I've read some of Ann Cleeve's other books and knew I really liked her writing style, but despite having watched all seasons of "Vera" on television, I'd never actually read her Vera Stanhope series. So it was with both excitement and trepidation that I decided to jump right into the deep end and read this, the 11th book in the series. I'm usually one that reads a series in order, but happily this time it worked out well. I wasn't too lost, and I was familiar with a couple of the main characters already from the TV series. And I enjoyed the story and the writing. This one is quite atmospheric, set in autumn with not just Halloween, but also a witchy local fall festival as a backdrop for some of the action. Vera and her team have not just two murders to investigate, but the disappearance of a troubled 14-year-old girl who could be the murderer, or possibly the next victim. We learn about the team members as a new one as been brought in and they're all feeling each other out as they establish some new team dynamics. And there's also some interesting social commentary on the pitfalls of privatizing/commercializing health and human services services. I had both the ebook and the audiobook, and found myself mostly listening to the audiobook thanks to the outstanding narration by Janine Birkett. Honestly though, you can't go wrong with either version.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

Vera is at it after her last mystery and loss of her detective. Rosie has joined the team for the case of more murders and a missing girl. A great thriller by Anne Cleeves. Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced audio book. You can find my review on Goodreads.

A teen on the run and Vera and Rosie are investigating a murder of the young Josh.

This was very very slow to get into bout after the second murder it starts to pickup and the detectives are slowly pricing together both murders and why Chloe is on the run.

This book was good and kept you guessing on what was going to happen next. you really got a feel of the setting and could visualize it.

Overall, The Dark Wives is a strong addition to Ann Cleeves's already impressive body of work. The novel offers a suspenseful mystery with well-developed characters and a captivating setting. While the pacing might be a bit slow for some, the payoff in the final acts is satisfying. Fans of Vera Stanhope and character-driven crime fiction will surely enjoy this book.

The Dark Wives was such a great audiobook. I love how it brought the characters to life, and I was so engaged in the mystery. As always, Vera was a flawed character I was rooting for. And the story kept me guessing til the end about who the killer was. I give this book a solid 4.5/5 stars.

The Dark Wives, a Vera Stanhope novel by Ann Cleeves, is a compelling mystery that keeps readers engaged with its intricate plot and well-drawn characters. Cleeves once again brings her signature atmospheric setting to life, immersing readers in a brooding landscape. The character of Vera Stanhope remains a strong presence, with her sharp instincts and complex personality. While the pacing may feel slow at times, the novel delivers a satisfying conclusion with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Fans of traditional crime fiction will likely appreciate this addition to the series.

The latest in a series of popular British crime novels that inspired the TV series Vera, The Dark Wives takes DI Vera Stanhope and her team to a children's care home, where a teen has gone missing and a staff member has been murdered. Soon another body is discovered, and the baffling case really heats up.

This was my first time reading/listening to a Vera Stanhope book and I thought it was smartly written. Vera is a strong main character. I think I would have benefitted from reading some earlier installments in the series because of references to what happened previously, but I wasn't lost listening to this one.

I thought this book maybe could have been a bit shorter. It seemed like there was a lot of unnecessary chatter between characters. I also wish there had been more to the folklore element of this book. However, the plot was well thought out and I didn't expect the story to end the way that it did. I would enjoy reading more of these. Rosie was a character who was introduced to the series in this book, and I really liked her balance of compassion and professionalism.

Great narration by Janine Birkett. She did a lovely job portraying the many characters in this book.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for the gifted audiobook of The Dark Wives

Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  8.27.2024
Star Rating: ☆☆

The Darj Wuves is one of those books I knew better than starting after the series had already been established. I felt like I was missing out on a chunk of information or character growth. I tried listening to the audiobook first but did not like the audiobook narrator, then switched to the print copy and felt like I was missing something. 

I plan to read this series again because I am very interested in the books. Eventually, I’ll return to The Dark Wives and, hopefully, have my place in the series to properly enjoy it.

I have to admit, since I rarely read a book's synopsis, this title had me thinking the book would be heading in another direction. Instead of delving into the lives of several wives, this story took me to a home for troubled teens.

The narration by Janine Birkett was done very well and helped quickly pull me into the story. And I love it when a story takes place in England and I hear a British accent.

The story held my attention, and though a character-driven story with a mystery can sometimes feel slow, this story didn't. It's hard to say if that was because it was an audiobook, since listening to a book, especially one with a good narrator, helps hold my interest.

Even though this is the 11th book in a series, I didn't have any trouble reading it as a standalone.

If you're in question about listening to this, don't hesitate to get started now!

A solid listen! I enjoyed this story, the characters and the dark setting. The Dark Wives storyline was intriguing and mysterious. The care homes were also a great setting. A nice way to bring current events into a riveting suspense story.

As an American listener there were parts of the audio pad to slow down due to thick accents but the narrator did an excellent job portraying several characters, reading them conviction and great intonation. I preferred this title in audio form as parts of the e book were a little slow. The audio helped in those parts.

