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Vera Stanhope #1
The Crow Trap
Vera Stanhope's first appearance was in The Crow Trap, published in 1999 and now available in a new edition; it forms the third episode of the TV series Vera, adapted by Stephen Brady.
At the isolated Baikie's Cottage on the North Pennines, three very different women come together to complete an environmental survey. Three women who, in some way or another, know the meaning of betrayal...
For team leader Rachael Lambert the project is the perfect opportunity to rebuild her confidence after a double-betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Botanist Anne Preece, on the other hand, sees it as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace Fulwell, a strange, uncommunicative young woman with plenty of her own secrets to hide...
When Rachael arrives at the cottage, however, she is horrified to discover the body of her friend Bella Furness. Bella, it appears, has committed suicide - a verdict Rachael finds impossible to accept.
Only when the next death occurs does a fourth woman enter the picture - the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, who must piece together the truth from these women's tangled lives...
At the isolated Baikie's Cottage on the North Pennines, three very different women come together to complete an environmental survey. Three women who, in some way or another, know the meaning of betrayal...
For team leader Rachael Lambert the project is the perfect opportunity to rebuild her confidence after a double-betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Botanist Anne Preece, on the other hand, sees it as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace Fulwell, a strange, uncommunicative young woman with plenty of her own secrets to hide...
When Rachael arrives at the cottage, however, she is horrified to discover the body of her friend Bella Furness. Bella, it appears, has committed suicide - a verdict Rachael finds impossible to accept.
Only when the next death occurs does a fourth woman enter the picture - the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, who must piece together the truth from these women's tangled lives...
560 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Ann Cleeves
115 books7,296 followersAnn is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands...
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,377 reviews
September 9, 2017
This is the first book in the Vera Stanhope series and gee it was good! I very much enjoy the TV series based on these books and I have to say that they chose really good actors to represent both Vera and Joe. As I was reading I could just visualise them saying the words.
Such a good book - 535 pages but all of them so good that I seemed to be finished in no time. I always find that with a really good mystery I just never want to put it down and this is a really good mystery.
So good in fact that I honestly had no idea who the murderer was. The end came as a complete surprise to me although with hindsight there were clues aplenty.
I always enjoy the way Ann Cleeves writes and I am also partly way through her Shetland series. I think this series may be even better:)
Such a good book - 535 pages but all of them so good that I seemed to be finished in no time. I always find that with a really good mystery I just never want to put it down and this is a really good mystery.
So good in fact that I honestly had no idea who the murderer was. The end came as a complete surprise to me although with hindsight there were clues aplenty.
I always enjoy the way Ann Cleeves writes and I am also partly way through her Shetland series. I think this series may be even better:)
November 5, 2017
My first introduction to author Ann Cleeves and her protagonist Vera Stanhope did not go well.
The book first delves into the lives of three women who are sharing temporary quarters while conducting an environmental assessment prior to digging a quarry. One of them is killed. Each woman was given a lengthy chapter. Vera shows up officially to investigate at the start of Part Two, about halfway through. The book is overly long at 535 pages and generally plods along to the conclusion.
I checked reviews. Many abandoned this book. Many loved it. I’m in the meh camp. Several readers had prior experience with Cleeves and feel this book is not typical of her. They encourage others to take heart and continue with the series. Based on the fact I have the second book at hand, I will follow that advice, just not immediately.
The book first delves into the lives of three women who are sharing temporary quarters while conducting an environmental assessment prior to digging a quarry. One of them is killed. Each woman was given a lengthy chapter. Vera shows up officially to investigate at the start of Part Two, about halfway through. The book is overly long at 535 pages and generally plods along to the conclusion.
I checked reviews. Many abandoned this book. Many loved it. I’m in the meh camp. Several readers had prior experience with Cleeves and feel this book is not typical of her. They encourage others to take heart and continue with the series. Based on the fact I have the second book at hand, I will follow that advice, just not immediately.
March 6, 2024
Just how did I miss this wonderfully crafted mystery series? I’m assuming that the series is as strong as the first book— I now vaguely remember hearing about the PBS version— but after two books, I’m an Ann Cleeves devotee!!
Not only did I adore the grumpy, lonely, chatty, secretly savvy and surprisingly likable Inspector Vera Stanhope, but I also loved how Cleeves cleverly introduces us to the cast of characters long before the murders begin— some appear almost organically as the author is behind the literary curtain, erecting a domino wall which will begin to fall as the pages turned. Loved it!!
Nice complicated plot line with a few too many potential murderers and a body count that quickly, and confusingly, begins to pile up. Red herrings galore.
And our unlikely Detective Inspector? I don’t think she really shows up until well into the first third of the book.
And this my friends is what I love about Goodreads! Discovering new books that managed to escape my view. My reading list has been richly improved by your reviews and recommendations… a bookworm’s delight!!
(Reviewed 5/12/21)
Not only did I adore the grumpy, lonely, chatty, secretly savvy and surprisingly likable Inspector Vera Stanhope, but I also loved how Cleeves cleverly introduces us to the cast of characters long before the murders begin— some appear almost organically as the author is behind the literary curtain, erecting a domino wall which will begin to fall as the pages turned. Loved it!!
Nice complicated plot line with a few too many potential murderers and a body count that quickly, and confusingly, begins to pile up. Red herrings galore.
And our unlikely Detective Inspector? I don’t think she really shows up until well into the first third of the book.
And this my friends is what I love about Goodreads! Discovering new books that managed to escape my view. My reading list has been richly improved by your reviews and recommendations… a bookworm’s delight!!
(Reviewed 5/12/21)
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March 31, 2017The Hook - Begin at the beginning, that’s my motto when it comes to most series mystery fiction.
The Line(s) - ”The rich onion flan might have come out of the freezer but Barbara had cooked it before it went in. It was topped with tomatoes and Parmesan and latticed with anchovies and olives. “
The above lines may seem strange to quote but I was intrigued by this dish intrigued me. Searching for a recipe I saw a latticed anchovy-onion tart, but flan it was not. If anyone has every heard of this or has a recipe please let me know. Anchovies are grand in our family.
The Sinker - I’m not quite certain how I feel about The Crow Trap. I’ve heard so many accolades to Ann Cleeves and this series that I thought I should get on the bandwagon. One thing I noticed immediately was that Cleeves had a way of drawing us in. One moment all was right with the world and in the next sentence all is changed.
The title is explained in this way:
”The trap was a large wire mesh cage with a funnel in the top. Inside a live, tame crow fluttered provocatively, inviting in another to defend its territory. Once in through the funnel there was no way out. Presumably they had to find some form of co-existence until the keeper came along to put the intruder out of its misery.”
Ann Cleeves is a storyteller and enjoys the use of words, painting a thorough portrait of her characters and environs. Detailed and atmospheric it is.
I was surprised that the central character of the series, Vera Stanhope, herself doesn’t truly appear until more than 200 pages go by. She makes a cameo appearance, showing up at a funeral of one of the victims being described as a bag lady. If you’re paying attention you’ll know its she.
Murders, flawed characters and a complicated environmental plot weave in and out in this 500+ debut of the beloved, unconventional DI Vera Stanhope. She is a piece of work. This is not your typical political, sit behind the desk, Detective Inspector. She is odd gal out in dress and appearance, a bit unkempt, and older than many among her rank in the written pages of crime/mystery fiction. She loves to eat, often greasy food; you might even find a half eaten doughnut in her purse along with ”papers, keys, photo, five brios”. She is outspoken to say the least, barges her way in, has no problem ordering people around for a cup of tea, she’d have preferred a beer if available and expects her team to “get on with it”. But she gets results; she’s comfortable with herself and is no one’s fool. It's even hard to peg this woman in any hole. Literary novel, suspense fiction, crime or mystery? it's a bit of a mix.
The more I think about it, the more I have decided I could easily become a fan of both Stanhope and Cleeves. It often takes me a bit to get into the rhythm of a new series. Vera Stanhope, her eccentricity and her territory of Northumberland are bound to grow on me.
