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ngalbani's review against another edition
5.0
I loved it! This is my first Vera Stanhope novel, I know the character from the TV series and I am sure I will soon read the previous books.
Good plot and the location is beautiful.
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Good plot and the location is beautiful.
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
helen_blanketsandbooks's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
stmchester's review against another edition
3.0
I recommend this only if you're at the library and can't find anything else to read! Nothing new or interesting, and many mentions of Vera's fondness for pastries and calling everyone "Pet."
jennie_cole's review against another edition
3.0
When TV personality, Rick Kelsall, is found hanging from the beam in his room at a reunion, Vera and her team are called in to confirm it is a suicide. But Vera thinks differently. Every 5 years for the last 50 years a group of school friends get together at the same house on Holy Island and this year it is needed more than ever. Rick has had to leave his job after a scandal. Ken has been diagnosed with dementia so this will be his last reunion, and Philip is thinking of retiring from the clergy. Now the question is who murdered Rick and was it connected to this scandal or the accidental death of a friend at the first reunion.
The Rising Tide is number 10 in the Vera Stanhope series but if you have not read any of the previous books it does not matter, you will not loose out. It is a story that keeps you guessing about who it could be and why. If you enjoy countryside murder mystery stories this is a pretty good one. I will say that the end will have a bigger impact if you have read the previous novels.
The Rising Tide is number 10 in the Vera Stanhope series but if you have not read any of the previous books it does not matter, you will not loose out. It is a story that keeps you guessing about who it could be and why. If you enjoy countryside murder mystery stories this is a pretty good one. I will say that the end will have a bigger impact if you have read the previous novels.
hannigrace's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lilyruby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lifeasmrsbaker's review against another edition
5.0
While a little slow paced at first, I really enjoyed the character development of Vera throughout this book. It's a great mix of murder mystery and romance.
readsewknit's review against another edition
4.0
Ann Cleeves is an accomplished mystery writer, and in The Rising Tide, we get another installment from her detective Vera Stanhope.
A sign of clever plot and character development is that the characters in question are the focus for the first ten percent or so of the novel; only after the death occurs does Vera Stanhope and her team appear. It's a diverse cast of school chums who meet up regularly, seemingly remaining friends although their lives are so disparate and they've gone separate paths, some finding fame and wealth, others living their simple, ordinary lives. Stanhope and her team delve into their pasts, learning the complex relationships and the pivotal moments that bonded them together, questioning whether a previous death decades earlier at the same site has any significance to the current day murder.
Cleeves is adept at striking a balance, ensuring all characters have nuance and flaws. No one is spared, and that allows characters to feel believable and genuine.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
A sign of clever plot and character development is that the characters in question are the focus for the first ten percent or so of the novel; only after the death occurs does Vera Stanhope and her team appear. It's a diverse cast of school chums who meet up regularly, seemingly remaining friends although their lives are so disparate and they've gone separate paths, some finding fame and wealth, others living their simple, ordinary lives. Stanhope and her team delve into their pasts, learning the complex relationships and the pivotal moments that bonded them together, questioning whether a previous death decades earlier at the same site has any significance to the current day murder.
Cleeves is adept at striking a balance, ensuring all characters have nuance and flaws. No one is spared, and that allows characters to feel believable and genuine.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
hannagg's review against another edition
4.0
Every five years, for almost fifty years, a group of friends comes to Holy Island, a quiet place off Northumberland's coast, frequently cut off from the mainland because of the tides, for a weekend full of memories, good food, and drinking. They agree with the phrase "60 is the new 40" and subconsciously still see each other the way they were at school, where they met many years ago. Philip, Annie, Rick, and Luisa took very different paths in life, choosing TV fame, family life, or religion. Every one of them had their share of tragedies and joys, yet the reunions seemed to rejuvenate them continually. This time, however, the good times are brutally interrupted by a murder, and Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope is called upon to solve the case, which is almost a "locked-room mystery" because of the island's tidal isolation.
Well, there is a mystery to solve, but it's not just one mystery. The relationships inside the group are complicated and not easy to define. This is not just one happy bunch of people enjoying their time together. Unexplained death in the group at their first reunion casts yet another shadow on the events. Everything is enveloped in a dense fog, just like the island, and Vera has to possess the ability to look through the mist.
"The Rising Tide" is my first Vera series mystery, and I was impressed by its quality. I particularly liked the main character – she is a brilliant woman and, despite her rough exterior, a warm, sensitive one. She has a gift of understanding people well, perhaps because she is far from ideal. She prefers comfortable clothes – has been mistakenly taken for a cleaning lady – likes having a pint in a bar, values professionalism in her work, and knows how to utilize her team's strengths. We also learn that she is not a fan of the exercise, although she can spring into action with impressive stamina when necessary.
I also became enamored by the book's location. Holy Island is a mysterious and charming place where you can go bird watching in the morning and have a beer at the local pub later. If you aim at the time frame when the tide washes over the island causeway and the island becomes inaccessible, you can get stuck there forever. And it might not be a bad idea.
Well, there is a mystery to solve, but it's not just one mystery. The relationships inside the group are complicated and not easy to define. This is not just one happy bunch of people enjoying their time together. Unexplained death in the group at their first reunion casts yet another shadow on the events. Everything is enveloped in a dense fog, just like the island, and Vera has to possess the ability to look through the mist.
"The Rising Tide" is my first Vera series mystery, and I was impressed by its quality. I particularly liked the main character – she is a brilliant woman and, despite her rough exterior, a warm, sensitive one. She has a gift of understanding people well, perhaps because she is far from ideal. She prefers comfortable clothes – has been mistakenly taken for a cleaning lady – likes having a pint in a bar, values professionalism in her work, and knows how to utilize her team's strengths. We also learn that she is not a fan of the exercise, although she can spring into action with impressive stamina when necessary.
I also became enamored by the book's location. Holy Island is a mysterious and charming place where you can go bird watching in the morning and have a beer at the local pub later. If you aim at the time frame when the tide washes over the island causeway and the island becomes inaccessible, you can get stuck there forever. And it might not be a bad idea.