I have been a fan of Vera Stanhope for years, and will continue to be one, but this, unforetunately, is not one of the stronger entries in the series. A young counselor at a home for troubled youth is found murdered, and one of the residents has gone missing, leading to suspicion falling on her. Other crimes follow, yet most of the time is spent getting to know Rosie, newest member of Vera's murder squad. I suspect Cleeves put the focus on her as she didn't seem to be able to come up with a way to drop clues, or even red herrings, for the reader to follow. In the end, she commits what I consider to be the worst offense of a mystery writer: having the detective learn things and develop theories which are not shared with the reader and cannot be deduced by what has been read. Even once "all is revealed", I was left feeling dissatisfied with the explanation (which I couldn't quite buy). Not that it will stop me from buying the next entry because I do enjoy my time spent with Vera.

The Dark Wives is book 11 in the Vera Stanhope by Ann Cleeves.
This was a well written mystery/procedural.
I enjoyed each of the characters and found the mystery engaging.
The atmosphere was intense and the setting intriguing.
Brilliantly dark and twisty.

Any time spent with Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope is well spent, and The Dark Wives is no exception. Vera and her team are still reeling from events in the previous book (The Rising Tide). Vera is very much affected, and she finds herself not only thinking of her own mortality but also trying to work on her management style.

It will come as no surprise to longtime readers of this series that the interactions between the characters are an integral part of the book. The new detective constable, Rosie Bell, is smart, ambitious, and wants to get ahead. She believes that anticipating what Vera wants will be very important to her upward rise in the police force. Vera's righthand man, Joe Ashworth, doesn't react well to Rosie's methods, so the two can be a bit competitive. Kath Oliver, a woman well versed in the system of care homes for troubled teenagers, is a character I wouldn't mind seeing more of-- and neither would Vera as she found Oliver to be a kindred spirit. However, for me, the strongest character outside of Vera herself is the fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence, even though her presence is only felt through the pages of a diary she left behind.

As usual, the mystery is a strong one, rooted in the Northumberland countryside and the folklore surrounding the Dark Wives (Northumberland's answer to Stonehenge). The privatization of care homes for children plays an important part that touches Vera deeply. ("It doesn't seem right to be making a profit from troubled children.")

As always, a mesmerizing blend of characters, landscape, folklore, and mystery, The Dark Wives is another compelling addition to the Vera Stanhope series.

I am very far behind in this series. I have read the first 2, but this one does give away a few spoilers. This novel had a different style to it than the first 2 in the series. Those were mainly told from the suspects’ POV. However, this one was more via Vera and Joe.

The solution was difficult to get to, as some of the clues were not given to readers. However, there was one that made me instantly think of Ellery Queen, and how it should have been obvious from the beginning.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

DI Vera Stanhope and team are called to Rosebank, a care home for troubled teens, in the coastal English village of Longwater. Josh Woodburn, a staff member, has been found dead in the park nearby with his head caved in and one of the home's residents, a 14-year-old girl named Chloe Spence, has a gone missing. Could she be the killer? Or is she herself in danger?

The care home is privately owned and has room for just four teens and staff. The lack of money spent on their care and upkeep of the home is obvious and Vera leaves Rosebank with a sense of relief and a touch of guilt: 'We shut these kids away so we can't see them and don't have to deal with them.'

When another of the teens is found dead in the wilds of the Northumberland countryside, an area with ties to Chloe's family, the search for her becomes more desperate.

The Northumberland setting is quite atmospheric. The area is famous for the Three Dark Wives monument, Northumberland's answer to Stonehenge. Legend has it that three uppity crones had been turned to stone by a giant who'd thought they talked too much, to stop them from nagging their husbands. Every year at this time, the village holds a Witch Hunt. The annual festivities held in the dark offer the perfect cover for a killer to attack once again and escape unless our intrepid team can prevent it.

