Ann Cleeves does it again! In this installment of the Vera Stanhope series, we get the typically do-it-yourself Vera, but with a new vulnerability plus a heightened awareness of individuals on her team, including the new one whose continued development I'm anticipating. With just the right number of red herrings and an ending you might not predict, this is a fast, absorbing read that will captivate longstanding Vera fans and newcomers alike.

When a staff member at a home for troubled teens is found murdered and a fourteen year old female resident of the home disappears, Vera and her team are drawn to the countryside of Northumberland to investigate.

I really enjoy Ann Cleeves’ writing, having read her Two Rivers series.  This book is the eleventh of the Vera Stanhope series (there are also some short stories); it is the second I have read. Some may recognize the name Vera Stanhope from the very successful TV series based on these stories starring Blenda Blethyn and available on a number of streaming platforms.

Vera is a bit overweight and unkempt, very forthright, and no fashion plate. She isn’t always a team player. She is, however, a stellar detective.

Cleeves is an excellent writer.  All of her books that I have read have been engrossing, well plotted, with good character development.  Her atmospheric, descriptive, detailed language draws the reader into the scenes.  

I did like the new addition to the team, Rosie Bell. She is also quite the character! Although the main players’ stories progress with successive books, each one can be read as a stand alone.

Ann Cleeves is recommended for fans of British police procedurals and other mystery lovers.

The institution of privately owned care homes for troubled teens in England is controversial. Running them should be a noble mission, but without sufficient state control, it can evolve into a business like any other, subject to negligence. Additionally, for the residents of such houses, their temporary homes and proximity to other teens like themselves can become either a rescue or a stepping stone into more serious conflicts with the law.

Chloe is a fourteen-year-old living in such a place but is now missing. At the same time, when she disappeared, her only friend, a university student and a volunteer staff member, was found dead. Vera and her team come to investigate. Soon, they discovered that the small community had dark secrets. Some of Chloe's peers consider her and two of her friends to be involved in some witchcraft practices. There is also a strange ceremony planned in the village, based on the witch hunt, and the local attraction includes the Three Dark Wives monument in the Northumberland countryside. Someone might want to take advantage of the local dark folklore tradition and use it as a cover for another murder. Chloe is undoubtedly in danger. Or is she a danger?

Even with such a dark background, coming back to another book in the Vera Stanhope series feels like meeting old friends. There is a new member of Vera's team, Rosie, a young woman who is bright, energetic, and unafraid to question Vera's methods. Joe, caught between two strong women, is simultaneously warm, logical, and vulnerable. It's such fun to watch the dynamics between these three!

The ending was a bit unexpected for me, as this time Vera was even more than usual secretive, although she had a good reason – she wanted to make sure that Chloe was back safe and sound, and sometimes it was hard to say who was a friend and who was a foe. The people interviewed by the team are often not even aware that they are being interviewed. The conversations sound like friendly but inquisitive chats, and the plot moves forward, never losing sight of its purpose: finding Chloe, finding the murderer. "The Dark Wives" is another excellent book by Ann Cleeves, who quickly became one of my favorite mystery writers.

3 stars!

The premise of this book was very intriguing and it was. However, it was a slower pace than I would personally prefer, but it did keep me guessing and reading until the end.

It was interesting to learn a bit about the issues involving privately owned "troubled" teen homes. It was also fun to learn British terms that I've never heard before.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

You cannot go wrong with anything written by Ann Cleeves, and so I always approach the chance to read a new book of hers with alacrity.

The Dark Wives definitely kept me trying to guess "who dunnit" (I never did figure it out), but perhaps there were a few too many twists and turns. Even Vera seemed to be having more trouble than usual solving the case.

I did very much like the folklore and sense of place in The Dark Wives (the standing stones at the center of the mystery). Along with too many (for me) plot twists, maybe also there were a few too many characters to keep track of.

And I always love Vera.

The night was as still as stone. Much like the image of The Three Dark Wives perched high on the fell surrounded by pasteurs and grazing sheep. M'ladies will have quite the tale to tell.

Ann Cleeves gifts us with another delightful addition to her DI Vera Stanhope Series. Although it's numbered at #11 in the series, it reads perfectly as a standalone with all the backstories filled in nicely. Vera ponders retirement, but retirement isn't ready for Vera.

