An enjoyable whodunnit set in Northumberland in England by the author who also wrote the Shetland series (both now a TV series). You can see this book being used for the TV series. A murder at a historic mansion, in a small farming community with all the local gossip and everyone knowing everyone. Vera is the DI with Holly and Joe working for her. An interesting team all with their own flaws. Mystery as to who the father of the victim's toddler son is. A good plot to take your mind off things.

Ah, a nice juicy Vera read! Just what my soul needed. When Very gets lost driving home in a blizzard, she comes across a car in a ditch, it's driver door open, and a toddler in his car seat abandoned. She takes the child and makes her way to the nearest lights--which turns out to be those of her ancestral home. THE DARKEST EVENING is one of Ann Cleeve's finest, with its tight plot, setting, and cast of interesting characters--not the least of whom is Vera herself. A work of literary art. Louise Penny recently said her own books are not about MURDER, but rather about RELATIONSHIPS. How true that is in THE DARKEST EVENING, as repeat characters expand and grow, and new characters change before our readerly eyes. A great instalment in the Vera series! Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for an ARC of the novel.

Where would the world be without Vera Stanhope? We all need this sleuth in our lives! This go round Vera investigates the murder of a young woman whose body was found on the grounds of her ancestral home. Vera is estranged from that part of her family mainly due to her father’s personality and actions, and family politics make getting to the truth all the more difficult.

Ann Cleeves is a gifted writer who creates characters who quickly feel like old friends. I strongly recommend The Darkest Evening.

Loved this book! Enough twists and turns to keep me totally entertained and turning the pages late into the night. Highly recommend!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I've only read a few Vera novels (I love the show though) and thought this one was her best yet. It was well-paced and not quite as dense as some of her other books (especially the debut) can be. The mystery was compelling and prickly Vera is always a treat.

“The Darkest Evening,” a Vera Stanhope novel takes the dedicated Ann Cleeves reader on another adventure set in the wilds of Northumberland in the UK. DCI Stanhope is an interesting character, as those previous readers know. This was my first read not only of a Stanhope character novel but the first of any of Cleeves’ books. I found the British version of our shared tongue to be interesting sometimes challenging, and found myself at times having to revert to the internet to determine what a word meant.

The language issue aside, I found the character development interesting and the interactions of the various characters entertaining. This is true whether the characters were in the village, manor house, or in Vera’s own office. There seemed to me to be too much discussion of Vera’s body type although there was little disparaging discussion of her ability to solve cases. Bad weather, distant relations, family issues from long ago as well as the more normal thing often found in murder mysteries—love spurned and parenthood denied. The countryside itself plays a role in the story and if one has ever visited this part of the United Kingdom it becomes a visceral part of the story. The cold winter weather near Christmas was almost a character itself. The reader could feel the cold both inside and outside.

I know lots of readers really like the novels by Cleeves but I found myself occasionally struggling to continue reading. It wasn’t that it was bad or overly boring; hard to put an exact name to my feeling. As they might say just “not my cup of tea.” I am glad I finished the book, both to find out who was the murder culprit but also so I can have something to offer when discussing these books with avid fans. For me it is a three star read, but I can see how others who enjoy the whodunit type of book to be very entertained. I appreciate #netgalley for providing the preview copy for an honest evaluation.

I read a Vera Stanhope novel a few years back and have been a fan of Ann Cleeves since. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of The Darkest Evening, the latest in the DCI Vera Stanhope series.

On a blistery cold winter night, Vera misses her turn and stumbles across a baby abandoned in a car. Calling it in, she interrupts a dinner party at a distant relative's house only for one of the guests to discover a dead body in the snow. The woman, Lorna, has been murdered, and together with her team, Vera must find out what happened to her while untangling decades-old secrets and lies at every turn.

Reading The Darkest Evening was a little like slipping into my coziest college sweatshirt--and not just because I spent two semesters immersed in Brit Lit seminars. This narrative was a good old-fashioned murder mystery; I even got a kick out of the meta moment when Vera realizes she could be in an Agatha Christie book, complete with vicar and country hillside motif. The cast is aloof and mysterious with well-developed motives and layers of mystery that propel the plot forward. Vera is so fun, an almost-retired detective battling her own body, insecurities, and others' judgments about her. She's smart, deductive, and witty, and I loved her voice most. Holly and Joe prove to be a useful, intelligent team, and the three of them together weave a complex, entertaining story spanning family histories, grudges, and classism.

