Very interesting plot. Engaging. You won't want to put it down!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

As a die hard fan of Vera, the unassuming, witty and caring detective inspector, this Ann Cleeves book did not disappoint with the Vera character shine in place. From the moment I read…Pet… I was right at home in this text. However, this title and world building around this mystery shrouded in some ancient folklore or witchcraft was a bit confusing.
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Another suspenseful stand out in the Vera Stanhope series. This one gives you guessing as you follow Vera, Joe, Charlie and new hire Rosie through the Northumberland country side in search of a killer and a missing teen. Vera struggles with the loss of DC Holly as she leads the team on the search of the killer of a volunteer at a group home for troubled teens. Cleeves gives away few clues until you reach the surprising conclusion.

What a wonderful addition to Ann Cleeves' Vera series.

Of course, I'm a huge fan of Ann Cleeves and particularly of this series. I got into it via the British television series--especially loving the actress, Brenda Blethyn, who plays Vera (Cleeves says that when she writes Vera now, she hears Blethyn's voice!).

As usual when I watch adaptations, I went to read the books they're based on. And these do not disappoint. If anything, they're even better than the tv versions. A little harder-hitting, a little darker.

The title of the book, The Dark Wives, refers to three huge stones, reminiscent of Stonehenge, ancient and foreboding, which overlook a small town in rural England--Northumberland, a very northern region, near the border of Scotland. The towns are quite urban, surrounded by farms and then wilder territory.

Cleeves takes us to a child care facility housing traumatized teens who have, one way or another, lost their families, even if only temporarily. One of the workers is found brutally murdered and one of the residents, a young girl, is missing. Vera doesn't know if the girl is a suspect or possible victim.

I loved the characters and the plot moved along at a good, even pace. The book did not drag (I often find that mysteries, even ones I like, slow down somewhere around the middle and then pick up again toward the end. This one does not. And the ending was a complete surprise (which happens less frequently as I age and the number of mysteries I read adds up!).

Although I did like the ending, I found it pushed the bounds of probability. Cleeves makes it work and ultimately I was satisfied but it took a bit of effort and suspension of disbelief on my part.

As always with this series, Cleeves' writing is crisp and her characters vivid. Dialogue is lively and reinforces the setting and the characters' personalities.

The book can be read as a stand-alone but I think familiarity with the rest of the series, especially the beginning ones which establish some of the major characters and the most recent ones which makes at least one of the events much more meaningful, is definitely helpful.

Altogether a highly enjoyable read. One of those books I wish I could read again for the first time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur books for providing me with an advance copy.

I’m always so happy when there is a new Vera installment and the latest is no exception. The characters and mystery was terrific as always, and the twist I never saw coming. Another massive hit!

I have ready the entire Vera series and was excited to revisit this world. This was a dark and compelling mystery that takes place shortly after where the Dark Tides left off. It was interesting to see Vera deal with the fallout from the last book.

Ann Cleeves has done it again! The latest in the DI Vera Stanhope series, The Dark Wives, was truly amazing! It not only kept me guessing about the whodoneit, but also about other key parts to the plot, as well as motivations of other key players.

DI Stanhope was given a new team member after having lost someone that Vera cared for, and this makes her act differently to the newest team member. She almost chains the new member to the desk when the team gets assigned a new murder to investigate, all in an attempt to keep the new member safe.

The new murder that happened on their patch was a young man who worked at a home for troubled teens, Rosebank. As more information is found, the more twisted and interesting the plot gets. At first, it seems like there can only be one culprit, but then it seems like the likely culprit might also have been the second victim…but nothing is certain until the end of the book. And you’ll never guess the motive for it all.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!!

