PamBook Entry – 5th September

Today is… Sunday, 5th September

What I’ve been up to today… I was in the congregation at St Chad’s church in New Moston this morning, then was back there for a baptism at 1.30pm.  

What I see from my window… clear skies and stars 

On my mind is… a new tunic top I want to draft and make out of jersey fabric.  

My prayers are for… my sister in law who is still in hospital; the two babies we baptised today; so many things around the world that feel hopeless just now 

My hope is for… the light of Christ to be seen in the darkness 

A recent lesson I have learned… when I wear my clergy collar in public, good things happen 

I am thankful… for the penicillin that has saved my life this past week. I was stricken with a severe throat infection that made my throat close off almost completely and which left me struggling to swallow and breathe. Without the gift of penicillin, I don’t know where I’d be today 

Lately I have made… a commitment to try and cook better for my family. We’ve got into the habit of eating quick and easy, and we need to switch back onto cooking proper meals with basic ingredients again. 

What I’m reading at the moment … “The Long Call” by Ann Cleeves. It’s the first in a new series by one of my favourite authors, and it features a new character and new location for Ann, and although I’m not too far into it, I’m enjoying it and I like the new setting and new detective.

 

I am getting square eyes from watching… “The Office” on Amazon Prime (the American version) 

My current soundtrack is… a Christian artist called Mac Powell. I heard his song “River of Life” last week for the first time, and have fallen in love with his style, his voice, his message and his energy. I urge you to give him a look, honestly, you’ll be glad you did!

My plans for tomorrow… I have a funeral visit in the morning, and a meeting at teatime. Apart from that I have got some reading I want to do for the upcoming sermon series we are planning, and as I said above, my fingers are itching to draft a new tunic top so I might tackle that too. 

Closing Note: I’ve been struggling with fatigue for a couple of days now, and have got to the early evening for the last three nights and literally collapsed onto the settee. It has been an effort to even get ready for bed, and I hope that in the next few days this fibro flare will start to lift. I have outlined my plans for tomorrow in the previous paragraph, but to be honest, so long as I cover the stuff I need to do for ministry purposes, anything else will be a bonus. 

Grace and peace,

Pam

Book Review – The Moth Catcher

The Moth Catcher book cover

Background/plot:

The body of a young man is found in a ditch in a country lane and shortly afterwards the body of an older man was found in the place where the younger man was staying. An investigation into their deaths is launched, and the police have to determine if and how they are linked, and who wants them both dead.

Who are the main characters?

The main protagonist is DCI Vera Stanhope, but we see a bit more of the private lives of her detective team as well as the lives of the potential suspects in the case. Holly has a crisis of confidence in her chosen profession and we learn a bit more about Joe Ashworth’s home life which has an impact on the case.

My overall impression?

I am usually a big fan of Ann Cleeves’ work and the “Vera” series is one of my favourites. As the series has progressed the quality of the storytelling has improved and in a lot of ways this one is no different. However, I did find that the plot was flimsy and a bit far-fetched in places making it a little bit unbelievable to me as a reader. For example, the reference to moth catching in the title bears very little relevance to the case other than a tenuous connection between a couple of the characters. The ending felt a little rushed for me and it wasn’t fully explained how the conclusion was reached. Having said that, the pacing and characterisation was spot on (except for the rushed ending) and I felt drawn into Vera’s world and I enjoyed reading the book.

Where is it set?

As with the others in the series, this is set in Northumberland, with much of the action taking place in and around Kimmerston and the local area.

Will I read the next in the series?

I will, definitely. What I like about Ann Cleeves is that though her books have been picked up for TV drama she hasn’t compromised the character of Vera Stanhope and she has resisted re-characterising her as she is portrayed on screen by Brenda Blethyn. Having said that, I did get irritated with the repeated physical descriptions of Vera because I felt that Cleeves was trying a bit too hard to keep her version of Vera separate from the Brenda Blethyn version. For example, the ‘original’ Vera was a large, almost oafish woman whose physical description put me in mind of Margaret Rutherford but Brenda Blethyn is a tiny woman who is dainty and not the remotest bit mannish or clumpy as she is written. So long as that tendency is kept under control in the next book then yes, by all means I will be reading it.

