Ann Cleeves has written yet another brillinat novel full of suspense and intrigue. Vera is back in a gripping and unputdownalble next instyallemnt in the series

This story is at times clever, and at times plodding and mundane, a bit like Vera herself. This murder mystery, set in Holy Island of Lindisfarne, begins with the reunion of five old school friends, fifty years on from their first meeting on the island as young school leavers. They have met every five years since, in the same retreat, and follow the same activities. They are a diverse group of people, of both sexes, with some strong characters amongst them, and not necessarily people you would expect to be friends. On their first night, one of them is murdered., Vera and her team are called to investigate
Whilst I enjoyed this novel, I was not wild about it. I’ve read all the Vera novels to date, and watched the tv series. The characterisation of Vera herself is not what I expected. She comes across as heartless and cold, and extremely manipulative and dismissive of her younger, very loyal colleagues, Joe and Holly. At times she is downright dislikable, but perhaps that was the author’s intention. Contrast that with how she is when speaking to witnesses, when she is friendly and cosy, calling everyone ‘pet’ I did not like this Vera at all.
There is much to- ing and fro-ing across the causeway to Holy Island, depending on tides. As the narrative progresses, more characters are introduced, who may or may not have something to do with the central story.
I did not feel the magic of Holy Island, or it’s spirituality, as I have with other novels set there.
There was too much introspection from Vera, and also from Joe, her young DS, and Holly, her younger DC. This introduced a depressing and jarring note into the narrative, especially as Vera seemed to have very little awareness of how her attitude impacted on her younger colleagues. This rather spoiled the storyline for me.
I was not convinced by how Vera solved the murders, or the identity of the murderer, or the motive behind the crimes.
This is a 3.5 star for me, rounded up to 4.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

I would have abandoned this book the minute the "false sexual assault allegation" came up, but I wanted to know if I was right about the murderer (I wasn't). This was the first Vera book I've read (thought I'm a faithful fan of the TV series), and I've come to the surprising conclusion that the television version is better. Vera comes across as crass and unfeeling in the book, and the incessant fat-shaming was annoying. Plus, the pacing was very, very slow, with frequent detours into the private thoughts of various characters.

I'm deeply disappointed by the author using a false allegation trope as a plot device. We all know how difficult it is for women to be believed in the first place, and false allegations are rare. I think I'm going to stick to the TV version of this series!

(Review copy from NetGalley)

I love Vera and Ann Cleeves doesn't disappoint with this gripping read. Lindisfarne is the setting for this mystery. A suicide but as usual Vera has her doubts. Ann weaves such a great plot that even though this is number 10 in the series, it is fresh and compelling, plenty of twists and turns to keep any avid reader happy!!! Vera is such a brilliant character beautifully observed.....as is her long suffering sidekick DS Joe Ashcroft. As always danger and tragedy vie for our attention and sympathy. I loved this book!!!

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves
I had recently read and enjoyed The Darkest Evening which is the 9th book in the Vera series and wondered whether Ann Cleeves could do it again with book 10. You know you are in safe hands from the outset. The novel opens with a group of friends meeting in their usual venue on Lindisfarne Island. They have been gathering every 5 years since a school visit to Holy Island when they were all just 18 years old.
Each person has slotted into their usual role and during the evening one of the party (A disgraced TV personality let go because of stories circulating about inappropriate behaviour.) gets very drunk and falls into bed having told them he is planning a book which will reveal hidden truths from the past. By the morning he is dead, apparently by his own hand.
Vera is about to attend a literary festival where her friend and neighbour will be talking about her latest book but as soon as she receives the called from Joe Ashworth we know she will be staying to clear up the mystery on Holy Island. Pressure is put to bear on Vera by Superintendent Watkins who has little hands on experience but wants the case solved quickly and with as little publicity as possible. Vera, working with DC Holly Clarke and DS Joe Ashworth, becomes convinced that the reason for the death is linked to the past and begins to delve deep into their histories.
Having just holidayed in this area and driven across the causeway to Holy Island I was fascinated by how well the author she evoked that feeling as you drive across the narrow strip of land through the sea. The novel drips with atmosphere and the way Holy Island can be completely cut off by the tide transform it into a location of ominous mists and fogs.
Vera is a wonderful investigator and the fact that she can be mistaken for a bag lady or at one point an interviewee for a cleaning job lead people to underestimate her capabilities. She is resolute, instinctive and careless for her own well-being as she pursues leads in this complicated story. This is an excellent crime series and even if you have not read any of the other stories you can read each one as a stand-alone.
Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

DCI Vera Stanhope is so unlikely as a police detective that there is an element of how she is still where she is. Her bluntness, her untidiness, her lack of seeming care for her Sergeant and Constables under her are all forgiven in her dogged determination to get to the truth and have justice for everyone involved in whatever case she might be in.

