This novel is #9 in the Vera Stanhope series. I was a bit concern I was going to be playing catch up.
Not only is this my first Vera Stanhope but only my second Ann Cleeves’ novel.

I am reading this on a hot July afternoon; not sure if it was my AC or the blizzard but it sure cooled down. Vera finds a car in the snow drift, driver’s door open and a baby in a car seat in the back. She takes the baby to the nearest neighbor that just happens to be a relative having a festive a holiday party.

When the neighbor comes to retrieve his daughters who have been helping with the party, he finds a woman dead in the snow. Yes, of course, it is the baby’s mother.
As the detectives are searching for clues etc., we seem to be thrown in a genealogy trace; Vera’s back ground Lorne’s background brothers & sisters. I wasn’t sure about this! However, since this was my first read in the series, I figured this was important.
On another note: This poem by Robert Frost caught my attention. Is it relevant?
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
“….To stop without a farmhouse near/ Between the woods and frozen lake/The darkest evening of the year.
‘And it ends like this: The woods are lovely, dark and deep,/ But I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep/ And miles to go before I sleep.’

The end had me turning pages as fast as eating potato chips (and I just love those Kettle Krinkle cut chips!)

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this early release granted in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 8, 2020

This was my first book in the Vera Stanhope series but it was easily a stand alone story with background information throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed thIs book. It had a good amount of mystery and characters. It had me guessing til the end. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

I love British mysteries and this doesn’t disappoint! Although this is my first Vera book, it was a good stand alone. I recommend this to mystery lovers. From the beginning, I was engaged in Vera’s attempt to discover why there was an abandoned baby in a snowstorm in a car with the doors left open. I was given a copy of this book for my unbiased review.

This one had me guessing until the end. A whodunnit reminiscent of Agatha Christie. Vera Stanhope, I want to read about your exploits again! Thank you St Martens Press & NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of a free good read.
#TheDarkestEvening
#NetGalley
#StMartensPress

The Darkest Evening is my first Vera Stanhope mystery, and when I finished it I immediately bought The Crow Trap (first in the series).

The story here is that DI Vera Stanhope is on her way home one snowy night when she makes a wrong turn and finds a baby in an abandoned car on the side of the road. As it turns out she is near Brockburn, her estranged family's estate, so she makes her way there with the baby to get help finding the baby's parent. The night takes a turn for the worse when the mother is found murdered on the grounds of Brockburn. So of course Vera and her team investigate. My all time favorite mystery setting is the country in winter - there's just something so hygge about spending a snowy night curled up with a good mystery and I suppose I like to see that reflected in the book's setting. I adored Vera - she's kind of rough around the edges, but I enjoyed reading about a female detective who is effective at her job and doesn't feel the need to behave how others expect her to.

My First Vera Novel — An Enjoyable Read

The novel opens with a young mother getting herself and toddler ready for a trip in terrible Northumberland weather in late December. Vera at the same time decides to drive home in the same weather. The snow turns into a blizzard. She takes a country road known to her but becomes disoriented. The only solace is that a set of tire tracks on the road indicates a car in front of her. Soon she comes close to driving into a white car almost camouflaged in the snow. The driver door is open. Vera looks but could not find anyone nearby. As she was going to leave, she hears a cry from the car. Vera discovers a toddler. She takes the toddler and drives on. Soon Vera discovers where she is. The home of her landed-gentry relatives appears. There seems a party is being held. She is met at the door by her cousin, Juliet. After explaining herself and the toddler, Vera uses the phone to call in the abandoned car. A very busy cook and housekeeper found a few minutes to change the toddler. Then, tenant father of two teenage daughters, who were helping out for the party, arrives to pick up his daughters. He comes in when Vera is on the phone. He tells Vera that it is important that he use the phone right now. He needs to call the police as there is a dead woman outside. The story proceeds from this start.

The main storyline consists of threads told from the point of view of many characters from Vera and her team members to some of the major characters. I did not find all of these threads confusing at all. The author weaves these threads into a very cogent storyline. There were many twists, turns, misdirection and some grenades going off. My attention was captured early and maintained throughout the entire novel. The read was not a quick read for me, but it was a steady read.

This is the first novel in the Vera series that I have read. I’ve only read one other novel written by Ann Cleeves. What I really enjoyed in reading this novel was the B-storyline threads. This is the ninth novel in the Vera series, but the B-storylines on Vera and her team was deeper than I would expect in a first novel of a series. This enriched my reading enjoyment. After reading this novel I really felt that I knew Vera and her team quite well.

