What can I say about The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves? Well I could go on and on, however I'm simply going to say it is an absolutely terrific book- a 5 stars for me. I have watched and enjoyed the Vera television series, however The Dark Wives is my first Ann Cleeves Vera Stanhope book; it will definitely not be my last. It's hard not to like Vera although she can be a bit ferocious and cantankerous- did I say a bit?
She is also a fiercely dedicated police detective committed to her team and solving the case before her.
While the book is fiction, the author shared that the idea for it was triggered by an investigation on the privation of children's homes where it often appears that the bottom financial line takes priority over the critical needs of the residents. The Dark Wives is a multi-layered novel with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Dark Wives; my review reflects my honest opinion. 5 stars.

DI Vera Stanhope and her team are called out to the murder of a young man in the park outside of a home for troubled teens where he had worked as a councillor. At the same time, Chloe, a 14-year-old resident of the home, has gone missing and Vera believes that she may be the perpetrator but more likely either a witness or another victim. Either way, they have to find her. When another resident of the home is found dead, their search for Chloe becomes even more imperative.

When you start an Ann Cleeves mystery, you know you’re in for one hell of a page turner and The Dark Wives is no exception. It is the eleveth in her Vera mystery series and it is well written with a tight plot and three dimensional characters who are flawed with interesting backstories. As always, Vera is a bit of curmudgeon but underneath, a heart of gold and new character, Rosie Bell looks to be a fine addition to the team. The story takes place in Northumberland, adding a darker layer to the tale and there's an interesting explanation of the story behind the title. There is also some social critique to the story as it examines the impact privatization has had on social programs like group homes not only to the residents but to the carers. Overall, an exceptional read that kept my interest throughout. I read the ebook while listening to the audiobook narrated by Janine Birkett who does as amazing job especially given the number of different accents.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

THE DARK WIVES by Ann Cleeves is the latest (#11) in the Vera Stanhope mystery series. These are generally best read in order, but the individual stories do stand on their own. The series takes place in the Northeast of England and this time DI Stanhope and her team (loyal Joe, persistent Charlie, and newcomer Rosie) are attempting to solve the murder of a young man, Josh Woodburn, who worked as a caregiver at Rosebank, a children's home. Cleeves not only crafts a puzzling murder mystery; she includes the disappearance of a fourteen-year-old, Chloe Spence, on the same night Josh died. Those events and the death of another Rosebank resident offer ample opportunity to weave in social commentary on child services in the UK. In fact, Cleeves dedicates THE DARK WIVES to "teens everywhere, and especially to the Dark Wives - uppity young women with minds of their own, struggling to find a place in a difficult world." There are undercurrents about power and money in this well-written and suspenseful tale. Like many of Vera's fans, I am already looking forward to the next in the series. 4.5 stars

Interested readers may also want to investigate the website Reading for Wellbeing which Ann Cleeves founded a few years ago in order to promote solace through stories:
https://readingforwellbeing.org.uk/about-the-project/

In “The Dark Wives,” DI Vera Stanhope is guilt-ridden over the recent loss of one of her officers. The newest member of the force, DC Rosie Bell, is no shrinking violent, and DS Joe Ashworth is worried that this insightful and ambitious recruit might soon outshine him. Vera and her colleagues are trying to locate Chloe Spence, a troubled fourteen-year-old who has disappeared from Rosebank, her care home. Around the time that Chloe vanished, one of the home’s employees is found dead, after someone bashed him over the head with a hammer. Was Chloe— a girl known for her quick temper—involved in the crime, or is she just a frightened witness who ran away to protect herself?

Fans of Vera Stanhope love her, even though she is bossy and self-centered. Underneath her bluster, she has a soft spot for children and other vulnerable individuals. Furthermore, she is quick-witted, observant, and relentless in her pursuit of justice. Vera, Rosie, and Joe interview relatives, friends, and acquaintances of Chloe and the murder victim. Alas, much of the book moves along sluggishly. For quite a while, the detectives methodically look for leads and gather information, with little progress to show for their efforts.

Alas, few of the characters (aside from Vera and Rosie) are colorful enough to engage our attention. Although Cleeves describes her settings with her usual flair, the plot does not generate much suspense, and the case’s contrived resolution comes of out left field. In short, this novel does not afford Vera a juicy enough whodunit to warrant the substantial amount of time and energy that it takes to solve it.

