Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope misses her turn on a snowy evening, and when she notices a car on the side of the road, with the driver’s door open, she stops immediately. Not seeing anyone around, she turns to leave when she hears a small noise, and discovers a toddler in a car seat that’s been left alone. Though she has no experience with small children, Vera picks up the toddler and his car seat, and heads down the road to find someone with a phone she can use. Surprised to find that the family estate, Brockburn, is the next turn, she pulls into the grand driveway, though she is horribly uncomfortable at being there.

Before Vera can get any information on where the toddler’s parents are, one of the tenant farmers, there to pick up his daughters, reports that he has found the body of a young woman on the back road to Brockburn. Strangely enough, she is the daughter of another tenant family, and it appears that Lorna is the mother of the abandoned toddler. Vera and her team have several mysteries to solve, and Vera, though successful in her work for the police department, must come to terms with the reality of being the poor relation of the illustrious Stanhope family.

The Darkest Evening has everything I love about a good mystery…drama, intrigue, the unexpected characters, and discovering that not everyone is what they seem to be. I was definitely not disappointed. I didn’t guess who the murderer was, or why this person killed, but I certainly enjoyed the journey. Though this book is #9 in the Vera Stanhope series, it read beautifully as a stand-alone, which I appreciated. This was a fascinating story and I thoroughly enjoyed every word.

If you have ever watched any of the “Vera” episodes you know there is going to be a murder, for that is what she does, solves murders. There are going to be a bunch of suspects and she is going to be calling each one “Pet.” It is what she does. She lives alone. She drives a beat-up land rover around rural Northumberland. It is what she does. What she does not do is give up much of her personal history. That is about to change in this installment. If I close my eyes I can see and hear Brenda Blethyn in each page.

Always interesting, well thought out with just the right measure of personal and police procedural information. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books / St Martin’s Publishing

Vera Stanhope is back solving another murder mystery and yes, for you perceptive readers, the title is from Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Book 9 in the series has Vera and her team trying to find the murderer of a young mother and a retired teacher. Taking place just before Christmas, the cold, bitter winter of Northumberland play a part in the challenges of solving the murder. As usual, Cleeves writes an excellent police procedural and the character of Vera in her frumpy clothes remains strong although in this book she is feeling her age. I hope that is not a sign that the series is coming to an end.

This is the first book I read by Ann Cleeves but I had seen the first couple of seasons of the Vera TV-series so I was looking forward to reading this book. Having formed a visual picture what Vera looked like by how the actress portrayed her on TV made it easy to put that in effect while reading the book. The descriptions of the various characters and landscapes were great that you didn’t need to have seen Vera on TV or read the previous books but for me it added to the enjoyment, already put some of the previous books on my wish list.
Ann Cleeves writing style is very easy to read and I had a hard time putting it down. I stayed up reading way past my bedtime.
I made a lot of guesses during the story and I ended up been wrong on each one of them. It really was a surprise for me to find out who the murderer was
This shows you that the impression of a stable family relationship can be very misleading.
The book is full of family secrets that keep you guessing till the end.

I really enjoy the character of Vera Stanhope. She’s just so down to earth, clever but not pretentious, and easy to relate to. Investigating 2 murders on her home turf, she winds up faced with distant family relations who she never really cared for. The descriptions of the cold and snow and the desolate locations were so vivid that I felt cold and like I needed to snuggle up in blankets. Even the insides of the houses were cold. Good writing and mystery solving. I like Joe and Holly on her team as well. Another good installment in this series.

I’m a devoted fan of Ann Cleeves’ character Vera Stanhope. Frequently, I find police procedurals can be a bit flat, but that is never the case with DCI Stanhope.

The characters of Vera and her crew, Joe and Holly, are so well developed, and the view into their personal life makes the series much more interesting. In The Darkest Evening, readers get a particularly good peek at Vera’s family’s skeletons. Her estranged family is heavily featured in this latest installment of the series, and that pushes Vera and her family to face some unresolved matters.