In this the tenth and latest novel from Ann Cleeves, Vera finds herself stuck between friends, stuck between the past and the present, stuck between the mainland and Holy Island, stuck between the truth and the lies.

A group of college friends, every five years get together for a reunion on Holy Island. It’s a celebration of that very first trip, but also it is much deeper than that. Friendships, partnerships and marriages have come and gone. On that first reunion, of them died after being stuck in the rising tide. Now some fifty years later they are gathered again.

This time there is another body.

What are these friends hiding?

Will Vera be able to stop the tide turning?

As ever this closely plotted book shows all the eccentricities of Vera as well as the determination of her team DS Joe Ashworth, Vera’s stalwart side kick and Holly, the DC who wants to be recognised fore all the hard work that she does because she feels overlooked by her hero – Vera.

You cannot go wrong with Vera and I love her portrayal in the books as much as her portrayal on the television. I hope there is more to come.

Once again Ann Cleeves gives us what we didn’t know we wanted. There’s a literary twist and heartbreak awaiting in Vera’s latest outing. The atmospheric and timeless setting of Lindisfarne or Holy Island makes for instant drama. A group of friends meet for their five year reunion but one of them won’t survive the night. Vera is there with her sharp brain and professional team but this mystery resists untangling. There’s a breathless denouement and a grim aftermath. Clever, clever and devastating.

This was another great book from a great author - one who is fast becoming one of my favourites. It took no time at all for me to be drawn into the story, and once again I felt as if I was watching an episode of Vera as I was reading along. I can't wait for the next one.

I enjoyed Vera's latest case. Nothing like a bit of escape for a couple of days. However, I was disappointed Ann Cleeves doesn't know the difference between the Coastguard and the Lifeboat. As someone who volunteers for the Coastguard in Jimmy Perez land, her handling of this part of the story was really sloppy and incorrect. A little bit of research would have resolved this.

Ann Cleeves's latest DI Vera Stanhope is a chilling and shocker of an addition to her wonderful Northumberland set series. Vera is all too excited when she is informed of a 'suicide' on the beautiful and windswept Holy Island, she is desperate for it to be a murder and acts accordingly, one should be careful what one wishes for. At the Pilgrim's House retreat, 5 friends have been meeting for 50 years, celebrating their first meeting as teenagers, students at Kimmerston Grammar, when they had bonded so strongly and remembering Isobel Hall, lost to the rising tide across the causeway. Philip Robson is a priest, Ken Hampton is a ex-headteacher, now suffering from dementia, looked after by his highly competent and well organised wife, Louise, Annie Laidler is part owner of the popular Bread and Olives, and celebrity former journalist, Rick Kelsall, has been sacked after sexual assault complaints from an intern.

As they drink and tell stories, Rick is remarkably upbeat, he has plans in the pipeline, but by the morning he is dead, and Vera is to be proved right when his 'suicide' turns out to be a case of murder, one which attracts the attention of the media. This adds to the pressure passed down by Superintendent Watkins that is faced by Vera, and her well established team of family man DS Joe Ashworth and DC Holly Clarke. Vera is certain the past, the history between these friends, is relevant, although her team are less convinced, but she is their boss and what she says goes. So along with delving into the complaints made about Rick recently, secrets from the past are set to be revealed as the team interview others who are part of the picture, including Rick's ex-wife Charlotte, retired teacher Judith Marshall, Annie's ex-husband, Daniel Rede, local boy made good with his exclusive holiday developments along the stunning coast, and his partner, PCC Katherine Willmore.

Cleeves turns the location of Holy Island, that simply drips with atmosphere, into a wonderful central background character, popular with tourists, with its menacing mists and fogs, and the dangers of the rising tide. Vera is a star of a protagonist, overweight, with a shambolic appearance that has her giving off the vibes of a bag lady, and here she is mistaken as a cleaner, not that it bothers her in the slightest. She is tenacious, intuitive, although a little too careless of her own safety as she follows leads in this most challenging and tragic of investigations. This is a brilliant crime series, and if you have never read it, I strongly urge you to give it a try. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Ann Cleeves is undoubtedly the current queen of English detective fiction ; the Vera series is an established detective / police procedural and each new book feels like a return to,familiar friends albeit laced with death.After so many books it would be easy to take the books for granted but each Vera, story is an event and this story is full of drama and tragedy intertwined with the indomitable spirit of the chief detective. This story is based around a reunion of a group of friends - now in their 60s - and the supposed suicide of one of them on the Holy island. The detail to characters and life’s challenges are what make Ann Cleeves such a great writer. No spoiler but this book leaves the reader following twists and turns and delivers a punch or two. Long may Vera reign our queen of fictional detectives