I've followed hard-nosed detective inspector Vera Stanhope for a while now - this is the 11th installment - and she's quite an interesting, complex character. As she continues to mourn the death of colleague Holly - a death for which she feels responsible, she finds it hard to get down to business as usual (her colleague Joe Ashworth is even worried about her). But get down she must, and this time the calling is the murder of a staff member at a home for troubled teenagers. In part because she's gone missing, one of the residents, a 14-year-old girl named Chloe Spence is the primary suspect.

But for many reasons, Vera has a hard time believing that Chloe is the killer. She gathers her team around her - including newbie Rosie Bell, for whom Vera has high hopes - to focus their efforts on finding Chloe. After learning from Chloe's mum that the girl loved Gillstead, a not-far-away hamlet near the coast, the investigation follows. Turns out it's a place familiar to a younger Vera, as well as the site of three standing stones known as the Three Dark Wives. Each year, a big witchcraft-type celebration is held to keep the folklore going, an event that's coming up soon.

The first revelation, though, is far from celebratory; rather, it's the discovery of another body - a young man who lived in the same teen haven as Chloe. Coincidence? Vera thinks not. Proving it, however, is more of a challenge. Near the end, though, Vera has a theory - one she doesn't share with her teammates nor readers. But rest assured, it all comes together, making for another well-told tale in this series (I'm already looking forward to the next). Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get reacquainted by way of a pre-release copy of this one.

DI Vera Stanhope and her team are called out to investigate the death of a staff member outside Rosebank, a home for troubled teens. Added to that, one of the residents, fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence, has disappeared.

When I first started reading The Dark Wives I absolutely LOVED it! It's the first book I've read in the Vera Stanhope series and I kept asking myself how on earth I had previously missed this series. I loved how the book got its name: The story was that three uppity crones who talked too much had been turned into stone by a giant who'd thought they'd also nagged their husbands too much! They're actually three large stones that resemble Stonehenge and overlook a small town in the Northumberland countryside and are known as the Three Dark Wives Monument. (Now I want to go and see them in real life, naturally.)

The more I read, the more I loved the book and I smiled every time Vera called someone pet! My enchantment lasted right up until the last few pages. It makes me sad to rate The Dark Wives only three stars when I was initially so wild about it. That ending, though...

Two things happened in the last few pages that nearly ruined the book for me:

The first was when Vera was nudged while she was at the top of a staircase. She rolled down the entire staircase and was unconscious as she reached the bottom. But then someone found her, she regained consciousness and was able to continue investigating the murder. What??? Are you kidding me???

The second thing was when Vera and a member of her team (who doesn't usually work in the field) figured out who the murderer was. The other two members of the team, Joe and Rosie, worked so hard on the case, yet she refused to share the identity of the murderer with them??? How is that a "team"??? It felt childish.

My thanks to both #MinotaurBooks and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Dark Wives. This book is #11 in the series with an expected publication date of August 27, 2024.