Would I recommend it to my friends?

I would recommend it to anyone who likes police crime drama and who likes a good read without all the blood and guts and gore as you can get in some modern crime thrillers. A lot is made of the relationships between the characters and the possible motivation for the murders rather than the forensic dissection of the bodies and the crime scene, which I find makes it a better read.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review – Harbour Street

Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves

Background/plot:

An elderly lady is stabbed to death on a crowded Metro carriage on her way home from Newcastle. Who killed her, and why? How did she fit into the community? How does her story unfold? Vera Stanhope investigates with her trusty DS Joe Ashworth, who was unlucky enough to have discovered the murder in the first place, and when there is another murder the red herrings and tension are cranked up a notch in equal measure.

Who are the main characters?

The star of the show is of course Vera Stanhope, a fusty and feisty Detective Inspector with the Northumberland Police, and we are treated to the return of her “sidekicks” Joe and Holly. These are the returning characters in all the “Vera” books, but in this we also have Margaret Kukowski (the victim) and a whole host of possible suspects.

Where is it set?

It is set in a fictional town in the North East of England. Harbour Street is a small, remote, seaside community consisting of the ubiquitous guest house, fish and chip shop, pub, café and amusement arcade, and is also home to a boatyard, a church and the old rectory that is now a women’s hostel. You could argue that the central character in this novel is the street itself.

My overall impression?

I have always loved the Vera Stanhope books and this one was one of the best. I am a big fan of Ann Cleeves anyway (she wrote the Shetland series) and have never failed to be carried away by her brilliant scene setting and characterisation in all her books. The previous Vera Stanhope book was a little off the boil for me, but this one is much better and is a cracking read from start to almost the finish. The story is believable, the characters are frighteningly realistic and the subplots never threaten or distract from the main story.

I was a little disappointed by the ending though. I felt it was a bit rushed and could have done with being spun out for another chapter. The wrap-up was a bit sudden and was a touch unbelievable for me. It was as if there was a step missing between the rest of the story and the killer’s reveal. Possibly because a publishing deadline was coming up? Perhaps, but apart from that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Will I read the next in the series?

Yes, without doubt. There is no sign of this series running out of steam and the development of the central characters has been realistic and credible throughout and I would like to read more about them and the fabulous setting that Ann Cleeves conveys each time she writes about Northumberland.

Would I recommend it to my friends?

Yes. There is nothing gory about this and it is a great read for anyone who is interested in crime stories or who loves a bit of people-watching.

 

Incidentally, the Vera Stanhope books have been remade into a brilliant set of TV programmes and they are fantastic. Brenda Blethyn plays the title character and even though she doesn’t match my mental image of Vera (in my mind she is a little like Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple) she does a great job. This one would be great on TV too, especially as we will get to see the delicious David Leon as Joe!

 

Joe Ashworth and Vera Stanhope (played by David Leon and Brenda Blethyn)

 

 

 

Book Review – The Sleeping and the Dead

Background/plot:

During a drought, the water levels in a reservoir drop drastically and reveal a submerged body tied to an anchor. The search is on for the identity of the victim and the reasons for the death. As the plot develops there is another murder and the police set out to find out what, if any, connection exists between the two deaths almost 30 years apart.

Where is it set?

An unspecified location “in the north” of England, probably Northumberland.

Who are the main characters?

The murder victim, obviously, and then we have a whole host of characters who at one time or another could be nominated as the main protagonist. Initially, we see the police officers – Peter Porteous and Eddie Stout – as the central characters, but as the story unfolds the viewpoint changes to Hannah and her daughter Rosie and her friends and back again to the police.

My overall impression?

I was really confused at the start of this book. The focus seemed to shift from one set of characters and back again without any real reason for it. The discovery of the body was a bit to prosaic for me – too many words, too poetic and didn’t really warrant that much attention. And the description of the Peter Porteous was a bit tedious really. Why did we need to know so much about him if he wasn’t going to be the main character throughout the book?

There were a couple of things that made me chuckle – the nominative determinism being one of them. The short, fat police officer called “Stout”; the pathologist called “Carver” for example.

