Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This was a surprising misfire for a normally reliable author. The story was long and plodding. By the end, I was skimming ahead to discover whodunnit so I could end the tedium. I had no feel for the new main character, the setting, or the supporting characters, nor did Ann Cleeves. Instead, this seemed a platform for her to preach. I have no idea what’s going on in her personal life, but it didn’t translate into anything meaningful in this new series. She’s not the first established author I’ve abandoned when the sermonizing became unbearable. I will miss reading Ann Cleeves if this is the direction she maintains.