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Inspector Ramsay #2
Murder In My Backyard
No one in Heppleburn has a bad word to say about Alice Parry . . . but here she is, murdered in her own backyard on a bitter St. David's Eve. And when detective Stephen Ramsay starts asking questions in the village, a more ambiguous picture begins to emerge. Yes, old Mrs. Parry was loved by everyone, but sometimes her kindness had caused trouble. Yes, her two nephews were devoted to her, but they didn't really want her interfering in their rather complicated personal lives. Even among her neighbors, Alice Parry's helpfulness had sometimes misfired; and after her death, tension tight as a clenched fist grips the uneasy village.
Meanwhile, the suspects keep rolling in, and Heppleburn's friendly neighborhood killer continues his nasty piece of work . . . .
Meanwhile, the suspects keep rolling in, and Heppleburn's friendly neighborhood killer continues his nasty piece of work . . . .
251 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 2, 1991
1326 people are currently reading
1733 people want to read
About the author
Ann Cleeves
132 books8,752 followersAnn is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands...
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
April 4, 2013
I like Ann Cleeves. I've enjoyed watching the dramatization of her Vera Stanhope books on television and I loved reading her Shetland Island Quartets, so I decided to pick up her older books whenever I found them in used book stores.
Murder in My Backyard was the first of the 'old' mysteries that I found and I liked it. It didn't have the drama of the Shetlands or the angst of Inspector Perez, but it was a respectably plotted mystery. It evoked the place well (the north of England - near Vera Stanhope's stomping grounds) and was well plotted and populated with diverse, interesting characters. The main character, Detective Stephen Ramsey, held his cards close to his vest. His sidekick, a thoroughly unlikeable chap, is someone who was irritating enough to see again in further novels. I've found a few more of her mysteries from the 90's. I like to read the early works of a favorite author to compare style and evolution of character.
It's heartening to see the growth of a writer as her talents unfold in print.
Murder in My Backyard was the first of the 'old' mysteries that I found and I liked it. It didn't have the drama of the Shetlands or the angst of Inspector Perez, but it was a respectably plotted mystery. It evoked the place well (the north of England - near Vera Stanhope's stomping grounds) and was well plotted and populated with diverse, interesting characters. The main character, Detective Stephen Ramsey, held his cards close to his vest. His sidekick, a thoroughly unlikeable chap, is someone who was irritating enough to see again in further novels. I've found a few more of her mysteries from the 90's. I like to read the early works of a favorite author to compare style and evolution of character.
It's heartening to see the growth of a writer as her talents unfold in print.
August 31, 2021
Really cool installment in the Inspector Ramsay series. I like to think of this whole place like a darker version of the Midsommer Murders.
August 15, 2025
Overall, an enjoyable mystery, not as good as her 'Vera Stanhope' series but a worthy read nonetheless.
July 11, 2023
Murder In My Backyard (Inspector Ramsey, #2) by Ann Cleeves.
A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy was my first book in Ann Cleeves earliest series. I enjoyed it so much I continued reading the Inspector Ramsey series as I was able to find them which meant doing interlibrary loans. Inspector Ramsey is not a hot head but rather takes things slow without jumping to conclusions. This often sets off Gordon Hunter the Inspector's colleague. His exact opposite.
Inspector Ramsey has moved in to his new cottage in Heppleburn. It has a lovely view and is in quite a subdued area removed from the hustle-bustle of a city. Still it's not far from a good pub and some shops.
Alice Parry has lived in the community for a good 20 years and is well liked by everyone. That's why the people in her neighborhood find it so difficult to understand why she ever sold her land to that money hungry land developer Henshaw. There's an uproar about this at the town meeting and Alice leaves bound and determined to confront Henshaw with a proposition to buy back the land she sold to him. Later after that confrontation she's found dead in her own backyard, murdered with a knife in her back.
Now it's up to Inspector Ramsey to unravel the motive behind this murder and who the murderer is.
I absolutely love this series and urge fans of Ann Cleeves to consider reading her earliest books.
