The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves

THE RISING TIDE by Ann Cleeves is the latest in the Vera Stanhope mystery series. The setting is in the North of England, specifically Holy Island which is periodically cut off from the mainland when the causeway is flooded due to changing tide levels. Forty-five years ago, a young women died when she misjudged the timing of the tides. Her friends have been holding reunions on the island (it “transported them back to a time when they were young and free, and life was exciting and full of possibilities”) every five years and during the most recent visit someone else perishes. Vera and her team, Joe and Holly, are assigned to investigate the apparent suicide. In addition to the group of friends (baker Annie, loyal wife Lou and husband Ken who has dementia, BBC commentator Rick, and priest Philip), there are several other local connections and some dubious links to the deceased’s reputation regarding exploiting young female colleagues. Kirkus summed up THE RISING TIDE as “a character-driven puzzler that ends in a painful denouement.” It is quite a tangle for Vera, her team and Cleeves’ many readers. I enjoyed listening to the audio version read by Janine Birkett and am already looking forward to the next installment!