What a treat is to read a novel about Vera Stanhope again! Let's start, pets! ;)

Every five years, since they were teenagers, the group of school friends reunites on a Holy Island. They first met fifty years ago and on such weekends they try to recreate those early relationships. It is nostalgic and maybe a way to escape a messy present. It’s quite nice to pretend that they’re young again. Later in the evening, they find one of them, media personality Rick, dead in his bedroom and it seems like a suicide. However, Vera is convinced that he was murdered and starts to investigate.

Secrets are lurking in memories and it is obvious that they have an impact on the present. People lie and try to protect themselves, beyond reason and logic, even with murder. Who and why wants to maintain the illusion of perfection?

Vera Stanhope is a star of the whole novel, with her remarks and almost manipulative behavior toward her co-workers and suspects.

Ann Cleeves writes so effortlessly, the characters are brilliantly developed, everything is connected perfectly and the novel has a flawless and believable plot. And the island atmosphere is dreamy.

Joy to read.

Superlative…
The tenth in the Vera Stanhope mystery series finds Vera and team called in to investigate a hanging on Holy Island. A reunion of a group friends, gathering every five years on the island, but a group with a tragic past. Are they still keeping secrets now? Vera will find out. A sparkling mystery with a credible cast, a wholly immersive narrative and a compelling protagonist. A worthy addition to this superlative series.

Anyone worrying that Ann Cleeves had run out of ideas for her Vera series can rest easy - her latest novel, “The Rising Tide” may well be her best yet.
The story, about a reunion of friends with a terrible secret, is well-written and perfectly paced, starting off in a fairly pedestrian way but getting deeper and more complicated as the novel progresses. I was totally shocked by the gripping ending when the culprit was revealed. The usual characters are all present and correct, with a little more attention paid to them this time around. 
For a second opinion, I had an expert (my mother) read it, and they loved it too. It may be a cliche, but it’s never been more true - this book is impossible to put down. I fully recommend it for Anne Cleeves’ legion of fans (who expect nothing less from her) and to all lovers of well-written crime fiction.

Ann Cleaves is part of a small group of authors that I know will never disappoint when a new title appears,and the latest Vera Stanhope novel, "The Rising Tide" is as excellent and involving as expected.

A group of old school friends,now in their 60's,have been having a reunion on Holy Island every 5 years since their initial retreat 50 years ago as a group of idealistic young people trying to "find themselves", the idea of a young teacher not much older than themselves who organises and attends the first trip.
5 years later tragedy strikes and the reunions are as much a memorial to a lost friend as a celebration of their ongoing friendship.
One of their number is a disgraced former media personality who is found hanging after telling the group that he'd written a "tell all" novel..........about them.

From what starts out seeming very much like an Agatha Christie "locked room" mystery involving a not particularly interesting group people once Vera and the team begin to investigate the story gets much more involved and it appears that the answer to the puzzle lies in the past, and more specifically in the pasts of the people attending the reunion and some of their complicated relationships.
Holly and Joe's competitive relationship plays an even bigger part in this tale ,as usual both trying their best to outdo the other in their efforts to impress Vera .

Another great book in a great series,the only downside is the long wait until the next one in the series.

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves

Another great book with the brilliant character of Vera Stanhope at the helm of helping to solve this latest case.
A group of friends returning to Holy Island are shocked to discover the body of one of them in a seemingly case of suicide. The man (Rick) and his friends had also been on the island many years previously at the time of another death . This sets of Joe & Holly ( colleagues of Vera ) to look deeper into the 2 deaths.
We follow them in pursuit of finding out the truth about both deaths
A brilliant read as always from Ann Cleeves , and can't wait to also see it on tv.

On Holy Island, a group of school friends gather for a reunion, as they have done every five years for the last fifty years. Events and time may have changed them, but essentially they are more or less the same.

When one of them is found dead, even the pathologist believes it has the markings of suicide - until DI Vera Stanhope (who's never satisfied) asks him to look again...

Heartbreakingly brilliant

That was an excellent read! The storyline, the suspenseful plot never letting go the tension, the very well drawn characters make this book a most compelling read. I love Vera, and hope to read soon her next investigation! Ann Cleeves is definitely one of my very favourite writers!
I read this novel as an ARC thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much!

What a pleasure to read the latest Vera novel, a tight, cracking mystery with Ann Cleeves in top form. At the start of a weekend off, Vera is called out to Holy Island with the report of a suspicious death. It looks like a straightforward suicide by hanging, but Vera is convinced it is murder. The victim, Rick, a former television journalist has been spending the weekend with a collection of old school friends. Investigating the group of friends, Vera, Joe and Holly discover a connection the group had to a death on the island many decades ago. Convinced this death is connected to events from the past, Vera and her crew uncover a lot of old secrets and bad judgements. Vera does a bit of soul searching herself, reflecting on her past, and her relationship with her team.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book finding it hard to put down, yet not wanting it to end. My sincere thanks to netgalley and PanMacmillan for this advance copy. I highly recommend.

It was a delight to be reading a novel about Vera Stanhope again, what a treat!

Ann Cleeves really knows how to put those characters together, every single one of them. Even those who are only a small part of the story. Vera's annoyance and affection for both Holly and Joe – who she calls 'her boy' secretly.

I'm looking forward to the next in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.