As for language, there was less vulgar terms than I can count on one hand. There were just about the same number of light vulgar British terms. Violence was described after the fact so it was less edgy. There is some violence described as it occurs, but it is not graphic. Lastly, the only sexual content was some discussions on extramarital affairs. I believe that even readers sensitive to these topics can read this novel without a problem. Another issue is can a reader read this novel first in the Vera series. This is exactly what I did, and I did not feel that I was missing anything from not reading the previous novels. Lastly, on areas that readers should know is that I recommend reading this novel on an e-reader. There were much usage of British and Northumberland informal words. While I could figure out the meaning of most from the context of its use, I did find myself using the dictionary on the e-reader and using the Internet quite often to determine the meaning of many words in this novel.

I really like reading this novel. I’m looking forward to reading more novels by Ann Cleeves in the future. I plan to go back and watch more of the Vera TV series. Overall, I rate this novel with four stars. If the topic sounds interesting, I believe that you will find this novel an enjoyable read.

I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from St. Martin's Press with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Very gripping well written detective novel. Loved the characters and plot. If you haven't read any previous stories you will learn the personalities and situations very easily. Will read more stories from this author.
Thanks!

In a blinding snowstorm, Vera misses the turn on her way home. Unable to turn around, she continues on until she comes upon a car pulled over to the side of the road, driver's door hanging open. Upon investigation, she finds the driver missing, but discovers an infant strapped into a carrier in the back seat.

I have been reading Ann Cleeves since her Staphen Ramsay series, and she never disappoints. The Darkest Evening may even by my favorite of the Vera Stanhope series, with Vera finding herself enmeshed with her black sheep father's wealthy relatives, and the tiny community just a stone's throw from her own home.

During a blizzard, Vera Stanhope becomes disoriented and misses her turn for home. This is just the start of Vera’s adventure into the lives of paternal relatives with whom she is not on the best of terms and their neighbors. And, of course, she must solve a murder – or two – along the way.

What I like about Vera is that she is so very human. She’s frumpy, overweight, middle-aged and makes no bones about admitting that to herself. She is, however, a great detective and, according to her mates, is also a well respected boss.

The author does a great job with the other characters as well. Some I liked (Lorna, Juliet, Dorothy) and some (Harriet, Mark, and the deceased Hector) not so much. More and more is revealed along the way about each of the personalities until I felt I knew them.

The descriptions are spot on. Expertly described is the feeling of winter in Northumberland. I read this book in 90+ degree weather. Had it not been, I would have definitely had a blazing fire going and my dogs curled up beside me to keep the cold away.

This is one of those endings that I enjoy. It’s not too rushed, it’s not too slow; it’s plausible, and it fills in any blanks that might have been left unanswered.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Darkest Evening. I enjoyed it very much.

Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves
The latest Vera Stanhope mystery begins with the obstinate Vera driving through a blizzard to get home when she finds a car stalled by the road with the driver’s door open. She is about the get back into her Range Rover when she notices the toddler in the car seat strapped in the back seat. She writes a note and leaves her card to let the driver know she’s taken the baby and drives toward Kimmerton but misses the turn and ends up at Brockburn, the family estate of the posher side of the Stanhope family where a party is well underway. She is taken to the kitchen where Dorothy, the cook, changes the baby and gives Vera a hot meal. A couple of teenage sisters served dinner and waited for the father to pick them up on the tractor. He comes in upset; he found a dead body on his way. Vera calls her team to get there and begins her investigation of the murder. The discover who the murdered woman was but not the father. Secrecy and its consequences is a theme of this novel.

This is another brilliant Vera Stanhope mystery, with twists and great characterization. Highly recommended.

If you haven’t read a novel by Ann Cleeves, please pick up The Darkest Evening which is set in Northumberland during a blizzard. Meet DI Vera Stanhope who is trying to get home and because of the swirling, blowing snow takes a wrong turn. As she navigates a bend she comes upon a car off the road, the driver’s door wide open, and inside a toddler strapped into his car seat.

This is one of the puzzles that the DI must unravel. Why is the mother’s lifeless body found in the backyard of the Stanhope estate, how did she get there, why did she abandon her child, and who is the father? The tension is high, family relationships are frayed and Vera Stanhope must build a picture of the woman and determine why she met an untimely death. So many questions and so many family secrets will keep you guessing until Stanhope’s life is on the line.

Cleeves does a masterful job of putting the reader next to Vera as she navigates through the suspects’ lives as well as the landscape. Bring a scarf!

While the Darkest Evening is not among her best, any book by Ann Cleeves is a good read. Her characterizations are always well done and believable. She draws you in and keeps you enthralled—the measure of a good book, in my opinion, even if the plot may be a bit thin or defy credulity. Every book in the series reveals a little bit more about Vera’s upbringing, and the relationship with her father that’s formed her psyche. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this book for my unbiased review. The Darkest Evening is a well written mystery. It will keep you guessing until the end. Mystery fans will love this book. This is my first book by this author but I will be looking for more.