This was a brilliant read. Vera Stanhope is my absolute favourite fictional detective and I was so excited to read this latest outing for her. As usual, Ann Cleeves is superb in the way she crafts her characters and plot together to create an engrossing mystery.
The setting is key in The Rising Tide as the mysterious death takes place on the Island of Lindisfarne thereby creating a version of a locked room mystery. The death appears to be suicide but Vera’s suspicious mind wants more investigation carried out and as always, she is right.
There are two sets of characters, the group of old school friends who gather on the island for a 5 yearly reunion and Vera and her team. Both sets of people are brilliantly written as we learn more about the relationships between the group of suspects as well as the police colleagues. Ann Cleeves’ characterisation is second to none and her characters really come to life making us really involved as the events unfold. The mystery twists and turns and the suspense builds right to the end with an unforgettable conclusion.
I loved this and can’t wait for the next outing for Vera and her team.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Pan Macmillan, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When a group of 6th form students spent a weekend on a retreat on Holy Island in the 1970’s they formed a bond that would last a lifetime. 50 years later they are still meeting up there every 5 years to remember the past and look to the future.
None of them are expecting this weekend to be any different but when one of the group is found dead in his room everything changes.
DCI Vera Stanhope and her team quickly discover that there are secrets in the past that could unlock the mystery in the present but only if the remaining members of the group will stop hiding things.
Uncovering those secrets will not only be difficult, it could also put more people in danger.
Ann Cleeves waves a tale of intrigue and suspense. The characters are relatable, Vera as always is brilliant, and it leaves you hanging until the last to discover the identity of the killer.

I'm a big fan of both the written Vera and the TV series of Vera Stanhope that is played by the wonderful Brenda Blethyn who portrays her down to a tee.

Ann has a talent for pulling you in from the first page to the last and keeping up the suspense throughout as the layers are unpeeled to reach a satisfying conclusion as well as bringing her characters to life from the page.

This is another cracking edition to an amazing series.

A group of friends meet on Lindisfarne every five years and stay at Pilgrim House. They were all at school together and bonded during a weekend spent on the island in the sixth form. Now in their sixties they reminisce, drink and eat.
Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is due to go to a book festival with her friend and neighbour but a call about an apparent suicide on Lindisfarne gives her an excuse to back out.
This is typical Ann Cleeves with long buried secrets and relationships. Her characters are believable and reading about Vera and 'her boy' Joe is like meeting old friends.
Lots of twists make this a real page turner and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

First things first: I very much enjoyed this book, which is set mainly on Lindisfarne, the tidal island on the coast of Northumbria, a place of spirituality and occasionally danger as we learn of the hazards of its crossing point which is submerged when the tide is high. The scene is that of a gathering of old friends who meet there every few years. One of them is murdered, and as we get to know the individuals better, we are left to puzzle over whether it was the events of many years earlier that hold the key to who is the culprit, or whether it is more to do with the present day and the fact that the victim is rumoured to be guilty of sexual misconduct.

This is the first of Ann Cleeve’s Vera detective stories that I have read, and I enjoyed the book more than the TV series based on the same character. Vera is down to earth, smart, not always likeable, and someone who confesses to enjoying the drama of a crime scene more than day to day socialising.

I found myself absorbed in the book and finished it quickly, always a good sign. That said, when I put the book down at the end I felt a little unsatisfied, partly for plot reasons that I do not want to reveal. On reflection, I also found the writing professional but not exceptional; I would have liked a little more Lindisfarne magic in the descriptions and the prose is ordinary at times.

This is still an excellent read with plenty of compelling characters, the criminal family that was never brought to justice, the clergyman whose faith is in doubt, the successful entrepreneur who still feels the burden of a supposedly inferior social background, and more.