Quite an interesting story. Detectives Vera and Joe welcome a new member to the team, young Rosie Bell. We'll have to see if she works out. Vera is a little frustrating to both her team and this reader because she works things out but keeps her ideas to herself. I had no clue who the killer was until Vera revealed all.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new Vera Stanhope thriller. My review is voluntary and the opinion expressed are my own.

A slow start, but since it is Cleeves writing her latest in her Vera Stanhope series, long time readers know it’s going to get much better. And of course, it did. A missing child from a home for the most recalcitrant of children, a dead volunteer from the same house and Vera and her team take charge of the case. First priority though, is to find the child. Is she victim or killer.

A new addition to the team, Rosie, a younger go getter, tries to find her place in the long running team of Joe and Vera. So far, so good, but later episodes will tell.

Although the narrators voice was pleasant enough, it was hard, at times to know who was talking. Reading the book is the way to go, imho, with this one.

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves is a very highly recommended mystery/procedural which explores the web of secrets surrounding a young man's death. This is the eleventh book in the Vera Stanhope series however it can also be read as a standalone mystery.

Early in the morning Josh Woodburn, a staff member at the Rosebank Home for troubled teen, is found murdered outside the home in the village of Longwater. DI Vera Stanhope, and her Northumbria Police team, DS Joe Ashworth and the new DC Rosie Bell, are called out to investigate. The only clue is the disappearance of one of the home’s residents, fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence, on the same night Josh was killed.

In the process of the investigation the team is lead north to the wilds of the Northumberland countryside near the Three Dark Wives monument and the village of Gillstead where the body of another resident of the home, and older teenager, is found. Now Vera is sure Chloe is running scared and hiding from someone. She is determined to find Chloe before the killer does but must untangle the web of secrets involving the murders and the Rosebank Home.

This is a well-written, complex, very satisfying procedural/mystery that moves at a quick pace as the dark secrets behind the murders are revealed with each new piece of evidence. Readers can follow along as the team investigates, but Vera keeps her thoughts private. Closely follow what Vera is looking into for clues where her thoughts are going. The plot is intelligently written and clues are followed logically in this compelling and entertaining narrative.

As a character-driven procedural, The Dark Wives includes skillfully written characters. They are all portrayed as fully realized individuals. Naturally those who have been following the series will know many of the reoccurring characters but this outing introduces Rosie Bell (after the death of Holly in a previous book, The Rising Tide) who is a pleasing addition to the team.

The Dark Wives is an exceptional mystery/procedural that also points out the pitfalls of a for-profit approach to child welfare. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

“The Dark Wives” by Ann Cleeves, the eleventh in the Vera Stanhope series, is an engaging mystery that keeps readers guessing until the end. With a disappearance of a teenage girl from a care home along with the murder of two young men associated with the home, Cleeves also delves into the care home system and troubles with that industry. “The Dark Wives” is set in a beautiful rural area of the Northumberland coast. Readers are also introduced to a new team member of Vera’s named Rosie Bell, a compelling new character. This book works well as a standalone or for readers of the series. Great narration by Janine Birkett. Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

Spending time with Vera- it's the best. While this is the latest in a long running series and fans of the show might hear Brenda Blethyn's voice when Vera speaks, it's also going to be a great stand alone if you've neither read or watched Vera's investigations. This time out, Vera and the team are called to a for profit care shelter for children because Josh, a contract worker, has been murdered and Chloe, a vulnerable 14 year old has gone missing. This starts as the search for Chloe-who is never far from Vera's mind-and then turns into a double murder investigation. Vera and her team, especially Joe and Charlie but the new and dynamic Rosie as well, interview multiple people who don't tell them either the truth or the full story but know that that won't last for long. Chloe comes through strongest in her writing, which touches Vera and provides clues of a sort. No spoilers from me- there are less twists that there are dark secrets revealed. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Great read.

