The Seagull by Ann Cleeves

The Seagull finds Inspector DI Vera Stanhope headed to a local prison to give a talk to a bunch of old prisoners on the impact their crimes have on society in this eighth installment in the Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleeves. While there the former detective superintendent whom Vera helped put in prison, John Brace, asks to speak to her. Brace was a member of the “gang of four” which included Vera’s father. Brace is concerned about his daughter Patty and grandchildren, and if Vera will look in on them, he will provide Vera with information on another member of the gang of four who disappeared 20 years earlier, Robbie Marshall.

Vera does so and Brace comes through with the location of a grave site. When Vera and her team investigate, not only do they find Robbie Marshall, but another body as well. Now Vera must discover what happened to both Robbie as well as the body of a woman who may be Patty’s mother, Mary-Frances Escuola. The case digs up uncomfortable memories about Vera’s own father with whom she had a complicated relationship. It also involves a former ritzy nightclub called The Seagull. The investigation stirs up a lot of old sentiments and when a fresh body turns up, Vera is certain that someone wants to make sure the crime remains unsolved, even after 20 years.

This is an outstanding mystery and it’s easy to see why Vera Stanhope is in her eighth installment. Vera is a wonderful character full of quirks, intelligence, and dogged determination with an almost folksy way about her. The team she leads is made up of a nice mix of experience and youthfulness with each team member bringing a unique skill set to the investigation. Each of their individual talents plays a role in solving the case, with Vera sending them to track down various leads while she herself works on unraveling the whole thing. Vera pulls at the strings until the answers come tumbling out and she is able to wrap things up in a thrilling showdown.

Cleeves has created a clever and compelling mystery that will pique your curiosity. Even better, her characters are uniformly well-developed and entertaining. I absolutely loved spending time with Vera and her team as well as all the others encountered in the course of the investigation. Patty is a particularly good character who is portrayed sympathetically and makes you root for her.

The audiobook is narrated by Janine Birkett who does award-worthy work here. She perfectly captures the character of Vera and brings her to life. Her voice and inflection fill out the description on the page into a fully realized character. The voices of the other characters are likewise distinct and convey a sense of their own confidence or lack thereof, as well as whatever inner turmoil they are experiencing at the time. There are subtle changes that indicate how the same person interacts differently when talking to different characters. Her pacing is perfect for the story. I highly recommend this book and further recommend the audio version. Long-time fans will enjoy and new fans will be able to jump right in without having to have read the earlier books.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

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