I’ve read a few Vera Stanhope novels before and enjoyed them; this is the latest one. Vera is an older Detective Inspector who dresses quite frumpy, but underneath it all lies a very keen mind. She has a current murder to solve: a man is found hanging in his room on Holy Island. Several singles and couples meet every 5 years on Holy Island to reconnect, after having crossed paths as teenagers on a retreat here. One of the singles, Rick Kensall, is the victim. Vera doesn’t agree with an initial verdict of suicide, and it quickly becomes a murder case. Her two right hand detectives are Joe and Holly, and they are both called in to help. Spoiler alert: the ending is a SHOCKER for anyone who has read previous novels written by Cleeves. It’s a bit slow at times, but still worth a read.
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