The Crow Trap Audiobook By Ann Cleeves cover art

The Crow Trap

A Vera Stanhope Mystery

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The Crow Trap

By: Ann Cleeves
Narrated by: Anne Dover
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About this listen

From Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—comes The Crow Trap, the first in the Vera Stanhope series.

“Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers.”—Louise Penny

Three very different women come together to complete an environmental survey on the Northumberland countryside. Three women who, in some way or another, know the meaning of betrayal....For team leader Rachael Lambert the project is the perfect opportunity to rebuild her confidence after a double-betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Botanist Anne Preece, on the other hand, sees it as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace Fulwell, a strange, uncommunicative young woman with plenty of her own secrets to hide...

When Rachael arrives at the cottage, however, she is horrified to discover the body of her friend Bella Furness. Bella, it appears, has committed suicide--a verdict Rachael finds impossible to accept.

Only when the next death occurs does a fourth woman enter the picture--the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, who must piece together the truth from these women's tangled lives in The Crow Trap.

©1999 Ann Cleeves (P)2017 Isis Publishing Ltd
Mystery Police Procedurals Women Sleuths Scary
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Critic reviews

"Trauma, obsession, and murder entwine in a suspense-packed crime story that puts Ms. Cleeves in the Rendell class." --Peterborough Evening Telegraph

"It's a dark, interesting novel with considerable emotional force behind it." --The Spectator

“Intricate and engrossing . . . offers readers the pleasures of the traditional locked room/isolated island mystery.” --Washington Post Book World

Intricate Plot • Well-developed Characters • Engaging Storyline • Intriguing Mystery • Vivid Expressions
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Kept my interest all throughout the book. Would recommend the book looking forward. To the next

Love it

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Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!! One of the best audible books I’ve listened to!!! I like to start with the first book and go through the series!!

Candy

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The plot is well written and the characters are great but the ending is disappointing.

Almost good

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Love Vera. I could watch and listen to her all day. The stories Ann Cleeves writes are such a pleasure to read and the series on T V are excellent as well.

Ann Cleeves is an amazing writer

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Good plot and character development! Took me away for a while! I hope that there are many more in the series!

Good escape!

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I am very excited to have another Ann Cleeves series to delve into, feeling some bereft when I gobbled up the final instalment of Shetland. I was not disappointed, and I can’t wait to continue using the adventures of Vera. The story was engrossing, and the characters were well rounded and interesting. I feel like every time I listen to one of Cleeves’s books, I learn something new. Also, I have nothing but good to say about the wonderful narration, which really gave each character, a distinct personality.

Love it as much as Shetland

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The pace and the extended narrative about the 4 women left me wondering early on if I could carry on listening to this book. But I persevered and at a certain point about halfway through the book I found that I was hooked. Cleeve’s writing is so intricate with detail I am not sure I will read more of her work as it was a wee bit crazy making, but I love the Vera character and am curious to see what happens next. The jury is out on that.

Masterful storytelling

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love the complex story and characters I am looking forward to hearing another Vera story!

great narrative

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If this is your first Ann Cleeves novel I say skip it and come back to it after you've listened to a few others. It is different than her later works. I enjoyed it very much in spite of the different style. The character development was more extensive and it took longer for Vera to step in. I find these novels quite relaxing to listen too.

Different but loved it

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I'm an enthusiastic fan of British mysteries. My local PBS television station airs many of these shows and I watch all of them. That's where I discovered Vera Stanhope. She's a complex character. It took me some time to understand and appreciate her. Now I wouldn't want to miss any of the books in this series.

This book was published in 1999, and I believe was the first of the Vera Stanhope stories. The characters are complex and well developed. The setting is unique. I didn't find the characters quite as compelling as characters in later books, and that's why I gave a 4 rating rather than a 5.

Anne Dover's narration is excellent.

If you enjoy Ann Cleeves writing don't hesitate to get this book.

The Beginning of Vera

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