pnw_michelle's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not great at writing reviews: I just love what I love. I think my review for every Vera Stanhope novel is the same: the characters and relationships feel like REAL PEOPLE. I can never ever figure out whodunit. And I love every minute of it!
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
3.0
Set in the North East of England, this is a lovely guide to the region as it features quite a few known and lesser known landmarks and takes us right up the coast and even to Northumberland with a dabbling in the academic world with Newcastle University and Morpeth library mentioned.
Want to go on the booktrail tour using this book as a guide? - : The Vera Tour
What’s it all about?
The discovery of a young man’s body in a bathtub is something that starts a nightmare for Vera. This is a highly stylized murder and is very strange indeed. His mum Julie discovers him –
Julie stared at him, submerged beneath the bath water, his hair rising like fronds of seaweed towards the surface. She couldn’t see his body because of the flowers.
When a second body is discovered in a similar way in a rock pool at the coast,Vera is keen to find a link between the two murders. Not to mention to explore the group of friends who have discovered the second body. There’s something not quite right about them..
So what does Vera do? Gets straight on the case and starts to investigate taking herself all around the region in the meantime.
The region really is well drawn and evoked here and is particularly enhanced by Ann’s obvious love and care of the Northumberland coast line. We go to Whitely Bay, Seaton Sluice, up the coast to Morpeth, back to Newcastle and of course North Shields. Quite a guide and a good story to boot.
Want to go on the booktrail tour using this book as a guide? - : The Vera Tour
What’s it all about?
The discovery of a young man’s body in a bathtub is something that starts a nightmare for Vera. This is a highly stylized murder and is very strange indeed. His mum Julie discovers him –
Julie stared at him, submerged beneath the bath water, his hair rising like fronds of seaweed towards the surface. She couldn’t see his body because of the flowers.
When a second body is discovered in a similar way in a rock pool at the coast,Vera is keen to find a link between the two murders. Not to mention to explore the group of friends who have discovered the second body. There’s something not quite right about them..
So what does Vera do? Gets straight on the case and starts to investigate taking herself all around the region in the meantime.
The region really is well drawn and evoked here and is particularly enhanced by Ann’s obvious love and care of the Northumberland coast line. We go to Whitely Bay, Seaton Sluice, up the coast to Morpeth, back to Newcastle and of course North Shields. Quite a guide and a good story to boot.
thegel's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
syren1532's review against another edition
4.0
A woman arrives home after a night out and finds her son dead in the bath surrounded by flowers. His sister was in the next room but didn’t hear a thing. No motive can be found for his death. Then a group of people celebrating a birthday find another body - a young woman left in a rock pool and again surrounded by flowers. No connection can be found between the victim. Fantastic read - love the Vera Stanhope series.
merrynhughes's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
drannie's review against another edition
4.0
Reliably excellent. Refreshing to have a detective who is quietly brilliant and not troubled, alcoholic, blah blah etc. Plus, fab setting.
kirstensviews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stagasaurus's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed this. Guessed the solution on page 150 or so, but I enjoy being right, so that was still fun.