I liked the story well enough but was a bit lost with all the characters – I kept having to remind myself who was who and how they fitted into the plot. Also, the switching around with character viewpoint was confusing and lost me a bit now and again.

As the plot unfolded and the story was revealed I thought it was winding up to be a really bit, dramatic ending but it didn’t come off as that. It was more of a fizz and pop than a thunderclap bang that it was leading to. I think this was one of Ann Cleeves’ earlier novels and I do know that the later ones are much better in construction and the plots are tighter and less confusing than this one. I did enjoy it though and would probably give it a 7/10.

 Will I read the next in the series?

I don’t think it’s one of a series, it read very much as a standalone book, but I have read other works of Ann Cleeves’ and would read anything of hers in the future.

Would I recommend it to my friends?

Yes, undoubtedly. It’s probably one of those novels you can take on holiday with you or for a bit of bedtime reading rather than a book that is a rip-roaring page turner that you sacrifice meals for, but yes, a good book for pretty much any bookworm to have a go at.

 

 

 

 

Book Review – The Glass Room

“The Glass Room” by Ann Cleeves

What’s the plot?

A publishing executive is found murdered in the conservatory at a secluded house where a writer’s course is being held. Vera Stanhope arrives at the scene after working out that her next door neighbour, who had been reported missing, was attending the course in secret. The missing neighbour was the person who found the body and was discovered holding a blood stained knife. It looks like she’s the murderer, but did she really do it?

Where is it set?

It is set in coastal Northumberland.

 

Who is the main characters?

DI Vera Stanhope and her sidekick DS Joe Ashworth. This is the fifth book in the series.

 

How well is it written?

I would give it 10/10 for structure, plotting, narrative etc and there are no editorial mistakes which makes it well written for me. However, I found it extremely irritating that the character of Vera Stanhope was constantly being described and fleshed out in this book. I suspect it’s because the earlier stories have been made for TV now and this is the first book to be published since the viewing public have been introduced to the stories, so the author is redefining Vera for those people. The original Vera wasn’t so much of a comedy character as she appears in this book, and I think it’s because the way she is portrayed on screen is significantly different to the way she is described in the books, and this is an attempt to reclaim or redraw the character. I always had it in my head that Vera was a sort of Margaret Rutherford type character, a bit like when she played Miss Marple, and the screen version is quite different to that.

 

My overall impression?

Great setting, fantastic descriptive passages about the bleakness of the location and the moodiness of the writers on the course and a different tone of book than the previous 4 in this series. This one is almost in homage to Agatha Christie – a typical locked room/remote location murder, limited number of suspects and a big, bluff investigator in the shape of Vera Stanhope. There was a departure from the established character of Joe Ashworth too in this book which I didn’t quite believe. He was attracted to one of the suspects, but from the way his character has been portrayed in the first 4 books I felt it was out of character for him. Again, was this because of the possible new readership after it being on TV? I was let down by the ending a little too. It was very clumsy and very clunky and the revelation of the murderer was completely out of the blue. There were no red herrings along the way and there were no clues to his identity, so when it was revealed who it was and the reasons for it, I was disappointed that I hadn’t had the chance to work it out for myself.

What I like about these books is that the local dialect and the remoteness of the landscape shine throughout them all. The location is almost a character in itself.

I also like the way the relationship between Vera and Joe has grown and developed throughout the series so far. They started out as boss and sidekick but as time and cases have gone on, Vera is starting to realise that Joe is much more than a work colleague and a subordinate and she treats him almost as a surrogate son. As she starts thinking about retirement and being alone when she’s given up the job, her reliance on Joe is getting more and more. It’s great to see how they interact with each other.

 

Will I read the next in the series?

Absolutely yes. I’m not sure I like the way the characters of Vera and Joe have changed in this one, but I love the way Ann Cleeves writes, and I can’t wait to get back to the wilds of the north east again.

Would I recommend it to my friends?

Yes. You could read this one as a standalone book (because of the reiteration of character markers I mentioned above) but it’s probably better that you read them from the start of the series to get the maximum impact of it. I promise you will fall in love with the location.