‘The Glass Room’ by Ann Cleeves

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

DI Vera Stanhope’s nearest neighbours give her something to think about when one of them is suspected of murder. Having abandoned her husband to run off to a writing retreat, hippyish Joanna is found standing over a dead body with a knife in her hand. The fact of the woman being known to Vera, tells the canny copper that she shouldn’t get involved, but naturally she’s keen to uncover the truth, and plunges in with both wellies.  

This is book 5 in the Vera Stanhope series and gets off to an intriguing start. Set mostly at a writing retreat, the story has more than a hint of the traditional ‘country-house’ mystery to it. Along with trusty sidekick Joe, Vera soon suspects the obvious culprit may not be to blame, but untangling the puzzle becomes a tad more complicated when another body turns up. To make matters worse, it seems that some of the stories produced by the writing group bear an uncanny resemblance to the murders.

As always, Ms Cleeves weaves a clever and intricate plot, partnered with beautiful descriptions of the Northumbrian landscape. A superb mystery that had me gripped from page one.

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