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A Vera Stanhope Novel (Vera Stanhope, 11)
by Ann Cleeves
As New York Times bestseller Ann Cleeves's beloved Vera series explodes in popularity in print and on TV, this stunning eleventh book explores the web of secrets surrounding a young man's death.
The man's body is found in the early morning light by a local dog walker in the park outside Rosebank, a home for troubled teens in the coastal village of Longwater. The victim is Josh, a staff member, who was due to work the previous night but never showed up.
DI Vera Stanhope is called out to investigate the death, with her only clue being the disappearance of one of the home's residents, fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence. Vera can't bring herself to believe that a teenager is responsible for the murder, but even she can't dismiss the possibility.
Vera, Joe and new team member Rosie Bell, are soon embroiled in the case, and when a second connected body is found near the Three Dark Wives monument in the wilds of the Northumberland countryside, superstition and folklore begin to collide with fact. Vera knows she has to find Chloe to get to the truth, and the dark secrets in their community that may be far more dangerous than she could have ever believed possible.
What was your last 5-star read, and what made you choose it?
My last 5-star fiction read was The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves. I do enjoy how she spins out a tale, while keeping an eye on Vera Stanhope, the lead detective. Stanhope's interior life promotes her understanding...
-Robin_G
What are you reading this week? (4/3/2025)?
Finishing up two mysteries, The Dark Wives by Anne Cleeves, and Lethal Prey by John Sandford. Also tripping along in A Jewish Paul by Matthew Thiessen. When not reading other books I pick up The Myth of Persecution by Candida Moss. I know these two set me up as a niche reader, but I'd love to hea...
-Robin_G
"Forceful ... Multiple narrators and a core cast of keenly rendered characters lend the tale dimension while furthering the series arc. Cleeves's fans will be well satisfied." ―Publishers Weekly
"A taut police procedural enhanced by relevant social consciousness." ―Booklist
"An excellent character-driven entry that highlights major problems in Britain's child welfare system." ―Kirkus Reviews
"The Dark Wives is a hell of a good story." ―BookPage
"Ann Cleeves has mastered the prolonged suspenseful ending." ―Shelf Awareness
This information about The Dark Wives was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: David Hirst
Ann Cleeves is the author of over thirty critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez who can now be found on television in ITV's Vera and BBC One's Shetland. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide.
Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook, and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She is a member of "Murder Squad," working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. Ann is also a passionate champion for libraries and was a National Libraries Day Ambassador in 2016. Ann lives in North Tyneside near where the Vera ...
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