A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy was my first book in Ann Cleeves earliest series. I enjoyed it so much I continued reading the Inspector Ramsey series as I was able to find them which meant doing interlibrary loans. Inspector Ramsey is not a hot head but rather takes things slow without jumping to conclusions. This often sets off Gordon Hunter the Inspector's colleague. His exact opposite.
Inspector Ramsey has moved in to his new cottage in Heppleburn. It has a lovely view and is in quite a subdued area removed from the hustle-bustle of a city. Still it's not far from a good pub and some shops.
Alice Parry has lived in the community for a good 20 years and is well liked by everyone. That's why the people in her neighborhood find it so difficult to understand why she ever sold her land to that money hungry land developer Henshaw. There's an uproar about this at the town meeting and Alice leaves bound and determined to confront Henshaw with a proposition to buy back the land she sold to him. Later after that confrontation she's found dead in her own backyard, murdered with a knife in her back.
Now it's up to Inspector Ramsey to unravel the motive behind this murder and who the murderer is.
I absolutely love this series and urge fans of Ann Cleeves to consider reading her earliest books.
December 29, 2024
I liked the second book better than the first instalment of this series by Ann Cleeves!
I must say I disliked enormously all the characters which Stephen Ramsay investigated with few exceptions like Tom Kerr and his family!
The victim was also a likeable character, but oh boy, was her family a bunch of tossers! I had no sympathy for any of them!
Max was a pathetic jerk!
Stella was manipulating and egotistical!
James was a pompous arse and practically a doormat to his wife's whims!
Judy was of a colourless personality and too complacent!
Another character very much involved in the case was reporter Mary Raven! Didn't have any sympathy for her either! Young and pretty, she could do better for herself than the pity party because she went after a married man!
I'm so beyond tired of men in books cheating on their wives because they don't have time for them, and instead of talking it out or trying to fix things they choose the easy way out when another woman pays attention to them! Bloody idiots!
In this instalment, we get more information about Stephen's failed marriage and his emotional state! We see how he handles this new case after the events that took place in the first book!
His partner is behaving abominable towards Ramsey, and I found him unpleasant!
As in many small communities, there are many secrets and petty grievances amongst the inhabitants so the case has many suspects and motives, which is intriguing for the reader who has to guess which one is the most likely perpetrator!
My only dissatisfaction comes from minor things that weren't explained... where was Max when he was missing? What did Grey do about the situation in his home? And even though Stephen didn't want to know what happened to two people, I for sure did want to know, especially to the little girl!
I must say I disliked enormously all the characters which Stephen Ramsay investigated with few exceptions like Tom Kerr and his family!
The victim was also a likeable character, but oh boy, was her family a bunch of tossers! I had no sympathy for any of them!
Max was a pathetic jerk!
Stella was manipulating and egotistical!
James was a pompous arse and practically a doormat to his wife's whims!
Judy was of a colourless personality and too complacent!
Another character very much involved in the case was reporter Mary Raven! Didn't have any sympathy for her either! Young and pretty, she could do better for herself than the pity party because she went after a married man!
I'm so beyond tired of men in books cheating on their wives because they don't have time for them, and instead of talking it out or trying to fix things they choose the easy way out when another woman pays attention to them! Bloody idiots!
In this instalment, we get more information about Stephen's failed marriage and his emotional state! We see how he handles this new case after the events that took place in the first book!
His partner is behaving abominable towards Ramsey, and I found him unpleasant!
As in many small communities, there are many secrets and petty grievances amongst the inhabitants so the case has many suspects and motives, which is intriguing for the reader who has to guess which one is the most likely perpetrator!
My only dissatisfaction comes from minor things that weren't explained... where was Max when he was missing? What did Grey do about the situation in his home? And even though Stephen didn't want to know what happened to two people, I for sure did want to know, especially to the little girl!
June 21, 2025
Three stars (Good but not Great) for the second in Ann Cleeves' Inspector Ramsay series. As with the author's Vera series, this one is set in North East England - Newcastle and wider Northumberland - and beautifully captures the areas and the people living there.
