The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves

First Line: Vera Stanhope climbed out of Hector's ancient Land Rover and felt the inevitable strain on her knees.

Even though she tends to be a solitary person, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope has made friends with her free-spirited neighbors. After all, they keep her supplied with conversation and bottles of home brew. But talk and ale only go so far, and she doesn't want to become bosom pals. That may be about to change when neighbor Jack tells Vera that Joanna is missing. Against her better judgement and her inclination, she agrees to track the woman down. 

She finds Joanna at the Writer's House, a country retreat on the Northumberland coast where aspiring authors attend lectures and work on their books-- and that's not all she finds. Someone is dead, and Joanna has been found with a knife in her hand. The crafty D. I. manages to hold on to the case, even though she is a friend of the prime suspect, but she and her team can't seem to find a motive-- even when another body is found.

I have long been a fan of Ann Cleeves' writing, in particular her Shetland series and these Vera Stanhope novels. Vera is a favorite of mine. She's not young, she's definitely not pretty, and she tends to be a grouch. Her life with her eccentric father shaped her, but it does not define her. This woman has a mind like the proverbial steel trap, and not much gets past her gimlet eye.

What's new for Vera this time around is the fact that she's paying more attention to children and mothers, and she's wondering if perhaps she should've given motherhood a try herself. When a woman is childless past a certain age, it's natural to think about what if's... and Vera might even be wondering who's going to take care of her when she no longer can.

Cleeves' strengths are in evidence here: characterization, creating atmosphere, her ear for dialogue, and plotting, and I always enjoy how she includes her own interests in her books-- like the beautiful county of Northumberland, birds, and this time the world of writing and publishing. I was slightly disappointed in that I knew the identity of the killer immediately, but I think it was more the case that I instinctively distrust certain types of characters rather than any sort of weakness on the author's part. 

What I am sure of is my affection for Vera Stanhope. Whenever Vera has a new case, you can be certain that I'll read all about it.
 

The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves

ISBN: 9780230762862 

Pan Macmillan © 2012

Paperback, 374 pages

Police Procedural, #5 D.I. Vera Stanhope mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Paperback Swap

The Missing Heiress by Karen Charlton

First Line: The two-wheeled hackney carriage sped down Mile End Road towards Whitechapel, weaving in and out of more sedate vehicles, farm carts and barrow boys.

Northumberland, England, November 1809. A young heiress has gone missing from her locked bedroom and is feared dead. While the townspeople are nodding and muttering about witchcraft, the local constable is baffled, and two of London's Bow Street Runners are sent for. What Detective Stephen Lavender and Constable Woods stumble into are highwaymen, gypsies, surly farmers, and siblings who don't seem to care that Helen Carnaby is missing. It's obvious that there are many secrets swirling through the corridors of Linn Hagh, the ancient pele tower where the young woman lived and from which she disappeared. What isn't so obvious is what actually happened to her.

Based on actual events uncovered by work on her family history, Karen Charlton's The Missing Heiress is an absorbing glimpse into a Regency England far from London. Detective Stephen Lavender and his partner, Constable Woods, must deal with people who dislike any sign of authority-- farmers and gypsies-- and as they delve deeper into the facts of the case, they begin to understand why. I loved the way Lavender conducted his investigation and how he pieced the clues together. The comradery and humor he and Woods share is welcome relief from their dealings with suspicious townsfolk and supercilious gentry.

Although there was little doubt as to who instigated Helen Carnaby's disappearance and why, Charlton really made me wonder just how far those people would go to get what they wanted. All in all, a most satisfactory case for the detective, although I did have one small quibble.... In a very exciting scene at the beginning of the book, Detective Lavender comes in contact with a mysterious (and very attractive) Spanish woman. Yes, she did provide a bit of mystery and romantic interest, but I found this entire subplot unnecessary and distracting. Charlton hooked me with her eery, suspenseful tale and I didn't want to be pulled away from it for a second.

Now after seeing how Lavender and Woods can solve a case, I have only one thing to say: I want more!

The Missing Heiress by Karen Charlton

ISBN: 9781908483706

Knox Robinson Publishing © 2013

Hardcover, 376 pages

Historical Mystery, #1 Detective Lavender mystery

Rating: B+

Source: the author