Vera Stanhope and her team are called to investigate the murder of a young man who worked at a home for trouble teens but all isn't what it seems. They discover not only a dead body but that a fourteen year old girl from the home is missing. Did she murder the worker or was she also a victim, no one can find her. Every turn leads to more questions than answer and time is running out.
Although this can be read as a standalone novel once you read an Ann Cleeve book you're hooked and want to read them all. I love the characters and the investigations always hold my attention. Each one is liking visiting and old friend and helping them solve the crime but you never figure it out before the end.

📚 ARC Review 📚

The Dark Wives ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope has been called to investigate the death of a young man, Josh Woodburn. He was a university student who worked at Rosebank, a home for troubled teens. While she is there, she finds out that Chloe Spence, a fourteen year old resident of the home, has gone missing as well. After diving into the investigation, Vera wonders if these two cases are related. Now her and her team must figure out what exactly happened to Josh and locate Chole.

While this is the 11th book in the Vera Stanhope series, each mystery is stand alone. However, I did see some mention there are recurring characters and their relationships/backgrounds are explored over the course of the series. I didn’t pay attention when I requested this one that it was apart of a series, but I still enjoyed it. I didn’t feel lost having read this one without the others. This book is told in the third person view point and follows multiple characters throughout the story. There’s a lot of pieces to put together. Overall, this was a well-written mystery involving dark secrets, superstitions and folklore, that keep me guessing til the end.

This book will publish on August 27, 2024. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

*The Dark Wives* by Ann Cleeves is an addition to the Vera Stanhope series, but it stands on its own really well. For those that go in blind like I do, the dark wives are a statue; this book is not about wives with dark tendencies.

The novel masterfully intertwines a modern murder mystery with Northumberland folklore, creating an eerie atmosphere that keeps you on edge. Vera’s investigation into the death of a staff member at a home for troubled teens takes unexpected turns, especially with the involvement of a missing girl and a second body near a haunting local monument. The pacing is solid, and the character dynamics—especially with the introduction of Rosie Bell—add fresh layers to the story. Though the plot occasionally meanders, the suspense and the well-drawn setting make it a compelling read.

Thank you Ann Cleeves, MacMillan Audio, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the advanced copies!

I always enjoy visiting with old friend Vera Stanhope as she welcomes a new recruit, Rosie, joining her and Joe on the team. Two separate murder victims and a missing teen that have all visited a home for troubled teenagers have to be connected in some way. I did miss Holly in this install, but Rosie seems to be up to the task. A local witch hunt complicates matters, but as usual, Vera has the mystery solved well before her team.

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves AUDIO is a Vera Stanhope police procedural. The team is not functioning at 100% after Holly’s death. They have a new inspector, Rosie, who is as different as possible to what they have known. It was fun to watch her become part of the team. A young man was killed outside a home for juvenile delinquents. He was a new staff member and really, an artist. The first mystery to solve is why he was working there. His parents didn’t seem aware of his new job. The second concerning thing was that a fourteen-year-old female resident of the home was missing. There were a lot of moving parts, to this one, although that is probably not unusual, and a lot of relationships to be explored. They started off with theories and eliminated them one by one.

Vera, as always, is her curmudgeonly, independent self. She is a hard character not to like, once the hard shell is broken and one can see inside. That doesn’t happen often. Her mates, Joe, Charlie, and Rosie are all in different stages of their development, which is due to the excellent efforts of the author. Their interactions range from humorous to mind-numbing. This is a sad story of mistakes and misunderstandings and Cleeves handles it well. She writes amazing and interesting characters who work together but don’t quite meld. The mystery was interesting and took some time to unravel. As always, it is Vera Stanhope and that says it all.

The narrator was Janine Birkett and she did a credible job, taking on many personalities, but most importantly that of Vera Stanhope. She allowed the gravitas of the situation to speak for itself.

