The Book
The Crow Trap is the
first book in Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope series—which is now a major ITV
detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn, VERA.
Three very different women come together at isolated Baikie's Cottage on
the North Pennines, to complete an environmental survey. Three women
who each know the meaning of betrayal ...Rachael, the team leader, is
still reeling after a double betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp.
Anne, a botanist, sees the survey as a chance to indulge in a little
deception of her own. And then there is Grace, a strange,
uncommunicative young woman, hiding plenty of her own secrets.
Rachael
is the first to arrive at the cottage, where she discovers the body of
her friend, Bella Furness. Bella, it appears, has committed suicide—a
verdict Rachael refuses to accept. When another death occurs, a fourth
woman enters the picture—the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera
Stanhope ...Also available in the Vera Stanhope series are Telling
Tales, Hidden Depths, Silent Voices and The Glass Room. Ann Cleeves'
Shetland series (BBC television drama SHETLAND) contains five titles, of
which Dead Water is the most recent.
A Reader's Opinion
This is the first in the Vera Stanhope series by the very
talented Ann Cleeves. It's now been made into a successful TV drama. I've never
seen it, but my son live's next-door to the actress who plays Vera, so I got
curious enough to buy the book.
It's a very well written story about the murder of a young
conservationist, Grace, and her father Edmund. The best thing about the book is
the setting. The countryside and wildlife of the North Pennines are described
beautifully.
Grace was living in an old farm house donated to the
Wildlife Trust when the last owner, Constance Baikie, passed away, with two
other women conservationists. Their purpose was to write an environmental
impact report to help decide whether a proposed quarry could be dug into the
area. There are many people against the idea, and many people that would gain
financially from the quarry, but who would gain the most if the environmental
impact report couldn't be finished, or the results were fake? The brilliantly
written character Inspector Vera Stanhope and her sidekick, Ashworth, will be
investigating.
This was a great, all round, book with everything from
murder scenes, family secrets and comedy. Highly recommended. I give it four
stars out of five.
—Review by Yolanda
THANK YOU FOR VISITING TODAY. WE HOPE TO YOU SEE AGAIN SOON.
