A young house-sitter is found dead, by the side of the road, not far from the house he was overseeing. When Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope arrives to investigate, her team finds a second body inside the house. This is the body of a middle-aged man. Neither man lived in the area, making identification and possible motive difficult. The one thing that appears to connect the two is that they both studied moths.
The house is owned by a wealthy couple who are away on holiday. The estate's land includes several newer homes, now owned by retirees. The little village, so newly constructed and sold, has attracted couples of similar age and wealth, and they have gotten to know each other.
Vera invades their privacy again and again in her quest for the murderer, for she believes the two deaths are related. The differences in the occupants become more obvious and their secrets are exposed. The unlovely large detective has a way with an interview.
Vera is no saint. Her thoughts are not always charitable. But she does take her job seriously, and is actually quite obsessive about it. Her subordinates notice that she seems to thrive on the misfortunes of others. She does, however, provide the means for her subordinates to become very good at their jobs, which means they accept her verbal abuse and move on.
Vera is one of my favorite fictional characters. In the book series she is larger and more rude and abusive than in the television series, which often gives me a laugh. It is a pleasure to take in all of the characters, whether primary or not, and the plot is, as usual, complicated and well designed.
The house is owned by a wealthy couple who are away on holiday. The estate's land includes several newer homes, now owned by retirees. The little village, so newly constructed and sold, has attracted couples of similar age and wealth, and they have gotten to know each other.
Vera invades their privacy again and again in her quest for the murderer, for she believes the two deaths are related. The differences in the occupants become more obvious and their secrets are exposed. The unlovely large detective has a way with an interview.
Vera is no saint. Her thoughts are not always charitable. But she does take her job seriously, and is actually quite obsessive about it. Her subordinates notice that she seems to thrive on the misfortunes of others. She does, however, provide the means for her subordinates to become very good at their jobs, which means they accept her verbal abuse and move on.
Vera is one of my favorite fictional characters. In the book series she is larger and more rude and abusive than in the television series, which often gives me a laugh. It is a pleasure to take in all of the characters, whether primary or not, and the plot is, as usual, complicated and well designed.
Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
Book Description
Life seems perfect in the quiet community of Valley Farm. Then a shocking discovery shatters the silence. The owners of a big country house have employed a house-sitter, a young ecologist, to look after the place while they're away. But his dead body is found by the side of the lanea lonely place to die.
When DI Vera Stanhope arrives on the scene, she finds the body of a second man. What the two victims seem to have in common is a fascination with studying mothsand with catching these beautiful, intriguing creatures.
The others who live in Valley Farm have secrets too: Lorraine's calm demeanor belies a more complex personality; Annie and Sam's daughter, Lizzie, is due to be released from prison; and Nigel watches, silently, every day, from his window. As Vera is drawn into the claustrophobic world of this increasingly strange community, she realizes that there may be many deadly secrets trapped there . . .
My Review
Another great Ann Cleeves read! I look forward to reading one of her Vera Stanhope mysteries but you already know from the beginning that you will never solve the murder until the reveal at the end. I've read that Ann Cleeves writes her books without knowing who the murderer will be either so that makes me feel better. Practically every character ends up as suspects but Vera has a way of putting things together and she cleverly knows before the reveal. All of Ann's characters are well-developed and the plots have many twists and turns and keeps everyone guessing throughout. I look forward to the next installment which won't be released until 2017 and I highly recommend this series for those who love British mysteries with lots of intrigue.
Life seems perfect in the quiet community of Valley Farm. Then a shocking discovery shatters the silence. The owners of a big country house have employed a house-sitter, a young ecologist, to look after the place while they're away. But his dead body is found by the side of the lanea lonely place to die.
When DI Vera Stanhope arrives on the scene, she finds the body of a second man. What the two victims seem to have in common is a fascination with studying mothsand with catching these beautiful, intriguing creatures.
The others who live in Valley Farm have secrets too: Lorraine's calm demeanor belies a more complex personality; Annie and Sam's daughter, Lizzie, is due to be released from prison; and Nigel watches, silently, every day, from his window. As Vera is drawn into the claustrophobic world of this increasingly strange community, she realizes that there may be many deadly secrets trapped there . . .
My Review
Another great Ann Cleeves read! I look forward to reading one of her Vera Stanhope mysteries but you already know from the beginning that you will never solve the murder until the reveal at the end. I've read that Ann Cleeves writes her books without knowing who the murderer will be either so that makes me feel better. Practically every character ends up as suspects but Vera has a way of putting things together and she cleverly knows before the reveal. All of Ann's characters are well-developed and the plots have many twists and turns and keeps everyone guessing throughout. I look forward to the next installment which won't be released until 2017 and I highly recommend this series for those who love British mysteries with lots of intrigue.
