Arriving at the scene, DI Vera Stanhope is relieved to have an excuse to escape the holiday festivities. As she stands on the silent, snow-covered station platform, Vera feels a familiar buzz of anticipation, sensing that this will be a complex and unusual case. Vera investigates the murder of 22-year-old Alex Gartside, victim of a hit and run in a remote Northumberland Valley.

Joe and his little girl Jessie are on a train when Jessie notices that another passenger, elderly Margaret Kraszewski, has been killed with a single stab wound. Vera visits the coastal town of Mardle, where Margaret lodged with singer Kate Darrow, her two children and boyfriend Stuart. They all praise Margaret as an almost saintly woman and are amazed that anybody would want to kill her. Margaret volunteered at a women's hostel and when Dee, an alcoholic prostitute who lived there, is also found dead Vera suspects a connection, especially as Margaret wanted to report something to the police just before she died. Pub landlady Valerie Furlow tells Vera that Margaret and Dee were good friends who once lived together in the same house on Harbour Street. She believes that Margaret's Polish husband was violent to her and, as he disappeared suddenly thirty years ago, Vera wonders if he was murdered. The chief beneficiary from Margaret's will proves to be Dee and Vera learns that years ago Dee was a rape victim whom certain people set out to avenge. Now another rape victim provides a clue to Margaret's killer. — don @ minifie-1

Episode Discussion

And Brenda has since revealed that scenes were also shot on Holy Island, with popular pub The Ship Inn changing its name to play a key role in the plot. Following Vera's footsteps across the North East also takes us to the Northumberland coast, including Craster, Seahouses and Rumbling Kern.

Then, just days later, a second woman is murdered. Vera knows that to find the key to this new killing she needs to understand what had been troubling Margaret so deeply before she died - before another life is lost. She can feel in her bones that there's a link. Retracing Margaret's final steps, Vera finds herself searching deep into the hidden past of this seemingly innocent neighbourhood, led by clues that keep revolving around one street... Why are the residents of Harbour Street so reluctant to speak? Harbour Street is the sixth book in Ann Cleeves' series of crime novels about Vera Stanhope, played in the TV detective drama VERA by Brenda Blethyn. The "island" seen in this episode isn't actually and island at all. It's what is known as Church Hill, which in reality is just at the other side of the Aln Estuary.

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You should pay attention to women of a certain age wearing brown anoraks, tweed skirt, with a Geordie accent…..mind how you go, pet.

Cleeves expertly handles the interplay among Vera - outsized both in stature and personality - her staff, and the villagers... You don't have to be a fan of the TV show...to enjoy this top-notch police procedural." This was a really good read, well paced and with a lot of interesting police work. Having read the series so far from book one I also enjoyed the relationships between the main characters. Vera is an amazing person and I have always liked Joe. Even Holly is coming good now that Vera lets her do more. Cleeves also has this annoying tic where whenever the point-of-view character asks a question, you'll have a bit of interior monologue where they explain exactly what they're thinking. It underestimates both the quality of her writing and the intelligence of the reader, and once you've noticed it, you can't ignore it (sorry for inflicting it on you now). Heaping praise on her stunning surroundings and the region as a whole, Brenda said: "“I do love the North East. Everyone is so friendly. I will certainly continue to visit the area once Vera has finally hung up her hat. I’d recommend anyone to go. It’s just lovely." I have to say that Vera Stanhope remains an intriguing character. The character is very good at drawing people out and digging in, but one wonders is it because she's a good DI or is it because she's just nosy. We have Vera realizing she needs to be better with her team. Not only because she does care about them (though she hate to admit it) but she realizes her behavior is going to drive them away. The Harbour Street investigation also has ties to her childhood and her father Hector and his birdwatching and egg stealing.Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV+1 w/e 3 June 2012". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 12 June 2012. On the last day of that month, the River Tyne at North Shields was all go with a number of boats seen on the water indicating a possible search. Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV HD w/e 3 June 2012". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 12 June 2012.