I was invited to read The Dark Wives by St Martin’s Press and listen by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacmillanAudio #StMartinsPress #AnnCleeves #JanineBirkett #TheDarkWives

3.5/5 ⭐️
I did enjoy this book. I particularly enjoyed how Ann highlights what it’s really like for troubled youth. I used to volunteer with foster care teenagers. A lot of what she wrote highlights what life is like for these kids and I really appreciated the representation. I just felt the story was slow and could have been shorter. This was my first detective novel and I personally feel I need more suspense from a mystery novel. If you’re a fan of detective novels and or Ann Cleeves then definitely check it out. Side note but I love this cover!

A Challenging Case Because The Only Witness Is Hiding

The novel opens with a quick history of how Chloe Spence’s life spiraled out of control. She ends up in Rosebank Care Home, where she makes friends with a staff member, Josh Woodburn. Vera Stanhope is working at midnight on Sunday. She takes a 999 call. Josh was found dead, and Chloe is missing. Vera proceeds to Rosebank Care Home and becomes the responding officer. From this start, an engaging novel starts.

This novel has one main storyline thread. It is the investigation of Woodburn’s murder — most of the thread concerns locating the possible witness, Chloe Spence, as Vera can’t believe she could be the murderer. Then, the thread turns to who can find her first, Vera and her detectives or the murderer trying to silence her. This aspect maintains the tension and suspense in the novel. Vera, or one of her detectives, narrates all but two chapters Spence narrates. The flow is typical of Vera, who distributes various aspects of the investigation between her subordinates with regular status meetings to share what has been learned and plan the next day's activities. This multifaceted investigation is plagued by numerous issues, such as witnesses not telling everything they know for various reasons. Some interesting Red Herrings are included. These aspects quickly captured my attention and held it to the end of the novel. I call the pace of the novel methodical. Some may call it slow, but the pace seemed good for me.

I was waiting to read this novel because I wanted to see who would replace DC Holly Lawson, who died in the last novel. DC Rosie Bell is quite different and adds interesting new aspects to the Vera team’s dynamics. Then, Bell continues a thread from the previous novel that Lawson surfaced. While Lawson kept her complaint about Vera’s leadership style, with Bell, it continued and spread to another member. It is not resolved in this novel, so it appears to be a thread that will continue across one or more future novels in this series.

Very few aspects of this novel would discourage its reading. There are no intimate scenes, inappropriate language is very infrequent, and the scenes that include violence are minor. The only issue is the regular use of British slang words. Even though I have read many British police procedures, I have some exposure to this slang. I had to use the built-in Internet access to understand their meaning. Lastly, this is the eleventh novel. I have read only three previous novels and two short stories. I did not notice references to events from previous novels that were not adequately explained. This novel can be the first Stanhope novel to read.

As I wrote above, there is an aspect that did not enhance my reading enjoyment. Two detectives complain that Vera is not entirely transparent about what she is doing. This also includes the reader at times. This novel and the three previous Vera novels are the only ones I have read, and I did not notice this aspect before. As I mentioned above, this is a very meaty story, which is an aspect that I enjoy in police procedurals. I do recommend reading this novel. I strongly recommend reading this novel. Based on reading the last four Vera novels, three Two Rivers novels, and three short stories, Ann Cleeves has earned being one of my Must-Read authors. I am definitely looking forward to reading her next novel. As I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, I rate it with five stars.

I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Minotaur Books. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. Thank you, Minotaur Books, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

"The Dark Wives" is a gripping thriller that unfolds within the eerie confines of a children's home, where a murder has occurred, and one of the residents has mysteriously vanished. As time runs out, a dedicated team of detectives must work together to unmask the killer and prevent further disappearances—or worse, more deaths. Ann Cleeves masterfully weaves this suspenseful tale, which can be enjoyed as a standalone novel or as part of the larger Vera Stanhope series. Crime drama and thriller enthusiasts will discover a new must-read within these pages.

