YvonneSuccessful British crime writer, Ann Cleeves, will be appearing at Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, on Thursday 17th March 2011, at 8pm (doors open at 7.45pm).
This is a chargeable, ticketed event, although the full cost of admission can be redeemed, when purchasing a copy of Ann’s latest book ‘Silent Voices’, on the night. Ticket cost is £6 on the night, or £5 if you book in person at the shop before the night.
Click here for further details.
Anne has brought us some great new characters of the crime solving world and ‘Silent Voices’ is the latest case for DI Vera Stanhope, who we were first introduced to in 1999.
So successful is this character, that Brenda Blethyn has been cast to portray her, in the forthcoming television adaptation, which has already been extended from one to four installments, before it has even reached our screens.
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‘Silent Voices’ by Ann Cleeves … Synopsis:
When DI Vera Stanhope finds the body of a woman in the sauna room of her local gym, she wonders briefly if, for once in her life, she’s uncovered a simple death from natural causes. But a closer inspection reveals ligature marks around the victim’s throat – death is never that simple.
Doing what she does best, Vera pulls her team together and sets them interviewing staff and those connected to the victim, while she and colleague, Sergeant Joe Ashworth, work to find a motive. While Joe struggles to reconcile his home life with the demands made on him by the job, Vera revels being back in charge of an investigation again. Death has never made her feel so alive.
And when they discover that the victim had worked in social services, and had been involved in a shocking case involving a young child, then it appears obvious that the two are somehow connected. Though things are never as they seem…
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About The Author:
Ann Cleeves, grew up in the country and, after several moves, she and her husband have now settled, where they wanted to be, in the North East of England.
She dropped out of university and held several temporary jobs, before deciding to re-train as a probation officer, but it was during one of her temporary positions as cook at The Bird Observatory, in Fair Isle, that she met her husband.
Shortly after their marriage Ann’s husband was appointed warden of a tiny Nature Reserve, on the remote tidal island of Hilbre, in the Dee estuary and it was whilst living here that Ann started her writing career.
Today, she and Margaret Murphy, are the driving forces behind ‘Murder Squad’, a group of Northern authors, brought together to promote crime fiction to a much wider audience.
Anne is also actively involved in running workshops for readers and writers, talking in schools, universities and libraries, together with appearances at numerous literary festivals, indeed, anywhere, both at home and abroad, to spread the word about her passion, the genre of crime fiction.
Now that’s a coincidence, I had lunch with a friend yesterday who had just bought her first Ann Cleeves book (do we arrange to meet for lunch to talk with each other or to have a legitimate excuse to go to the local bookshop first? – discuss) and I had to admit that although I had heard of her I had never read anything. If there’s going to be a TV series then I must get to the books first. I hate having someone else cast the characters in my mind for me.
Oh! I’ll have to think about whether or not I could make that. I love Ann Cleeves’s books and am thrilled to hear about the TV series. I haven’t read any of the Vera Stanhope books so that will be excellent to see those! Thanks for the info.
Gosh this series looks interesting. I’ve not read any of Ann Cleeves before. Just had a quick look on Amazon, Silent Voices is released next month, but I think it’s is the forth in the series.
I’ll have to read the others first (OCD)! In case anyone’s interested, they are;
1. The Crow Trap
2. Telling Tales
3. Hidden depths
Hi Annie,
Definitely, the lunch is a means to an end and completely justifies the visit to the book shop!
As the link to Ann Cleeves website says, the television series has been deferred to allow for the filming of extra episodes and as yet, I have been unable to find out the exact date of the first transmission, it still says ‘coming soon to ITV’.
Still gives you a little time to get hold of a copy of at least one of the books first.
Hi Cath,
I have to admit that I start out with all good intentions of attending some of these ‘author evenings’, but something always seems to happen to prevent it.
Given that Bath is only a 20 minute drive from home, I really don’t have any excuse, do I?
This is going to be another of the crime series that will have to be confined to being recorded, as hubbie certainly won’t be watching. I really need him to disappear for a couple of days, so that I can blitz the stuff I already have on record, or I can see that I am going to be loosing them all, when he runs out of record space!
Hi Chris,
Yes, this is the fourth Vera Stanhope case. If you get the chance, check out Ann Cleeves website, it is packed full of some great info. about all of her characters and books.
I have only read one or two of her books and that was many years ago, but I am really keen to take some time to re-acquaint myself with her writing.
There are just so many great crime writers out there, at the moment, that it is difficult to know where to start.
I haven’t read any of her books before, but this one certainly sounds good. Will you be going to the event? (If only things like that happened around here!).
Hi Nikki-Ann,
I read one of Anne’s books some time ago and enjoyed it, so seeing this event organised has set me thinking about acquiring some more of her books.
I shall definitely be watching the television series when it airs.
I should really make the effort to go to the event, as it is only just up the road from home, but evenings are not always a great time, much easier to attend weekend events when they occur.