And, so, in the autumn, Vera Stanhope returns to us. She is here to give the dead a voice, to lay their ghosts. Yes, this will not lessen the grief of the grieving or fill the void left by a life unlived. But, but still, she needs to know and we need to know, to find, order, to seek an explanation amongst the chaos that surrounds us. Ann Cleeves fills Vera with warmth and energy, an empathy rooted in the neglect Vera suffered as a child, and a need to explain the cruel senselessness, the casual violence, and the callous disregard, she encounters in her work as a detective. These books are not mere parlour games, puzzles to be solved and forgotten, they bear witness to the loss, the ties that bind us to others, the broken relationships, the hidden secrets that haunt our lives. And so, a world is built, a complex depiction of the present and its deep roots in the darkness of the past. This beautifully constructed world is then bent to breaking point by a sudden tragedy and, we, we follow Vera and her colleagues, particularly Holly, and Joe, as they examine the passions hidden, deep below, seemingly still lives.

The Rising Tide is set on Holy Island, Lindisfarne, an island joined to the mainland by a causeway, and the ancient pilgrim route across the sands, but a true island when the sea drowns the crossing at high tide. In half a century, how many tides have covered the road in fresh sand, how many bright moons have sailed across the sky and sunk beneath the waves. Fifty years ago, a small group of students from the local secondary school, led by their teacher, Judith Marshall, spent a memorable weekend on the island. She was barely older than the students she taught. Their stay was a kind of retreat, meditation in the small chapel belonging to the religious order that owned Pilgrims' House, where they stayed, spartan accommodation, long walks, exchanges of confidences and bonding exercises, intense conversations, late into the evening. The bonds forged during their stay on Holy Island were to prove so strong, that the group of students organised a reunion, they returned to the island every five years.

The friends who met at the 'Only Connect' weekend have lived a lifetime since their first visit to the Pilgrims' House as teenagers. They have grown up, they have grown apart and they have been drawn together, as the years have swept over their lives.

Rick became a journalist, and later, a television star, though recent accusations of misconduct have cost him his job. Annie married Daniel, but the death of their child drove them apart. Annie now runs the local deli, while Dan is a successful businessman, he modernised his father's campsite, converting the rundown venture into a much sought after resort. Louisa married Ken, both were teachers, but Ken now suffers from dementia. Catherine hadn't even lasted the first weekend, demanding her father come and collect her. Her father and uncle were thought to be local criminals. She became a model, married Rick and for a time both lived in London. But, Rick and Catherine divorced, long ago, she returned home and now, she runs courses in yoga and mindfulness. Philip became a vicar with a parish in London. And, yes, Rick is writing a novel, a novel based on their common history, about events that happened long ago.

The meetings on the island were given have greater poignancy by a shared memory, a tragedy that unites the friends. Louisa had a sister, Isobel, who died at the first reunion, 45 years ago. It was a terrible accident, at least it seemed to be an accident, after an argument with Rick, she had roared off in her car, only to be caught by the rising tide on the causeway, she was swept away, by the freezing water.

And, in the rising of the tide, the restless waves reclaim the road to the Holy Island. Only the tips of the poles lining the Pilgrim's route acknowledge the fragile link to the mainland. Only the refuge towers reveal where the causeway will appear again, when the sea is parted, and it is once more, safe to travel to the island. As the tide turns and the waters recede, a figure can be seen, far out in the water. Her golden hair is braided with green weed, silver fishes slip between her pale feet. Her long white dress heavy with the cold weight of the water, its hem caught by the bright stream of the tides restless pull.

And, as the tide retreats, a smooth layer of golden sand covers the tarmac and delicate shells and purple jellyfish litter the causeway. Oyster catchers dash along this newfound land, small waves softly lap the shores and the breeze is fresh with the tang of salt. Down to the waves, fresh footprints lead, and in the slate-blue waters a swimmer pulls strongly away from the shore. In the surging of the sea the world is ever young, ever made anew, fresh and exhilarating. Soon, too soon, the invisible moon draws the waters back again. Black clouds begin to gather, the gulls keen and gyre in the freshening breeze. And, soon the swimmer's strength is spent and the ageless tide carries him back, back to where it began, on the cold sands where the waters are covering the causeway once more. For, however far we journey, how bright seems the day, the tide is always waiting to drag us back and, suddenly the night is about to fall.

The bells that once called the monks to matins, ring out from the empty towers of the fallen abbey. The white figure walks back towards the rising tide, and soon the trailing hair, now caught by the swirling current, is all there is to see.

The gulls wheel and cry, a mist falls and creeps towards the land. With a spectral call one peels away towards the island, landing on the chimney of the pub, like a lost spirit emerging from the fog. Here, he calls again, and head on one side, he watches a girl, she sits alone in the cab of a Land Rover. An old newspaper caught by the rising breeze bears the photo of a woman, lost to the cold waters, when her car was swept from the causeway.

