Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the E-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I was delighted to be introduced to Vera Stanhope. I have read all the Jimmy Perez books and treasure every one. Having missed the preceeding Vera Stanhope books put me at a disadvantage, but I will start from book one and read the series. The book is a good "who done it" and kept me reading away. Vera deals not just with solving a murder or 2, but brushes up a bit close to family members from her past. Vera seems to be a very muti-deminsional character that I want to know more about. I like her relationships with her team members, respectful yet a bit frustrated with her at times. Ann Cleeves is a gifted writer and can create a well crafted mystery with characters that drive the story and make you care deeply for them as well. I'm giving this book 5 stars, 4 for the story and one more for Vera. Bravo to Ann Cleeves for creating a female character with fortitude, courage and tenacity. We need many more characters like this.

Police procedural. Interesting plot and main character. Beginning catches the reader's interest. An abandoned car in a snowdrift, with a baby inside. When Vera, a detective, finds the child, she immediately sets out to find out the story behind this, Especially when a woman's body is also found nearby. Because of the procedural details, I found the book a bit drawn out in the later half.

This was my first Vera mystery, and my first Ann Cleeves novel. Although this is #9 in the series, it can be read as a stand alone story. I felt the characters were well developed.

A few times in the book, the story seemed to keep repeating itself and I found that to be a bit tedious. Considering the time span of the novel was one week from discovering the body of a young mother to the identification of her killer, it felt much longer. I don't know if this was due to feeling like I was reading the same thing several times or just the style of writing. Having said that, it was still an enjoyable read. I kept trying to determine who the killer was and liked being a little surprised at the answer. There's nothing worse than a murder mystery that is too predictable.

The story shows how many families and their lives can be entwined together. I might look into some of the other books in the series.

Vera Stanhope is one of my favorite detectives both on TV and in Ann Cleeve's mysteries. This latest The Darkest Evening is my favorite of the novels so far!

SPOILER ALERT!
The Darkest Evening differs from the others in the series because it reveals so much about Vera. Vera comes across an emergency situation and must interrupt a dinner party to seek help. This encounter occurs at the Stanhope family estate.

We know Hector was a difficult father - distant, mean, miserly, and belittling with strange habits. We know a little of how Hector lived and the small cottage that he had, where Vera lives now. But in The Darkest Evening we learn about Hector's family, his heritage, and how his family members regarded him. We learn Hector was a black sheep, the disappointing younger son who made scenes during family reunions and the awkwardness and discomfort Vera felt around her relatives.

But this time around Vera is the detective in charge of the investigation. As she seeks answers to the suspicious death, Vera uses her insights into the area and the people. This added complication for Vera gives this particular mystery an added dimension and it is a treat!

Another great mystery by Ann Cleeves! She will always keep you guessing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I would like to start by thanking NetGalley for my eARC for my honest review. Ann Cleeves writes Character Mystery like nobody else, and with this her latest Vera Stanhope novel she does not disappoint. . This along with the strength of her descriptive locations will continue to look forward to each and every novel she writes.

THE DARKEST EVENING takes place in the days before Christmas. Driving in a snowstorm, Vera comes upon a toddler alone in a car. She carries him to the nearest home, which happens to be Brockburn, the Stanhope's family's estate. Her family's estate. The body of the child's mother is soon discovered and Vera investigates, not knowing if she'll discover that someone in her family is a murderer. Another wonderful Vera mystery.

Characters are realistic, average people, which helps to keep the mystery from getting spoiled too soon. A light read

I did not realize when I requested to read this ARC that it was centred on Vera, THE VERA from the amazing to shows. I have watched every show of every season. This is one of the few times I have ever seen the book and tv show keep a main character identical. As I was reading I could instantly see Vera In her hat and boots and overcoat calling everyone Pet.

This book had an Intriguing plot and with the numerous characters it was difficult to figure out who the guilty party was. I always figure it out but I was wrong this time.

There are a good mixture of well developed characters from the honest and hard working farmers to the entitled and snobby landowners. The descriptions were wonderful and I’m sure I could see the Big House and all the surrounding areas in my mind.

The police members were extremely similar to their tv counterparts but as always, with a book, you get to hear and understand what they are feeling. The author has created wonderful characters with enough personal foibles to make them realistic and likeable.

I like the ending of the book as it tied up some lose ends but left me wondering just a bit. I will definitely be looking up the rest of this authors books.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this wonderful book. I hope to see many more in this series of novels.

This was great! Kept me guessing until the end. Solid detective novel / police procedural with great characters. I really liked Vera and her team. It’s set in Northumberland UK in December and the descriptive details really set the mood.

This was my first time reading this author, but I will definitely going back to read this series from the beginning. The characters are interesting and the mystery was well-plotted.

Solid mystery. Not much of a psychological thriller (my preference) but a great “whodunit” to snuggle up with in the Winter. Extremely descriptive & well written!

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I haven't read any "cozy" books for quite a time now. So not sure if that would fit into that category.

It was a good story, but it did take a bit of time getting used to the cast of characters. It didn't spill the beans until the end. I think I would say it is "Miss Marple meets Columbo."

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read an advance copy of Ann Cleeves latest book to feature the indomitable police Inspector Vera Stanhope.