Now add to this the reality that a new team member is a must. Take a bow Rosie Bell. Quirky, over ambitious and with an inquisitive nature, Rosie seems to be a self-starter........not always in the direction that Vera has in mind. DS Joe Ashworth is not sure about Rosie. We readers, with boxes to check, will be observing if Rosie is a good fit for the team ourselves.

Vera is contacted that there is a dead body and a missing girl at Rosebank Home. Rosebank is a facility for troubled teens. The victim is a young man volunteer and the girl is Chloe Spence, a fourteen year old constantly in Goth garb. Chloe has abandonment issues and doesn't trust anyone. She's always seen with her journal in hand. Did Chloe see something that she wasn't suppose to see?

Ann Cleeves writes this series as a solid police procedural. We're privy to the back and forth dialogue as the team members toss out ideas and possibilities. Vera is always one step ahead of them which drives them crazy. Her impulsiveness does have a rhyme and a reason. And the countdown is running sand at a fast pace through the hour glass. The hope of finding Chloe is dimming.

Cleeves takes us to the countryside in The Dark Wives where folks are not always upfront and verbal in response. The expanse of untapped land is enormous to filter through. Cleeves inserts a bit of witchcraft, folklore, and moonless nights into the mix. A novel rich in its intrigue and questionable characters. It's due to publish 8/27/24.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to the talented Ann Cleeves for the opportunity.

In The Dark Wives, Vera and her team is called to a children’s home for troubled teens when a worker is killed and a girl has gone missing. Chloe, the missing girl, has had a difficult life, but Vera doesn’t believe she is the killer and is worried about her. Could she be a potential victim? Why was the worker killed? When another victim is killed, the picture gets even murkier. Adding to the team dynamics, Holly was recently killed and her replacement has now been hired. Rosie Bell is the opposite of the quiet, serious Holly and how is she going to fit into the team?
The mystery was complex and the characters are very real to life. Holly’s death has shaken Vera’s confidence a bit and even though she is trying to be more open, she is finding that difficult. As always, Ann Cleeve’s Vera series is a pleasure to read, and I especially liked the story of the dark wives stones.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves
This is the first book I've read by this author and I wanted to like it more than I did
I felt the story needed to move along a little faster, the plot was decent and the characters were ok. The author describes people and places well enough and this gives us a good visual when reading. But I just didn't connect with this story unfortunately

Love it! Vera is one of the truly believable strong women in literature. Frustrating, demanding, impatient but also principled, dogged in pursuit of truth and justice plus someone you want in your corner. Very little disappoints the reader, only that the story has to end! Bravo.

Chloe is a fifteen year old living in a home for adolescents after her mother was admitted to hospital and she had nowhere else to go. She was befriended by Josh, a volunteer at the home. After Josh was found murdered near the home, Chloe disappeared. Vera and her team were called in to investigate the murder and Chloe's disappearance. The search led the team to various places, some of which held signs of Chloe having been there. A village festival known as the Witch Hunt was immanent and Vera decided to use it as a venue to find the murderer and bring Chloe in to safety.
Cleeves uses the characters of Vera, Joe, Charlie, and Rosie to carry out the activities of the investigation but the geography is just as much a character as are the people. She makes me feel the cold and the dampness along with the openness and isolation of the moors. The action moves along at a good pace. I found the unmasking of the murderer and the collaboraters a bit of a let down because of the secrecy with which Vera gave information to her team. But it ended on a satisfactory note. I will read any book Ann Cleeves writes; she is a superior author in my opinion. I would give this book 4.75 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book; the opinions are all mine.

I had only read the first book in the Vera series, but I had no trouble reading The Dark Wives as a standalone. This is another well-paced police procedural in which Vera and her team work to solve a murder. Strong local culture added to my enjoyment of this book

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this well-written book.

