Review of "The Dark Wives: A DI Vera Stanhope Mystery" by Ann Cleeves

In this 11th book in the 'Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope' series, the Northumberland sleuth investigates the murder of a university student, and the disappearance of a teenager. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope was raised by a difficult bullying father, and now has a soft spot for struggling adolescents.



So Vera is especially concerned when a midnight 999 call summons her to Rosebank Home, a foster care facility for 'teens that no one wants.'



At Rosebank Home, Vera learns that the body of Josh Woodburn, a university student employed at Rosebank part-time, was found outside the facility.



In addition, a fourteen-year-old girl called Chloe Spence, who's a resident of Rosebank Home, is missing.



Vera observes that Josh's head was caved in with a hammer, and Chloe's diary reveals the teen liked hanging out with Josh and had a crush on him. Vera thinks, "Oh Chloe. What have you done? And where are you now" And if this wasn't you - and really there's nothing in your diary to suggest that it was - are you still alive?"



In Vera's mind there are three possibilities: Chloe killed Josh and ran away; or Chloe saw who killed Josh and is hiding from the murderer; or Chloe was abducted by the killer. All this makes Vera anxious to find Chloe, hopefully alive and well.

Vera gathers her detective squad to investigate. This includes Vera's longtime partner, Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth....



.....and a new member of the team, Detective Constable Rosie Bell.



The investigators' first interest is Rosebank Home, a dilapidated facility with peeling floors and mismatched furnishings. The facility can accommodate four teenagers, and Chloe's co-residents, two boys and a girl, claim to know nothing about Josh's death or Chloe's whereabouts. The youngsters all acknowledge, though, that Chloe kept to herself and read a lot of books.



A visit to Chloe's school, Salvation Academy, provides little additional information. The administrators and teachers say Chloe was a good student who did well until her father ran off and her mother had a psychotic break. This landed Chloe in Rosebank Home, presumably until her mother recovers.



The inquiry into Josh's homicide also yields few clues. Josh's parents, former girlfriend, and acquaintances all say Josh was a genial young man, with no enemies who would want to kill him.



A new avenue for the investigation opens up when Vera discovers that Chloe's deceased grandpa had a cottage in Gillstead, where Chloe sometimes visited. Gillstead is known for a rock formation called the 'Three Dark Wives', which attracts tourists and historians. Legend says three crones were turned to stone by a giant who thought they talked too much. Gillstead has an annual activity called the 'Witch Hunt', where people run around at night trying to catch a witch.



Vera thinks Chloe might be hiding in her grandpa's old cottage, and goes to Gillstead to investigate. Instead of Chloe, Vera finds the body of a teenage boy from Rosebank Home, dead from a drug overdose.



The case gets darker and more obscure until Vera and her team make some breakthroughs. This leads to the novel's exciting, action packed climax. The resolution of Josh's murder and Chloe's disappearance is quite clever, and will tax the deductive ability of even the most dedicated armchair sleuth.

A fun aspect of the book is the rivalry between DS Joe Ashworth and DC Rosie Bell, who compete to find clues, and try to best each with their investigative skills.





Rosie, who's the new person on the team, wants to prove herself to Vera, and Joe doesn't want to be shown up. It all turns out well in the end, though, and the trio make a fine team.

Like all the Vera Stanhope books, this is a good thriller, recommended to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, Anne Cleeves, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Jewish Voices: Inspiring and Empowering Quotes from Global Thought Leaders" by Dana Rubin

Dana Rubin is an award-win­ning jour­nal­ist, speaker, speechwriter, and creator/curator of the world’s largest col­lec­tion of speech­es by women.

Author Dana Rubin

'Jewish Voices' is a different kind of collection, an assemblage of quotes from Jewish men and women, accompanied by beautiful artistic renderings by Jewish artists.

Rubin introduces 'Jewish Voices' as follows: "Words and language have always occupied a place of special reverence in Jewish life. From the beginning of recorded history, the wisdom and culture of the Jewish people have been communicated through the written and spoken word."

