Wed 24 Mar 2021
Stories I’m Reading, Selected by LJ Roberts: ANN CLEEVES “Frozen.”
Posted by Steve under Stories I'm Reading[6] Comments
Reviews by L. J. Roberts
ANN CLEEVES “Frozen.” Minotaur, free e-short story, 2021.
First Sentence: Vera woke to a free day and an unexpected longing for exercise.
It’s her day off, and DI Vera Stanhope takes the opportunity to visit a new bookshop located in a renovated chapel. What she was not looking for was a skeleton unearthed in a cellar baptismal font. Time for Vera to solve this long-cold case.
Cleeves’ descriptions allow one to see places we’ve not been, in the present and the past— “Standing with her back to old stones, she imagined squads of legionnaires marching… they must have policed the region then, so she saw them as her forbears, as kindred spirits, and felt a connection across the centuries.”
Bringing us to the present, she carries forth that sense of timelessness with her wonderful imagery— “the building that had once been built to the glory of God, now celebrated the story in all its forms.” Whereupon the mood is effectively broken and the investigation begins.
Even though the books are separate from the television series, those who watch may clearly hear the voice of actress Brenda Blethyn as Vera. Rather than a negative, it adds a warmth and personal touch to the story. Still, this is not Vera’s story alone, but one which includes her team, including Joe who is still her second in the books, and Holly in a scene that makes one smile. However, if one is looking for in-depth descriptions of the characters, or quantities of backstory, it’s not here. “Frozen” is a short story, after all, and fits in after book eight in the series.
What is here is atmosphere and Cleeve’s creative use of the weather almost as another character. Nothing is lost in the construction of this fascinating short story. Suspects are identified, clues tracked down with twists and red herrings.
“Frozen” may be a fairly simple story, but it is well-crafted and, if one has not previously read Ann Cleeves, this a perfect introduction to her writing and the Vera series.
Rating: A
March 24th, 2021 at 3:41 pm
I’ve watched and enjoyed the series, but until the other day hadn’t picked up the books. I found a few on sale on line though and will soon be correcting that.
March 24th, 2021 at 6:01 pm
I’ve watched only the first of the TV series, and none of the books. That first episode was fine, and I can think of no reason why I didn’t continue, other than the fact this was around the time I discovered how much of British TV there was to watch on DVD. And now there’s streaming. No way one person can take in everything!
March 24th, 2021 at 6:35 pm
It was interesting to read in LJ’s review that she is beginning to see or hear Brenda Blethyn’s voice and other presence as Vera Stanhope when she’s reading the books.
I don’t know how often that happens, but it certainly did with Raymond Burr with Perry Mason. I think at the end that even Erle Stanley Gardner was picturing Burr in the role as he was writing the stories.
March 25th, 2021 at 7:16 am
I agree. I’ve watched all episodes of VERA but have not (yet) read any of the books, and I felt the same about “hearing” Blethyn when I read this story. I still intend to read the books too.
March 26th, 2021 at 8:29 pm
I believe ‘Frozen’ is also a major Disney Studios animated cartoon movie franchise. Not sure. o_0
March 26th, 2021 at 10:12 pm
I was lucky enough to meet Ann Cleeves, and her late husband, at a small literary salon and started reading her books before I knew about the series. She is lovely. I was incredibly jealous as, at the time, they were neighbors of Peter Capaldi and his wife (yes, I’m a Doctor Who fan), and had breakfast with them before coming on her book tour.
The series is wonderful in part because Blethyn loves the character and ensures she stays true to the nature of the books.
Frozen, the Disney movie, is not at all related to the series. 😀