I struggled to understand the narrator in this one. Her accent was so thick. I will purchase the book and give it an honest review and rating when I am able to focus on my own narration.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* pretty good read! I've read a few books from this series but would love to find the older ones and reread the series!

Vera Stanhope is reeling from her most recent case. She is full of regret over that investigation and is starting to question whether she still has something valuable to contribute. Should she retire? Would it be better for everyone?

However, she's still on the job when a young volunteer at a home for troubled youth is murdered. Chloe Spencer, one of the residents, has also disappeared. Where has she gone? Is she responsible for the murder or is she a witness on the run?

Vera and her team (Joe, Charlie and Rosie) set out to find Chloe or answers--preferably both.

Vera as always, heads off in her own direction, often without sharing her plans with her team. She does seem to be trying to be more inclusive of them, perhaps now considering her legacy and the realization that her team will someday soon carry on without her. I love the Vera Stanhope character--determined, independent, sometimes sarcastic, often kind. She seems very human.

I do enjoy the Vera Stanhope books but I seem to have missed #10 The Rising Tide. Since events in 10 have such an impact on 11, I wish I'd read it first and I recommend that readers definitely read them in order.

Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan for the eAudio ARC!

We have a murder to solve and I definitely felt like I was part of the team in this book. I think the story was really good and I was definitely shocked at the end and the build up was great.

I’m not sure an audiobook is the best format for this book. It was a bit much to follow. Either way, I’m new to this series & the storyline moved a bit slow for me. It seemed long and drawn out, and once I was invested, the story ended. Will definitely try another book from this author in print format.

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.

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.

The audiobook is narrated by Janine Birkett, who is exceptional at setting the scenes and conveying a host of characters with a range of convincing accents.

(Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

The Dark Wives is Ann Cleeves' latest (11th), in her wonderful Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope series. And yes - the television series is based on this character.

The setting is northeastern England and plays a part in the mystery. The details paint vivid mental images of the setting.

Josh works at a home for troubled teens. He is found dead outside the building - and one of the teens is gone. And then there's another death...
Vera is on the case and is joined by Joe and Rosie, who is new to 'the patch.' I adore Vera - she says what she things, she doesn't tolerate fools, marches to her own piper and never gives up. She is determined to bring the missing teenage home. Her methods are often not by the book.

The premise and plot is imaginative and multi faceted. I didn't figure out the answers 'til the final pages. An excellent tale.

And a wonderful listen. I find I am more immersed in a story when I listen to it. That was the case with The Dark Wives. The narrator was Janine Birkett and she was a great choice. I believe she was the lone reader. She has come up with believable and suitable voices for all of the players using accents, speed, tone, and more. She conveys the action, the mood and much more with her performance. Excellent!
Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt.

In this latest entry in the Vera Stanhope series, her team includes a new member whom readers will want to get to know better. As always, the mystery is tightly plotted and I was kept guessing until the end. The narrator gets the tone just right and enriches the listening experience. Fans of police procedurals will devour this.

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves

While I’ve read and/or listened to and enjoyed both the Shetland and Detective Matthew Venn Series, I haven’t read many (if any) of Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope series. I have watched them on PBS, so I’m familiar w/the main characters. This is the 11th book in the series, and can be read as a standalone book – you learn about relevant issues from the past in this book.

Janine Birkett has the perfect Vera Stanhope voice – I can just picture Vera in my mind as she speaks as Vera (and I love how she – Vera – uses the terms of endearment, like “pet” and “love” with her co-workers, witnesses, etc.) Her voice also modulates for the other characters and descriptions of events while reading the book, so it is easy to get a sense of who is talking and the atmosphere of what is going on.

The pacing - both of the narrator and the buildup of suspense in the writing of the novel - kept me listening. I wanted to know “who dunnit?”, what, exactly is going on? Who killed Josh? Where is Chloe?

This installment introduces a new character, Rosie, on their team and we read/listen to the evolving team dynamics as they begin to learn to work together to solve the murder(s) and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I need to read the previous book to learn what happened to Holly (she is referred to and we are given a general sense of what happened).

Thank you to NetGalley; Ann Cleeves, MacMillan Audio and narrator, Janine Birkett, for the advanced copy of The Dark Wives.

Review posted in Goodreads
Posted on Amazon , 8/27.

Murder and mystery involving a care home for troubled teens.