Additionally, Cleeves highlights important issues of mental health, diving into Lorna's history with eating disorders and the psychology and treatment behind them. I can't remember the last time I read a thriller where anorexia played in the forefront as a serious medical condition, rather than an off-hand comment mentioned by a side character.

As a lifelong English major, I love when literary references show up in popular literature. Stopping by Woods is a timeless Frost poem, one I used to teach every year, and the allusion was an extra dip of enjoyment. I will say that if you're used to reading mysteries and thrillers set in America, it might take you a minute to adjust to the British lingo. Bairn, pet, and A levels threw me for the first few pages, but once you find your rhythm, the characters' voices will jump off the page. Some of the dialogue and diction were a bit repetitive, (repeatedly calling the victim a poor girl, referring to the case details, etc) but overall, The Darkest Evening is a quirky, quick read with well-developed characters and a fresh take on a classic whodunit.

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

A snowy night, couple fighting to save the family estate, a veteran police officer, a baby and a dead body...what do they have in common, this book, The Darkest Evening. A not often encountered setting, rural England, set a immersive mood for this story and gave a break to the modern city setting of many current reads. I wouldn’t say if kept me up at night, but the suspense, pace and unique events kept me coming back for more of the story to be told. This is the first book I’ve read by Ann Cleese’s but I will definitely look forward to reading more from her.

This is the first time I've read a Vera Stanhope novel although I've been a long admirer of the series that stars Brenda Belthyn. I enjoyed it very much. After seeing the series, the reader will most likely envision Blethyn as they are reading. In "The Darkest Evening", Stanhope takes a wrong turn in a snowstorm and comes across a car accident in which a young woman is found murdered. The victim's child, a baby, is alive and still in the vehicle. Nearby, a party is going on in a manor home that belongs to one of Vera's distant relatives. An investigation follows which focuses on two close-knit families and the small community where the girl lived. Vera is aided by Holly and Joe, both as interesting characters as Vera herself. Nicely paced with tight chapters and well developed characters. I will definitely seek out more of Ann Cleeves books.

If you are looking for a book to curl up with while sitting by a fire, maybe drinking some sherry or tea then this might be the perfect book for you. Like most UK mystery writers you will get that pleasant home town, warm feeling while sitting down to enjoy this book. Let me first say that I'm not a big reader of English mystery writers, although there are a few that I really like. This book was an enjoyable read and I think for those that love this genre then they will definitely enjoy this book. I have never read any books by Ann Cleeves or her Vera series, even though I have seen an episode or two, but this book can be read without having read any of the previous books in the series. Cleeves provides good descriptions and characters that make this story enjoyable. 3.5 stars

An engrossing mystery, every bit as good as the author's previous Vera Stanhope and Shetland books. Although many other crime and mystery novels are populated with middle-aged, flawed men, it's rare to find one in which the protagonist is a flawed, middle aged woman. How refreshing to follow the realistic, relatable Vera - a dedicated, intelligent detective who isn't an unrealistic female character.

When Vera finds a car that has slid off the road as she herself struggles to drive home in a blizzard, she checks to see if the driver is ok. What she finds is the car door open, the driver missing, and a toddler in a car seat the back.
So starts another great addition to the Vera Stanhope series. I really enjoyed this one as we learned a lot more about Vera’s upbringing, and saw a bit softer side of her, especially when it came to Thomas (the toddler she rescued from the storm), Juliet, and even her team at times.
The descriptions in the book can be very atmospheric...the crumbling manor house, Vera’s own old home, and the surrounding forest are all vividly depicted. With a number of possible suspects I never saw the ending coming. I think this is the best of the Vera series to date. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The snowstorm is worse than Vera expected, and she finds herself lost on the road home. She comes across a stranded vehicle and discovers its only occupant is a small child. She buckles the child into her Land Rover and drives to Brockburn, a manor house belonging to the Stanhope family. Inside, a party is in progress. Outside, the child's mother lies dead. This 9th entry in the Vera Stanhope series will hit the spot for fans. Brooding, atmospheric, and satisfying.