Ramsay himself is a troubled soul; recently divorced but still in love with his ex wife. He finds fitting in with his work colleagues very difficult and is disliked by his junior officer who feels he is overly slow and fussy. However, he is tenacious and sticks to his task when everyone else would like to see a quickly sewn up case to the murder of Alice Parry, a well regarded member of the community who is found stabbed to death outside her own home.
There are numerous suspects and the author introduces just enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing as to the identity of the murderer. Where the book falls down a bit is on the dialogue between characters which is a bit repetitive and stretches the plot unnecessarily. Not as good as the Shetland and Vera stories but worth a read for crime lovers.
Ramsay himself is a troubled soul; recently divorced but still in love with his ex wife. He finds fitting in with his work colleagues very difficult and is disliked by his junior officer who feels he is overly slow and fussy. However, he is tenacious and sticks to his task when everyone else would like to see a quickly sewn up case to the murder of Alice Parry, a well regarded member of the community who is found stabbed to death outside her own home.
There are numerous suspects and the author introduces just enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing as to the identity of the murderer. Where the book falls down a bit is on the dialogue between characters which is a bit repetitive and stretches the plot unnecessarily. Not as good as the Shetland and Vera stories but worth a read for crime lovers.
December 22, 2025
I’m loving the entire series. As the books unfold, Inspector Ramsay’s personality is revealed. There are plenty of red herrings and interesting characters. Witty and very British. Outstanding narration.
I was blessed with an ARC. Thank you NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.
I was blessed with an ARC. Thank you NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.
April 19, 2020
My second in this Ann Cleeves series from the early nineties.
I think that in my notes on the first I had said that I felt that parts showed lack of polish or naivety. There is none of that here.
The story is well up to the standard of her later works.
It is a tale about the death of an old lady at her home at a time when her only family - two nephews with wives and children were staying. Was it a family murder or was there a connection with the proposed development on land, she has just sold to an unscrupulous builder, living close by.
A well crafted story with plenty of twists and misdirections as family, and other, skeletons are unearthed.
Before you ask - of course I didnt get it right. I thought I had a strong case against someone else but that was easily explained away.
Must grab the next.
I think that in my notes on the first I had said that I felt that parts showed lack of polish or naivety. There is none of that here.
The story is well up to the standard of her later works.
It is a tale about the death of an old lady at her home at a time when her only family - two nephews with wives and children were staying. Was it a family murder or was there a connection with the proposed development on land, she has just sold to an unscrupulous builder, living close by.
A well crafted story with plenty of twists and misdirections as family, and other, skeletons are unearthed.
Before you ask - of course I didnt get it right. I thought I had a strong case against someone else but that was easily explained away.
Must grab the next.
October 3, 2025
Nesteidzīgs britu krimiķis vienam vakaram.
July 14, 2023
Pretty good detective story written early in Cleeves' career, not as compelling as the Shetland or Vera Stanhope books, but worth reading.
March 7, 2020
While waiting for Ann Cleeves' latest Vera Stanhope novel to be released, I discovered this earlier (1990's) series of novels featuring Inspector Ramsay. While I found the first in the series, A Lesson in Dying, to be just OK, this second book of the series has me hooked.
As usual, Cleeves develops her characters beautifully, and the mystery always keeps me interested and surprised in the end.
Many reviewers have said that this earlier series is not as good as her Vera Stanhope or Shetland offerings, but I found it to be just a slightly different flavor of an equally excellent series.
As usual, Cleeves develops her characters beautifully, and the mystery always keeps me interested and surprised in the end.
Many reviewers have said that this earlier series is not as good as her Vera Stanhope or Shetland offerings, but I found it to be just a slightly different flavor of an equally excellent series.
April 7, 2021
I enjoyed this book, lovely lead detective. I found it a cosy mystery as opposed to the author’s Vera and Shetland series. I think these books were written earlier than the others nevertheless a good read. I’m happy to keep following Inspector Ramsey. It actually reminded me a little of George Gently insofar as the relationship between Gently and his offsider John Bacchus. Young John less experienced and cocky thought George was a bit of an old doddler.
