The Seagull: Ann Cleeves (Vera Stanhope)

Product Information

This book brings Vera face to face with her own past: her father Hector who was a member of the gang of four. She knows he engaged in criminal activities but now the question is: how far did he go? Was he capable of murder? And who is the mysterious fourth member of this gang, the Professor? Vera must search her own memories, long pushed aside as she tried to move past her painful youth to create a life of her own. Vera opens up to Aiden about her concerns, while Donahue finds another skeleton in the drain – it proves not to be Mary, but another club girl, the under-age Rebecca. Was Rebecca a witness to Marshburn’s murder, and had Scott Keane been asking awkward questions about the past events? Fans of the Vera Stanhope novels already available in the U.S., as well as the TV series Vera, will welcome Cleeves’s intricate series opener. The Columbo-esque Vera, who hides a fierce intelligence and razor sharp instincts under garish clothing, uses every tool at her disposal to solve the crime."— Publishers Weekly on The Crow Trap A visit to her local prison brings DI Vera Stanhope face to face with an old enemy: former detective superintendent, and now inmate, John Brace. Brace was convicted of corruption and involvement in the death of a gamekeeper – and Vera played a part in his downfall.

Winning. It is Stanhope herself—a homely, overweight spinster with blotchy skin, a fondness for alcohol, and a toxic personality—who, using intuition and subtle intimidation, brings all the disorganization to an illogical but satisfying conclusion.”— Publishers Weekly on Silent Voices From Ann Cleeves— New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—comes The Seagull.

Travel Guide

I know this is a series on TV, but I think my imagination does s better job, and I am always hesitant to watch something that may change the way I view either the characters or the series. If you enjoy police procedurals you should definitely try this series.

Cleeves [has an] unmistakable talent for combining deft plotting, a moody atmosphere and totally believable dialogue...a sure-fire formula for literary success. The eighth in a series that has already won the hearts of countless readers and a television audience to boot, The Seagull only adds to the lustre of this accomplished writer."—Reviewing the EvidenceChillingly brilliant with a sense of menace and foreboding which really brought Vera to the forefront and gave me a thrilling new insight into the lady of the mac and hat.

I went into reading The Seagull with a certain degree of trepidation. It is always risky reading a book that is part of an established series. The Seagull is my introduction to the work of renowned British crime author Ann Cleeves. Although I have heard of the successful Vera and Shetland television series, I also haven’t watched any episodes of these popular adaptations. So I went into reading The Seagull with fresh eyes. I am glad I took a chance on reading The Seagull and on the work of Ann Cleeves, as I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I believe this was down to the command Ann Cleeves has of her characters, setting and plot. I also found Cleeves has an easy writing style that immediately drew me into the unfolding events of this solid British crime novel. When Claythorpe turns up at Vera’s, she thinks he’s there to shut her up; but Aiden comes to the rescue before it comes to that. At least Claythorpe reassures Vera that her father was straight. Engrossing...This nuanced, adroitly paced tale should satisfy both series fans and new readers."— Publishers Weekly The Seagull” is such a good book. Beyond the excellent plot, what one really cares about is Vera and her team. The Segull" follows Vera after she's forced to go and talk to inmates concerning the crimes they did and the impact on victims. One of the inmates is a former officer, John Brace, who knew Vera as a child. The two of them have long-standing ties since Brace was friends and ran around with Vera's deceased father Hector. The gang of four (made me think of the Christie novel) included Brace, Hector, a man named the Prof (who no one ever met/saw in real life it seems) and a 40ish year old man named Robbie Marshall. When Brace demands that Vera look in on his daughter and her children in exchange for the location of Robbie Marshall's dead body (Marshall disappeared more than 20 years earlier) she looks into the particulars of Marshall's disappearance in the 90s and the people that moved in his circle.Cleeves offers up evocative settings and flawed characters with depth, making her mysteries wonderfully addictive. Her latest is no exception.”— Library Journal (starred) on Harbour Street

It would be foolish to discount Vera because she doesn't dress smartly--she can outfox even the wiliest of criminals, while wearing whatever she pleases, and readers will delight in getting the chance to see how such a quirky character evolved."— Library Journal on The Crow Trap Well this takes Vera to a whole new level. She’ s just as curmudgeonly, still annoying Joe but there is a new side to her here, a vulnerable one and this time the reader gets to know her that little bit more. The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).Her evidential insights in this series have rarely amounted to much more than going through phone records, bank statements and CCTV, so we can’t say we’re that impressed with her detective abilities; but she is becoming a more rounded character, and all the better for it.