Once again, Ann Cleeves gifts the reader with the perfect mystery novel.
The beloved DI Vera Stanhope, is called to investigate the death of a young man found outside a Longwater home for troubled teenagers. The victim is Josh, a staff worker at the home and Chloe Spence a young female resident has gone missing.
While Vera, Joe Ashworth and Rosie Bell their new team member are deep in the investigation, a second body is found. Vera resists the thought of Chloe’s involvement in the murder knowing that Chloe must be found regardless of her innocence or guilt.
The plotting of twists, turns and well developed characters makes this 11th Vera installment a five star read.
The author weaves the storyline of twists, turns and well developed characters with the care of troubled teens today and the difficulties of the workers, residents and residences due to the lack of funding.
Of course, being a Vera viewer, I pictured each character vividly and the remarkable Vera (Brenda Blethyn) leading the way.
Thank you NetGalley, Ann Cleeves and Macmillan Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Vera Stanhope and the entire series of novels, based on this character, of which Dark WiIves is book 11. Ann Cleaves is a favorite author, and I could only be made happier if Louise Penny sent Gamache to visit Vera. That would be a dream pairing for me.

But back to Vera and Dark Wives. Vera is, as always, in charge and always thinking. Joe might wish she would share more information with him, but that is largely the fault of the new detective, Rosie, who pressures Joe into thinking that Vera should confide in him more often. I suspect that Rosie's goal is to solve crimes and to be the next Vera, but that is not how the real Vera operates. Vera is always in charge, and she likes to stay quiet, while thinking things through, just as Ann Cleeves demands that her readers must do to solve the mystery. Unlike so many other mystery writers, who have adopted the Agatha Christie model, Cleeves gives nothing away. She is a writer whose talent for multilayered, complex plotting far eclipses that of many other mystery writers. For readers to solve crimes before Vera does is nearly an impossibility.

Vera is the perfect character, a master of complex thinking, who grows, changes, evolves, and yet who remains the same character who has driven this series from book 1. In Dark Wives, Vera must solve a murder at a children's care home. We meet 3 teenage girls, who are strong, dynamic characters and whose loyalty to one another keeps Vera and her readers guessing. By the end of Dark Wives, Cleeves careful plotting will have kept readers turning pages far into the night.

Thank you to Cleeves, publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley. I have read and loved every Ann Cleeves novel, but Vera Stanhope is my favorite series. I do enthusiastically recommend Dark Wives.

The Dark Wives is another exceptional entry into the Vera Stanhope mystery novels. Ann Cleeves is a master writer, her plot, characters and timing are written at such a high level. I was in a dilemma reading this book. I raced ahead to see who the killer was but at the same time wanted to read slowly so the book would last. This eleventh book in the series is just as well written and absorbing as the first. Highly recommended.

The body of a man beaten to death outside a home for troubled children leads DI Vera Stanhope into a dark world of drugs, abuse and greed. The only suspect in the death of Josh Woodburn is fourteen year old Chloe Spence. Vera doesn’t believe that Chloe, who deserves better than the life she has been dealt, is guilty, Instead, she and her team believe the Chloe was either a witness to murder or knows why John was killed. The complicated investigation leads to a hidden den in an overgrown vacant lot, a farm managed by teenagers who consider themselves and their leader to be ecowarriers, drug dealing and reveals secrets long held and difficult to release.

Once again, Ann Cleeves’ careful plotting and realistic characterization have made The Dark Wives a must read. Rosie, new to Vera’s team and ambitious, struggles to find the right way to fit in. I look forward to seeing her again. However, the real stars of The Dark Wives are three teenage girls. They put friendship and loyalty above all unlike many of the other characters in this complex mystery. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Ann Cleaves for this ARC.

