I received a free audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Amazingly, this is the first Vera Stanhope book I’ve read! I know, right? I’ve religiously read Ann Cleeves’ mysteries for years, but never a Vera book. What a way to start!
Vera and her team are called to investigate the murder of a young staff member of a children’s home, with one of the female residents missing. Is she the killer, or has she been kidnapped? Has she run away, knowing the killer’s identity? In any case, Vera needs to find the young girl before more people die.
So this long running series seems pretty fresh to me. The plot is modern and timely, and the characters are fully fleshed out and interesting. My only complaint is that Vera keeps her ideas and suspicions to herself, and therefore keeps the reader in the dark. But otherwise, a great mystery!

I've read other series by Ann Cleeves and have watched at least six seasons of Vera but, until now, I had never read any of the books in the Vera Stanhope series. As in the shows, this is a complex mystery with different threads to pull until the case can be unwound and the murderer(s) identified.
In this one, Rosie Bell is a young DC trying hard to impress Vera to earn a spot on her team. And Rosie's way with families is needed because not only is there a dead body by the Rosebank Children's Home, but one of its residents, a 14-year-old girl named Chloe, is missing. There's also an important message about the problems inherent in allowing for-profit enterprises to provide social services.
In the TV series, Vera is always calling people "love" or "pet" and she does in the novel as well. In the book she is more of a curmudgeon and occasionally sharpish with her team, adding some acid behind the endearments. Quite a character! I plan to read others in the series, having enjoyed this immensely.
My thanks to the author, publisher, audiobook producer, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review #TheDarkWives in advance of its publication date, Aug. 27, 2024.

This one is clearly not for me. I tried a few different times to listen to the narrator and get in the story. She clearly is a great author and people enjoy her work.

How I love Ann Cleaves and a Vera Stanhope novel. True pleasure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think even if Cleeves wanted to retire Vera Stanhope, her readers wouldn’t stand for it. In her latest escapade, Vera and her new colleague, Rosie, are investigating murder most foul in Northumberland. The inclusion of local superstition and folklore adds another layer of mystery to the story

Vera's back along with a new young member on her team. She, Joe and Rosie are called to a troubled children's group home to investigate the murder of a new employee. Will one murder turn into more? A missing young teen has the detectives on the hunt to find her and the party responsible for the death of the young man. Loved it. Ann Cleeves does it again.

Everything moves at a quick pace, as the detectives, particularly Joe and Rosie, collect information that tells us more about Chloe and where she might be hiding. Then, around the 75% point, Vera has a hunch. Up to this stage, we, the readers have been privy to the main characters’ thoughts—sometimes following Joe’s POV, sometimes following Rosie’s POV, and sometimes following Vera’s POV. But Vera’s hunch isn’t shared with readers. So the denouement comes out of the blue. And this is the misstep that occurs near the ending. In an attempt to conceal the true murderer, the author hid important information from readers—changed the trajectory we were following—to bring the story to a quick close.

Book: The Dark Wives
Author: Ann Cleeves
Series: DI Verna Stanhope #11
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Janice Birkett
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: British Mystery
Pub Date: August 27, 2024
Rating: 3.5
Pages: 384

Story starts when Vera goes to Rosebank- a home for troubled teens, to investigate the murder of Josh Woodburn, a university student and volunteer at the home. Additionally, fourteen year- old Chloe Spencer a resident has disappeared. Vera finds it hard to believe this particular teenager could be responsible, Vera wonders if she was a witness or perhaps another victim. When searching In for Chloe discovers another death a teenage boy also from Rosebank is discovered near the three ancient standing stones known as the Three Wives.

Since I have read other Detective Vera Stanhope stories, I knew the plot just might be a bit complicated!
Ann Cleeves did not disappoint.

This story introduces Rosie – I am wondering if she will be a recurring character- or if there might be a Rosie Bell #2???

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 27, 2024.

The Dark Wives is my first Vera Stanhope book. It definitely won’t be the last. This was a great mystery set on the shores of England and I can’t wait for more.