November 10, 2013
Inspector Ramsay is back in this sad tale of a trusting woman who sold her property to an unscrupulous land dealer. The town is up in arms as beautiful marshland is being converted to big McMansions. But this time the murder occurs in Ramsay's own backyard and once again he must rely on the knowledge of local men and women to help him track down a killer.
August 8, 2024
Read this because it’s Anne Cleeves and I love Vera. The murder mystery was actually really quite good but I was not a fan of the detective, his character seemed to have little substance. It was one of those books where your mind drifts while reading which can’t be good. If I could have given 2.5 stars I would but 3 seemed too many
November 22, 2025
“…slepkavības izmeklēšana turpinājās kā negribīgas, neprasmīgi organizētas militārās mācības”. 86.lpp
Neskati grāmatu pēc vāka… nē, tas ir skaists! Drīzāk - pēc sērijas nosaukuma (vakara detektīvs) :)
Aizraujošāka, sakārtotāka kā pirmā daļa. Pēc ilgāk laika, es tiešām nenojautu “kurš vainīgs”. Gaidu vēl! Un zinot, ka autore ir saistīta ar detektīvseriālu “Vera” - sākšu to skatīties :)
Neskati grāmatu pēc vāka… nē, tas ir skaists! Drīzāk - pēc sērijas nosaukuma (vakara detektīvs) :)
Aizraujošāka, sakārtotāka kā pirmā daļa. Pēc ilgāk laika, es tiešām nenojautu “kurš vainīgs”. Gaidu vēl! Un zinot, ka autore ir saistīta ar detektīvseriālu “Vera” - sākšu to skatīties :)
November 8, 2025
The cover says Ann Cleeves wrote this, but the style is so much like the early stand-alones by Ruth Rendell that it haunted me all the way through. Moreover, I never knew Cleeves had written an entire series of books starring Inspector Ramsay! Altho it was written in '91 and seems to be set then, it "reads" very old fashioned. In fact, it was so different from what I'm used to from Cleeves that it really unsettled me - obviously!! For example, the two brothers, who are quite different and even have very different kinds of wives, families and careers, were never clearly differentiated in my brain -- I kept having to stop and rethink which one was in the frame at the moment making for an occasionally bumpy read. Several times, Cleeves mentions, or suggests through Ramsay, that there's a very closed group of suspects who might be the perpetrator but then goes on to add several others who might also have motive/opportunity and makes everyone sound quite plausible as the killer. It's worth a look, especially if you are a Vera or Perez fan, since Ramsay is quite unlike either of them. And if you were a Rendell fan, her constant echo here will really mess with your brain! Of course, it could just be me...
February 5, 2022
Well crafted story
I always enjoy Ann sleeves books. This a an in interesting well crafted story. It seems to me that by reading this. Set of books, you are reading the evolution of a great writer. In this book the main character is very undefined ,yet he,appears constantly throughout the book,as if the case itself was the sum of the book. As readers we often look for identification with the main character to round out the storyline . in her later books the detective character drives the story. It was good to read a different approach, but I felt it left a personal connection missing,which I so senior in her other books.
I always enjoy Ann sleeves books. This a an in interesting well crafted story. It seems to me that by reading this. Set of books, you are reading the evolution of a great writer. In this book the main character is very undefined ,yet he,appears constantly throughout the book,as if the case itself was the sum of the book. As readers we often look for identification with the main character to round out the storyline . in her later books the detective character drives the story. It was good to read a different approach, but I felt it left a personal connection missing,which I so senior in her other books.
November 24, 2024
I haven’t read many of Ann Cleeves’ books although have watched all of the Vera series and Shetland. This one had a feel of PD James about it - it was measured and slowish but beautifully told. Alice Parry is murdered in her back garden and Inspector Ramsay sets out to try and find the killer. The characters are all very well drawn and the pace, though slow, moves along well and keeps your interest. Must read more of these.
November 14, 2025
Paņēmu bibliotēkā koplektā ar pirmo sērijas grāmatu, tad nu arī izlasīju uzreiz vienu pēc otras.
