“The Crow Trap” - Ann Cleeves
🪶 I was drawn to this series because I thought Inspector Vera Stanhope might be something like a Miss Marple-type spinster who solves crimes in quaint English villages. I waited with bated breath for her to make her appearance. And to my surprise, I waited quite a while. It wasn’t until 200 pages in, that Vera is formally introduced to the reader. And she is the utter antithesis to Miss Marple.
🪶 Vera is a large, utterly unfashionable (bordering on unkempt) woman with an overpowering, no-nonsense approach to her work. There is nothing subtle about her. Though she appears rough around the edges, we soon learn that she is a shrewd observer of human nature. She is a complicated protagonist. Her childhood was far from idyllic, and she carries a sense of isolation on into adulthood. She lives alone, in a rather remote village. Her relationship with her reliable sergeant seems to be the most significant relationship of her adult life. She is very clearly lonely, but does not know how to rid herself of this feeling.
🪶 TCT is an excellent blend of psychological thriller and detective mystery. Cleeves alternates between the point of view of three female surveyors sharing a cottage in a region they are to plot for a large mining company. We also get occasional glimpses into Vera’s mindset. The plot unfolds at a rapid clip, and the characters connection to one another develops in most unanticipated ways. Greed, revenge, secrets, and unresolved trauma are expertly blended together by Cleeves.
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