Vera Stanhope is not your typical detective. She's overweight and not particularly fashionable in her frumpy coat and comfortable shoes. But she's smart and determined and has hand-picked a hard-working team to help her crack her case. And she'll need that for her latest case, a decades old murder that involved her father and his cronies.
After a visit to speak at a prison, one of the prisoners, former detective superintendent, John Brace, comes up to Vera. He wants to make a trade. He has information that one of his friends from back in his days on the force was murdered, and Brace wants something for that. His daughter has been struggling since her husband left. She has three kids, and she just doesn't have enough help to combat her depression and make sure the children are taken care of. If Vera figures out a way to help, Brace will give up his information. Vera, ever the curious detective, makes the deal.
Vera's father had been on the force as well, and there was a time when he and Brace, along with Robbie Marshall and a mysterious figure known only as "The Prof," were the "Gang of 4." They were friends and business partners, and because not all of their ventures were purely legal, Vera had a hand in bringing them to justice. Robbie Marshall, however, went missing back in the '90s, long before her father had a stroke or before Brace went to prison. At the time, it was assumed he'd left on his own, but according to Brace, he was murdered and buried close to St. Mary's Bay. But a trip to find the remains turns up two bodies, and it's up to Vera to dig through her own family history to find the answers she's looking for to find the killer.
The Seagull is the nightclub where the "Gang of 4" hung out, and it's also the title of the 8th book in Ann Cleeve's Vera Stanhope series. The series is also a well known and beloved BBC television series starring the fabulous Brenda Blethyn. It's definitely worth watching if you can find it on your favorite streaming service.
Okay, now that all that's out of the way, I need to talk to you about this book and about Vera in general. The Seagull is, quite frankly, one of the best mysteries I've ever read. British mystery writer Ann Cleeves is a revelation, and I would happily read any book, story, article, or cereal box she wrote. Any book with her name on it is a must-read, and that goes for all lovers of good fiction. Vera is my favorite female detective and probably the person I most want to be when (if) I grow up. She is a complex, fascinating character, and I hope there are dozens more books starring her and her investigative team. I will be there for all of them, trying to get everyone else to fall in love with her too. Honestly, I don't think it will take more than a chapter or two.
tl;dr takeaway: Read The Seagull! Right now! Unless you're one of those "I have to read it from the beginning" people. Then read the first book in this series, The Crow Trap. Right now! What are you waiting for?
Galleys for The Seagull were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.