This is one of my favorite series. And this book continues how well the characters are written and how the plot develops. An interesting new detective is added. Highly recommend this book

The latest in the Vera Stanhope novels — sharply twisted and full of the intense ambiance of the Northumberland countryside. I’ve only read a few of the novels, having long ago been hooked by the ITV series. It’s fun to read these with such vivid character images already in mind. High marks for plot and the intricate network of episode specific characters and local customs. The one thing I didn’t enjoy was the fact that the clues which led Vera to solving the case were kept hidden from us so that we had no way of trying to figure out whodunnit. I still couldn’t put it down, but it was slightly irritating that I wasn’t given the info I needed to at least speculate on how everything happened.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Josh, an agency worker at a care home, is found murdered, and Chloe, one of the teenagers living at the home, is missing. The first 75% of this was a page turner as Vera, Joe and new addition to the team Rosie follow various leads and look for Chloe. The storylines about how children come to be taken into care and the pressures on social workers were well done. But then there was a sort of thriller section where the characters knew the identities of 'the murderer' and 'the murderer's accomplice', but the reader did not, which annoyed me. Finally the solution to what went on made complete sense but seemed to me to have been only very lightly clued, so it wasn't as satisfactory as it might have been.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
Vera is my favorite female character and I'm always so happy when a new book in the series comes out.
This time a young man is murdered outside a home for troubled minors and a young girl goes missing at the same time.
Vera, Joe and a new detective, Rosie, are desperate to find not only the murderer, but also Chloe. Did she do it or is she hiding, terrified?
As usual, I couldn't put the book down. The insight into the detectives mindsets is so good and the series (and Vera) so unique, I loved it, and as usual, I highly recommend it! Here's hoping we don't have to wait too long for the next book!

Always a pleasure to read Ann Cleeves, but this book was different somehow. It was a tighter storyline, very interesting more than murder…and definitely my kind of intrigue.

Take your time with her words, enjoy her characters and listen as the author changes her character , Vera, into a boss that becomes inclusive and interested in the politics of the job.

The man’s body is found in the early morning light by a local dog walker in the park outside Rosebank, a home for troubled teens in the coastal village of Longwater. The victim is Josh, a staff member, who was due to work the previous night but never showed up. DI Vera Stanhope is called out to investigate the death, with her only clue being the disappearance of one of the home’s residents, fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence. Vera can’t bring herself to believe that a teenager is responsible for the murder, but even she can’t dismiss the possibility. Vera, Joe and new team member Rosie Bell, are soon embroiled in the case,
Well I can't say too much about this book, it was fairly interesting but for some reason it didn't hold my attention! It had light suspense, murder, mystery, and some crazy twists and turns! It was a decent read but really not for me! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

“The Dark Wives” is another terrific entry in the Vera Stanhope mystery series by Ann Cleeves. A young man is murdered after starting work at a home for troubled children; Vera and her team must unravel complex motivations and connections to figure out who the culprit is and what caused them to take a life. At the same time, a 14-year-old girl goes missing from the home; is she another victim, an innocent witness, or something else? The suspense builds until a very satisfactory conclusion.

Vera is a well-written and complex character; over the many books in the series, we’ve come to know her well. The death (in an earlier book in the series) of a colleague has caused her to soften a bit in her dealings with the team. She’s still curmudgeonly and opinionated, but it’s interesting to read her evolution.

The plot centers on the mechanisms for caring for at-risk children in the UK. I am in the US and struggled at times to understand the acronyms and public vs. for-profit issues — but we have the same general problems in the US (and, I would assume, all over the world). Ms. Cleeves raises timely and urgent issues.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

DI Vera Stanhope is called out to investigate a young man's death in The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves. Her only clue has disappeared, fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence. Vera can’t bring herself to believe that a teenager is responsible for the murder, but even she can’t dismiss the possibility. Vera, Joe, and new team member Rosie Bell are soon embroiled in the case, and when a second connected body is found near the Three Dark Wives monument in the wilds of the Northumberland countryside, superstition and folklore begin to collide with fact. Vera knows she has to find Chloe to get to the truth.

Vera is a good character, strong and determined, no-nonsense. A good storyline.

I loved the character of Emily. I hope there is more of this character in future books.

The Dark Wives is a good addition to this series. I would recommend this book and this series.

#NetGalley @StMartinsPress