The Line(s) - ”The rich onion flan might have come out of the freezer but Barbara had cooked it before it went in. It was topped with tomatoes and Parmesan and latticed with anchovies and olives. “
The above lines may seem strange to quote but I was intrigued by this dish intrigued me. Searching for a recipe I saw a latticed anchovy-onion tart, but flan it was not. If anyone has every heard of this or has a recipe please let me know. Anchovies are grand in our family.
The Sinker - I’m not quite certain how I feel about The Crow Trap. I’ve heard so many accolades to Ann Cleeves and this series that I thought I should get on the bandwagon. One thing I noticed immediately was that Cleeves had a way of drawing us in. One moment all was right with the world and in the next sentence all is changed.
The title is explained in this way:
”The trap was a large wire mesh cage with a funnel in the top. Inside a live, tame crow fluttered provocatively, inviting in another to defend its territory. Once in through the funnel there was no way out. Presumably they had to find some form of co-existence until the keeper came along to put the intruder out of its misery.”
Ann Cleeves is a storyteller and enjoys the use of words, painting a thorough portrait of her characters and environs. Detailed and atmospheric it is.
I was surprised that the central character of the series, Vera Stanhope, herself doesn’t truly appear until more than 200 pages go by. She makes a cameo appearance, showing up at a funeral of one of the victims being described as a bag lady. If you’re paying attention you’ll know its she.
Murders, flawed characters and a complicated environmental plot weave in and out in this 500+ debut of the beloved, unconventional DI Vera Stanhope. She is a piece of work. This is not your typical political, sit behind the desk, Detective Inspector. She is odd gal out in dress and appearance, a bit unkempt, and older than many among her rank in the written pages of crime/mystery fiction. She loves to eat, often greasy food; you might even find a half eaten doughnut in her purse along with ”papers, keys, photo, five brios”. She is outspoken to say the least, barges her way in, has no problem ordering people around for a cup of tea, she’d have preferred a beer if available and expects her team to “get on with it”. But she gets results; she’s comfortable with herself and is no one’s fool. It's even hard to peg this woman in any hole. Literary novel, suspense fiction, crime or mystery? it's a bit of a mix.
The more I think about it, the more I have decided I could easily become a fan of both Stanhope and Cleeves. It often takes me a bit to get into the rhythm of a new series. Vera Stanhope, her eccentricity and her territory of Northumberland are bound to grow on me.
April 19, 2017
This is book 1 in the series. I enjoyed it and rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It is a long book, 535p., and moves slowly at times, while the author builds the scene. The book is told from the perspective of 4 women:
Rachael--1 of 3 women conducting a wildlife assessment to determine whether or a quarry would kill off any protected plants/animals. She has issues with Peter Kemp, whose company is running the assessment. Peter had an affair with her in order to steal her work. He then dumped her and married someone else.
Anne--the second of 3 women conducting the assessment. She is having an affair with the owner of the quarry firm.
Grace--The third woman doing the assessment. She is the product of foster homes and socially awkward. She has reconnected with her father.
Vera--Detective Chief Inspector(DCI) in charge of the investigation, when Grace is found dead.
I was not sure who the killer was until the end.
This book is more of a study in how people interact and their relationships than a murder mystery.
Some quotes:
"Anne's sexual appetite was legendary."
Vera leaves the two women to continue their work as decoys. In Rachel's words: "Like the crow, she thought, in the trap."
This series has been adapted for tv and is found in the US on PBS. Thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for sending me this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program.
Rachael--1 of 3 women conducting a wildlife assessment to determine whether or a quarry would kill off any protected plants/animals. She has issues with Peter Kemp, whose company is running the assessment. Peter had an affair with her in order to steal her work. He then dumped her and married someone else.
Anne--the second of 3 women conducting the assessment. She is having an affair with the owner of the quarry firm.
Grace--The third woman doing the assessment. She is the product of foster homes and socially awkward. She has reconnected with her father.
Vera--Detective Chief Inspector(DCI) in charge of the investigation, when Grace is found dead.
I was not sure who the killer was until the end.
This book is more of a study in how people interact and their relationships than a murder mystery.
Some quotes:
"Anne's sexual appetite was legendary."
Vera leaves the two women to continue their work as decoys. In Rachel's words: "Like the crow, she thought, in the trap."
This series has been adapted for tv and is found in the US on PBS. Thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for sending me this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program.
May 20, 2018
"I expect you think I'm odd...Eccentric...That's not the case, and if I do have a reputation for eccentricity, I have one too for getting results."—Vera Stanhope
I attempted to read a physical copy of this book, but couldn't get into it. I knew that I just had to get along with Ann Cleeves, because I'm such a huge fan of both television series based on her books. So I decided to jump into the audiobook, and it was perfect! I chose to start it on a solitary road trip into the quiet of the forest. Such an atmospheric setting for an atmospheric book. Probably one of the slowest mysteries I've read in a long time, but so fulfilling and worth it. I found myself juggling the audiobook and physical book during times when I couldn't listen. I had to know how it would end, and of course it wasn't anything like what I'd conjured in my imagination.
What's always fascinated me is the psychology behind crime and murder, and that's what makes the Vera books so much more than a British procedural novel. She really draws you into the characters, whether they realize that they'll be embroiled in murder or fall victim themselves. Definitely a character study. Can't wait to continue the series.
I attempted to read a physical copy of this book, but couldn't get into it. I knew that I just had to get along with Ann Cleeves, because I'm such a huge fan of both television series based on her books. So I decided to jump into the audiobook, and it was perfect! I chose to start it on a solitary road trip into the quiet of the forest. Such an atmospheric setting for an atmospheric book. Probably one of the slowest mysteries I've read in a long time, but so fulfilling and worth it. I found myself juggling the audiobook and physical book during times when I couldn't listen. I had to know how it would end, and of course it wasn't anything like what I'd conjured in my imagination.
What's always fascinated me is the psychology behind crime and murder, and that's what makes the Vera books so much more than a British procedural novel. She really draws you into the characters, whether they realize that they'll be embroiled in murder or fall victim themselves. Definitely a character study. Can't wait to continue the series.
May 30, 2018
What a drag this book was! I have fallen in love with the tv series starring Brenda Blethyn and I was so excited to start a new mystery series. Now of course I am wondering if I should even bother with the second book in the series, "Telling Tales." As other reviews have noted, Vera doesn't even show up in this book til the 40 percent mark (Kindle version) and then we don't even get a Vera POV until I think it was around the 75 percent mark. Instead we focus on three women and go back and forth between two of the women (after one of them is murdered). I have to say the final reveal of who is behind the murders that popped up in this book and why were a bit hard to take. I didn't feel like any of the characters were very well developed besides the three women the book decides to focus the most on anyway.
"The Crow Trap" follows three women: Rachel, Anne, and Grace. These three women are in Northumberland in order to do an environmental survey. There is a possibly quarry that may be built and there are sides for it and against it. When a local farmer's wife commits suicide, it seems to be the catalyst that causes everyone else to realize that maybe something else is going on here. When one of these three women is found murdered, DI Vera Stanhope appears on scene and decides to lay a trap to catch the murderer.
Eh if I have to pick one woman that didn't drive me up the wall, it would be no one. Seriously. Rachel was aggravating, Anne and her personal life..yikes. And Grace's was the most interesting to me, but I honestly had a hard time with that character cause we pretty much skipped over why she was on the survey team until almost the end. I didn't get it myself based on what we found out about her and her real family since it didn't feel like something her father would really care about. It just came out of nowhere.
Vera was a loudmouth who I had to question her intelligence at times. She didn't seem that bright until the book pivoted to her POV. And even then...just a bit uncouth. I don't know. She is not acting how the tv show Vera acts. There seems to be no subtlety at all.
There are other characters in this one, but I refuse to go back and look them up. I just didn't find them that intriguing.
The writing was okay, this book was way too long. The flow as up and down. Going from Rachel, Anne, and Grace and showcasing the same timeline via different POVs made me want to pull my hair out. I started to become bored while reading this. Rachel deciding to investigate with Vera's blessing/derision wasn't much help either. You start to wonder what is going on and how is it all connected.
The ending didn't make a lot of sense to me. I felt like it just came out of nowhere. I had to re-read that part a few times to even get the gist of what is happening. And you don't even get a good sense of closure. The book just abruptly ends.
