key to Kelsall’s murderer no matter the professional or physical risk.
Each time I read one of Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope mysteries I like Vera more. She put me off at first in The Crow Trap (1999) with her arrogance and harsh manner, but over the book series she has revealed some reasons for her attitude and style. Her lonely childhood with a selfish, uncaring father has made her brusque and seemingly out of touch. Vera will admit her doubts and her blunders to herself, but only to herself. Joe Ashworth is much less complicated than Vera. He likes the challenge working with Vera entails, except when she wants the moon, or treats him like a new recruit. Joe would probably like a promotion, but he wants to continue to shine as Vera’s number one. Holly Lawson is a quiet, steady investigator, not quitting until she has done due diligence. She would like to be number one with Vera, too, and she’s over the moon when she gets Vera’s praise.
If you are looking for a book suitable for a gray winters’s day with shots of silver this is it. Ann Cleeves’ The Rising Tide has great characters, a wonderful, brooding setting, an excellent mystery with lots of turns and twists, and that November feel.
Enjoy!