Some things, and people, are worth fighting for

Chloe Spence has had more than her fair share of bad breaks in her fourteen years of life. Her mother has battled mental illness off and on for a long time, and a couple of years earlier Chloe’s father left them both behind to start a new life overseas. Salvation Academy, the elite school in which she is enrolled, seems more concerned with conformist behavior and high test scores than in helping a teenager like her who is suddenly the de facto caregiver of a parent battling severe depression, while her grandparents (particularly her grandmother) took her father’s side after the divorce and are critical of how Chloe dresses and looks. When her mother requires admission to the local psychiatric facility for care, there is no one suitable to take in Chloe and social services place her in Rosebank, a privately run children’s home. Chloe is too smart and too strong-willed to be an easy young person to supervise either at school or at Rosebank. Then Josh Woodburn, a young college student who has recently started working at Rosebank and who is the one person to whom Chloe feels she can talk and actually be heard, is found dead outside the home and Chloe is nowhere to be found, DI Vera Stanhope and her team have to assume that the two events are related. What remains to be seen is whether Chloe is a suspect for the killing or a second victim, and that is a question that won’t be answered until and unless Vera can find her. Along with her longtime Sargent Joe Ashworth, new squad member DC Rosie Bella and the rest of her crew, Vera sets out to find out who wanted Josh dead and what role a traumatized teen like Chloe might have played in the murder. With Police and Crime Commissioner Katherine Willmore looking for a quick and tidy resolution that will not further tarnish her reputation, recent news reporting that does not hold the farming out of children’s homes to the private sector in high regard, and concern for Chloe possibly fending for herself on the streets with no resources and nowhere to stay, the push is on to find the answers to troubling questions that point to some dark secrets….and someone else may want Chloe found and dealt with before the police can locate her.
Whether you’re a reader of previous installments in the Vera Stanhope series (this is number 11), have watched the British series Vera based upon them, or read any of author Ann Cleeves’ other series, you know that a fantastic experience awaits when you crack open this latest novel. Haven’t done any of the above? No worries, you can easily read this as a standalone….but I guarantee that once you do you’ll be seeking out the backlist as well. Vera Stanhope is no saint, a bit rough around the edges and fiercely independent (which makes running a team of cops a bit tricky), but passionate about the job and caring of the people she serves. The case at hand is pursued with her usual dedication while a light is cast upon the problems inherent in the childcare system. Can for-profit companies provide the level of care and comfort that damaged children who rely upon their services require? Judging by what I’ve read here, the answer is far from a resounding yes. The many characters, from the other children in care at Rosebank to Josh’s eco-warrior ex-girlfriend and upwardly mobile parents, the people working within the childcare system trying to make a difference for too many children and with severely limited means, to the quirky members of Vera’s squad, are all presented with nuance and dimension. The plot grabbed me from the start, with pages from Chloe’s journal setting the scene with her cries for help and the details of her bleak existence, and kept me turning pages and trying to suss out motives right up until the end. Readers of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Jenny O’Brien should join the legions of Ann Cleeves fans in picking up a copy of The Dark Wives (you’ll have to read the book if you want to discover who those titular ladies might be, no spoilers from me) and putting it on the very top of your TBR pile. Cheers to Ann Cleeves and Vera, and many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for granting me the privilege of access to an early copy of this brilliant and thought provoking crime novel.

My apologies. I moved and was without devices and WiFi for a week.

This is the 11th book in Ann Cleeves's Vera Stanhope series. It is a tightly plotted mystery and police procedural with interesting, well-developed characters to which you'll feel connected. The plot line is fresh.
DI Vera Stanhope is a brilliant detective who is brusque and blunt in her remarks. Nearing retirement age, she is reluctant to leave her work as solving mysteries is her greatest joy. She leads a reclusive life and has been unwilling to share clues and observations with her devoted team. After the death of a prominent team member in the previous book, she intended to be less secretive in sharing clues and insights with her team. This works against her true nature. The solution, motive and clues were scarcely shared with her team or reader and were revealed by an information dump near the end.

The story begins with the discovery of the body of Josh, a university student. He volunteered at nights at Rosebanks, a home for unwanted, orphaned and troubled teens. There were only rooms available for four teenagers and staff.

DI Vera and staff were called in to investigate. They learn that Josh failed to show up for work and then was discovered murdered. On the same night, a fourteen-year-old resident, Chloe Spence, disappeared. She wrote about her crush on Josh in her journal and stated he was the only one with whom she could talk. Did she witness the murder, or did she kill Josh? Is she running from the killer or from the law? Is she already dead?

There is mention and criticism of private residences for troubled teens, the lack of training for the staff, and underfunded resources. An interview at the school Chloe was attending exposed some draconian rules. She was a good student who preferred to wear Gothic clothing and makeup. The focus is on the police investigation through the roles of Vera, DS Joe Ashworth, and newcomer DC Rose Bell, replacing an officer killed in the previous book. The staff is still mourning that death and initially doubts that Rosie, a city girl, will fit in. She is intelligent, dedicated, and has great admiration for Vera.

A Rosebanks student has been found dead at the Three Wives Monument in Northumberland. This was a teenage boy who used and sold drugs and was quick to anger. He had been an initial suspect in Josh's killing. The search for Chloe and the solution to the second murder now shifts from a seaside setting to an eerie and atmospheric inland setting with its folklore. There are three standing rocks resembling those at Stonehenge. Legend tells of three women who were turned to stone by a witch for
taking too much and disrespecting their husbands. An annual Witch Hunt festival is where children go out in the dark to hunt for a witch. This would be an ideal time and place for someone to hide. Tension and suspense prevail with twists and surprises.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital version of this book. Fans of the previous books in the series or the TV show Vera will not want to miss this, but it works well as a stand-alone. Publication was on August 27.

