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The Rising Tide

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The Rising Tide

By: Ann Cleeves
Narrated by: Janine Birkett
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About this listen

Vera Stanhope, star of ITV’s Vera, returns in the tenth novel in number one bestseller Ann Cleeves’s acclaimed series.

Fifty years ago, a group of teenagers spent a weekend on Holy Island, forging a bond that has lasted a lifetime. Now, they still return every five years to celebrate their friendship, and remember the friend they lost to the rising waters of the causeway at the first reunion.

Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . .

But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . .

 Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Thriller Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Crime

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Critic reviews

Ann Cleeves is on top form in this atmospheric mystery that gradually expands to include more shifty characters on the mainland, and, on her tenth outing, you feel the pain beneath Vera’s blowsy bravado. The Rising Tide is exactly the sort of novel she likes — it provides escape and 'the joy of loose ends tied up'.
A thoroughly engrossing thriller
Who doesn’t love ‘large and shabby’ Vera Stanhope, the blunt detective in Ann Cleeves’s Northumberland police procedurals? She is already one of the genre immortals. Cleeves delivers some choice Vera moments in The Darkest Evening
Cleeves’s Northumberland novels are strong on atmosphere, combining old-fashioned detective work with a modern take on class
It is a joy to watch a writer as skilful as Cleeves lay out her version of a locked room mystery. As ever, Cleeves goes deeper, examining the precarious nature of life and what it is to age and face your own mortality
A thrilling tale with an ending that catches you by surprise, it’s a story both newbies to Vera and diehard fans will enjoy
In a world where celebrities debut on bestseller charts, Cleeves is an old-school crime writer in every sense, working her way up the list over years, building a readership while honing her craft (Brian McGilloway on The Rising Tide)
A brilliant read
Another evocative mystery
This instalment oozes atmosphere and tension
Masterful characterisation and pacey writing
Ann crafts her Shetland, Vera and, now, Matthew Venn novels, all with such specific and distinct geographical settings from which her characters emerge.
A character-driven puzzler that ends in a painful denouement.
Birkett is superb at creating voices for the diverse cast of relatable characters who are imbued with unique accents and distinct personalities. Her engaging narrative style sweeps the listener along, generating suspense and a thoroughly compelling listen.
All stars
Most relevant
Loved the story. Love all the Vera books but the narration drive me nuts. As a northerner the accents were dreadful and when it wasn’t a northerner speaking it sounded like Mary Poppins Dick van Dyke. And I listened to a sample as I always do but this out me off so much
Story really good though but read the book don’t listen in audible

Loved the story hated the narration

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I was delighted to come across this new Vera book as she has always been a favourite. The setting of a group of people meeting at a reunion on an island is a pretty hackneyed set up for a murder. There were also some fairly strange exchanges between Vera and her suspects which didn’t fit with her normal way of operating where she explained her thought processes to the suspects rather than just in her head.
The worst thing for me was the narration. Most of Janine Burkitt’s male voices are comically deep while several women characters sound as if they are on helium. There’s no need for such forced voices, good narration is much more subtle.

Nice to have Vera back, but…

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The best Vera book so far, so gripping and the characters so well drawn in great depth.

Excellent

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Anne Cleeves' Vera books never ever fail to make me smile, question my own thinking, want to know who has done what and with whom, be surprised and....cry. This one did all that and with bells on; superbly narrated too by the extremely talented Janine Birkett .

As brilliant as ever! Thank you so much!

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Story well crafted as ever but narration grated on me , particularly attempts at male characters

Enjoyed story , well written but narration grated

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