The eBook I received had some formatting issues, so I can't be sure it was the final version, The version I downloaded had mispellings, flawed paragraph and sentence structures, sentences each on their own paragraphs etc. However, I assume the story in the final publication will be substantially the same as what I was [barely] able to read, since it had a complete feel. Still, because there may be some revisions, I'll keep this review brief and not reference text which might change.

In the last Vera book, her home was burned. In this, we learn it's been repaired [more or less] and she's back on the job, facing danger and doggedly in pursuit of truth and justice. The Darkest Evening explores the concept of home in many contexts, as the stately if crumbly ancestral Stanhope country home is featured. as well as Vera's lonely cottage home. We learn about her background and extended family and background, as well as her more real office family and of course, the families affected by murder most foul. Ah, the secrets people keep and lies they tell themselves and others out of misplaced self preservation.

A young mother is killed on the Stanhope property in the dead of a winter storm on this Darkest Night, her young child left in a car with the door open. We are treated to Vera's intrepid detecting skills despite the complications of family loyalty and disloyaty. It's all in the very best tradition of Cleeves detective books, but this time, unusual for a Vera story, much of the intrigue takes place in a stately country home, in the best tradition of British detective stories where secrets are held, crimes are hidden and clues send us off on tangents before being cleverly solved. There might even be another murder or two to complicate things.

The Robert Frost poem Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening provides a prominant place in this story, including the title, cleverly interwoven into the frigid wintry atmosphere and choices characters make.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DI Vera Stanhope takes a wrong turn going home during a snowstorm and discovers an abandoned car with a baby inside. Later the young mother is found murdered on the grounds of Vera’s estranged family’s estate. Speculation about the baby’s father is rampant in the small village and leads to several suspects.

The book is #9 in the series but works well as a stand-alone, character-driven mystery. It kept me guessing till the end and I will definitely read more by the author.

If you want a great mystery ann Cleeves is who you need to check out. This book had all the twist and turns you could ever want!

I have read and enjoyed all of the previous Vera Stanhope novels, and this 9th book in the series does not disappoint.

Vera is returning home in a blizzard, and after taking the wrong turn, she comes across a car that has slid off the road. She approaches the car, and finds the drivers door open, and a small child in a car seat in the back. She takes the child, leaves a note saying who she is, and as she drives further down the road she comes across Brockburn house, where she stops to phone for help.

Brockburn is the house that her father, Hector, grew up in, and where her relatives still live. A party has just started, and is interrupted when a local farmer reports finding a woman dead in the snow behind the house.

We follow Vera as she investigates - driven by a personal connection to the house and some of the potential suspects. Holly, one of Vera's colleagues, seems to come into her own a little more in this novel. Vera has to face up to aspects of her life - is she close to retirement, how unfit she is as she has to climb up the steep hills and trails in the dark, how alone she really is and what does family mean.

The author did a wonderful job of painting the scenes for us - detailed enough but without long descriptions - so that I felt I was really there, and cold!

The plot was convoluted, with lots of possible suspects and Vera, Holly and Joe have to dig in to discover what really happened. I finally had an idea of the culprit only a page or so before they were revealed.

This was a great read, and I'm now really looking forward to the next in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St.Martins Press for this compelling ARC

I have been a huge fan of both Vera and Shetland TV series on PBS. This was my first opportunity to read a Vera mystery by Ann Cleeves. It was wonderful.

Set during a blizzard on the winter solstice in Northumberland, England on the the Brockburn Estate, home to Vera’s distant family, in fact it is where her father, Hector, was raised. Longtime fans will relish learning more about Vera and her family. The Darkest Evening grabs the reader from the first chapter and keeps them guessing until the very end.

Vera Stanhope is a flawed human being (aren’t we all), but she is a gifted detective. The beauty of the book compared to the TV series, is that the reader is treated to the inner-dialogue of Vera and her two closest colleagues, Joe and Holly. This insight into the minds of the main characters helped me get to know them much better, I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the eARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

The latest in the series about detective Vera Stanhope, this winter mystery revolves around the death of a young woman who happens to be found on the estate of Vera's estranged extended family. After becoming lost while driving through a blizzard, Vera happens upon an abandoned car that has gone off the road and subsequently discovers an abandoned toddler in the car as well. This leads her to the manor belonging to her late father's cousins, and the dynamics of her family as well as all of the residents of the estate and the investigating team are what make this murder mystery somewhat interesting. There is never any doubt about an eventual resolution, but the path to reach it is enjoyable.

This is the ninth book in the Vera Stanhope series but it reads like a stand alone. Indeed, I haven't read Vera for a number of years--soon to be corrected--or seen any of the television shows and I didn't feel I had missed anything.

Lost in a blizzard, Vera stumbles upon an abandoned car with a baby in it. Assuming the driver has gone for help, Vera takes the baby and continues to try to find her way She eventually comes across a familiar house.with a fancy party in full swing. It turns out that this isn't just any house, it's Vera's ancestral home. Not only that, but a woman's body is soon discovered on the grounds shortly after her arrival. Is it the mother of the baby?

While there is a murder to be solved, this book is mainly about families, mostly of the dysfunctional kind. We're given a peek into Vera's family background and how her father, the black sheep of the family, was ostracized and Vera cut off from this branch of her family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was everything I've come to expect from Ann Cleeves: twisty plot, great characters and excellent writing. Best of all is Vera herself .Her interactions with her family, the suspects and her detective team make for a great read. I look forward to reading the Vera Stanhope books I've missed.