Thank you, Minotaur, for providing me with an ARC. I’m definitely going to have to dive into some of the earlier books in the series!

This was the first book I’ve read by Ann Cleeves, and I was excited to read it because I’ve always enjoyed this type of mystery. I used to read murder mysteries like this exclusively. I love the way the plots twist, the settings, and often the style of writing and vocabulary, which is a bit different and includes words I sometimes have to look up.

This book is part of a series, but it’s written so well that I didn’t feel like I was missing out by jumping into a later installment.

The story begins with an employee at a group home being found dead just outside the building. The next day, one of the residents, Cleo, is missing, and later, they discover the body of another resident in a remote area. The police must determine whether Cleo is missing, killed, or the killer.

I enjoyed reading about how the police worked to solve the case, piecing together all the different parts and ultimately resolving the mystery..

The Dark Wives ☾𖤓
by Ann Cleeves
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars!

The Dark Wives, is a real page-turner. Vera and her team are on the hunt after a care worker is murdered and a teenager goes missing. The investigation uncovers some deep, dark secrets in a troubled teens' home and gets tangled up with Northumberland's local folklore. With Vera juggling personal and professional challenges, the story keeps you hooked with its mix of mystery and local legend. If you're a fan of the series, you'll love this one. If you're new, you might want to check out the earlier books for the full picture.

This latest episode in the Vera Stanhope series introduces a new team member to replace the lost Holly and a seemingly more introspective Vera, adjusting to that loss, her role as Holly’s boss, and thoughts about her own vulnerabilities. It’s impossible not to see and hear Brenda Blethyn throughout my reading.

The case is sad and topical: Josh, a young college student, working part time at a home for troubled teens, is murdered. One of the teens, 14 year old Chloe Spence, also goes missing the same night. Is she a witness, a victim, an innocent, an at risk runaway?

Vera, Joe Ashworth, and Rosie Bell, new team member, begin the hard task of interviewing everyone who knew Josh and Chloe, learning about the privately run care home that appears so run down and sad to the police as outsiders, and learning more about the community into which Chloe seems to have disappeared.

I found this an excellent outing in a loved series. Cleeves introduced a more thoughtful Vera who recognizes her affect on the officers who she leads—though she doesn’t necessarily change her methods. Her self awareness is more obvious as is her knowledge that she will someday no longer be part of the police family after she retires. As always, I do recommend reading Cleeves books. It might be nice to read one or two others in this series before The Dark Wives to enjoy the subtleties of the team relationships.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

When Ann Cleeves releases a new Vera Stanhope mystery, I clear my calendar. I know that I will be caught up with Vera and her team until the last page is read. The Dark Wives is built around the murder of Josh Woodbury, a worker at a children’s home, and the disappearance of Chloe, a fourteen year old resident. The question is whether she is responsible for the death or is she a witness? Vera and her team are called to the facility which housed four troubled teens. Chloe was a student at a private school where her goth appearance was frowned upon. Her mother was hospitalized for a mental breakdown. Her father worked out of the country and her grandparents disapproved of her appearance. Her happiest time was visiting the bothy (cottage) on her grandparents former farm. When Vera visits the bothy she discovers the body of one of the other teans from the home. Brad Russell was a small time drug dealer and a user but evidence points to his murder. A dark car was parked outside the home before Josh’s death and spotted in the village near the bothy, leading Vera to stress the danger to Chloe and the need to find her before the murderer does.

Cleeves provides a complex police procedural and a look at the role of Social Services. It also introduces a new member of Vera’s team. They are still mourning the death of their colleague Holly and Rosie will have to prove herself to Vera and the team. The story takes place in Northumberland in the autumn, a time of the annual Witch Hunt that takes place near the standing stones that legend says were crones turned to stone by a giant. They are known as the Dark Wives. It is here that Vera and the team will find Chloe and the solution to the two murders. While Vera keeps her theories regarding the murders to herself, she wraps up the investigation with a summary of motives and events leading to the two murders and the evidence to convince the guilty. This is another fascinating mystery from Cleeves that is sure to please her fans. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for providing this book.

