DI Vera Stanhope has appeared in many of Ann Cleeves' crime novels and the popular screen ITV screen adaptations, and Vera returns in this new mystery.
Outside a care home for troubled teens a young man who worked there is found dead, and fourteen-year-old resident Chloe is missing. Vera doesn’t know if Chloe is the murderer or if she has also come to harm, so the race is on to find the missing teenager. But then they discover a second body, and the stakes are higher than ever to find Chloe.
The investigation takes Vera and her team to the Three Dark Wives Stones in the wild Northumbrian countryside, where superstition and folklore seem to collide with fact.
In the meantime, Rosie, a new police officer, joins the team. But will she be comfortable working with Vera, who is often unconventional in her approach to solving crimes…
The Dark Wives is atmospheric and gripping, with characters to care for and superb plotting. It really is no wonder that Ann Cleeves has so many fans for her work. She is one of the best crime writers currently producing consistently excellent novels.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Pan Macmillan