"The Crow Trap" follows three women: Rachel, Anne, and Grace. These three women are in Northumberland in order to do an environmental survey. There is a possibly quarry that may be built and there are sides for it and against it. When a local farmer's wife commits suicide, it seems to be the catalyst that causes everyone else to realize that maybe something else is going on here. When one of these three women is found murdered, DI Vera Stanhope appears on scene and decides to lay a trap to catch the murderer.
Eh if I have to pick one woman that didn't drive me up the wall, it would be no one. Seriously. Rachel was aggravating, Anne and her personal life..yikes. And Grace's was the most interesting to me, but I honestly had a hard time with that character cause we pretty much skipped over why she was on the survey team until almost the end. I didn't get it myself based on what we found out about her and her real family since it didn't feel like something her father would really care about. It just came out of nowhere.
Vera was a loudmouth who I had to question her intelligence at times. She didn't seem that bright until the book pivoted to her POV. And even then...just a bit uncouth. I don't know. She is not acting how the tv show Vera acts. There seems to be no subtlety at all.
There are other characters in this one, but I refuse to go back and look them up. I just didn't find them that intriguing.
The writing was okay, this book was way too long. The flow as up and down. Going from Rachel, Anne, and Grace and showcasing the same timeline via different POVs made me want to pull my hair out. I started to become bored while reading this. Rachel deciding to investigate with Vera's blessing/derision wasn't much help either. You start to wonder what is going on and how is it all connected.
The ending didn't make a lot of sense to me. I felt like it just came out of nowhere. I had to re-read that part a few times to even get the gist of what is happening. And you don't even get a good sense of closure. The book just abruptly ends.
January 23, 2023
3.5 stars
This first novel in the Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope series introduces us to the frowsy Northumberland sleuth and her forbearing assistant, Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth.
*****
When businessman Godfrey Waugh proposes to excavate a large quarry in England's Northumberland region, an environmental assessment agency is commissioned to evaluate the project's ecological impact.
The assessment agency is run by Peter Kemp......
.....who hires three local women to do the appraisal: Rachael Lambert - the team leader, who analyzes bird life; Anne Preece - a botanist, who assesses plant life; and Grace Fulwell - a biologist, who counts otters. While doing the assessment the women live at Baikie Cottage, a bungalow owned by a charitable trust that promotes environmental research.
The first part of the book introduces us to the three female assessors, who are uneasy roommates at Baikie Cottage.
⦿ Rachel Lambert
The team leader and bird expert was raised by a single mother named Edie, who thinks of herself as an amateur psychologist.
Now Rachael works for Peter Kemp's environmental assessment agency, but she views Peter as a scoundrel who wronged her. When Rachael first met Peter, he romanced her and she fell for him. Peter then stole Rachael's research about counting birds and published it as his own, after which he married another woman. Rachael is a straight-laced, rule-follower who wants everything done right.
When Rachael arrives at Baikie Cottage to settle in she finds that her good friend Bella Furness, who lives on an adjacent farm, has hanged herself.
Bella was the sole caretaker for her disabled husband Dougie, whom she dearly loved, and Rachael can't understand the suicide. Thus Rachel and her mother Edie decide to dig into Bella's life, to figure out why she took her own life.
⦿ Anne Preece
The botanist is a Camilla Parker Bowles lookalike who's married but continually unfaithful. At the moment Anne is having an affair with married father Godfrey Waugh, who's pushing for the quarry.
This puts Anne in a tricky position vis a vis the environmental assessment, but it doesn't seem to bother her.
⦿ Grace Fulwell
The biologist was raised in foster homes but now has a relationship with her troubled alcoholic father, who's a cook in a popular eatery.
Many people are put off by Grace, who seems cold and reserved, but Grace has a real love for animals.
*****
Citizens who live in the neighborhood of the proposed quarry have conflicting opinions about the project. Landowners like Livvy and Robert and Fulwell - who stand to profit - are pro-quarry, and other residents have a 'not in my backyard' attitude, citing traffic and noise.
A murder occurs on the grounds of the planned quarry and DI Vera Stanhope leads the investigation.
We learn that Vera was raised by a single father named Hector who was obsessed with stealing birds' eggs from nests. Hector forced young Vera to help with this illegal endeavor, and - even as an adult - Vera felt bullied and exploited by her dad. On the day Hector died Vera burned his egg collection, and she still resides in the house they shared. Vera wears frumpy dresses and open toed sandals, and enjoys food, wine and whiskey.
Vera and her harried assistant DS Joe Ashworth set up camp in Baikie Cottage to investigate the homicide, and other police patrol the area in case the killer returns.
In essence there are two simultaneous investigations: Vera and Joe are after the killer, and Rachael and her mother Edie are looking into Bella's suicide. Numerous people are interviewed, and many secrets emerge.
When another homicide occurs Vera becomes desperate to find the murderer, who may be planning more deaths. At the book's climax a (figurative) lightbulb goes on over Vera's head, and she figures out who did what.
The novel has a large cast of characters and I had some trouble keeping everyone straight, Still, I enjoyed the book which is a good introduction to DI Vera Stanhope.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
September 19, 2019
"Lokvogel was een aangename kennismaking met Ann Cleeves!"
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October 12, 2017
The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves.
This is the 1st in the Vera Stanhope series. This book is divided into sections describing in detail 3 women: Rachel, Anne and Grace. These 3 women are connected by their endeavors in an environmental project. They are all naturalists and educated, but there's so much more to their backgrounds and what brought them together in the first place.
The story begins with Rachel discovering Bella had committed suicide. Shocked by this tragedy she is interviewed by the local police. Joe, Vera's right hand man, begins the investigation. A shadowy figure appears to enter and then leave just as suddenly during Bella's funeral. A strange figure that no one seems to know. This was the first brief appearance of Vera.
There is another section devoted to Vera's upbringing and her experiences in that neck of the woods.
This was quite a long story but I was involved from the first page. The author brought out details in each characters past that began to knit a story together. I loved this book and highly recommend it to any mystery lover of in depth stories. The truth is uncovered at the very end as only Vera can unravel this years old mystery.
This is the 1st in the Vera Stanhope series. This book is divided into sections describing in detail 3 women: Rachel, Anne and Grace. These 3 women are connected by their endeavors in an environmental project. They are all naturalists and educated, but there's so much more to their backgrounds and what brought them together in the first place.
The story begins with Rachel discovering Bella had committed suicide. Shocked by this tragedy she is interviewed by the local police. Joe, Vera's right hand man, begins the investigation. A shadowy figure appears to enter and then leave just as suddenly during Bella's funeral. A strange figure that no one seems to know. This was the first brief appearance of Vera.
There is another section devoted to Vera's upbringing and her experiences in that neck of the woods.
This was quite a long story but I was involved from the first page. The author brought out details in each characters past that began to knit a story together. I loved this book and highly recommend it to any mystery lover of in depth stories. The truth is uncovered at the very end as only Vera can unravel this years old mystery.
November 26, 2020
2 stars
I’m a big fan of the Vera tv series, it’s one that my mom and I love to watch together. Recently she read this book and recommended it to me, so I decided to check out the audiobook from my local library. As you can tell by my rating, it was not a winner.
First off, and even though I was warned about this, Vera herself the main character, didn’t even show up until 43% into the book! What the hell? I don’t give a crap about these random characters! I was here for Vera! Also the story was all over the place and to be completely frank, this book didn’t need to be 500+ pages.
I am willing to give the second book a chance, but if that one doesn’t work out, it might just be the tv series instead of the books for me.
I’m a big fan of the Vera tv series, it’s one that my mom and I love to watch together. Recently she read this book and recommended it to me, so I decided to check out the audiobook from my local library. As you can tell by my rating, it was not a winner.
First off, and even though I was warned about this, Vera herself the main character, didn’t even show up until 43% into the book! What the hell? I don’t give a crap about these random characters! I was here for Vera! Also the story was all over the place and to be completely frank, this book didn’t need to be 500+ pages.
I am willing to give the second book a chance, but if that one doesn’t work out, it might just be the tv series instead of the books for me.