Perhaps the best example of this are Talmudic scholars who spend their entire lives studying and discussing the Talmud - the compilation of writings that covers all Jewish laws and traditions.



'Jewish Voices' is divided into ten sections, each containing a series of quotes and a brief biography of each person quoted. The men and women cited include scholars, politicians, celebrities, authors, scientists, poets, artists, and more. I'll list the sections, with an example of a quote from each one.

❂ Land of Milk and Honey (This refers to the land of Israel.)

"I stand with Israel because when I walk around Jerusalem, every step I take is part of my history." Melinda Strauss, Jewish content creator and kosher cookbook author.



*****

❂ Diaspora ("The Jewish people have continuously been uprooted and forced to abandon and rebuild their lives in a perpetual state of exile.")

"The Jewish masses, though dispersed to the four winds of the world and mostly destitute of mere shelter - because tenacious of their creed, endure, true to themselves and to their past." Waldemar Haffkine, Russian-French bacteriologist



*****

❂ Art and Culture ("Historians have compared the achievements of the Jewish people in the arts to the....Italians during the Renaissance....")

"Our capacity to create something that is not useful, that's only understood by mortals, that's only within the human experience, and that is beyond the provable and everyday, that is unpredictable - that's the highest praise we can give for being human." Leon Botstein, Swiss-American conductor, educator, and scholar.



*****

❂ Laughter and Tears ("From ancient times to the Borscht Belt, from Hollywood to Comedy Central, Jewish people have found wit and humor in the human condition....")

"Laughter forces air into and out of our lungs - it keeps us alive and motivated even in the worst of circumstances." Esther D. Kustanowitz, American writer, editor, and consultant.



*****

❂ Antisemitism and the Holocaust ("Historians say the first antisemitic attack occurred in 38 BCE in Alexandria....That was the start of centuries of catastrophe for the Jewish people.")

"We all have a responsibility to stand up. Words matter. Hate speech begets hate crimes." Josh Shapiro, 48th governor of Pennsylvania.



*****

❂ Education and Learning ("The notion that the most secure investment you can make is in your knowledge may not be exclusively Jewish, but it does have a powerful Jewish lineage.")

"The most violent element in society is ignorance." Emma Goldman, Anarchist revolutionary, political activist, and writer.



*****

❂ Family and Home ("Jewish family life is the core from which all else radiates: identity, belonging, and self-fulfillment.")

"Though we come from different cultures and totally different worlds, we all want the same things - to provide a good environment for our kids to grow in. To laugh and share experiences with family and friends. To see our children grow up and achieve their dreams." Ben Stiller, actor, filmmaker, and comedian.



*****

❂ Inspiration and Hope ("With the founding of the Jewish state, the first two stanzas of Naftali Herz Imber's poem became the national anthem, 'Hatikvah: Our hope is not yet lost/It is two thousand years old/To be a free people in our land/The land of Zion and Jerusalem.')

"I have never seen the world as 'deaf' or 'hearing' or 'Jewish' or 'gentile' or 'black' or 'white'.....There is only one world, and many people live in it." Shoshannah Stern, actress, writer, and producer. (Stern was raised in a deaf family and learned sign language before English.)



*****

❂ Holidays and Tradition ("Some Jewish holidays commemorate key events in Jewish history....others are tied to the agrarian cycle.")

"Shabbos is the central point of our lives, the culmination of the entire week, showcasing our purpose and bringing us full circle. It forces us to stop and connect with our Creator and gives us the tools and opportunities to be present and take a look at the faces of our families." Raizy Fried, teacher, innovator, and lifestyle influencer.



*****

Tikun Olam (Repairing the world: tikun olam places the well-being of humanity not just in the providence of God, but also in the hands of the Jewish people.)

"Say to yourself, If there is a wrong in our midst, what can I do? What is my responsibility?" Lilian Wald, American nurse, activist, and humanitarian.



*****

Though it might seem like this book would appeal mostly to Jewish people, I think persons of all faiths would find it enlightening. As humans, we have common hopes, dreams, and goals, many of which are reflected in the selections included by Dana Rubin.

