The Dark Wives
Crack the case with Vera Stanhope in a new suspenseful mystery from the Sunday Times Bestseller
by Ann Cleeves
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Pub Date Aug 29 2024 | Archive Date Jul 04 2024
Pan Macmillan | Macmillan
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Description
New York Times bestselling author of the Two Rivers and Shetland series, Ann Cleeves, returns with the eleventh Vera Stanhope novel following The Rising Tide.
A local myth. A deadly threat.
A man's body is found in the early morning light by a local dog walker on the common outside Rosebank, a care home for troubled teens. The victim is Josh, a staff member who was due to work the previous night but never showed up for his shift.
DI Vera Stanhope is called out to investigate. Her only clue is the disappearance of one of the home's residents, fourteen year-old Chloe Spence. Vera can't bring herself to believe that a teenager could be responsible for the murder, but even she can't dismiss the possibility.
Vera, Joe, and new team member Rosie are soon embroiled in the case. But when a second body, connected to Josh, is found near the Three Dark Wives standing stones in the wilds of the Northumbrian countryside, superstition and folklore collide with fact.
Vera knows she has to find Chloe to get to the truth, but it seems that the dark secrets in their community may be far more dangerous that she could ever have believed possible.
Advance Praise
Praise for the Vera Stanhope series:
"I've read all of Ann Cleeves's 30-plus novels, several of them more than once, and what never ceases to amaze me (and what keeps me reading) is her ability to infuse the story with atmosphere...That marvellous talent moves into her characters, whether recurring or one-off. I want to know what happens to these people, where they go, what they learn. Those two strengths are what carry The Rising Tide, Cleeves's ninth Vera Stanhope book, to an ending that left me gasping." — Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail
"Anything Ann Cleeves writes is magnificent...The Rising Tide is an engrossing thriller in which everyone is guilty of something. But who did the dirtiest deeds?" — Nick Martin, Winnipeg Free Press
"Cleeves goes from strength to strength with her Vera novels; the rueful quality strikes a chord and I couldn't put it down." — Nathalie Atkinson, Zoomer Magazine
"The Rising Tide is the work of a pro - a diverting, solidly crafted mystery that's guaranteed to entertain." — The New York Times
"[Vera] roots her way to the truth with the charm of a next-door neighbor and the steely resolve of an army general." — The Wall Street Journal
"Who doesn't love 'large and shabby' Vera Stanhope, the blunt detective in Ann Cleeves's Northumberland police procedurals? She is already one of the genre immortals. Cleeves delivers some choice Vera moments in The Darkest Evening." — The New York Times
"Cleeves's Northumberland novels are strong on atmosphere, combining old-fashioned detective work with a modern take on class." — The Sunday Times
"A character-driven puzzler that ends in a painful denouement." —Kirkus (starred review)
"Flawed characters take center stage in an intense novel with a shocking conclusion." — Library Journal (starred review)
"Superb...[A] fair-play mystery brims with fully developed suspects and motives that are hidden in plain sight. Skillful misdirection masks the killer's identity. This page-turner is must reading for fans as well as newcomers." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781529077742 |
| PRICE | £22.00 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 384 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Brenda C, Reviewer
The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves is the 11th in the riveting Vera Stanhope series. DI Vera is called to investigate the murder of a young man, Josh, in atmospheric Northumberland where folklore is part of the cultural tapestry. Josh had connections to a home for troubled teens, as does Chloe who has gone missing. Vera feels Chloe is the key to the mystery and finding her will unravel the layers. But is she even alive? A second body turns up, intensifying the tension and suspense.
Detective Rosie is thrown into the thick of things on her first day at her new job. She is vastly different from Vera but the two are complementary, ultimately making a great team. I appreciate their humanness and individual interviewing and deducting techniques as they encounter the Dark Wives.
The setting is what appeals to me most about this particular installment. I adore Northumberland and Cleeves whisked me away instantly. She also deftly and sensitively writes about mental health issues, especially in teens. Her dark story bits are just unsettling enough without being horrifying or gory and her writing is gorgeously rich.
My husband thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing novel.
Sylvia B, Reviewer
I have read. many of Ann Cleaves' Vera Stanhope novels and I always find them very engaging. Did not disappoint.
Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Norma F, Reviewer
This new-to-me author surprised me with her taut police procedural. I wondered about coming into the series at #11, but I didn’t feel I was missing too much. A friend filled me in after the fact about an important piece of information from #10 that helped. So, yes, this can be read as a standalone. I loved that I got to meet DC Rosie Bell at the same time as longtime readers of this series. I’m sure everyone else noticed that DC Bell was eager to please and this slightly irked Vera. It’ll be interesting to see how she fits in with this established team. The new kid on the block always has to work the hardest!
I felt the tension in the scramble to find the missing teen and unravel the motive and means alongside the web of secrets before it was too late. The setting made this the perfect backdrop to highlight witchcraft. The Northumberland countryside is atmospheric! I’ll admit Googling the three standing stones, Northumberland’s own Stonehenge and getting caught up in the folklore attached to the title.
I’m looking forward to meeting this author at the fall book festival.
I was gifted this copy by Pan Macmillan and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Shelley W, Reviewer
I requested this book because of the Shetland TV series (which I LOVE).
This story did not disappoint! I want to go back and read the other Vera Stanhope books.
The writing and pacing is perfect! I fell in love with Vera and Rosie who is apparently a new character. I'll have to go back to the other novels to make sure.
Cleeves brings the town to life, I felt as if I was there while I was reading. I could see the landscapes and the characters.
I"m a fan! I may even read the Shetland series!
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