November 16, 2017
I enjoyed this book. I watched Vera on tv a few years ago and enjoyed that too. Now that I’ve read the book, I think the tv series did the book justice. I enjoyed the different POVs of the 4 women. It did seem a bit too long especially in the central section, not that it put me off. Will probably continue with the series at some point.
May 10, 2012
I had read many good reviews about this author, so being a lover of British mysteries, I decided to give her book a try. Well I was not disappointed, what a great read! This is the first novel I had read by Ann Cleeves and it won't be my last. It is also the first book in the Vera Stanhope detective series. She is not even introduced until you have read 2/3 of the book but the other characters are so fascinating that you don't even notice. Before I had even finished this book, I ordered the second one in the series, Telling Tales, from amazon. I can't wait to read it. While I'm waiting for it to be delivered, I'll have to content myself with other authors. Prior to this book, I had read novels by various Scandinavian authors. I found that these books were too dark and depressing for me. If you enjoy interesting characters, and a good puzzle all wrapped up neatly in the end, then you will find this an enjoyable crime novel. This is the best new author I have read in the last 5 years. I'm surprised that it took so long for me to find her!
October 29, 2022
4 Stars
November 27, 2023
If it wasn’t for the rather gloomy and slightly depressing tone, I would give it 4 stars
February 19, 2015
The Crow Trap is the first in the Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleeves and one of the books in the series that the hugely popular ITV television show Vera is based upon. The extremely talented Brenda Blethyn is excellent playing the role of Vera in the TV show and it’s definitely worth a watch.
If you enjoy English murder mysteries, this is an extremely well written, engaging read and a great start to the series. Although over 500 pages long, it doesn't feel like it as the writing reads easily and the story flows along nicely. Vera doesn't appear until about two thirds the way through the book but she is definitely worth the wait! I love the normality of her character, her straight talking, no-nonsense approach to everything. I was definitely second guessing who the murderer was all of the way through and still never got it right! Full of interesting and varied characters with absorbing back stories, lots of red herrings and ultimately beautiful descriptions of the North East of England, this is an ideal English murder mystery which kept me wanting to keep reading on until the end. I have since bought all the books in the series. Loved it! and I recommend this series if you love series like Morse, Frost, Midsomer Murders etc.
If you enjoy English murder mysteries, this is an extremely well written, engaging read and a great start to the series. Although over 500 pages long, it doesn't feel like it as the writing reads easily and the story flows along nicely. Vera doesn't appear until about two thirds the way through the book but she is definitely worth the wait! I love the normality of her character, her straight talking, no-nonsense approach to everything. I was definitely second guessing who the murderer was all of the way through and still never got it right! Full of interesting and varied characters with absorbing back stories, lots of red herrings and ultimately beautiful descriptions of the North East of England, this is an ideal English murder mystery which kept me wanting to keep reading on until the end. I have since bought all the books in the series. Loved it! and I recommend this series if you love series like Morse, Frost, Midsomer Murders etc.
April 4, 2018
This is the first Vera Stanhope novel. It took a long time to get the the point when Stanhope enters the story which is my reason for 4 stars. There are characters who hide their past and even their identity. There is an early suicide which leads Vera to investigate hidden links between characters. The setting is the North Pennines which are in County Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Cumbria.
Vera's backstory in the book varies somewhat from the TV series. And although she is not a fashion plate on TV, she is described in a way in the book which makes her sound like she could be mistaken for someone who is homeless, and living on the street.
The audiobook is pleasantly narrated by Anne Dover. I can't comment on the accuracy of the accent. I have a friend who lives in Northern England and finds the accent of the TV character, Vera Stanhope, quite inaccurate. I'm venture a guess that there is quite a lot of variation in accents in the region. Living in Boston for many years, I found there were many differences from neighborhood to neighborhood.
Vera's backstory in the book varies somewhat from the TV series. And although she is not a fashion plate on TV, she is described in a way in the book which makes her sound like she could be mistaken for someone who is homeless, and living on the street.
The audiobook is pleasantly narrated by Anne Dover. I can't comment on the accuracy of the accent. I have a friend who lives in Northern England and finds the accent of the TV character, Vera Stanhope, quite inaccurate. I'm venture a guess that there is quite a lot of variation in accents in the region. Living in Boston for many years, I found there were many differences from neighborhood to neighborhood.
November 27, 2023
4.0 stars ...
If you love British procedural detective stories (I do!), you'll love this one. 👍🕵👍 Loses one star for being a bit long-winded.
If you love British procedural detective stories (I do!), you'll love this one. 👍🕵👍 Loses one star for being a bit long-winded.
November 21, 2017
The Crow Trap has the indomitable Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope in fine fettle, once against unsettling all and sundry in her presence. Although it is not until over two-hundred-pages into the novel that she becomes known to the guests at remote Baikie Cottage, bringing with her a brash demeanour and distinctly unfeminine appearance, she more than makes up for her late entrance. Originally published in 1999, this is a timeless case with a host of suspects confusing matters and keeping readers on their toes! Baikie's Cottage is the property of a charitable trust left by illustrator and spinster, Constance Baikie, in order to encourage environmental education and research and is the admittedly basic accommodation that plays host to the ensuing mystery.
Although I had picked up on Vera's domestic circumstances from reading later books in the series, it was wonderful to hear Ann Cleeves giving a précis of her history and revealing more about her father, Hector, and demonstrating her understanding on environmental matters. In The Crow Trap Vera is reunited with the hill farms and countryside that she knows so well and sees herself back in Baikie's cottage, a place she knows well, with her father and the elderly lady whose home it was sharing a common interest in the illegal pursuit of stealing birds eggs from their nests. After her mother died in childbirth, Vera spent her youth trekking after her father as he tramped the hills pursuing his passion, with their only close neighbours and contact being with the stationmaster and his wife, Mrs Gregory, whom was the maternal figure in Vera's life. Since their departure and her fathers death, Vera has changed nothing about the desolate and lonely house she avoids spending time in, complete with New Age hippy neighbours who have taken her under their wing. Vera's close working relationship is with her Sergeant and renowned teacher's pet, Joe Ashworth, and the point of view of her harried colleagues is largely omitted is the first instalment but in subsequent novels it has become more prominent. The benefit is the opportunity of seeing and hearing Vera musing on her own upbringing though is a valuable insight into her gruff persona. Although this first introduction to the inspired creation of Inspector Vera Stanhope does stretch to just over five-hundred-pages, it is one of the most satisfying and juiciest cases with the opportunity of seeing Vera amongst the rugged countryside that she grew up with.
Brilliantly constructed in three parts, the first sees three very different women thrown together into the uncomfortably close proximity of Baikie's Cottage in order to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment prior to the proposed development of a quarry across the landscape. First to arrive is Rachael Lambert, team leader for the first time, still raw from her manipulation by the caddish Peter Kemp, boss of the environmental consultancy that she works for. A return to Kimmerston will see Rachael reunited her with her psychology spouting mother, Edie Lambert and with close friend, Bella Furness, wife of Dougie, the farmer at Black Law. Since Dougie's stroke, Bella has resolutely managed the farm and was in love with her husband and her life, hence when Rachael arrives only to be met by her hanging corpse she refuses to believe that her friend would have taken her own life, preferring instead to suspect that this could have something to do with the impending development plans by Slateburn Quarries, where Dougie's own son is now employed. As readers see the unfolding week through the eyes of first earnest Rachael, then move on to married and over-confident man eater, botanist Anne Preece, never short of a flip response and finally through to withdrawn mammal expert, Grace Fulwell, the same period is retold through three very differing pairs of eyes. With all three women having their own closely guarded reasons for undertaking the assessment and staying tight-lipped about their reasons, the tension and stifled atmosphere that pervades generates genuine suspense. This first part ends with the discovery of the body of Grace, only for the second part to see the no-nonsense DI Vera Stanhope enter proceedings, never afraid of probing or phrasing a downright nosy question. Hearing each of the women's reasons for being drawn to the impact assessment means the length of five-hundred-pages rattles past and never seems drawn out, with Cleeves providing a masterclass in entwining psychological suspense within the police procedural genre.
