Month: July 2019

Ann Cleeves

Posted on by marystojak

Telling Tales was intriguing. Once again, her title was well thought out and descriptive of how the plot evolves. Her use of characters grounded in the past and the struggle of the younger generation to make their own place in the world, could be set anywhere, but her characters have more meat on their bones than that. They are fully realized, their motives twining with the influence of their environment and their own wants and fears. Vera is even at a loss until she finds a way to get them all talking. Her use of this device reminds me of how Agatha Christie’s Poirot loved to gather all the suspects in the same room, except she does it in a more subtle way.

Wildfire, a Shetland Islands mystery, showed the effects of an outside family moving into the neighborhood, and the gossip that spread like wildfire as a result. The setting has a stronger influence in these books than her Vera novels that are so dominated by the lead character (even when we consider that her father stole endangered bird eggs and dragged her around in search of their nests!)

I did quite enjoy both books although I think I’ll take a break since I’m beginning to nitpick. Not about how she writes, but such things as using the same names frequently. Best to have some space between readings so I don’t confuse the characters. I wonder if the names she keeps using are close family members or if they are just very popular names in that generation? Something to remember in my own efforts. Both books are very good and well worth your reading time.

Ann Cleeves

Posted on by marystojak

If you’ve only watched Vera on PBS, give yourself a treat and read the books by Ann Cleeves who created Vera. The Glass Room was great fun with the playful jabs at the house full of authors, and the more serious bits about the ups and downs of a writing career. Having gone to plenty of writing workshops, I recognized many of the character types. In the Fall, I’ll have the opportunity to take a Mystery Writers of America workshop with Miss Cleeves! We’ll see if any mysteries ensue!

In The Glass Room, Vera seemed to have a sharper edge at first than her film version, but then I reminded myself that there is always some interpretation by the director and actors. It didn’t take long to feel right at home with Vera Stanhope in the written word.

But I’ve been reading these out of order! Telling Tales, the next book I read, was published in 2005 as the second Vera mystery, seven years before The Glass Room. In this Vera Stanhope case, some of the mystery writing trophs she used, might sound very stereotypical. Yet when I was in the act of reading the book, her original way of employing them, had me fooled. A very good read, even out of order.

Ann Cleeves didn’t start with her Vera Stanhope character. She started with her Palmer Jones books in the eighties and her Inspector Ramsey books in the nineties.  The Glass Room is the fifth book in the Vera Stanhope mysteries. I’ll be going back to the beginning to read all of her books in hard copy except for the ones that are offered in audio version from my library. All those tedious chores are much easier when I’m listening to a good story. And that is all possible because my car is smart enough to have Bluetooth technology which connects to the library app on my phone! My next audio book will be in the Shetland series.