Thank you St. Martin's Press: Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review Dark Wives, A Vera Stanhope Novel, by Ann Cleeves on NetGalley.

Published: 08/27/24

Stars: 2.5

As a fan of Vera on Masterpiece Theatre I was skeptically excited to read an actual book. The experience was fabulous. I was off to a great start and was thinking the story was so relatable to the series. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier equally enamored me with written and visual material. Could Vera be another? Could I have a series of books to read at a nursing home? The answer is no. Out of no where Cleeves drops F words, and not just once. She quickly went from class to trash.

Chloe Spence is on the run. And since she’s only 14, she is literally running. She had been living at a home for troubled teens, and now she’s disappeared. And Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope needs to find her. A local dogwalker had discovered the body of Josh in a local park, and it’s up to Vera and her team to find out what had happened. Josh Woodburn had worked at the care home where Chloe had been staying, and he was a good friend to her. Now she’s missing.

That means that Chloe is on the run because she is in danger, or because she is a killer.

Chloe was in the care home because her father had left, and her mother had a depressive episode that she had to be hospitalized for. Chloe was hoping to find someone who could help her, but instead she was just put into the home. The workers there do they best they can, but they have limited resources. It’s a privately run home, but there is still only so much in the budget. Chloe left behind her journal, so Vera could get a glimpse into the teen’s mind, but there are no clues as to who could have killed Josh.

Vera knows this case will be more difficult than usual. First, she’s just hired a new officer to join the team, Rosie, and Vera is trying to be conscientious about making her feel at home. And because the private care homes for teens have been in the news, since a lot of the citizens of Northumberland were against privatizing them. So Vera is also having to balance working the case and keeping her boss informed on what the team is learning.

Meanwhile, they’re trying to track down Chloe, and they’re getting close. But Chloe is smart, and she moves on just before they get to her. In one of those spots, they find the body of another young man. On the surface, it looks like an overdose, but Vera and her team are skeptical and not find of a coincidence. And they know that it’s that much more urgent that they find Chloe.

It all comes to a head the night of the Gillstead Witch Hunt, where one of the adults dresses up like a witch and hides in the hills. Kids are sent out to try to find her, first the younger kids and after dark, the older ones. People drive from all over to join in the witch hunt, and Vera thinks that Chloe will use the witch hunt as cover. But if she’s there, then the killer will be also, and they may have only one chance to get Chloe back home safe and sound.

The Dark Wives is book eleven in the popular Vera Stanhope series from Ann Cleeves. Between the books and the television show, Vera is such an iconic character, and this story stands up to her reputation. It’s told from alternating viewpoints of Vera and her second-in-command Joe and new recruit Rosie, so you get the chance to see what different members of the team are doing and thinking, which is fun since Vera is apt to play her cards very close to her chest and not give anything away.

I listened to the audio book, narrated by Janine Birkett, who did an amazing job with those varying British accents. She gave each character a distinctive voice, and added so much texture and interest to the story. I loved this audio book so much, but I also got drawn into the story and maybe sped it up to get to the end. I would love to listen to it again knowing what’s going to happen, so I can just let myself get caught up in the story and relax into it. I think it says a lot that when you want to read a book again after you’ve just read it, so that is high praise indeed. Fans of Vera won’t want to miss this The Dark Wives.

Egalleys for The Dark Wives were provided by Minotaur Books, and an early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This Vera Stanhope series caught my attention and I've read quite a few of the books. Ann Cleeves has been able to keep my interest with each one.

Description:
The man’s body is found in the early morning light by a local dog walker in the park outside Rosebank, a care 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, 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, and the dark secrets in their community that may be far more dangerous than she could have ever believed possible.

My Thoughts:
Vera Stanhope is an interesting character. She is rough around the edges and brusque with her interactions. Tact is not her strong suit to put it mildly. Yet her instincts are good and have served her well as a detective. She is well respected in her community. This murder investigation unfolds slowly as clues are followed and a search for a missing child who might know something about the murder proceeds. There is a new member of the team, Rosie, who is a good character and seems to fit well with the team. There are some surprise twists and turns as the investigation unfolds. Any mystery lover would enjoy this book as well as the entire series.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

THE DARK WIVES by Ann Cleeves is a Vera Stanhope novel. This story focuses around a care home for troubled teens. A college student who is employed at the home is murdered, and one of the residents is missing. Vera and her team must do their best to uncover evidence and determine what happened. An additional layer present in the story is that Vera and her team are still processing the recent death of a colleague, and a new hire must navigate the dynamics.