Vera is in her pomp as the second part of the novel opens, firing off questions, gossiping and manipulating with a devious ploy for the two remaining assessors, Rachael and Anne, to continue their work. After all, if the motive for the murder is a corporate act of intimidation, the abandonment of the assessment project will be serving the murders desired purpose. The title of this first outing is also one of the most appropriate, with The Crow Trap being a metaphor for the sitting target of two lone females almost acting as a siren in drawing further danger into the remote region surrounding Black Law farm. As Rachael refuses to believe Bella's suicide was her own idea, Vera uncovers every stone and her abrupt stage manner sees her wrong-foot everyone she encounters. Part three is left wide open for DI Vera Stanhope to create merry hell for her bosses with her unorthodox methodology along the way. It is not only Vera and her Sergeant, Joe Ashworth who are brilliantly brought to life, it is the entire cast whose lives are disentangled against the unflinching backdrop of the hill farms. With ulterior motives and hidden secrets waiting to be exposed, Ann Cleeves keeps the shocks coming and combines this with the amusement to be had as the strident Vera leaves her indelible mark on the landscape. The Crow Trap is a character driven and thoroughly pleasurable novel with a gossipy overtone and an infectious humour. Vera shrewdly massages egos and smashes others as she plays to the audience with a showmanship that is worthy of the stage.
Television viewers who moan about the dour and wind-swept Northumberland landscapes would be thoroughly well-served by becoming acquainted the character that Cleeves has created in novel form. It is only through reading her work that I have come to appreciate the multifaceted talents of DI Vera and her long-suffering sounding board, Joe Ashworth. In a world where so much of crime fiction is driven by the dysfunctional male lead detectives, Vera is an inspired creation and no other author comes close to Ann Cleeves for extracting the secrets that give rise to murder and mayhem. I will shed a silent tear when feisty Vera is shepherded into retirement as she never fails to inspire, humour and touch me in a way no other police lead can.
Although I had picked up on Vera's domestic circumstances from reading later books in the series, it was wonderful to hear Ann Cleeves giving a précis of her history and revealing more about her father, Hector, and demonstrating her understanding on environmental matters. In The Crow Trap Vera is reunited with the hill farms and countryside that she knows so well and sees herself back in Baikie's cottage, a place she knows well, with her father and the elderly lady whose home it was sharing a common interest in the illegal pursuit of stealing birds eggs from their nests. After her mother died in childbirth, Vera spent her youth trekking after her father as he tramped the hills pursuing his passion, with their only close neighbours and contact being with the stationmaster and his wife, Mrs Gregory, whom was the maternal figure in Vera's life. Since their departure and her fathers death, Vera has changed nothing about the desolate and lonely house she avoids spending time in, complete with New Age hippy neighbours who have taken her under their wing. Vera's close working relationship is with her Sergeant and renowned teacher's pet, Joe Ashworth, and the point of view of her harried colleagues is largely omitted is the first instalment but in subsequent novels it has become more prominent. The benefit is the opportunity of seeing and hearing Vera musing on her own upbringing though is a valuable insight into her gruff persona. Although this first introduction to the inspired creation of Inspector Vera Stanhope does stretch to just over five-hundred-pages, it is one of the most satisfying and juiciest cases with the opportunity of seeing Vera amongst the rugged countryside that she grew up with.
Brilliantly constructed in three parts, the first sees three very different women thrown together into the uncomfortably close proximity of Baikie's Cottage in order to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment prior to the proposed development of a quarry across the landscape. First to arrive is Rachael Lambert, team leader for the first time, still raw from her manipulation by the caddish Peter Kemp, boss of the environmental consultancy that she works for. A return to Kimmerston will see Rachael reunited her with her psychology spouting mother, Edie Lambert and with close friend, Bella Furness, wife of Dougie, the farmer at Black Law. Since Dougie's stroke, Bella has resolutely managed the farm and was in love with her husband and her life, hence when Rachael arrives only to be met by her hanging corpse she refuses to believe that her friend would have taken her own life, preferring instead to suspect that this could have something to do with the impending development plans by Slateburn Quarries, where Dougie's own son is now employed. As readers see the unfolding week through the eyes of first earnest Rachael, then move on to married and over-confident man eater, botanist Anne Preece, never short of a flip response and finally through to withdrawn mammal expert, Grace Fulwell, the same period is retold through three very differing pairs of eyes. With all three women having their own closely guarded reasons for undertaking the assessment and staying tight-lipped about their reasons, the tension and stifled atmosphere that pervades generates genuine suspense. This first part ends with the discovery of the body of Grace, only for the second part to see the no-nonsense DI Vera Stanhope enter proceedings, never afraid of probing or phrasing a downright nosy question. Hearing each of the women's reasons for being drawn to the impact assessment means the length of five-hundred-pages rattles past and never seems drawn out, with Cleeves providing a masterclass in entwining psychological suspense within the police procedural genre.
Vera is in her pomp as the second part of the novel opens, firing off questions, gossiping and manipulating with a devious ploy for the two remaining assessors, Rachael and Anne, to continue their work. After all, if the motive for the murder is a corporate act of intimidation, the abandonment of the assessment project will be serving the murders desired purpose. The title of this first outing is also one of the most appropriate, with The Crow Trap being a metaphor for the sitting target of two lone females almost acting as a siren in drawing further danger into the remote region surrounding Black Law farm. As Rachael refuses to believe Bella's suicide was her own idea, Vera uncovers every stone and her abrupt stage manner sees her wrong-foot everyone she encounters. Part three is left wide open for DI Vera Stanhope to create merry hell for her bosses with her unorthodox methodology along the way. It is not only Vera and her Sergeant, Joe Ashworth who are brilliantly brought to life, it is the entire cast whose lives are disentangled against the unflinching backdrop of the hill farms. With ulterior motives and hidden secrets waiting to be exposed, Ann Cleeves keeps the shocks coming and combines this with the amusement to be had as the strident Vera leaves her indelible mark on the landscape. The Crow Trap is a character driven and thoroughly pleasurable novel with a gossipy overtone and an infectious humour. Vera shrewdly massages egos and smashes others as she plays to the audience with a showmanship that is worthy of the stage.
Television viewers who moan about the dour and wind-swept Northumberland landscapes would be thoroughly well-served by becoming acquainted the character that Cleeves has created in novel form. It is only through reading her work that I have come to appreciate the multifaceted talents of DI Vera and her long-suffering sounding board, Joe Ashworth. In a world where so much of crime fiction is driven by the dysfunctional male lead detectives, Vera is an inspired creation and no other author comes close to Ann Cleeves for extracting the secrets that give rise to murder and mayhem. I will shed a silent tear when feisty Vera is shepherded into retirement as she never fails to inspire, humour and touch me in a way no other police lead can.
April 21, 2018
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?!
March 16, 2017
As a long time fan of Ann Cleeves Shetland series does it feel a bit odd to admit that it has taken me this long time to read a book from her Vera Stanhope series. Especially since I have seen the TV series and like it very much. But, I'm a bit grateful for waiting for this gave me the opportunity to read the first book in the series.
I found THE CROW TRAP to be a bit different from the usual crime novels. Of course, I'm used to books with several different points of views, but this book starts off and keeps going for almost half the book before Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is properly introduced into the story and she will take the center stage first at the end of the book with her own point of view.
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW ON FRESH FICTION!
I found THE CROW TRAP to be a bit different from the usual crime novels. Of course, I'm used to books with several different points of views, but this book starts off and keeps going for almost half the book before Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is properly introduced into the story and she will take the center stage first at the end of the book with her own point of view.
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW ON FRESH FICTION!
February 26, 2022
The important thing to remember for a person who is going to read "The Crow Trap"— is that the book was published in 1999, therefore. written even earlier. It's not even that the quarter-century difference with the current date greatly changes the situation: a computer in the concepts of that time is an aggregate exclusively for work; a mobile phone is a curiosity, moreover useless in the rural wilderness; there is no question of any social networks, network forums with the ability to share problems and information, by definition.