‘The Darkest Evening’ is another addition to Anne Cleeves’s popular ‘Vera’ series. It has an interesting plot, but was a bit encumbered with filler content in some places. Though it’s technically part of a series, ‘The Darkest Evening’ can be read as a standalone.

One snowy evening, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope comes upon an abandoned car with a child inside. She grabs the child and seeks shelter at the nearest estate, Brockburn, which also happens to house her not-so-distant relatives. The search for the baby’s caretaker is on, despite the weather. But after the baby’s mother is found dead on Brockburn’s grounds, the mystery thickens, and Vera is on the case.

This is my first Anne Cleeves novel, and I was impressed by her ability to weave an intricate plot without being obvious to its trajectory. The first half of the novel dragged a bit, which is why this wasn’t a four star read for me. However, I do think that the resolution to the novel is satisfying, and that fans of this series will be pleased.

An ARC was generously provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first Vera Stanhope book I've read, but I didn't feel I needed to have read the rest of the series to enjoy it. It's wonderful as a stand alone mystery. I could barely put it down.
So, of course, now I want to read more in the series. I'm hooked.

Say the name “Vera” to anyone who reads and watches police procedurals, and you’ll probably see a grin as they say “I love Vera!” After 8+ books and 40 filmed episodes, Ann Cleeves’
Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope is an iconic figure.
In The Darkest Evening, all of Cleeves’ mastery of setting, interior and exterior, of the Northumberland UK landscape of village and countryside, and its inhabitants’ lives and secrets, are at play.
The descriptive passages of the severe winter weather enhance the plot that begins with Vera plowing off the road to find a toddler alone in a car with an open door. The plot comes to a lingering simmer with the relationships of all the protagonists from landed gentry trying to regain its glory to who is the mother, daughter, father, son, friend, faithful spouse or philanderer, and of course Who Did It.
Ageism takes a bow in Vera’s team and she stands up to it with her usual reluctant praise and occasional kindnesses, hidden by a facade of a little sarcasm and peremptory directives.
What makes Vera work is that her disregard for protocol, personal appearance and sociability is made up for by her persistent search for closure for the victims, their loved ones, her team, and justice.
A great read that will challenge your choice of Who Did It.

Anne Cleeves is one of the current British authors of fine mysteries who owe thanks to Dame Agatha. But despite being pointed out by Vera Stanhope, her own frowsy Miss Marple counterpart, that her cases "....won't be all country houses, vicars, butler and wills...", this one does have all those element modernized almost as an homage or a wry caricature. This is my second Cleeves novel but my first in the Stanhope series, and it won't be the last. Well done.

As a big fan of British Police Mysteries I was not disappointed in this offering by the author. It builds from the onset untill the finish. You are able to visualize yourself in a small English village and watch, as an informed bystander, the drama unfold before you. You are shown the class snobbery and petty malicious gossip that swirls just beneath the seemingly calm waters. The big question is will the heroine (DI Vera Standhope), with the assistance of her team, be able to see justice done for the victim who was murdered so brutally on a cold and snowy night.

This character is also, aptly portrayed, in the excellent British television mystery series Vera.

I have rated this book 4.5 stars

l received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I've read Ann Cleeves before, but not one of her Vera novels, it won't be the last. Vera is coming up to retirement age but not ready to, she's independent and a little stubborn, which leads her to the start of the story. Determined to get home in a bad snow storm, Vera misses her turn off and ends up finding a car on the side of the road with the driver door open and a young child alone. She doesn't have cell reception here and she can't leave this child alone, so she bundles him into her car and drives to the closet lights which as she gets closer realizes this is the manor her father grew up in, and bitterly left behind. Thus begins the adventure and mystery. We find many aspects of Vera' s childhood coming into play in this small village with everyone knowing, or thinking they know everyone else's business. Murders happen, lots of family secrets exposed, with a good solving of the cases by Vera and her team. Appreciation to NetGalley and the publishers for the ability to read for a honest opinion.

This is all about family dynamics and secrets. It has in-depth descriptions of the relationships between sisters and brothers, husband and wife and their less than discreet affairs. During one of these affairs three murders take place. At some point the story becomes focused on finding the killer.