The setting of atmospheric Northumberland is made to feel more isolated and chilling with the addition of a road-closing blizzard. Everything is turned upside down in the small community when bodies are found, but there also secrets, deceptions, infidelities and betrayals that float to the top like the bloated body of a drowning victim. I found The Darkest Evening to be an engaging page-turner.

All's well with my world when there's a new Ann Cleeves mystery to savor, and I settled down with The Darkest Evening ready to enjoy a visit with one of my favorite fictional characters, Vera Stanhope. In this ninth book of the series, readers get to learn more about the rich and entitled branch of Vera's family about which she says, "That branch of the clan used politeness as a weapon of mass destruction." Deep in the winter snow and cold, we find that Vera is longing for the comfort of a bit of family and for a few like-minded friends-- all on her own terms, of course-- and I enjoyed Vera's reflections on her life.

Holly and Joe, the stars of Vera's hardworking team, also figure prominently in The Darkest Evening. From time to time, Holly reminded me of a young Vera, but then I realized that she was more like a sponge-- watching Vera, listening to her, absorbing the invaluable lessons the older woman has to share. In the meantime, Joe is Joe, although he does have trouble understanding an illness like anorexia which does have a part in the story.

The only thing that I didn't find to be "up to snuff" was the mystery itself, although I certainly did enjoy watching the investigation unfold. It was altogether too easy to deduce the killer's identity. But the rest is choice and what fans have come to expect from Ann Cleeves. Now if only I didn't have to wait for my next opportunity to tag along with Vera on an investigation!

I’ve read a few books by this author and after reading this realize I need to read more. The way she crafts a story is truly beautiful. We, the readers are drawn in to a beautifully crafted complex murder mystery with many twists and turns along the way. She uses her intellect and skills as a detective to try to figure out is guilty and or complicit in the murder of a young mother and left her baby out in the cold to freeze to death. Not an easy task as there are so many possibilities and potentially guilty people, most that she knows quite well as she is related to many of them and who are not particularly nice people. They generally think they are better than most and treat Vera and anyone who is not of their “ilk” with disdain, disrespect and because they are wealthy believe the law does not apply to them. Along the way she learns a great deal about her father and her family’s very complicated past. It is so wonderful to have a main character that is represented as a smart, grown successful woman who doesn’t need a man to prove her worth as a human or in a job that many used to consider and some still do as a “man’s” job and does not take guff from those who try to denigrate her. Clear your schedule , grab the book and get comfy. Once you start this book you won’t want to put it down until you find out who the guilty ones are. It is so worthy of your time.

Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is driving home in a blizzard. She misses the turn to take her home. She comes upon a car that has gone off the road. Vera stops to help the driver. She doesn’t find the driver but find a baby boy in the back seat. She takes him with her and leaves a note on the windshield. As she drives, she knows her estrange relative’s home is at the end of the driveway. She drives in to get herself a phone to call in the deserted car with toddler. Vera finds the relatives having a holiday party. When a farmer comes in to pick up his girls from the party, he announces that there is a dead woman outside. Vera wonders if the woman is the toddler’s mother. Vera calls in to report. She has to suspect everyone at the party as the person responsible for the dead woman. The case brings Vera into learning more about her strangled relatives and their secrets. Will Vera be able to find the murderer? Why was the woman killed? Who will take care of the toddler? Another murder happens that is connected to the first death. Why was she murdered? What did she know?

The novel is a mystery that involves more than one family. Every time I thought I had figured out who and why the woman was killed, it became more mysterious. I was surprised when I finally got the answer of who killed the women? There are twists and turns that kept my interest in the novel. I also like “hearing” Vera’s thought and how she would talk out loud about the case to herself. It the first book I’ve read by this author. I will have to put her on my author list and read the earlier Vera books. It’s a great mystery to read and forget what is happening in the world.

Reading this book was my first encounter with British detective Vera Stanhope in print. It was delightful! I've read and enjoyed other of Ann Cleeves' books, including the launch of her new Two Rivers series, The Long Call. But getting "inside Vera's head," as it were, was such a pleasure -- she's iconoclastic, fiercely smart, and not only unconcerned about but unaware of what others think of her.