The main thing is the shock of the age of the heroines in relation to the date of birth. Look here. at the very beginning of the book, a young woman, Rachel, visits a friend. They traditionally meet not in Bella's house, where Dougie's disabled husband is, but in one of the outbuildings of the farm, like a bathhouse. Such girly gatherings, to chat about this and that, to cry in a vest over a bottle of wine (two, three, as it goes). Whine about "and I loved him", proclaim that we are the best and no one is better than us, and he will regret it. In general, you know.
And so, Rachel finds Bella dead. No, it's definitely suicide, there is also a note explaining that the girlfriend is leaving because she can't do it anymore. And a little later, Bella's date of birth pops up, 1943. And instant calculations lead to a state of culture shock. We are reading a novelty from Eksmo, and it turns out that the lady is under eighty. Not the age at which a woman is physically capable of caring for a non-walking disabled person, not to mention drinking with a friend. And Rachel, in truth, is puzzling, it's one thing to communicate in this style with an older friend, quite another with a woman who is old enough to be your grandmother.
So, if you remember that this novel is the first of ten books by Ann Cleaves about detective Vera Stanhope and it was written at the end of the last century, everything falls into place. A woman who is a little over fifty is still in force and is quite suitable for such stupidities, and the themes of trauma and family violence that have been imposed on her teeth today were acute at the beginning of the century. By the way, this series of prolific (38 novels to date) writer formed the basis of the series "Vera", in case you like detective series.
Каркнул Ворон: "Nevermore"
Сорока, ворона, кашу варила
Деток кормила.
Этому дала, этому дала, этому дала,
А этому не дала - не дала - не дала!
То важное, что стоит помнить человеку, который соберется читать "Ловушку для ворона" — книга вышла в 1999 году, следовательно. написана еще раньше. Дело даже не в том, что четвертьвековая разница с текущей датой сильно меняет ситуацию: компьютер в тогдашних понятиях агрегат исключительно для работы; мобильный телефон диковинка, к тому же бесполезная в сельской глуши; ни о каких соцсетях, сетевых форумах с возможностью делиться проблемами и информацией, не идет речи по определению.
Главное — шок от возраста героинь в привязке к дате рождения. Вот смотрите. в самом начале книги молодая женщина Рэйчел навещает подругу. Встречаются они традиционно не в доме Беллы, где, муж-инвалид Даги, а в одной из надворных построек фермы, вроде баньки. Такие девчачьи посиделки, поболтать о том, о сем, поплакаться в жилетку за бутылкой вина (двумя, тремя, как пойдет). Поныть на тему "а я его любила", провозгласить, что мы лучше всех и никто не лучше нас, а он еще пожалеет. В общем, вы знаете.
И вот, Рэйчел находит Беллу мертвой. Нет, это точно самоубийство, есть и записка, поясняющая, что подруга уходит, потому что больше так не может. А чуть позже всплывает дата рождения Беллы, 1943 год. И мгновенные вычисления приводят в состояние культурного шока. Мы же читаем новинку от Эксмо, и по всему выходит, что даме под восемьдесят. Не тот возраст, в котором женщина физически способна ухаживать за неходячим инвалидом, не говоря уж о пь��нках с подругой. Да и Рэйчел, по правде, вызывает недоумение, одно дело общаться в таком стиле со старшей подругой, совсем другое с женщиной, которая годится тебе в бабушки.
Так вот, если помнить, что этот роман первая из десяти книг Энн Кливз о детективе Вере Стенхоуп и написана она в конце прошлого века, все встает на места. Женщина, которой немного за пятьдесят, еще в силе и вполне подходит для подобных благоглупостей, а темы травмы, и семейного насилия, сегодня навязшие в зубах — в начале века были остроактуальными. Кстати, эта серия плодовитой (38 романов на сегодняшний день) писательницы легла в основу сериала "Вера", на случай, если вы любите детективные сериалы.
Теперь "о чем". Три очень разные женщины поселяются в домишке посреди леса, неподалеку от заброшенного карьера, промышленную разработку которого собираются возобновить средствами современной техники. Их задача — экспертное заключение о ценности ареала с точки зрения природоохраны: наличие растений-эндемиков, популяция животных и птиц, которой строительство может повредить.
Рэйчел, формальному руководителю проекта, двадцать восемь и она с трудом оправляется от последствий неудачного романа со своим нынешним работодателем. Несколько лет назад оба были молодыми учеными, работавшими на Фонд помощи дикой природе. Когда Питер ушел со стабил��ной работы на вольные хлеба консалтинговой компании, она встала с ним плечом к плечу, поддержала, стала научным сотрудником, лаборанткой, секретаршей, уборщицей, блин. Когда Питер опубликовал под своим именем ее методику подсчет, стерпела и промолчала. Разумеется, ради любви. А когда возлюбленный шеф, он же перспективный молодой ученый-бизнесмен, женился на дамочке, принадлежащей к более высокому классу — утерлась.
Энн за сорок и внешне похожа она на, только не смейтесь, Камиллу Паркер Боулз, относиться к которой можно как угодно, но отказать ей в невероятной сексапильности нельзя. Вот Энн такая же. Замужем за геем, который не счел нужным сообщить ей о своей ориентации до брака. Амбициозна и стремится к богатству, но авантюрист-муженек, похоже, скоро потеряет унаследованное от предков небольшое поместье. Лидер по натуре, Энн выступает выразителем народных настроений при известии о возможном возобновлении строительства, чем обращает на себя внимание главы компании- разработчика и... вступает с ним в тайную греховную связь. При том, что у мужика красотка-жена из респектабельной семьи, рядом с которой Энн выглядит потрепанной теткой (ничего не напоминает?) Она не ученый, но прошла скоренько курс и работает здесь как волонтер.
Грейс, самая молодая и самая закрытая из троих, в детстве пережила тяжелую травму, обнаружив тело матери, которая повесилась на поясе от халата. Грейс, которая после кочевала из одной приемной семьи в другую. Девочку, сторонившуюся любых форм физической близости и производящую впечатление снулой рыбки, помешанной к тому же на порядке, отвергали одна за другой пары приемных родителей. И, как это часто бывает с людьми, которые не могут встроиться в социум, она очень хороша с животными ("Чем лучше я узнаю людей, тем больше люблю животных"). А между тем, по праву рождения могла бы претендовать на куда более высокое место в социальной иерархии, отец ее из семьи местных лордов-землевладельцев.
И вот, в один недобрый вечер одна из женщин найдена убитой. Следователю Вере Стенхоуп предстоит расплести хитро и туго запутанный клубок перекрестных связей. Хорошо, но действие постоянно пробуксовывает, а отсутствие динамики триллеру не на пользу.
The main thing is the shock of the age of the heroines in relation to the date of birth. Look here. at the very beginning of the book, a young woman, Rachel, visits a friend. They traditionally meet not in Bella's house, where Dougie's disabled husband is, but in one of the outbuildings of the farm, like a bathhouse. Such girly gatherings, to chat about this and that, to cry in a vest over a bottle of wine (two, three, as it goes). Whine about "and I loved him", proclaim that we are the best and no one is better than us, and he will regret it. In general, you know.
And so, Rachel finds Bella dead. No, it's definitely suicide, there is also a note explaining that the girlfriend is leaving because she can't do it anymore. And a little later, Bella's date of birth pops up, 1943. And instant calculations lead to a state of culture shock. We are reading a novelty from Eksmo, and it turns out that the lady is under eighty. Not the age at which a woman is physically capable of caring for a non-walking disabled person, not to mention drinking with a friend. And Rachel, in truth, is puzzling, it's one thing to communicate in this style with an older friend, quite another with a woman who is old enough to be your grandmother.
So, if you remember that this novel is the first of ten books by Ann Cleaves about detective Vera Stanhope and it was written at the end of the last century, everything falls into place. A woman who is a little over fifty is still in force and is quite suitable for such stupidities, and the themes of trauma and family violence that have been imposed on her teeth today were acute at the beginning of the century. By the way, this series of prolific (38 novels to date) writer formed the basis of the series "Vera", in case you like detective series.
Каркнул Ворон: "Nevermore"
Сорока, ворона, кашу варила
Деток кормила.
Этому дала, этому дала, этому дала,
А этому не дала - не дала - не дала!