Salīdzinājumā ar pirmo, "Slepkavības paraugstunda", inspektors Remzijs jau aktīvāks, bet detektīvintrigai man pietrūka iespējamo motīvu, par ko varētu palauzīt galvu.
Tā kā nebiju sacerējusies, ka nu tik būs, nu tik lasīs, tad nebija nekādas vilšanās, ka tas nav Nesbē vai Agata Kristi.
Tāds jauki slepkavīgs omulīgais detektīva.
Salīdzinājumā ar pirmo, "Slepkavības paraugstunda", inspektors Remzijs jau aktīvāks, bet detektīvintrigai man pietrūka iespējamo motīvu, par ko varētu palauzīt galvu.
Tā kā nebiju sacerējusies, ka nu tik būs, nu tik lasīs, tad nebija nekādas vilšanās, ka tas nav Nesbē vai Agata Kristi.
Tāds jauki slepkavīgs omulīgais detektīva.
March 24, 2025
A classic english police procedural
Ann Cleeves is the definitive contemporary writer of police crime fiction : capturing the nuances and traumas of individuals in everyday lives.
This is a tale with twists and turns and certainly is a good second book in the inspector Ramsay series .
Ann Cleeves is the definitive contemporary writer of police crime fiction : capturing the nuances and traumas of individuals in everyday lives.
This is a tale with twists and turns and certainly is a good second book in the inspector Ramsay series .
January 31, 2025
Was kindly #gifted this book for my secret Santa at work and I’ll be dammed but sue did an excellent job! Thoroughly enjoyed a break from reading fairy smut to this murder mystery. Set in a small town full of scandal, secrets and deceit 🫢 Alice is killed and its up inspector Ramsay to find out WHO and WHY🫡
Overall, I really enjoyed. I thought it was full of interesting characters,who all interlaced with each other’s lives, it was well paced, like each chapter I feel like something exciting or relevant happened that moved the plot forward 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall, I really enjoyed. I thought it was full of interesting characters,who all interlaced with each other’s lives, it was well paced, like each chapter I feel like something exciting or relevant happened that moved the plot forward 🌟🌟🌟🌟
June 13, 2025
Sākumā bija grūti ielasīties. Kaitināja tas neizlēmīgais, par sevi nepārliecinātais izmeklētājs. Mazliet pāri pusei gan smuki sagriezās virpulis un jau nevarēju nolikt malā, jo bija jāzina, kurš tad īsti vainīgs. Šajā romānā slepkavu īsti nevar izskaitļot, jo autore neatklāj visus pierādījumus, bet tas netraucē izbaudīt asās beigas .
June 14, 2025
I am a big fan of Ann Cleeves but it was very obvious that this was written early in her career. The plot was ok but the writing lacked any real tension. There were flashes of the exciting writing to come but maybe not enough to justify republishing all of these earlier novels.
October 11, 2023
What an excellent outstanding book from my fav British author Ann Cleeves! She is truly a genius!!❤️
November 12, 2024
Fantastic book. Amazing twist
December 22, 2024
An early Ann Cleeves novel which demonstrates that, even when she was polishing her craft, she knew how to tell a tale.
Obviously I had no idea whodunit
Obviously I had no idea whodunit
October 28, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed the storyline but there’s sooo oo much fluff that is not needed
I enjoyed the storyline but there’s sooo oo much fluff that is not needed
December 28, 2024
Inspector Stephen Ramsey has just moved into an idyllic cottage in the village of Heppleburn, following his divorce from his wife Diana. But if he imagined that no murders would take place in his village, he was sorely mistaken. The body of Alice Parry, a local resident of some twenty years is discovered, stabbed to death in her own garden. Her own family members seem strangely unemotional at this tragedy.
A change from her Vera, Shetland and Two Rivers novels but highly entertaining reading and I did not guess the perpetrator.
A change from her Vera, Shetland and Two Rivers novels but highly entertaining reading and I did not guess the perpetrator.
March 4, 2025
Was a little disappointed with this one. Seemed to drag and although the storyline was interesting it just didn't wow.
July 12, 2024
Ok but I think I prefer Vera
Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews