The Dark Wives: Crack the case with Vera Stanhope in a new suspenseful mystery from the Sunday Times Bestseller

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'One of Britain's best crime writers' - Daily Express A LOCAL MYTH. A DEADLY THREAT. Vera Stanhope, star of ITV's Vera, returns in the eleventh novel in Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller Ann Cleeves's acclaimed series. A body is found by an early morning dog walker on the common outside Rosebank, a care home for troubled teens. The victim is Josh, a staff member, who never showed up to work. DI Vera Stanhope is called out to investigate. Her only clue is the disappearance of fourteen-year-old resident Chloe. 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 are soon embroiled in the case, but when a second body is found near the Three Dark Wives standing stones in the wilds of the Northumbrian countryside, folklore and fact begin to collide. 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 than she could ever have believed . . . 'Like Rendell and James before her, like McDermid and Rankin today, Ann Cleeves is one of our secret chroniclers, charting - under cover of a series of expertly plotted and mesmerising crime novels - how we live now' - Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses

Reviews

Like Rendell and James before her, like McDermid and Rankin today, Ann Cleeves is one of our secret chroniclers, charting under cover of a series of expertly plotted and mesmerising crime novels how we live now -- Mick Herron
A thoroughly engrossing thriller -- The Mail on Sunday on The Rising Tide
Cleevess Northumberland novels are strong on atmosphere, combining old-fashioned detective work with a modern take on class * The Sunday Times *
Who doesnt love large and shabby Vera Stanhope, the blunt detective in Ann Cleevess 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 *
In a world where celebrities debut on bestseller charts, Cleeves is an old-school crime writer in every sense, working her way up the list over years, building a readership while honing her craft -- Brian McGilloway on The Rising Tide
Cleeves portrays Rosebanks kids and its staffers with compassion and respect, even as she spotlights the pitfalls of a for-profit approach to child welfare. Multiple narrators and a core cast of keenly rendered characters lend the tale dimension while furthering the series arc. Cleevess fans will be well satisfied * Publisher's Weekly *

Author Bio

Ann Cleeves is the author of more than thirty-five 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, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV's Vera, BBC One's Shetland and ITV's The Long Call respectively. 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 also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021 her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East. She lives in Northumberland where the Vera books are set.