I like Ann Cleeves novels but this one didn’t grab me like her other books, it’s an ok police procedural but I’m not sure about her character Porteous as he didn’t seem very dynamic and I found that the story drifted without me paying attention to it, I much prefer her other characters.

Another good read from Ann Cleaves. Another tale of murders linked to a historical case. Surprise ending, just as you would expect. Nicely narrated and easy to listen to

A sound classic murder mystery, that unravels across two timelines from the discovery of the body in the present and the immediate months before the newly discovered murder 30 years previously. There are a lot of characters and suspects to keep track of so may need to concentrate a little more when listening, but all in all a great tale.

Anne Cleeves has a real talent for creating plausible characters. Although this is a murder mystery, rather than being a police procedural, it’s more a story about a host of people affected by events from the past. Porteous, the lead detective, has a few issues, but he’s likeable enough and has his own way of working. A period of drought causes water levels to drop and a body, weighted down by an anchor, is discovered. It’s been in the water for decades and the first challenge is to identify the deceased.

The narrative moves back and forward between past and present and those who knew the victim. He’s a person of mystery who was a teenager when he died, but one whose past and origins are unclear. He was enigmatic and the person closest to him was Hannah, now a prison librarian. She was with him the night he disappeared and she too has secrets. This is a complex, multilayered story where there’s more than one suspect and layer by layer, the real truths are exposed. There are petty jealousies and resentments, surprising friendships and marriages and, as expected, the whole story comes together bit by bit. It’s intriguing and John Telfer’s narration throughout is well paced and adds to the satisfaction of the story. Well written and I enjoyed this tale which I finished in a couple.of sittings. It’s timeless.