Publishers Weekly
01/22/2018
In Cleeves’s captivating third mystery featuring Det. Chief Insp. Vera Stanhope of the Northumberland police (after Telling Tales), Vera and the members of her team look into the murder of teenager Luke Armstrong, who was found strangled in his bathtub. The way Luke’s body was laid out, anointed with perfumed oils and surrounded by wild flowers, suggests a certain respect for the victim. A college student is later discovered on a beach, once again with flowers scattered around the corpse. The two murders appear to be related, but Vera and crew will have to do a lot of digging to determine the exact connection between them. All the players—the suspects, police officers, and surviving relatives of the victims—are fully realized individuals. Vera, a reflective middle-aged woman who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, is particularly vivid. She drinks her beer straight from the bottle and seldom says no to a drop of whisky. Readers will want to devour the entire series just for the pleasure of spending time in Vera’s complex and inviting world. Agent: Sarah Menguc, Sarah Menguc Literary (U.K.). (Jan.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Ann Cleeves:
"Captivating...Readers will want to devour the entire series just for the pleasure of spending time in Vera's complex and inviting world."—Publishers Weekly
"Hidden Depths is a subtle, nuanced book, and Cleeves draws her characters with care and compassion. The landscape of rural Northumberland is vividly evoked and Inspector Stanhope—overweight, fallible, and driven by personal demons—is a terrific central character." —Tribune
"Hidden Depths is another classic, traditional crime novel in a contemporary setting by Ann Cleeves, winner of last year's Duncan Lawrie Dagger... The story follows each of the main characters in turn, but it is fat, lonely Vera, awkward with her staff and unaware that they are frightened of her, who makes the biggest impression in this skilfully crafted mystery"—Sunday Telegraph
"Cleeves sets a good scene, this time in Northumberland during a heatwave, and she brings a large cast to life, shifting points of view between bereaved relatives, victims, and suspects in a straightforward, satisfyingly traditional detective novel." —Jessica Mann, The Literary Review
"It's a dark, interesting novel with considerable emotional force behind it." —Andrew Taylor, The Spectator
"Cleeves's softly, softly approach delivers a powerful punch." —Peter Guttridge, The Observer
“I do love Vera!” —Val McDermid
“Nothing short of riveting." —Louise Penny
APRIL 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Anne Dover does a sublime job portraying Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope in the third installment of this eight-part series. When Julie Armstrong returns home from a night out, she’s horrified to find her son, Luke, drowned in the bathtub and covered with flowers. Convincing descriptions of the majestic Northumberland seaside; the overweight, poorly dressed, alcoholic Stanhope; and her fit, dapper assistant, Joe Ashworth, paint vivid pictures for listeners. Dover is at her most moving as the grieving mother who blames herself and as the tough but compassionate policewoman. The two partners, Stanhope’s and Ashworth, have immense respect for each other, and Dover captures it in their dialogue. Listeners will be further engaged by hearing Stanhope’s thoughts and the resolute questioning of secretive suspects as the story zeroes in on an unexpected but logical perpetrator. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
