The Glass Room

January 1, 2018

Cleeves's latest is reminiscent of an Agatha Christie mystery: a murder takes place at a country house where the guests are all suspects and no one seems to have a motive, but a little investigation finds more connections than first appear. Vera Stanhope is asked by her neighbor to find his missing wife, and she tracks the young woman to a writer's workshop at a country house owned by a semifamous author. When a workshop leader is murdered, the attendees fall under suspicion. Vera and her team are called in, but with her neighbor as one of the prime suspects, she is forced to keep herself at arm's length. Cleeves's characters are richly drawn, their motives are believable, and the plot is engaging and with enough surprises that readers will be guessing until the very end. VERDICT Published for the first time in the United States, this fifth Vera Stanhope mystery (after Silent Hope) makes a satisfying addition to the series.--Lisa O'Hara, Univ. of Manitoba Libs., Winnipeg

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February 5, 2018
The fatal stabbing of mercurial book critic Tony Ferdinand at the Writers’ House on the Northumbrian coast, where a group of crime writers has gathered, propels Cleeves’s fascinating fifth mystery featuring Det. Insp. Vera Stanhope (after Silent Voices). One suspect is Vera’s neighbor Joanna Tobin, who’s found at the Writers’ House with a knife in her hand, but it’s not the murder weapon. The crime writers didn’t much like the victim, and a few seem to harbor secrets, such as Nina Backworth, who proves to be a distraction to Vera’s married sergeant, and retreat owner Miranda Barton, who had a history with Ferdinand. Frequently underestimated because of her offhand manner and slovenly appearance, Vera slyly delves deep into the gossip running rampant among the writers, hoping to flush out a killer. Cleeves crafts a subtle, complex mystery, and the curmudgeonly Vera and her
distinctive view of the world make this series stand out in a crowded genre. Agent: Sarah Menguc, Sarah Menguc Literary Agent (U.K.).