Overall I enjoyed the story of a missing girl called Chloe. The mystery unfolds in the depths of the UK child care system. The dark side of care homes is highlighted while the underlying mystery of Chloe's disappearance evolves. The mystery deepens when one of the employees of Chloe's care hoke turns up dead. Will Chloe be found in time or is already too late?

A man’s body has been found and a teenage girl is missing. The missing teen lives at a home for troubled teens and it turns out the dead body is Josh, a staff member who had befriended her. Vera Stanhope and her team are on the case and while some believe it to be true, they are finding it hard to believe that the girl could be responsible for Josh’s death. This is part of a very long series of mysteries by Ann Cleeves.

Again I have picked up one the newest of the 11th (or so) of a series - but this really was great as a standalone and yet again, I have a new series that I feel l can pick up when I need a good mystery (but I do need to maybe stop doing this). I only had the audio but it was a fast and engrossing listen and I now know that Cleeves is an author that I want to go back and revisit, which is a good thing because I had been wanting to read one of her novels for years (maybe I’ll even start with the first in the series). The narrator was great for this one and I was very happy listening away. This was a solid mystery read/listen for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC to review

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Janine Birkett and written by Ann Cleeves. This is the 11th book of Vera Stanhope DI The narrator did a great job but I had a little trouble understanding the accent. Since I am not familiar with it. With all the voice changes I'm sure it was difficult but the representation was done well.
The story of the unexplained murder of a college student working at a home for troubled teens is a case for Vera. The disappearance of 14-year-old Chloe at the same time concerns Vera greatly, did she murder the young man? Did she see something she shouldn't and is on the run or is she also a victim of the killer?
The events of the search are slow and long. Each member of the law searching also has their vices and is not excited to be led by Vera who tends to keep information from them. All are good investigators and all are trying to work together with Vera. Vera is very afraid something has or will happen to Chole and tries to work fast and efficiently as possible with all the events going on in town. I thought the book was hard to listen to with the dialect but would be easier to read it. However, it was slow-moving. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Dark Wives is the 11th book in the Vera Stanhope series from Ann Cleeves.

"The body of a staff member is found in the park outside Rosebank, a home for troubled teens. And one of those teens is missing. Vera and her team look for a killer."

This is a slow-burn police procedural. It's the slowest of the slow burn - very, very slow. This was my first book from Cleeves so I was unfamiliar with her style. She is very slow to dribble out leads and hints about who the killer might be. There are several instances of Vera getting information but not sharing with any of her team. It's a little annoying. I need something to keep me invested in the story. Especially since the Brad character is not a good guy and has a terrible ending.

Janine Birkett does do an excellent job with the audio - lots of male and female voices - and in the accent of the region. (I checked with my Newcastle friend)

Imagine a roller coaster where the track never goes up/down/around except for one little hill at the end. That's what this is like.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ALC.

I felt it was a slow start and didn't grab my attention like books do. All in all it was just ok for me.

Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is on the case when a college student is murdered in a seaside town. He works at a care home for difficult children and one of them is missing. Is Chloe, the missing fourteen year old, a victim? A suspect? Kidnapped? In hiding? Vera and her team work hard to locate her, hoping she can shed some light on Josh's death.

Believing she has run to hide in a familiar place, near where her grandparents live in Northumberland, the investigators travel there. And then another body is found there, that of another resident of the home. Josh's well-off parents, a physician and an accountant, are devastated. To complicate matters, the town and its residents are in the throes of a witches' festival, centered around the standing stones, called the dark wives. Parades and costumes are everywhere and trying to find Chloe in the midst of it all

British actress Janine Burkett brings the characters to life, as she does with the other books in this same series.

Recommended for fans of the series and other mystery lovers, especially of British crime stories.

I totally want to see the Three Wives Monument. Thank you @macmillan.audio for the ARC. Josh is found dead at Rosebank, a home for troubled teens and Chloe is missing. Josh is an employee and Chloe is a 14 year old resident. It’s unclear if Chloe is a victim or a murdered. The story was a tad slow for me while the team unravels the mystery. This is my first book of the series.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first experience with a Vera Stanhope novel and my first time reading Ann Cleeves. I appreciate that, despite not having read the previous books in the series, I was able to understand the characters and their relationships easily. However, I found the pace of this audiobook to be somewhat slow. While the narrator made a commendable effort to give each character a distinct voice, the portrayal of the children's voices felt exaggerated, almost comedic, which detracted from the intended tone of a psychological thriller. Due to this, I don't think I'll continue with the Vera Stanhope series in audiobook format, though I might still consider picking up a physical copy for a more traditional read.

Vera Stanhope investigates the murder of a young man at a care home for troubled youth. Chloe, a 14 year old resident of the care home, has gone missing. Was Chloe a murderer or a witness? Vera knows that finding Chloe is urgent, so Vera and her team search for Chloe while seeking clues as to what was really happening at the care home. Ann Cleeves once again delivers an intriguing mystery!
I was given an ARC of The Dark Wives by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#anncleeves
#verastanhope
#mystery
#netgalley
#thedarkwives

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