I have enjoyed the tv series and hadn’t read any of the books. I’ve read from her other series’.

What others don’t like about this writing didn’t bother me. The portrayal of Vera as old, frumpy, marginally social and perhaps eccentric, was just part of the story. I did find Holly a bit trite and immature, but again, I just saw these parts of the story to be depictions of flawed people doing their work.
I’ll read others at some point.

This one, and I suppose the others may be as well, felt long and drawn out. So, I decided to listen to it as I hiked, did the dishes and wrote GOTV postcards.

I can’t comment on the writing style—with these books I don’t watch for that, I just attend to the story line. Nothing was overly bothersome as some have written about here.

jog2020's review

4.25
mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
medium-paced
dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

bookwoman1967's review

3.0

First Vera book I've read (who needs that in order stuff?) and I was drawn in. I have to admit I didn't see the identity of the murderer coming, but was a little annoyed by the "Vera knows and explains it all" at the end. This author has a talent for creating realistic places and people, which is my thing, so I might read more of her.
dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Love this series! 
adventurous mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

hkburke2's review

3.75

Vera was extra fun in this one and the author seems to be getting less hung up on her looks, so that's nice. A good winter read. Nice and old fashioned.