A review by pannapark
The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

2.0

Well I finished The Crow Trap in the end, partly because after the character of Vera Stanhope (inspector) was introduced the pace picked up a little. For my taste there were too many unlikeable characters swirling in a morass of damaged interpersonal relationships; absent, obsessed &/or alcoholic fathers, sibling rivalry &/or manipulation, suicidal mothers and others. I also felt that Vera’s character was a bit of an attempt at a female version of Inspectors Frost (R. D. Wingfield), Daziel (Reginald Hill) or even more recently Lamb (Mick Herron) and the character didn’t quite come off. Was I just too distracted by the many references to Vera’s drinking, father, solitary nature, bare legs, sandals and mud spattered feet?!