Other readers have emphasized the Agatha Christie similarities, but I felt that was only due to the primary setting -- a crumbling manor house which an aristocratic family is scrabbling to hold onto. What was compelling to me was the intricate, complicated relationships between the villagers, one with another, and among the members of the police force.

The Darkest Evening is not just character-driven, however. The plot is a steady buildup of revelations, secrets and surprises. It's no terrifying, urban-thriller pace, but it is tight and seamless, and very 21st-Century, despite the traditional setting.

Speaking of setting, Cleeves rendered Northumberland in appealing detail. I really liked this book. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance readers copy.

An interesting "who done it".
Vera comes upon a vehicle that slid off an icy road into a ditch. The drivers side door is open and she stops to render aid. The mystery begins when she finds the driver missing and an infant strapped into a carseat in the back seat. She removes the infant and proceeds to a house nearby that belongs to a relative of hers.

The house is full of guests as a fund raising party is in progress. The cast of possible suspects is quite a varied group. The characters are wonderfully developed. The setting interesting.

I found it very interesting to meet some of Vera's relatives. I loved to see what they thought of Vera and her no non-sense ways.

A well thought out mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

3.75* score for me.
Gore score 🗡
the latest in the Vera Stanhope books ( #9)The title is explained in the book, I always like a relevant title and book cover. I love the tv drama, but haven’t read the books.
As I read this I was picturing the the tv characters who I think are a good fit.
A gentler murder mystery, with a medium pace. An enjoyable comfort read.
In this book you get to see more of Vera’s fathers side of the family.
It has a festive feel.

I watched the Vera series and wish I had read this series before now. This was a very good mystery. There are quite a few suspects and it kept me guessing. Vera is on her way home in a snow storm. She takes a wrong turn and finds a car along the side of the road. The door is open and a toddler in the back seat. Vera takes the boy to the nearest house only to realize that the house belongs to her family. When they find the child's mother dead in the snow, Vera knows she needs to find this murderer. As the case progresses, she uncovers many secrets and many motives. When another person is murdered, Vera has to step up her game. Good story.

This was my first encounter with Vera Stanhope and I quite enjoyed it. A mystery set in England, it has interesting characters and a good plot that I certainly didn't figure out! I liked how we got not just the murder at the center of the plot but also some of Vera's history and insight into her relationships with her team members.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free e-ARC of this book.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the ninth book in the series, and unless you have failed to see an episode on TV, then I challenge you not to see the wonderful Brenda Blethyn as you enjoy this clever and unusually close to home story for Vera.

I found this book to be a very easy read, which was a good thing, as I devoured it in a day. Weirdly, it was lovely to be reading about a cold winter, on a hot day. The plot itself was clever, with plenty of possibilities and distractions, and a good mix of Vera, Holly, and Joe going about their investigations. I felt we got quite a lot of introspection from Holly as she tries to gain the respect and approval of her boss, and how she chose to consider whether her running need was anything like the victim's issues with food and control. But most of all, we got to see Vera really think about her lack of familial attachments, and when the possibility of a change in circumstances presents herself, we get some insight into her way of thinking – I thought it was utterly charming.

A very good read, I expected no less!

In the latest installment of the Vera Stanhope series, the reader gets to meet Vera's estranged relatives and get a glimpse of what her life might have been had her father maintained closer contact with them.
Vera loses her way during a winter storm when she notices a car on the side of the road and checks to see if anyone needs help but there's no driver. There is, however, a baby in the car.

The weather is bad so Vera takes the baby and goes to the nearest house. It's a house she's been to before as a child. It is the manor house of her father's family. While she tries to get answers about the baby, the body of a murdered woman is discovered outside and Vera has a new case.

Ann Cleeves books are always good. I especially enjoy the Vera Stanhope books. She's a compelling character whose gruff exterior hides a softer side. Her sidekicks Holly and Joe are on hand to assist in thee investigation.

