BY HOLLY CUTHBERT

 

Detection, mystery and home truths, a stabbing on the Newcastle metro puts a guest house full of suspects into shock.

The latest in the acclaimed Vera series starts with the stabbing of Margaret Krukowski in the same carriage as Vera’s right hand man, Joe Ashworth. Her body is discovered by Joe’s daughter Jessie. Attention turns to the guest house Margaret has been working in. Regular guests and the house’s owner, Kate Dewar, and her two children all fall under suspicion until a second body is found which seems to have little connection to the first.

This latest Vera novel has an engaging plot and solution but for a four hundred page novel there is not all that much action. Sections are drawn out unnecessarily and the solution, while unexpected, is not entirely credible.

The issue of class is discussed well in the novel as Ann chooses to place her murder victim on a train that crosses the boundaries from the posh side of Newcastle to a once notorious area. Margaret is of both worlds, fitting in on both sides but she is noticeably the only character who does.

Vera herself is on top form though tinged with pre-Christmas sadness at the possibility that she may one day lose Joe Ashworth to promotion. There is a sense of enjoying the moment while it lasts as Vera begins to mentally prepare to one day let him go. This is perhaps a suggestion from Cleeves that after six Vera novels the readers also shouldn’t think that this will last forever.

Harbour Street is full of believable and rather likeable characters. Margaret in particular shines through, her personality leaping off the pages though she is dead from the very beginning. Her good heart and kindness are the cause of so many things in this novel and she is shown in stark and deliberate contrast to the other characters.

Harbour Street is well written though a little long and brings to life the many different things going on it today’s cities and inside the home. It presents a fascinating view of modern life that we may not all want to admit to.

 

This book was published by Macmillan and is available to buy for £16.99. It can also be borrowed from The Hive as well as other Worcestershire libraries. Click here to check availability and check it out.