Customer Reviews

The Crow Trap

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the North Pennines on Black Law Farm is an isolated cottage, Baikie's Cottage. Businessmen want to open a quarry nearby, and three young women are using Baikie's as a base for the environmental study they must conduct. When Rachael, the team leader, arrives at Baikie's, she discovers the body of her friend, Black Law Farm owner Bella Furness. Apparently Bella has committed suicide, and Rachael finds that impossible to accept. And when the next death occurs, a fourth woman arrives at Baikie's Cottage: Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope.

Sometimes a writer branches out into different series with varying degrees of success. Ann Cleeves is one of those writers whose books I enjoy regardless of the series of which they're a part. Cleeves' Shetland Quartet is how I first became acquainted with her talent, and once I discovered that she'd written other series, I had to try those as well.

The Crow Trap starts out at a very deliberate pace. All three young women are introduced and their back stories are given while the plot advances. The area around Baikie's Cottage feels closed off, overcast and claustrophobic, as do the young women themselves. The atmosphere itself is rank with secrecy. It's not until page 230 of The Crow Trap that Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope makes her formal appearance:

"She was a large woman-- big bones amply covered, a bulbous nose, man-sized feet. Her legs were bare and she wore leather sandals. Her square toes were covered in mud. Her face was blotched and pitted so Rachael thought she must suffer from some skin complaint or allergy. Over her clothes she wore a transparent mac and she stood there, the rain dripping from it onto the floor, grey hair sleeked dark to her forehead, like a middle-aged tripper caught in a sudden storm on Blackpool prom."

Not your usual inspector, is our Vera. Her mother died while Vera was still quite young, and she grew up with her bird-obsessed father, living with him until his death. Vera still lives in the family home close to the railway. From her many treks across the moors with her father in search of birds and other wildlife, Vera has learned the value of patience, of standing still and quiet, of observing, of listening. These skills are all put to good use during an investigation in which everyone has something they want to remain hidden.

I was in the perfect mood for this book. I wanted something with atmosphere and detail, something that unfolded slowly and steadily, something that had marvelous characterizations. Once again, Cleeves has exceeded my expectations, since I not only read a marvelous book but gained a new inspector to follow.

If you're in the mood for English mysteries with plenty of plot and personality, it would be difficult to find an author better at delivering the goods than Ann Cleeves.

Author Ann Cleeves has created a completely original and engaging character with police detective Vera Stanhope. (For those familiar with the late RD Wingfield's wonderful police series, she is a female version of Det. Insp. Jack Frost!) Vera is loud, uncouth, and overweight. She is also keenly intelligent, shoots from the hip and does not suffer fools gladly. While Vera doesn't make her entrance until nearly midway through the story, there is enough psychological drama and tension to keep the most critical reader hooked. The characters are well-drawn and intriguing, and Cleeves does a remarkable job of providing insight into each of them, all the while maintaining suspense and mystery. I've read all the Vera books and have been impressed with each one. I only hope Ms. Cleeves will pen another sometime soon!

I also first came upon Ann Cleeves through the wonderful Shetland mysteries and immediately sought out her earlier works. Happily the Vera Stanhope books have just been re-issued (due to a new TV series starring Brenda Blethen as Vera). This is a suspenseful novel with interesting, varied and beautifully drawn characters, all of whom come alive on the page, with a strong sense of place. I couldn't put it down. Such a treat to read a well-written mystery where you're absorbed by the characters as well as compelling plot developments. Ann Cleeves is among the best, can't wait to begin Telling Tales (the next Vera book).

I echo the other glowing reviews that appear on this site. The Crow Trap is an outstanding novel; it also happens to be a first-rate mystery. There is the obligatory murder(more than one, in fact) but the strength of this work is, in my opinion, in the in-depth rendering of the people and the places involved. Through her gift of human insight and a deft prose style, the author creates a tension, a mood that is palpable and compelling. I won't repeat what others have said about the subject matter of the book, or describe Vera herself, other than to say she is a most refreshing and interesting character -- not the standard-issue detective by a long chalk. It is worth mentioning, however, that this is a long book and one that is organized a bit differently from a straight narrative. The story is divided into separate parts which illuminate the mystery from the view points of several of the major players in the drama. Further, each part delves deeply into the pysche of the character whose viewpoint is being presented. I found this technique fascinating. I'm not certain every reader will agree. It has a tendency to slow down the action and it does make for a longer story, but in the case of The Crow Trap, that was no hardship for me. There is plenty of "action" going on under the surface to hold my attention, and frankly, I didn't want the book to end. I highly recommend this book, as well as Anne Cleeves' other offerings.

This book arrived in great condition encased in plastic. This is the second book in the Vera Stanhope series for me by Ann Cleeves. I enjoy her character Vera Stanhope as a down to earth everyday type person not a perfect model type as so often seen on TV. I have not had the chance to read this new purchase but have read a couple of chapters. I am sure I could review it better if I had the chance to read it to the end. I so enjoyed Telling Tales. It kept me guessing till the very end.

Just had to read this book! But it was not what I had expected. The style of writing added to the intrigue as
much as the characters or the plot. It was well written and had the required twists and turns with a clever ending.
Having said all that she will not be one of my favorite authors, and I had high hopes of that.
Jan

Wonderful author. I am going to read all her books. Just the type mystery I like with a surprise ending