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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
A fine plot but a standard police procedural that drags on until Vera finally figures it out but keeps her staff and the reader in the dark until the big reveal.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a really great read. Whilst I am very familiar with Vera from the TV series, this is actually the first of the books that I have read. As Vera was talking in the book I could 'hear' her from the TV series so that really enhanced my reading. The character is just as she is on the telly in the book which was really good to read.
The storyline was very intriguing with everything revolving around the same children's home but nothing connecting them - or so it seems! It had me gripped and I felt very invested as to whether or not we would find Chloe and if she would be dead or alive if we did.
It was very clever how everything pieced together and I loved the ending up at the dark wives when Vera knew who she was looking for but no one else did! I thought those scenes came across really well with the witch hunt happening in the darkness, it made me feel nervous and I was only reading it!
There was twists and turns but it was brilliantly written. It was nice to see that Vera was trying to change her ways with the new girl but I also think it'll be harder than she thinks!!
The storyline was very intriguing with everything revolving around the same children's home but nothing connecting them - or so it seems! It had me gripped and I felt very invested as to whether or not we would find Chloe and if she would be dead or alive if we did.
It was very clever how everything pieced together and I loved the ending up at the dark wives when Vera knew who she was looking for but no one else did! I thought those scenes came across really well with the witch hunt happening in the darkness, it made me feel nervous and I was only reading it!
There was twists and turns but it was brilliantly written. It was nice to see that Vera was trying to change her ways with the new girl but I also think it'll be harder than she thinks!!
This was my first time reading Ann Cleeves, and I was eager to dive into this mystery based on the blurb. The premise was fantastic—murder, a missing teen, and the possibility of a cult lurking in the shadows had me ready for an edge-of-my-seat thriller. However, the story felt weighed down by an overwhelming number of characters who didn’t contribute much to the plot. If you enjoy stories rich in detail and with a large cast of characters, this might be the book for you.
*Thank you to Ann Cleeves, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love Ann Cleeve’s Vera Stanhope series and this was a worthy addition! Looking forward to the next one!
fast-paced
mysterious
medium-paced