Telling Tales - (Vera Stanhope) by Ann Cleeves (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

From Ann Cleeves--New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows--comes Telling Tales.

"Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers."--Louise Penny

It has been ten years since Jeanie Long was charged with the murder of fifteen-year-old Abigail Mantel. Now residents of the East Yorkshire village of Elvet are disturbed to hear of new evidence proving Jeanie's innocence. Abigail's killer is still at large.

For one young woman, Emma Bennett, the revelation brings back haunting memories of her vibrant best friend--and of that fearful winter's day when she had discovered her body lying cold in a ditch.

As Inspector Vera Stanhope makes fresh enquiries on the peninsula and villagers are hauled back to a time they hoped to forget, tensions begin to mount. But are people afraid of the killer or of their own guilty pasts?
With each person's story revisited, the Inspector begins to suspect that some deadly secrets are threatening to unfurl...

Review Quotes

Praise for Ann Cleeves:

"I do love Vera!" --Val McDermid

"Nothing short of riveting." --Louise Penny

"Creates a dark enough mood to keep you straining to see what will come to light next." --People

"Cleeves' taut, atmospheric thriller will keep readers guessing until the last page . . . Chilling." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Cleeves offers up evocative settings and flawed characters with depth, making her mysteries wonderfully addictive. Her latest is no exception." --Library Journal (starred)

"I didn't expect the final reveal. Those cleverly disguised dead ends had me completely fooled, which is just the way I like it. But I was sorry to say goodbye."--Crime Fiction Lover

"A nice mixture, in the British tradition, of social comedy and detective work. More Vera, please." --Booklist (starred review)

"Intricate and engrossing . . . offers readers the pleasures of the traditional locked room/isolated island mystery." --Washington Post Book World

"Ann Cleeves is a skillful technician, keeping our interest alive and building slowly up to the denouement. Her easy use of language and clever story construction make her one of the best natural writers of detective fiction." --Sunday Express (UK)

If you're a fan of Frances Fyfield, Minette Walters, or Val McDermid, get to know Cleeves. --Globe and Mail (Canada)

"Trauma, obsession, and murder entwine in a suspense-packed crime story that puts Ms. Cleeves in the Rendell class." --Peterborough Evening Telegraph

"It's a dark, interesting novel with considerable emotional force behind it." --The Spectator

"Cleeves's softly, softly approach delivers a powerful punch." --The Observer

About the Author

ANN CLEEVES is the multi-million copy bestselling author behind three hit television series--Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall, Vera, starring Academy Award Nominee Brenda Blethyn, and The Long Call, starring Ben Aldridge--all of which are watched and loved in the United States. All three are available on BritBox.

The first Shetland novel, Raven Black, won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for best crime novel, and Ann was awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger in 2017. She was awarded the OBE in 2022 for services to reading and libraries. Ann lives in the United Kingdom.