In addition to the quotes, the book includes an index of individuals, permissions, and a bibliography at the back. There are also colorful illustrations on every page - by artists Chavi Feldman, Leah Bar Shalom and Eleyor Snir - which make this a good candidate for a gift or coffee table book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Dana Rubin, and Wellfleet Press for a copy of the book.

Rating: 5 stars

Review of "Mona of the Manor: A Tales of the City Novel" by Armistead Maupin

Armistead Maupin is an American writer known for 'Tales of the City', a series of novels set in San Francisco and focusing largely on the LGBTQ+ community. The stories are the basis for the 2019 Netflix mini-series 'Tales of the City.'

This book, 'Mona of the Manor' (published in 2024), is the 10th and last book in the series. If you're curious, this novel provides enough information about the characters to work as a standalone.

*****

The story takes place in the 1990s, and opens with Rhonda and Ernie Blaylock from North Carolina celebrating their anniversary with an overseas trip.



The Blaylocks are in England, headed for a weekend stay at Easley House - a large Cotswolds manor house that's been converted into an expensive hotel.



Easley House's American owner Mona Ramsey (aka Lady Roughton) inherited the estate from her husband, and she and her 26-year-old adopted son Wilfred - who has Australian aboriginal ancestry - take in paying guests to pay for Easley's costly upkeep.





American Rhonda Blaylock is very excited about staying at a British manor house, but her husband Ernie not so much.



Ernie is fresh off managing the re-election campaign of North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms - who opposes civil rights and gay rights - and Ernie would rather stay at a luxury hotel in London.



Ernie's attitude isn't helped any when the Blaylocks' first experience with Easley House includes a hallway filled with dirty hoes and shovels; a tattered poster of a stained glass window; and pots on the floor collecting drips from a leaky roof.



For her part, Rhonda isn't bothered by the mess. Rhonda - who probably reads historic romance novels - is charmed by Lady Roughton ('call me Mona') and Wilfred, and she's impressed by the manor's furnishings and ancestral portraits.







Outside the house, Rhonda likes the hillside gazebo; walking trails; and pretty bluebell field. Rhonda is even willing to help clean the mice out of Easley Manor's kitchen cabinets and assist with the cooking.



Early in the Blaylocks' visit the couple have a disagreement, and Rhonda ends up with bruises, a puffy face, and a black eye. Mona and Wilfred feel compelled to take measures, and that's all I'll say about that.



There's a lot more going on in Easley Manor. Pot-smoking Mona and Wilfred are both homosexual, and this is the era of the AIDS epidemic and Margarat Thatcher's conservative policies. Thus Mona and Wildred each have lost friends to the epidemic, and they inherited their dog, Vanilla Wafer, from a deceased victim.



Because of the AIDS scourge, Mona is anxious about Wilfred cruising London's gay bars and meeting spots, fearful that her son will be infected with the HIV virus.





On the personal side, Mona is involved in a casual sexual relationship with postmistress Poppy Gallagher, a talented artist who seems to be in love with Mona. Poppy wants to recreate a famous painting using Mona as the model, and hang it in the post office....something Mona's not too sure about.



To add to the bustling atmosphere at Easley Manor, the Midsummer festivities are right around the corner, and San Franciscans Michael Tolliver and Anna Madrigal are coming for a visit.





Michael is an old friend of Mona's, and Anna is Mona's parent. Anna deserted the family when Mona was a child and returned when Mona was an adult. Mona and Wilfred are looking forward to the visit, since they haven't seen Michael and Anna in years.

The most amusing character in the story is the elderly groundskeeper Lachlan Hargis, who thinks a gypsy man is camping out on Easley Manor grounds. Hargis believes he sees the Romani everywhere, and despite Mona's constant assurances, Lachlan won't be convinced the intruder is a phantom.



All this leads to some surprising occurrences, important personal discussions, and speculation about the futures of the characters.

