Yet it is Stanhope herself - a homely overweight spinster with blotchy skin, a fondness for alcohol and a toxic personality - who, using intuition and subtle intimidation brings all the disorganization to an illogical but satisfying conclusion." This was an enjoyable listen to my first Ann Cleeves audiobook, "Silent Voices", #4 of the DI Vera Stanhope crime series set in Northern England. Developed into a highly successful TV series, "Vera", which commenced in 2011, starring actress Brenda Blethyn as Vera Stanhope (pronounced 'Stannup'), with a total of 53 episodes made so far, including five in 2023. I’m not frightened of dying,’ Vera had said. She liked making dramatic statements, but thought this one was probably true. In the third novel, Vera is called to investigate the deaths of two young people, who were murdered in the same way - placed in water and surrounded by flowers - before a third murder is committed. Watch this one in Vera’s TV debut in series one, episode one. Silent Voices 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.

It is indicated by markings on a door, that Vera's birthday is on January 1st. This would make her a Capricorn. Clare Calbraith who joins the show as Shep is actually born on January 1st (but 21 years later!).

Overall, the weakest episode so far. It had its moments, but there were too many cliches and military stereotypes. And what could possibly be more cynical than the final scene - a gang of boys playing with toy guns? Silent Voices is the fourth in the series, and opens with D.I. Vera Stanhope out of her comfort zone - swimming slow laps at a country health centre in an effort to improve her fitness. Soon things take a turn in her favour though, when she discovers the body of another woman in the steam room. Social worker Jenny Lister has been murdered - is it because something in her professional history or does the murderer have a more personal motive? The victim is Jenny Lister an experienced social worker. The only family member they find for notification of her death is her daughter Hannah. Vera sets out to meet face to face with Hannah and inform her of her mother's murder. In 2007, my beloved wife of almost 56 years, became acquainted with Brenda Blethyn, when Brenda was in Australia for the premiere season of Aussie movie, "Clubland", in which she starred. Needless to say, after that I had little choice in the matter but to watch "Vera" when the series was on TV, including the repeats😄!

The overweight and out-of-shape Vera who likes her drink maybe just a little too much has recently had her annual physical and the "child doctor" told her she needed to make some lifestyle changes. That couldn't have been much of a surprise, but what kind of changes can Vera tolerate? She tried yoga but found that her mind wandered and she couldn't concentrate on the downward-facing-dog. She settled on swimming. It was something that she sort of enjoyed and she could fit it in before work every day. Or as often as she chose. She joined a local health club at an out-of-the-way hotel where she wouldn't run into any colleagues and committed to doing ten laps - well, more nearly eight - in their pool each day. Then, a few minutes in their steam room and a latte and she was good to go. But then one morning she found another woman seated in the steam room. When she looked more closely, she realized her companion was dead.When a social worker connected to a high-profile case is found drowned by being held under water, Vera and Joe (Brenda Blethyn and Joe (David Leon) embark on an investigation, in "Silent Voices." Social worker Jenny Lister was part of the Mattie Jones case two years earlier. Mattie had drowned her son Elias while she was the client of Connie Masters, whom Jenny supervised. Jenny was found innocent of any wrongdoing, but Connie Masters, overloaded with cases, was blamed. Masters now lives quietly under another name. Ann Cleeves is a skilful 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." I’m the police,’ Vera said. ‘Detective Inspector Stanhope. Stand there. Don’t go in and don’t let anyone else in.’ Still no response. Lisa continued to stare. ‘Did you hear me?’ After a woman commits suicide, evidence comes to light exonerating her for the murder of a teenager 11 years previously. This story comes to life in series one, episode two. Hidden Depths

But for those who reach the end of the show’s feature-length episodes and wish that they would just continue for a little longer, the original source material may go some way to filling that void. Author Ann Cleeves has put pen to paper for 10 books starring our favourite North East detective.T]his welcome addition to the Vera Stanhope series is a showcase for the strengths of the author in getting under the skin of apparently ordinary people, and conveying the intense passions that have simmered for years beneath an apparently normal surface." The novel is a sensible, straightforward, satisfying police procedural, supplying a fair variety of plausible suspects, motives and clues, in a recognisable middle England." Is murder ever as much fun as when DI Vera Stanhope and her creator, Ann Cleeves, allow readers to ride side-saddle? Incomparable and uncompromising, devoid of airs and graces and forthright to the point of being blunt, Vera is overweight and unattractive by her own admission and radiates a "like it or lump it" robustness. Maybe that is part of her success as her whole embodiment catches people off guard for the very fact that she is contrary to what you expect a senior detective to be - basically, a well-presented man. SILENT VOICES is Ann Cleeves' fourth novel in her series featuring police detective Vera Stanhope, portrayed by actress Brenda Blethyn in the recent major ITV crime drama series Vera. It is set in Cleeves' own Northumbria and the police hunt spreads across rural villages, the slightly down at heel Willows Hotel and the seaside town of Tynemouth as their communities are examined for clues to the identity and whereabouts of Jenny Lister's killer.

Also the author is very successful of creating characters that each provokes many emotions to the reader! I do think the tv series elevates the books. Without having watched much of them being able to picture Brenda Blethyn's version of the character helps a great deal. Blethyn's version is older, she has the world weary downtroddeness and unvarnished manner but there's still a likeability about her, you want her to do well. In the books we keep hearing how ugly she is, she's repeatedly refered to as fat, her intrespection when not smug leans towards depression; she drinks, frequently dwells on being alone and childless. I kept thinking we get the message, reminding us once per book would be more than adequate, it becomes tired. Vera is a great creation, scruffy in person but an incredibly smart intellect. But she's delivered with such bitterness there's a growing repugnance, hearing the thoughts of Ashwood and others they veer between admiration and disgust of her. Unheard of for me, I'm debating leaving the books and digging out my tv remote. Inspector Vera Stanhope of the Northunbria Police has (believe it or not) joined a popular spa. She enters the steam room occupied by one other woman...the woman appears to be quite still. So still that Vera takes her pulse and finds none. There are markings around her throat that cause Vera and the now summoned police to believe she was the victim of strangulation.

Social worker Jenny Lister is murdered whilst out swimming. Two years earlier she had been exonerated following the case of Mattie Jones, who drowned her baby son whilst her colleague Connie Masters was blamed and her life ruined. Everybody speaks of Jenny as if she was perfect, arousing Vera's suspicions, especially when she learns that Jenny was writing a book about some of her cases, including Mattie, and her laptop, containing the draft, is stolen. Chief suspect is Mattie's ex-boyfriend, osteopath Michael Morgan, but then Vera learns that Jenny was having a mysterious affair. Then the thief is murdered in the same way as Jenny, and the laptop gives Vera the key to solving the case but also the task of preventing another death in a race against time. You might not die, of course.’ The doctor had a clear voice, a bit on the high side to make for pleasant listening. ‘Not immediately at least.’ And she’d listed the unpleasant possible symptoms that might result from Vera’s overindulgence. An old-fashioned school prefect laying down the law. ‘It’s about time you started making some difficult lifestyle choices, Ms Stanhope.’