This is my third installment in the prolific series; I didn't begin with the first mystery, so while my interest is whetted for earlier titles in the series, readers can be assured that the story is self-contained enough to allow someone to jump in at any point and I don't feel disadvantaged for not having started at the beginning.

(Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

When the body of Josh Woodburn, a care worker at Rosebank, a home for teens with issues or without a place to call home is found dead on the grounds, DI Vera Stanhope is assigned to the case. First thing she discovers is that a 14 year old girl, Chloe Spence, is missing. Is she responsible for the death? Along with Sergeant Joe Ashworth and new team member, Rosie Bell, the investigation seems to be going nowhere. When a second body shows up, the pressure from above rises but the investigation seems to be going nowhere fast. While their main goal is finding Chloe, the team has plenty of false leads and dead ends in solving the murders. The state of institutional care for minors in England forms a framework that becomes interwoven with the search that ultimately winds up in the Nothumbrian countryside in the midst of a an annual Witch Hunt, a dark celebration of local folklore.

This is the 11th book in Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope series (which also are the books upon which the popular BBC series, Vera, are based). The story sort of creeps along, with lots of characters each of whom add to the building storyline (but at times are confusing trying to keep them all straight). The tension builds throughout towards an ending that ties up all the loose ends. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

Oops, I did it again. When I picked up this title, I had no idea that it was the eleventh book in a series! I can safely say that this worked as a standalone, but it did make me want to check out some of the other titles in this series.

Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope has a new case. A man is found dead near a school for wayward teenagers, where a young female student happens to be missing. Vera and her team must unravel what's going on with both cases. When another body is found at the standing stones called the Three Wives, she really has some work to do to solve these cases. Things do seem to be centered around Rosebank, the facility for the troubled children.

I like reading authors who give me a story with a new perspective, or interesting setting, or anything that makes me feel transported to a new place. I felt that with this novel. I don't know much about UK crime processing, but I feel like I know more about the process and the people who undertake these sorts of cases, especially when there are cultural elements to what is happening on page. There's a great atmosphere to this story that I loved which gave the story a strong anchor and kept me invested in the story. I liked these characters and this left me interested in learning more about their respective journeys. The addition of a new member of the team brought some conflicts outside of the immediate criminal case.

Overall, I liked this and will look for more Vera in the earlier books in the series.

The Dark Wives, Ann Cleeves’ latest installment in her Vera Stanhope series is just as engaging as her first book in the series. Ms. Cleeves manages to keep Vera assuredly the same and yet fresh. Vera might be getting closer to retirement age, but she still manages to stay ahead of her team on each case.

Her right-hand-man, Joe, continues on Vera’s team, and there is a new addition of Rosie Bell, who brings a younger outlook to the team along with her admiration of Vera. The Northumberland countryside with its standing stones and local folklore adds to the stark eerie feeling in the book. The plot is well paced, and the dialogue feels organic.

Ms. Cleeves makes her police procedurals more interesting with the addition of personal insight into her officers’ life outside of work. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters as well as the engrossing storyline.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
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Review: this was my first Vera Stanhope novel (I believe there are more than 10) but this can definitely be read as a standalone.

I love books with a strong female lead, and Vera was just that. She’s a veteran cops with a strong team around her and I loved her interactions around town, especially when she called people “pet.”

Th book starts off strong. A worker is murdered at a children’s home and one of the children is missing. It’s up to Vera’s team to figure it out. The are a lot of clues and connections moving the book forward. My favorite was when the investigation let the team to Gillstead and The Dark Wives, where the setting was fantastic.

The middle was a little slow and repetitive with the team finding clues but not really revealing them to the reader. It had a lot of police procedural account, so if you are into that, you will really love this book. It’s not as much thriller.

Overall, it was interesting and had great characters moving the story along. If you love detective and police books- you will definitely want to pick this up!

This book came out on August 27th! Thanks to st. Martins press and netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.