Take a photo of a barcode or cover
deeclancy 's review for:
The Darkest Evening
by Ann Cleeves
It's hard to know whether I appreciated this Vera Standhope mystery particularly strongly because after 2020, any phenomenon familiar and consistent that is still going strong is to be welcomed by definition. This can include anything, really: my appreciation for dark chocolate and mashed potatoes (though not at the same time); the fact that significant clusters of the Irish population still reliably go into a state of CPTSD when Irish youth are depicted on RTE TV dramas as having a sex life (the latest incidence of which was the somewhat-unwatchable-beyond-two-episodes - though not for moral reasons - 'Normal People', though I may try reading the book instead); and the exact same group of insecure but dangerous cranks (down to the individual - it's amazing) that touted wild theories about 9/11 and vaccinations now coming out with all the Covid19 conspiracy theories. All these phenomena are, to varying degrees, predictable and therefore strangely welcome, though the predictability of an encounter with Vera Stanhope is entirely more welcome than some of the others.
Vera is still the overweight, hard-working, shrewd detective to whom we are accustomed; that strange mixture of no-nonsense policewoman doing necessary legwork, and brilliant policing instinct that puts the pieces together to resolve murders before anybody else can figure them out. This particular book provides some insight into Vera's family background that goes a little beyond her delinquent father, and the insight into the family allows us to have a little more sympathy than heretofore for the ever-influential Hector.
The Darkest Evening is a modern take on the traditional murder mystery format that is centered around a Big House and its residents and guests, updated somewhat to reflect current social realities. As always, Cleeves's insight into human nature is impressive and the plot twist that shows us who the murderer really is comes as a surprise, but makes sense in a world where murder often takes place for rather banal reasons. The book explores the nature of sexual predation on the part of older, more powerful men on much-younger women, and the damage it can do to individuals, family dynamics, and entire communities. A strength of Cleeves as an author that I've always thoroughly enjoyed is her ability to depict scenarios where all is not as it seems, and those who seem to have the moral high ground and/or the high social status and respectability, are living double lives.
Although Vera is thinking seriously of retiring from the police, my hope is that she doesn't do so for another few books. At some point, I am convinced, she will realize the necessity of installing a central heating system in that cottage of hers before old age arrives, and will work for a while longer to pay for it!
Vera is still the overweight, hard-working, shrewd detective to whom we are accustomed; that strange mixture of no-nonsense policewoman doing necessary legwork, and brilliant policing instinct that puts the pieces together to resolve murders before anybody else can figure them out. This particular book provides some insight into Vera's family background that goes a little beyond her delinquent father, and the insight into the family allows us to have a little more sympathy than heretofore for the ever-influential Hector.
The Darkest Evening is a modern take on the traditional murder mystery format that is centered around a Big House and its residents and guests, updated somewhat to reflect current social realities. As always, Cleeves's insight into human nature is impressive and the plot twist that shows us who the murderer really is comes as a surprise, but makes sense in a world where murder often takes place for rather banal reasons. The book explores the nature of sexual predation on the part of older, more powerful men on much-younger women, and the damage it can do to individuals, family dynamics, and entire communities. A strength of Cleeves as an author that I've always thoroughly enjoyed is her ability to depict scenarios where all is not as it seems, and those who seem to have the moral high ground and/or the high social status and respectability, are living double lives.
Although Vera is thinking seriously of retiring from the police, my hope is that she doesn't do so for another few books. At some point, I am convinced, she will realize the necessity of installing a central heating system in that cottage of hers before old age arrives, and will work for a while longer to pay for it!