Book Review – Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves: Old secrets in a small community bring murder to Christmas

I’m a latecomer to Ann Cleeves’ Vera novels and unashamedly admit that I started because of the TV series.  I particularly enjoyed the novel The Glass Room, probably because it was about a murder at a writers retreat.  I thought there was something particularly apt about that plot idea! 

Her latest Vera book, Harbour Street, is about the small town community of Mardle, particularly Harbour Street and centred on a Bed and Breakfast run by former singer Kate Dewar and her long term lodger Margaret Krukowski.  Joe Ashton and his daughter Jessie are returning from town by train, when Jessie finds one of the passengers is dead, triggering a murder investigation.

There are plenty of avenues of investigation, including the brusque vicar Father Grushin, Malcolm Kerr who owns the local boatyard, Stuart Booth, Kate Dewar’s new boyfriend and George Enderby the creepy publishers rep who secretly fancies Kate Dewar.  There are also links to The Haven, a women’s refuge, particularly a promiscuous former resident Dee Robson.  The investigation moves along, but there are no clear suspects when murder number 2 occurs.  Vera and her team dig deeper, slowly teasing out Harbour Street’s hidden past including some links to Vera and her father’s dodgy dealings.  

I really enjoyed reading this book.  It’s not a “race against time” novel, although its pace is brisk and lively.  There are plenty of clues and red herrings, but the plot develops naturally and I didn’t feel let down as the clues turned out to be dead ends.  Best of all, finding out whodunit was a genuine and believable surprise, wrapped up in an exciting climax with a real splash of menace for Joe Ashton.  I was also amused by Vera’s personal style, particularly her typical lack of self-awareness as she thinks to herself how easy this people management stuff is.

If you’re a Vera fan, this is an absolute must.  If you’ve not read Vera before, Harbour Street works fine as a standalone book.  I thoroughly recommend this novel, whichever category you’re in.  

As a final comment, Mrs Romancrimeblogger saw how engrossed I was in Harbour Street and asked me to describe what I felt about the book.  I replied that there’s nothing like getting into bed at night and snuggling up with Vera!  I hope you find the experience as fulfilling as I did.

Romancrimeblogger