То важное, что стоит помнить человеку, который соберется читать "Ловушку для ворона" — книга вышла в 1999 году, следовательно. написана еще раньше. Дело даже не в том, что четвертьвековая разница с текущей датой сильно меняет ситуацию: компьютер в тогдашних понятиях агрегат исключительно для работы; мобильный телефон диковинка, к тому же бесполезная в сельской глуши; ни о каких соцсетях, сетевых форумах с возможностью делиться проблемами и информацией, не идет речи по определению.
Главное — шок от возраста героинь в привязке к дате рождения. Вот смотрите. в самом начале книги молодая женщина Рэйчел навещает подругу. Встречаются они традиционно не в доме Беллы, где, муж-инвалид Даги, а в одной из надворных построек фермы, вроде баньки. Такие девчачьи посиделки, поболтать о том, о сем, поплакаться в жилетку за бутылкой вина (двумя, тремя, как пойдет). Поныть на тему "а я его любила", провозгласить, что мы лучше всех и никто не лучше нас, а он еще пожалеет. В общем, вы знаете.
И вот, Рэйчел находит Беллу мертвой. Нет, это точно самоубийство, есть и записка, поясняющая, что подруга уходит, потому что больше так не может. А чуть позже всплывает дата рождения Беллы, 1943 год. И мгновенные вычисления приводят в состояние культурного шока. Мы же читаем новинку от Эксмо, и по всему выходит, что даме под восемьдесят. Не тот возраст, в котором женщина физически способна ухаживать за неходячим инвалидом, не говоря уж о пь��нках с подругой. Да и Рэйчел, по правде, вызывает недоумение, одно дело общаться в таком стиле со старшей подругой, совсем другое с женщиной, которая годится тебе в бабушки.
Так вот, если помнить, что этот роман первая из десяти книг Энн Кливз о детективе Вере Стенхоуп и написана она в конце прошлого века, все встает на места. Женщина, которой немного за пятьдесят, еще в силе и вполне подходит для подобных благоглупостей, а темы травмы, и семейного насилия, сегодня навязшие в зубах — в начале века были остроактуальными. Кстати, эта серия плодовитой (38 романов на сегодняшний день) писательницы легла в основу сериала "Вера", на случай, если вы любите детективные сериалы.
Теперь "о чем". Три очень разные женщины поселяются в домишке посреди леса, неподалеку от заброшенного карьера, промышленную разработку которого собираются возобновить средствами современной техники. Их задача — экспертное заключение о ценности ареала с точки зрения природоохраны: наличие растений-эндемиков, популяция животных и птиц, которой строительство может повредить.
Рэйчел, формальному руководителю проекта, двадцать восемь и она с трудом оправляется от последствий неудачного романа со своим нынешним работодателем. Несколько лет назад оба были молодыми учеными, работавшими на Фонд помощи дикой природе. Когда Питер ушел со стабил��ной работы на вольные хлеба консалтинговой компании, она встала с ним плечом к плечу, поддержала, стала научным сотрудником, лаборанткой, секретаршей, уборщицей, блин. Когда Питер опубликовал под своим именем ее методику подсчет, стерпела и промолчала. Разумеется, ради любви. А когда возлюбленный шеф, он же перспективный молодой ученый-бизнесмен, женился на дамочке, принадлежащей к более высокому классу — утерлась.
Энн за сорок и внешне похожа она на, только не смейтесь, Камиллу Паркер Боулз, относиться к которой можно как угодно, но отказать ей в невероятной сексапильности нельзя. Вот Энн такая же. Замужем за геем, который не счел нужным сообщить ей о своей ориентации до брака. Амбициозна и стремится к богатству, но авантюрист-муженек, похоже, скоро потеряет унаследованное от предков небольшое поместье. Лидер по натуре, Энн выступает выразителем народных настроений при известии о возможном возобновлении строительства, чем обращает на себя внимание главы компании- разработчика и... вступает с ним в тайную греховную связь. При том, что у мужика красотка-жена из респектабельной семьи, рядом с которой Энн выглядит потрепанной теткой (ничего не напоминает?) Она не ученый, но прошла скоренько курс и работает здесь как волонтер.
Грейс, самая молодая и самая закрытая из троих, в детстве пережила тяжелую травму, обнаружив тело матери, которая повесилась на поясе от халата. Грейс, которая после кочевала из одной приемной семьи в другую. Девочку, сторонившуюся любых форм физической близости и производящую впечатление снулой рыбки, помешанной к тому же на порядке, отвергали одна за другой пары приемных родителей. И, как это часто бывает с людьми, которые не могут встроиться в социум, она очень хороша с животными ("Чем лучше я узнаю людей, тем больше люблю животных"). А между тем, по праву рождения могла бы претендовать на куда более высокое место в социальной иерархии, отец ее из семьи местных лордов-землевладельцев.
И вот, в один недобрый вечер одна из женщин найдена убитой. Следователю Вере Стенхоуп предстоит расплести хитро и туго запутанный клубок перекрестных связей. Хорошо, но действие постоянно пробуксовывает, а отсутствие динамики триллеру не на пользу.
July 20, 2021
I was thoroughly engaged with this first in the Vera series, even though she appeared late in the story. I have watched all of Vera tv series and found the book character of Vera to be well represented by Brenda Blethyn. She is such a quirky character with a background that is slowly coming to light. Her detective work solving murders is unique and I am definitely a fan, looking forward to reading the rest of the books!
October 25, 2020
Bring on the Vera!
I didn't fly through this mystery in the way I normally do. It's got quite a chilled pace and it's fairly long. Normally that would bug me, but I actually really enjoyed that, it didn't feel like it was rushing. The ending wasn't mind blowing or anything, but I enjoyed the journey so much that I didn't mind at all 😊
I didn't fly through this mystery in the way I normally do. It's got quite a chilled pace and it's fairly long. Normally that would bug me, but I actually really enjoyed that, it didn't feel like it was rushing. The ending wasn't mind blowing or anything, but I enjoyed the journey so much that I didn't mind at all 😊
April 20, 2021
Is there an editor in the house?
Three women are staying at Baikie’s Cottage to carry out an environmental impact study on land which is earmarked to be turned into a quarry. Rachael is the leader of the team, and knows the area well – her friend Bella lives on the neighbouring farm. She knows Bella loves her life in this harsh landscape so when she arrives only to find Bella dead, hanged in the barn, she finds it hard to accept the official verdict of suicide. The other two women on the team are strangers to Rachael and to each other. Anne is an extrovert, and has had a string of affairs, most recently with the man who wants to turn the land into a quarry. Grace is the complete opposite – introverted, quiet, clearly unhappy. When a body is found on the land, it will be up to Inspector Vera Stanhope and her right-hand man Joe Ashworth to work out motives and opportunity, and to connect the dots between the murder and Bella’s suicide…
Sometimes I feel like a stuck record, but at well over 500 pages this novel is ridiculously over-long – repetitive and padded to the point where I several times considered abandoning it. The underlying plot is good and Vera is an interesting, if unbelievable, character – another of these detectives one feels would have been quietly shuffled to a desk job long ago since she is incapable of following rules and doesn’t mind putting herself, her colleagues and even members of the public at risk in pursuit of her case. But hey-ho! That’s modern crime fiction for you, and plenty of people seem to like these damaged detectives. At least Vera is functional.
The book starts off well enough, telling of Rachael’s arrival at the cottage, her finding of Bella, and then of the next few days as the three women get to know each other a little. It’s already far too drawn out at this stage, but eventually the body is discovered and we can hope the police procedural element is about to begin. Only for those hopes to be dashed! Back we go to the very beginning, this time following Anne through those same few days, learning more about her life, and seeing things from her perspective. And then… you’ve guessed, haven’t you… we do it all again, this time in the company of Grace. It’s not that any of the three women’s stories are uninteresting in their own right, but to cover the same period again and again had me feeling as if I was in Groundhog Day.
Finally, about halfway through, this introductory stage is at last over, and Vera arrives on the scene. It picks up a bit after that, although there’s so much backstory about Vera’s life interspersed among the plot that the pace never gets out of second gear. Vera’s method is to set the women up to be bait in the hope the murderer will return, while sending these civilians off to ask questions of suspects and bring her back the information. Extremely odd method of policing, far more suited to the Golden Age of the amateur detective than the modern police procedural. However, it’s reasonably enjoyable, and well written.