The Darkest Evening is a very well written mystery. A real page turner and edge of your seat plot. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

To begin, I would like to thank the folks at St. Martin's Press, as well as netgalley.com, for an advanced copy of this novel for an honest review of the novel.

The Darkest Evening is book #9 in the Vera Stanhope series. I had not come across the series before this novel, nor had I heard much about Ann Cleeves until this novel. So, this is a new mystery series for me to read.

You do not need to have read any of the previous Stanhope novels prior to The Darkest Evening, which is always good, so you are not lost as to topics discussed in past novels. The story begins with our protagonist, detective Vera Stanhope, comes across a car on the side of the road one snowy evening. The car's front door is open, no driver in the front, but surprisingly, a baby is in the back car seat. Stanhope takes the baby to the nearest home, a mansion in the area, in hopes of finding the missing driver. A party is going on at the mansion, and as Stanhope makes calls trying to find who the baby is and where the driver can be - it is found that a murdered body is found outside of this mansion.

An interesting beginning to the novel, The Darkest Evening had my attention. Vera Stanhope is a character that you can like, and can relate to throughout the novel. The detective, along with her colleagues, unravel the mystery of how the young lady is murdered and how the murder ties in with the abandoned baby. I enjoy a good mystery, and for a while this novel kept my attention. However, as the novel wore on, it seemed that it was more and more detectives interviewing, and then re-interviewing various townsfolk. The novel seemed to lose steam. Toward the end, there is a little guessing as to who ended up murdering the young lady (as well as the why the young lady was murdered), but even that was not all that exciting.

This was a good mystery - not a great mystery - in my opinion. I enjoyed the read, and may end up starting at book #1 to try another Vera Stanhope mystery - but this story was middle of the road in terms of a good mystery. You won't be disappointed in this novel, but after a few days, you will probably forget much of the plot.

Ann Cleeves has done it again. This is a wonderful addition to an already stellar series. The main characters continue to develop in depth and interest, I can't wait for the next one!

Ann Cleaves is an author to watch! The Darkest Evening is a superb book that will keep you turning pages until the end!

The Darkest Evening is 9th in a series. I read it as a stand alone story. It is a good psychological thriller. A serial killer is on the loose. The police squad headed by Vera Stanhope works to uncover the mystery of who killed a young , troubled mother on a snowy winter night. While the story is slower moving, the character development is strong, despite only being introduced to the series through this book. When the killer is finally uncovered, it is an unexpected character. When the final details are revealed, the story comes together easily.

Another solid entry to the Vera series. Not life changing, but a cozy mystery with enough turns to keep it interesting.

A solid 4

First of all, I got this all wrong. After reading the preview, I thought this was going to be like a Agatha Christie novel. Where there is a murderer among a group of people enjoying a party. As the title suggests, I assumed it all happened on a dark evening. I was wrong, absolutely wrong. It wasn’t as dark as I expected it to be... Its a crime story with emotions rather than a domestic thriller with maliciousness at its core.

The story opens on a dark snowy night in rural England and Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope stumbles upon an abandoned car while she is on her way home. When she peeks inside, she sees a child in the car seat crying hysterically. Brockburn is Vera’s ancestral home where she was not welcome before and not now. But she has to step in that mansion to find the mother of this lost kid. She was later found to have been murdered when there was a party at full swing. The murder investigation takes us into the lives and views of different people with different motives and also in to the life of Lorna(mother) who was mysterious to everyone on that land.

What might have drove someone to kill her? An unsuspecting mother living an independent life, who had her fare share of struggles to meet an end this way.

Let’s talk about the ladies! It’s all about the ladies, Vera, Lorna, Juliet, Holly...
Vera is not a typical heroine. She is not gallant, she is not gorgeous, she is not a good judge of character, she is not always correct and she is flawed. This makes her real and the story real. Lorna is a mother who wants best for her kid and we see all the struggles she has gone through her childhood, bullying, anorexia, insecurity and what not. She overcame all that, and if she had a better judgement she wouldn’t be dead. I felt Juliet as a loner in her struggles with all the babble going on in her mind. Holly as a strong women who wants to be the next Vera, but better. Every women have held their hands to a wonderful crescendo.

I haven’t felt like I am reading a book as part of a series. It really works as a stand alone novel. It is a book that is quite uplifting at the end. But it’s a laid back thriller and you wouldn’t go bonkers over it. Hello to stress free thrillers!

I am really looking forward to reading more books by Ann Cleeves. Many thanks to St Martin’s press and Net Galley for a digital copy in exchange for a honest review. It has opened a new world to me.