The Dark Wives

Vera Stanhope, Book 11

De: Ann Cleeves

Narrado por: Janine Birkett

"Janine Birkett's marvelous narration enhances this riveting mystery, part of the Vera Stanhope series, set on the majestic northeast coast of England"—AudioFile on The Seagull, an Earphones Award winner

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2024 Ann Cleeves (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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

“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 mesmerizing crime novels—how we live now.”—Mick Herron, author of the Slough House series

Keeps you guessing

I’ve watched the television series, but this was my time reading one of the books. I started off reading, and finished with the audio. It was very well done. I found the story quite entertaining. There were several twists that kept me guessing. I thought I had figured it out, but I was wrong. If you like whodunnit books, then you should definitely give this one a try. There’s a reason the series is so popular. Vera is claiming she wants to try being more in touch with her crew. She has trouble actually making the changes. She’s a fantastic character.

Vera—a singular treat

I’ve been reading Ann cleaves’ Vera Stanhope police procedurals for years. I look forward to new installments. This one did not disappoint. Multilayered story with Vera trying to be more transparent, not particularly successfully. I liked the new female character and her interaction with Vera. A satisfying experience.

Good story line

Hated the narrator - almost couldn’t listen! Everyone is getting softer even the new addition to the group.

Best Vera Stanhope book yet!

I have all the Ann Cleeves Vera Stanhope books and all are great but this is one of the best.

the story line

Who done it,and how they found out . The twists and turns. the cast of the story.

Another Vera Book!

I’ve always enjoyed the Vera books & was so happy when another was written. And this was as good as the older ones, the author hasn’t lost her touch. Keep our fingers crossed there may be more.

never formulaic

I so appreciate that this author does not just crank out a formulaic series: her characters evolve and the situations involve important issues without being preachy. I particularly like the continuing presence of Vera’s departed complex father in the story. Cleeve’s descriptions of the natural world as context are superb.

Vera is back!

Ann Cleeves is a masterful storyteller. Twists and turns abound.
As usual Vera Stanhope had it figured out before her team or the reader!

Vera never fails to impress!

There was one thing that kept bugging me today, even though the story was interesting. I felt like it was a little too pulled out of the hat in terms of her, figuring it out, and the lack of teamwork is beginning to bug me a little. I’m now used to detectives having relationships with ornery, Pathologist, and, difficult bosses, and Vera seems to work and in world of her own. I was also hoping to have a little bit more… Mystical?… Connection with the three dark wives. So I would say this is a good story, but not one of her best.

Love the characters, the story just OK

Always love to listen to another Vera story, but they are getting a little predictable and politically correct.