'Mona in the Manor' is the only book I've read in the series, but I liked it well enough to watch the mini-series 'Tales of the City', which is filled with memorable characters and compelling storylines

I'd recommend the book to fans of literary fiction.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "Lucifer's Tears: An Inspector Kari Vaara Novel" by James Thompson

In this second book in the Inspector Kari Vaara series, the Finnish detective gets involved in two tricky cases: a Finnish national hero is accused of being a war criminal, and a woman has been tortured and murdered.

This novel can be read as a standalone, but it's best to start with the first novel in the series, Snow Angels, to avoid spoilers.

*****

Inspector Kari Vaara and his American wife Kate have moved from Kittilä in northern Finland, to Helsinki, where Vaara is a member of the police homicide squad and Kate manages a high-end restaurant.





Vaara has been lauded for solving his last big case, the murder of a Somali actress, but the investigation was troublesome and Kari is suffering from anxiety and constant migraine headaches. Kari is also concerned about his wife Kate, who's pregnant and due in two weeks.



Vaara has a rookie partner, Milo Nieminen, who got elevated to the prestigious homicide squad because of his intelligence and assistance with previous investigations. Notwithstanding, Neimenin is a conceited loose cannon who's prone to showing off, breaking the rules, and defying authority.



Vaara and Nieminen are doing routine death certifications when Vaara gets a call from his boss, National Police Chief Jyri Ivalo.



Ivalo tells Vaara that a 90-year-old Finnish national hero called Arvid Lahtinen has been accused of war crimes. A new book claims Lahtinen worked in a prisoner-of-war camp called Stalag 309 during World War II, and collaborated with the Gestapo to kill Russian POWs. Germany is now trying to extradite Lahtinen, to put him on trial as a war criminal.



The Finnish mindset is that their country has no war criminals, and Chief Ivalo tells Vaara to make the whole sordid business go away. When Kari interviews Lahtinen, however, the old man admits to killing Russians at Stalag 309, and claims Kari's Ukki (grandpa) did the same thing. Lahtinen explains himself by describing Finland's complicated history with Germany and Russia, which sparked the old man's hatred for Russians. (Note: this is an interesting history lesson in the midst of the novel.)


Russian POWs during World War II

In any case, Lahtinen has cards to play. If the war criminal charges don't go away, the old man will reveal the war crimes of several Finnish 'heroes' and politicians who collaborated with the Nazis. All this puts Vaara and his boss on the horns of a dilemma.

Meanwhile, Vaara and Nieminen get a troubling homicide case. An Estonian businessman named Rein Starr claims he was knocked unconscious by an unknown assailant.



When Rein woke up, he was lying next to his dead lover Iisa Filippov.



As Vaara and Nieminen investigate, they discover that Iisa was repeatedly burned with cigarettes and lashed with a horse whip before being suffocated. The detectives also learn that Iisa was having an adulterous affair with Rein, and was married to Russian property developer Ivan Filippov.



Vaara and Niemenin have hardly begun investigating Iisa's homicide before Chief Ivalo puts pressure on them to charge Rein Starr with murder. The detectives resist because they believe Ivan Filippov murdered his wife. As the case proceeds, it becomes clear that sexual fetishes played into Iisa's death, along with attempts at a cover-up and frame-up by 'higher ups.'

As Kari goes about his business, his headaches are crippling; he hasn't slept in months; and he's consumed with worry about Kate's pregnancy.



To top it off, Kate's brother John and sister Mary arrive from America, to 'help with the baby', and immediately cause problems. John is a broke alcoholic druggie and Mary is a judgmental conservative Christian who loudly disdains Finnish culture.





By the end of the book there's a surprising denouement to the murder investigation and a hook that leads to book three.

I'm enjoying this series, but have some reservations. Kari has a spiteful side to his personality that I find off-putting, and his constant smoking and drinking seem excessive. I do like the peeks at Finnish culture, like the celebrations around the birth of a baby, and the Karjalan Paisti (meat stew) Kari prepares for guests.



If you're a fan of Nordic noir, you'd probably like the Kari Vaara books.

Rating: 3.5 stars