Another winner in the Vera Stanhope series! In the Dark Wives, a young counselor at a home for trouble teens is murdered - and one of the residents, a young woman named Chloe Spence, is missing. Vera, Joe, and new team member Rosie Bell begin investigating the case and trying to locate the missing teen. When a second resident is found murdered in the area of "The Dark Wives" a stone monument in Northumberland, connections to Chloe's past have to be considered, including her family. A well-crafted mystery that kept me reading! Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

Another fantastic Vera Stanhope mystery! As always, the characters themselves are fascinating, and Ann Cleeves changes narrators seamlessly throughout the book. The diary entries at the beginning of some chapters were a great addition to the mystery and suspense. Rosie, the new team member, added a new level of depth to the characters and the dynamic of the team. I love these mysteries and this lives up to every expectation.
I highly recommend this and the whole Vera series!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I am fortunate to have received “The Dark Wives” via NetGalley. I have not been a reader of the Vera Stanhope Mystery series by Ann Cleeves. My wife and I have avidly watched the “Vera” series on the telly lo thes many past years. We love the irascible character Vera and her team of detectives. We also have loved the emotional depth of the mysteries although most of the stories are resolved where we feel the tragedy underlying the characters - both the good guys and often even the bad guy (or gal.)..
This story is no different. The plot follows a couple of deaths (of course!) and the search for a troubled teen missing that may have had something to do with the murders. And that’s all I shall give away. If you are a fan of Vera you will enjoy “The Dark Wives.” I am…and I did.

The latest in the Vera Stanhope series. Ann Cleeves sets the scenes perfectly with just the right amount of description of the setting and characters. The Vera character has definitely warmed up a bit from the earlier books. A new character was introduced into this book as part of her team. This can be read as a stand alone, but I think it would make for a richer read if you read the book just prior to this one. The mystery is an engaging one and I hope it will be part of the television series as well because it would also be interesting visually. There’s some suspense involved and it’s always fun to watch Vera as she’s investigating on her own. A great addition to the series and one that will make you want to read more of the series.
#thedarkwivesnetgalley

I have not read all the Vera Stanhope novels but that was no problem. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters
were all well developed and the mystery was complex and engaging.

The Dark Wives
by Ann Cleeves
Pub Date: August 17, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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.
I continue to marvel at the ability of writers like Ann Cleeves who have been producing best sellers for years, and who can still churn out novels that make for such compelling reading. It’s fair to say that Vera and DS Joe Ashworth feel like old friends now.
The cases is a perplexing one and I like that it shines a spotlight in the children’s home sector, especially those that are privately run and some of those children in Rosebank have some very sad back stories. Vera is just the right person to handle this and she seems to have made a new friend through the investigation.
The plot is told at a to brisk pace, it builds well with plenty of tension and many a twist. Throughout there’s terrific dialogue.
I liked this one. I was slightly disappointed as there were few clues for the reader to follow. This is a compulsive and engrossing read and I’m engaged from start to finish. I like the social commentary angle I’ve not only the children’s homes but also of some education academies.

Any book by author Ann Cleeves is riveting and amazing . She manages to create complicated and believable plots in every book, and this one is no exception. Vera Stanhope, who is the chief investigator, is a delightful and grumpy character as always, and Joe, Vera's longtime sidekick, and Rosie, a new hire, round out the team. When a staff member, Josh, who works at a home for troubled teens, is murdered, the three of them pursue leads near the Dark Wives Monument in Northumberland, thus the eponymous title. In the meantime, a 14-year-old, Chloe Spence, a resident of the home, disappears, and Vera is frightened about what might have happened to her and is determined to find her. Soon, another body is found, and the hunt for the perpetrator becomes more intense.

For any aficionado of mystery, Ann Cleeves' books are always complex but excellent reading, her character development is never repetitious, and the unusual and always different surprise ending is worth waiting for.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this excellent mystery.

Loved this one! Vera and Team rarely disappoint. While change is inevitable, Vera is doing her best to adapt following Holly’s death. I enjoyed young Chloe’s ability to see through the mucky crowd and trust her own instincts during impossible moments of darkness. Her strength was encouraging. Without giving anything away, the conclusion was unexpected. Well done!

I’ll never turn down an invitation to join Vera and her team, and THE DARK WIVES is no exception. In this edition of Ann Cleeve’s beloved series, Vera investigates the murder of a youth care worker and the simultaneous disappearance of a teen girl in care. The investigation traces a meandering path through the region, social classes, and its folklore (including a very foreboding night of festivities mimicking a witch hunt). The end is satisfying, even if the plot was overly riddled with red herrings. It wasn’t quite as engaging as other books in this series but, as always, Vera and Joe Ashworth carry the story with their dynamic. Bonus points for other characters that Cleeves is so focused on developing - it’s a treat as a reader. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.