Overall, I can’t say this one thrilled me much – a crime novel requires far more plot and less repetition to hold my interest for so long. However I see that the next book is considerably shorter (though still longer than a crime novel should be) so hopefully Cleeves reined in her desire to cover every detail three times. I’d consider reading more of them, but I fear Cleeves, with two less than enthusiastic reviews out of three from me so far, is perhaps never going to make it onto my must-read list. Given her huge popularity, I don’t expect that will bother her much!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Three women are staying at Baikie’s Cottage to carry out an environmental impact study on land which is earmarked to be turned into a quarry. Rachael is the leader of the team, and knows the area well – her friend Bella lives on the neighbouring farm. She knows Bella loves her life in this harsh landscape so when she arrives only to find Bella dead, hanged in the barn, she finds it hard to accept the official verdict of suicide. The other two women on the team are strangers to Rachael and to each other. Anne is an extrovert, and has had a string of affairs, most recently with the man who wants to turn the land into a quarry. Grace is the complete opposite – introverted, quiet, clearly unhappy. When a body is found on the land, it will be up to Inspector Vera Stanhope and her right-hand man Joe Ashworth to work out motives and opportunity, and to connect the dots between the murder and Bella’s suicide…
Sometimes I feel like a stuck record, but at well over 500 pages this novel is ridiculously over-long – repetitive and padded to the point where I several times considered abandoning it. The underlying plot is good and Vera is an interesting, if unbelievable, character – another of these detectives one feels would have been quietly shuffled to a desk job long ago since she is incapable of following rules and doesn’t mind putting herself, her colleagues and even members of the public at risk in pursuit of her case. But hey-ho! That’s modern crime fiction for you, and plenty of people seem to like these damaged detectives. At least Vera is functional.
The book starts off well enough, telling of Rachael’s arrival at the cottage, her finding of Bella, and then of the next few days as the three women get to know each other a little. It’s already far too drawn out at this stage, but eventually the body is discovered and we can hope the police procedural element is about to begin. Only for those hopes to be dashed! Back we go to the very beginning, this time following Anne through those same few days, learning more about her life, and seeing things from her perspective. And then… you’ve guessed, haven’t you… we do it all again, this time in the company of Grace. It’s not that any of the three women’s stories are uninteresting in their own right, but to cover the same period again and again had me feeling as if I was in Groundhog Day.
Finally, about halfway through, this introductory stage is at last over, and Vera arrives on the scene. It picks up a bit after that, although there’s so much backstory about Vera’s life interspersed among the plot that the pace never gets out of second gear. Vera’s method is to set the women up to be bait in the hope the murderer will return, while sending these civilians off to ask questions of suspects and bring her back the information. Extremely odd method of policing, far more suited to the Golden Age of the amateur detective than the modern police procedural. However, it’s reasonably enjoyable, and well written.
Overall, I can’t say this one thrilled me much – a crime novel requires far more plot and less repetition to hold my interest for so long. However I see that the next book is considerably shorter (though still longer than a crime novel should be) so hopefully Cleeves reined in her desire to cover every detail three times. I’d consider reading more of them, but I fear Cleeves, with two less than enthusiastic reviews out of three from me so far, is perhaps never going to make it onto my must-read list. Given her huge popularity, I don’t expect that will bother her much!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
June 26, 2023
First of all I want to say that I don't like very much procedurals, and I don't like the series "Vera" based on the novels by Ann Cleeves, because I find it too "gloomy", if you understand what I mean. But surprisingly I enjoyed this book, even if it's very slow and more focused on relationships between the characters than on an effective detection.
The first part of the book is no mystery at all; we have the stories of three women: Rachael, Anne and Grace, and we learn from their points of view what's happening in a small village in Northumberland, where it's going to be open a quarry. The three women are doing an environmental survey to see if the quarry can be of damage and there are a lot of intetests involved in their results.
But then someone got killed and arrives on the scene a fourth woman: detective Vera Stanhope, who spent her childhood in those places and that is determined to discover the truth.
The first part of the book is no mystery at all; we have the stories of three women: Rachael, Anne and Grace, and we learn from their points of view what's happening in a small village in Northumberland, where it's going to be open a quarry. The three women are doing an environmental survey to see if the quarry can be of damage and there are a lot of intetests involved in their results.
But then someone got killed and arrives on the scene a fourth woman: detective Vera Stanhope, who spent her childhood in those places and that is determined to discover the truth.
December 20, 2011
This, the first of the Vera Stanhope mysteries, could have benefited from a little editing. At over 500 pages, with Vera not even appearing until after the first 200 pages, it was overlong. In the book, three women come together to investigate the possible effect on wildlife a new quarry operation would have. They, as well as Vera, are from the area and the plot swirls around the various relationships of members of the community. The complicated plot sorts itself out at the end of the book in a very satisfying manner, as Cleeve's books always do. I've read #2 and #3 in the series already, so I was willing to go along for the ride on this. I'm not sure I would have stuck with it if it were the first Vera book I'd read. I wouldn't recommend that anyone new to the series start here...start with "Telling Tales," #2 in the series, and then either work your way forward or back.
October 21, 2019
Lately I've been reading mysteries that I really enjoy.....until it gets close to the resolution, when I kind of lose interest. I loved this book for the first 3/4. It was very much a character study of all of the major players. It was my first of this author's work, and this is the first of one of her mystery series, which became the tv series "Vera". I enjoyed the writing, the setting (British countryside), and the characters, and will continue with the series. The murderer was a real surprise!
Still, though, maybe it's just my mood, but the focus on the crime and the perpetrator toward the end is just not where I want my head to be lol. Totally not the author's fault though, so I gave it a full four stars.
The audio performance was also terrific. I will probably at least try the tv series, although I feel like I did try it years ago and didn't love it. If it's more about the village than the crime, it may work for me.
Still, though, maybe it's just my mood, but the focus on the crime and the perpetrator toward the end is just not where I want my head to be lol. Totally not the author's fault though, so I gave it a full four stars.
The audio performance was also terrific. I will probably at least try the tv series, although I feel like I did try it years ago and didn't love it. If it's more about the village than the crime, it may work for me.
June 17, 2020
Well I must be the only 1 who hasn’t seen this series on tv! I’m glad though because I really enjoyed this book & im excited for a new series. I was looking for someone to fill in the Frieda Klein shape void left in my heart & think this Vera might just do!😂
May 21, 2017
Hmmm... How to rate and review this one? There was nothing that I hated about it but nothing that was exceptionally compelling to read either.
This book took me forever to read. It was one of the ones that I kept reading, and reading, and reading and never seeming to get any closer to the end. At times, I forgot what the mystery was about; I forgot the plot line and had to read the blurb to remind myself it was a murder mystery.
But at the same time, I kept reading and reading. Again, nothing to hate about it. Some parts were even engaging. But, really, it was just WAY too long. I generally enjoy having details about the characters, setting, etc. But Cleeves overdoes it, giving minute details about people, places, and minor events, that contribute little to the story, and where these extraneous details detract from the reading of the book overall.
Strangely, at some point I think I might pick-up the next book in the series because I am curious where it goes. But, after book 1, book 2 of this series is not one that I would ever clamour to look up and read. Then again, maybe I will cheat and just get the TV versions on DVD from my library...
This book took me forever to read. It was one of the ones that I kept reading, and reading, and reading and never seeming to get any closer to the end. At times, I forgot what the mystery was about; I forgot the plot line and had to read the blurb to remind myself it was a murder mystery.
But at the same time, I kept reading and reading. Again, nothing to hate about it. Some parts were even engaging. But, really, it was just WAY too long. I generally enjoy having details about the characters, setting, etc. But Cleeves overdoes it, giving minute details about people, places, and minor events, that contribute little to the story, and where these extraneous details detract from the reading of the book overall.
Strangely, at some point I think I might pick-up the next book in the series because I am curious where it goes. But, after book 1, book 2 of this series is not one that I would ever clamour to look up and read. Then again, maybe I will cheat and just get the TV versions on DVD from my library...
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