This is the 11th book in the series but the first I have read. I've also not seen the television show, so all of this was new to me. Set in the coastal northeastern village of Longwater, DI Vera Stanhope and her team investigate the death of a staff member, Josh, who is found murdered right outside of Rosebank, a care home for teenagers. In addition, one of the residents at the home, Chloe Spence, has disappeared. Is she a victim or a suspect?

Vera's team begins the tedious task of following up. Her subordinates include DS Joe Ashworth and DC Charlie as well as a new member, DC Rosie Bell. The story also refers to a previous member of the team, Holly, now apparently deceased and often mentioned but no details about what happened. I think this made coming into the series with this installment a bit confusing so probably best to read in order. I could tell that the team understands each other and knows strength and weakness of their colleagues but difficult to assess character development. Vera is strong, independent, opinionated, keeps things close to the chest, and happily single.

One of my gripes about this police procedural is how completely the reader is left in the dark when Vera and the team have the pieces to solve the case, including the names of suspects, but those details are not given.

The plot had merits but I found the process and all of the interviews quite slow moving. Lots of characters to keep straight. Not sure if I liked well enough to begin the series with the first installment but I might read another in the future.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator did a great job voicing the characters and all the accents but without the text in front of me I think it would have been difficult to identify who was speaking at times. It definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story as the production was well done.

The Dark Wives is only the second Cleeves book I've read—the first was part of the Detective Matthew Venn series. I have watched a few Vera television episodes; but my greatest exposure has been to her Shetland BBC television series. The Shetland Island book series is high on my TBR list as I wait impatiently for the next television season.

I didn't tag many passages. I was sufficiently immersed in the storyline and didn't want to interrupt the flow. I like how Vera and the team recognize that each member contributes different skills to solving a case. Vera tries to improve her management of a new team member because she feels responsible for the departure of the predecessor. The contrast between male and female and older and younger team member styles and perspectives is interesting.

The audiobook is narrated by Janine Birkett, who is new to me, but has been narrating this series starting with the sixth book, among other narration credits.

This book can be read as a standalone, and might appeal to any mystery or police procedural reader.

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, 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 Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

Seen a few episodes of the series VERA, so dived into the book and i must say a very solid police procedural set in the UK. Not only do we follow along with the case, we also get a glimpse into the personal lives of the team.

A 14 year old girl goes missing from a care home for troubled teens in the wake of a murder of one of its caretakers. We learn more about both pasts of the missing and the dead and discover a connection.
Vera now has to find this missing teen before she winds up dead!

Solid 4 stars!

Thanks NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this ARC! Beyond humbled! 🙏🏾
The Dark Wives out Aug 27th

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ALC. while I typically prefer audio books so I can listen while driving or doing other things, I struggled to get into this one. I believe the accents were the deterrent, but I listened to it in entirety. I found the premise of this novel to be intriguing, the suspense, speculation, all made for a great story.

This is another installation following Vera Stanhope as she visits a home for troubled kids. Staff member, Josh, is murdered and the prime suspect, Chloe, is missing. It’s hard to believe that she’s responsible since Chloe was madly in love with Josh. Vera, Joe, and Rosie Bell work together to unravel the twisted stories behind this case and discover secrets that some would do anything to keep quiet.

*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!

Confession: I have seen an episode from the Vera series before I read a book from the Vera series.

So thoughts: I felt that seeing it made me imagine Brenda Blethyn as Vera as I was reading and even the narrator’s “Vera” echoed it as well, which I think enhanced it. (kudos to Brenda Blethyn in her portrayal that it was so memorable in a positive way). I loved the setting of the North Yorkshire and Northumbrian moors (which on a visit there is how I happened upon a “Vera” episode). Its wildness is a full part of the story.

Let’s just say I give it a resounding 4 stars (it would have gotten 4 1/2 but I was getting mixed up by the characters and this was very important at the end) and I’m going to search for Vera on streaming and watch for more upcoming books.

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It is a well-paced, twisty mystery with a girl missing from a group home, one of the staff murdered, and then one of the other kids murdered, it has a feeling of urgency to solve both the murders and to find the missing girl. Vera is such a magnificent character, so complex and layered, every book I find myself both aching for her and cheering her on for different reasons. I also love Joe, so to see him a little competitive and insecure around the new girl, Rosie, is fun to watch unfold. So, in addition to the compelling mystery, there is the rich character development that Ann Cleeves does so well. May she write many more books and I shall devour them all.

I was excited to get this book as an ARC reader and it was a good read. I enjoyed how it started but I feel it lost my attention like 25% into the story. I still finished it and it was ok just not my regular kind of read