I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy police procedurals with interesting characters.

Full disclosure: I’m a big fan of Vera Stanhope. That said, this book fulfills all my expectations regarding the writing, the mystery, the pacing, and the solution. From the outset, the book is engaging as Cleeves begins with a quick look at the victim. Throughout the book the point of view is most often Vera Stanhope’s, with occasional peeks into the minds of two of her detectives; Joe and Holly, as well as even shorter peeks into the minds of some of the suspects.
In this novel, Vera has decided, against the advice of her team, to try and drive home late at night in the middle of a snowstorm. She gets lost momentarily and in her attempt to find her way she comes upon a car, stopped in the snow with the door open. Taking a closer look, Vera discovers an infant in a carseat in the back.
As she tries to work her way out of this situation, Vera realizes she is not far from the Stanhope ancestral home and although her father was a disgraced member of the family, she decides she will press forward into the house to seek shelter for the child. As things progress, she learns the child’s mother, who is an unwed young woman from the area, has been found dead in the snow; brutally murdered.
The Stanhope family is not sure how Vera should be treated, but as a member of the police she takes charge and soon is treating them the way she would treat most any suspects of a murder. The contrast between Vera, who has little concern for the opinions of others and Harriet, the matriarch of the Stanhope family who lives and dies by her reputation is well drawn. The various characters are all well developed and the reader has ample opportunity to deepen their knowledge of them as they move through the book.
As expected, there are twists and turns throughout the book as individual’s positive traits along with their past and present foibles are revealed. As Vera explains, it’s a murder investigation and nothing is irrelevant. The investigation is conducted in large part by Vera with some additions from Joe and Holly which give insight into how the team functions as well as how Very works to get her staff to develop good investigative skills.
From the very first page, I was engaged in the novel and didn’t want to put it down. When I had to interrupt my reading I found myself thinking about the book, picturing the individuals in it and imagining what would happen next. The solution, while a twist, was not a surprising one; but that in no way detracted from the novel. This is a book any lover of detective fiction would enjoy and is a must not miss for anyone who is a Vera Stanhope fan.
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me an advanced read digital copy of this novel. The opinions expressed in this review are unbiased and entirely my own.

It really doesn't matter if you haven't read any of the books in the series (I have not) or that you haven't watched the show (I have not)- this is a cracking good police procedural set on an estate and in a village in rural Northumberland to which DI Vera Stanhope has a familial connection. She is heading home through the snow after a long day when she comes upon a car off the road with a small baby inside. The nearest house is owned by her relatives and they are having a party- at least they are until the baby's mother Lorna is found dead- her skull smashed in- outside in the snow. Vera and her team- Holly and Joe- find themselves baffled not only by who would kill young Lorna but also by the fact that no one know the identity of the father of her baby. Then there's a second murder, which throws everything off. There's lots and lots of secrets in this one and it's quite twisty. Bit by bit the team pulls things out of those they interview but the final solution- well I never guessed it! I loved the atmospherics (the snow, the cold estate, the farms) as well as the characters. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I plan to seek out the others, as well as the show now. Highly recommend.

If you like Anne Cleese’s this one will not disappoint.. I am just getting back into the Vera Stanhope series and I can honestly say I love her character. She’s a no nonsense kinda gal. At least in my eyes and she’s good at what she does.. without going into too much detail this book gives some more background on Vera. I love the writing and the way Anne Cleeves tells the story. I’m hoping that I can get to read more upcoming books in this series because now I’m hooked
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc

I received a free electronic copy of the ARC of this British police procedural from Netgalley, Ann Cleeves, and St. Marin's Press - Minotaur. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. The ninth novel featuring Vera Stanhope in this mystery series, The Darkest Evening stands alone and is a concise, quick read, and entertaining. You can't go wrong with Ann Cleeves.

The majority of the action in this very active novel takes place in rural Northumberland, and we have the perspective of several first-person characters. Though the action is fast, the plot flows nicely and it's fairly easy to keep up. Vera is a character easy to appreciate and Ann Cleeves is an author I follow.