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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
A murder at a writers' retreat; Vera navigates the literary world's politics
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild content
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking; the retreat setting involves wine
Emotional Intensity
Some
The specific rivalries of a creative community; the gap between the image people cultivate and the reality beneath it
What this book is about
A prestigious creative writing retreat in a grand Northumberland house brings together writers, tutors, and an agent for an intensive week. When one of the tutors is found dead, DCI Vera Stanhope investigates — but carefully, because the retreat's director is a woman with connections, and the writers are protective of each other in ways that make the investigation difficult. Ann Cleeves's fifth Vera Stanhope novel is her most interested in the world of literary ambition and the specific jealousies and rivalries of people who want recognition for their creativity.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
fifth of the Vera Stanhope series
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