As the tide falls, the moon breaks free from the heavy cloud, and for a moment, only a moment, we see a line of monks with tapers lit, they bear a coffin over the sands. A clock strikes midnight, and the roof of the abbey falls again, with a roar of flame and a splintering of huge timbers.

At the Pilgrims' House a group of teenagers leaves the chapel and they set out for Emmanuel Head, from this distance, you can just hear their laughter.

The mist falls.

Through the fog, the fox follows the lane to the Pilgrims' House, the light from a window falls across his golden eyes. A shadow behind the curtains staggers beneath the weight of an awkward burden. A flash of light and the fox is gone, lost in the gloom. The island turns in its sleep and shivers at a sudden chill.

A figure stands in the freezing water, his head bent in prayer, the bells of the Abbey are muted by a swirling fog. On the shore, two otters watch, advancing and retreating as the waves break on the beach.

The mist falls.

On the hill above the house the horses stand, blacker than the darkness. Silence, all is quiet, until the sirens shatter the quiet, the blue lights cross the causeway from the mainland, their sirens muffled by the falling fog. A dog barks.

The mist falls.

Only the gentle lapping of the waves easing over the causeway breaks the silence. Then the cooing of a raft of eider ducks in the distance. Pushing through the falling waters, a Land Rover makes its way towards the island.

The mist falls.

On the roof of a former pub the jackdaws hop along the coping stones, and inspect the brickwork on the tall chimney stacks. An audible silence filters up from the room below, as if a sound had suddenly stopped. Now, only the chuck, chuck of the daws can be heard.

A raven croaks, hoarse, the fog shrouds a mystery, the ancient cry of murder, shatters the calm.

And, should you read 'The Rising Tide'? I'm sure you should, and will. If you have read the previous Vera books, this is certainly one of the best. If you are new to Ann Cleeves or even to the Vera series, it is a great place to start. Holy Island is a wonderful setting for a murder mystery, the tide cuts the causeway, isolating the people on the island, though they are only a few metres from the shore. On the Holy Island, an Early Medieval monastery once stood, a church that fell in flames, looted by Norse raiders, rebuild by medieval masons, only to fall again in the Reformation. It was one of the places which stood at the edge of the christian world, a place where the monks fought the demons that roamed the shores. Where scribes received new knowledge from distant sources, from Rome and later from the Islamic world.

Ann Cleeves is an exceptional writer, who breathes life into her characters, they soon seem like familiar friends. This enhances the strength, the power of the storytelling, allowing the reader to understand, and engage with her protagonists, as they experience the brutal shock of a sudden loss. 'The Rising Tide' examines the intense relationship between friends and lovers, the echoes of the distant past, the ties that bind us, the stresses and comforts wrought by the passage of time, time that pushes them apart, then like the tide it drags them back to where they began.

And, on Holy Island, on Holy Island the lights are going out one by one, until only one remains. If we swoop down through the freezing fog of the early hours, the darkest before dawn hours, there she sits a notebook in hand, illuminated by the flickering light of a screen, bright in the darkness. Only you can see the last words, 'The End'.

Lights from the shore catch the fragile frame of a refuge tower, just as the foghorn sounds, just as the fog surrounds the scaffold. Then, of a sudden, the air is full of wing beats and ghostly, ghastly cries. The storm petrels pass over, under and through the structure, like black snow blown on the wind. Mother Carey's chickens, Mary's bird, heralds of the coming storm, the dark spirits from the unsealie court, heralds of the storm to come. Then, as the birds lament and the foghorn calls, for a moment, just a moment, a black shape is caught in the light, motionless on the platform. Then the darkness falls like a curtain being brought down, the storm will come.

Guy Thornton

It was great to read Vera again. Another plot of suspense with its usual twist at the end. Ann Cleeves at her best. Really enjoyed this.

What a wonderful read. I saved this book for a time where I could read it without putting it down too often and I wasn’t disappointed. Ann Cleeves books always have strong plots and a range of characters, with the stalwarts ensuring continuity and a feeling that you’re meeting old friends once again. A definite 5/5 for this book.

Ann Cleeves is so much the master of her craft that it seems somewhat disrespectful to review a book written with such skill, ease and wonderful story telling. Vera Stanhope (yes, she of the television series) is on Lindisfarne to investigate what appears to be a suicide, but on closer inspection by Vera and her team turns into a much more suspicious death. Could this death be linked to another 40 years ago? Could another death soon after also be part of some sort of pattern, and would the killer strike again? This really is consummate story telling and this is yet another of Ann Cleeves’ books that the reader won’t want to put down until the final denouement - masterful!