The Dark Wives

I read Ann Cleeves’ THE DARK WIVES deliberately slowly, so savor the writing and to give myself a chance to solve the mystery (not successfully). I did NOT see those twists coming my way, and was blown away and awed by Vera’s success. Two murders and a missing young girl, scared and in danger, and a new member of the team, to whom Vera is determined to give a chance to succeed. (That’s not a spoiler, all problems introduced early on). Add to it the atmosphere, remote coastal setting, standing stones with a somber legend, troubled youths, contrast to those with more comforts and opportunities. The more I get to know Vera, the more I like her. I haven’t read all the earlier books (don’t worry, it still makes perfect sense without that background), but after reading this, I’m motivated to do so.

This is the eleventh Vera Stanhope novel , but my very first one. I’ve read Ann Cleeves’ other series and enjoyed it, but this was my first exposure to Vera. I found the book easy to follow even though I didn’t know everyone’s backstory. The mystery was engrossing and kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the description of the area also. Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an early eARC of the book so that I could leave an honest review.

This is the eleventh book in Cleeves' now classic Vera Stanhope series, and as always, the books are a slow burn with a smasher of an ending. This book begins with an extremely compelling set up: Vera is called to a local care home where one of the workers has been found murdered and one of the residents, a 14 year old girl, has vanished. Vera and her team aren't sure whether she's a suspect or a victim, but she's 14 and missing, so the hunt is on to locate her. Vera is under a bit of a cloud - at the end of the last book (The Rising Tide) she'd lost one of her team, Holly. She's hired a replacement for the strait-laced, disciplined Holly that's as different as she can be. Rosie Bell is brash and likes a drink with the girls after work, but she proves to have some unexpected qualities as the investigation proceeds.

With a new person on the team, all of whom miss Holly, there are some adjustments to be made, though Joe is as sturdy as always, and Charlie as good at following a paper trail in the background. Vera is such an interesting character and it's one of the things that makes this series so great. She's practical, but she's also empathic. She acts like the investigation must proceed at all costs, yet she sees and understands the human pain behind the crimes she's investigating. All through the book, Vera is unable to think of 14-year-old Chloe as a murderer, even if the evidence against her looks bleak and her team are sure she's involved. However, Vera holds the team, and the book, together. The assembling of clues is meticulous and leads the detectives on some interesting tangents.

Rosie manages to prove her worth straight away as she deals with the death notification - the dead care worker’s parents are stunned with grief and despair, and she turns out to have a light and sensitive touch. While Vera warns her she's not a social worker but a cop, she also wants to use this particular skill of Rosie's, and she indeed is able to earn the trust of the dead man's parents. The grim nature of the care home, one for difficult adolescents, seems exemplified by dismal shades of grey, inside and out. Chloe, the missing girl, has an absent father and had been caring for a mentally ill mother. She wouldn't live with her grandparents and so ended up in the home. The other residents have even harder lives in many ways and Chloe is somewhat of a loner, spending her time writing in her journal.

The other residents are more typically troubled. While Cleeves doesn't delve into their lives quite as deeply as she does Chloe's, she certainly paints a skilful picture of the bleakness of the home, which is run by a private company and seems to Vera to be coldly institutional rather than a "home" of any kind. As often is the case in a Cleeves novel, there are many threads and a seemingly unsolvable puzzle which sizzles and sparks as the book draws to a close.

Cleeves never neglects the natural side of things and the Dark Wives of the title are a Stonehenge like rock formation, with the folklore being that they were three crones told to keep quiet. They loom over the tiny nearby town, and the town in turn celebrates a witch night a few weeks after Halloween where the local kids dress up and go out on the moor to find the witch. It's a huge local celebration, and the culmination of the book's events. This was an atmospheric and emotional read, though I wished for more metaphorical flesh on Chloe. I wanted to know a bit more about her and despite a spectacular conclusion I was slightly disappointed. I almost felt this was a transitional title, as Vera adjusts to the loss of Holly and attempts to reboot her investigative team with the addition of Rosie. I'll be interested to see what happens next.