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Audiobooks Narrated by Janine Birkett
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"The Glass Room is the fifth book in Ann Cleeves's Vera Stanhope series - which is now a major ITV detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn as Vera.
Sometimes crime strikes too close to home . . .
DI Vera Stanhope is not one to make friends easily, but her neighbours keep her well-supplied in homebrew and conversation. But when one of them goes missing, her path leads her to more than a missing friend . . .
Vera tracks the young woman down to the Writer's House, a country retreat for aspiring authors. Things get complicated when a body is discovered and Vera's neighbour is found with a knife in her hand. Calling in the team, Vera knows that she should hand the case over. She's too close to the main suspect. But the investigation is too tempting and she's never been one to follow the rules. Vera must find a killer who has taken murder off the page and is making it real . . .
Enjoy more of Vera Stanhope's investigations with Harbour Street, The Moth Catcher, The Seagull and The Darkest Evening."
"Silent Voices is the fourth book in Ann Cleeves's Vera Stanhope series - which is now a major ITV detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn as Vera.
No murder is ever simple . . .
When DI Vera Stanhope finds the body of a woman in the sauna room of her local gym, at first, she thinks it is a death from natural causes. But then Vera spots ligature marks around the victim's throat and has another murder case on her hands.
The victim is Jenny Lister, who was an experienced social worker, but her neighbours are quick to inform Vera about Jenny's involvement in a notorious case. A young child tragically died and a member of Jenny's team was subsequently fired and vilified by the media.
As Vera tries to pry information from the secretive community another body is found, and Vera finds herself in a race against time to stop the killer.
Enjoy more of Vera Stanhope's investigations with The Crow Trap, Telling Tales, and Hidden Depths."
"'Expertly plotted and mesmerising crime' - Mick Herron A local myth. A deadly threat. Vera Stanhope, star of ITV's Vera, returns for her most shocking case so far . . .
I can't see anything. It's as if this house is on its own in the world, as if I'm on my own in the world and nobody would care if I died . . .
When a body is found on the common outside Rosebank, an isolated care home for troubled teens, DI Vera Stanhope is called out to investigate. The victim is Josh, a staff member, who never showed up to work, and 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.
Then, in the wilds of the Northumbrian countryside, near the Three Dark Wives standing stones, a second body is found. As folklore and fact begin to collide, Vera knows she has to find Chloe to get to the truth.
But it seems that there are dark secrets in their community - ones that may be far more dangerous than she could ever have believed . . .
The Dark Wives is the next thrilling mystery in the Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling series from Ann Cleeves.
****
'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
'Cleeves's Northumberland novels are strong on atmosphere, combing old-fashioned detective work with a modern take on class' - The Sunday Times
'A thoroughly engrossing thriller' - The Mail on Sunday
'One of Britain's best crime writers' - Daily Express
'A story that keeps you guessing until the end where all the clues are pulled together masterfully' - Reader review
'As stunning on the page as on TV' - Reader review
'The storyline, the characters and the atmosphere of North East England all fit together beautifully' - Reader review"
"North of England. Cumbria. Salome Delaney didn't have a great start in life. But her abusive childhood came to a tragic conclusion with the killing of her tyrant mother, Trina, by a jealous ex-boyfriend. At least, that's what the police say. Sal has never believed kind Wulf, who tried to protect her from her mother's dark side, could have committed such a crime, but the evidence was irrefutable . . . and who else could have done it? Now a Collison Investigation Officer, Sal's done her best to put the past behind her. But one snowy morning she's called to an accident scene, and she recognizes the body - Barry Ford, the man her mother left Wulf for, all those years ago. It soon becomes clear this wasn't just an accident - it was murder. And Wulf, now out of prison, lives very close by . . ."
"Hidden Depths is the third book in Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope series – which is now a major ITV detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn as Vera.
A killer who is making an art out of murder . . .
A hot summer on the Northumberland coast and Julie Armstrong arrives home from a night out to find her son strangled, laid out in a bath of water and covered with wild flowers.
This stylized murder scene has captured Inspector Vera Stanhope’s attention. And then another body is discovered in a rock pool, the corpse again strewn with flowers. Vera must work quickly to find this killer who is making art out of death.
As local residents are forced to share their deepest, darkest secrets, the killer watches, waits and plans to prepare another beautiful, watery grave . . .
Enjoy more of Vera Stanhope's investigations with The Crow Trap, Telling Tales, Silent Voices, The Glass Room, Harbour Street, The Moth Catcher, The Seagull, and The Darkest Evening."
"Telling Tales is the second audiobook in Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope series - now a major ITV detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn as Vera.
They thought she was a murderer. But now she's a victim . . .
Ten years ago fifteen-year-old Abigail Mantel was murdered, her cold body discovered lying in a ditch. Her father's girlfriend was found guilty of the crime. Now, evidence has emerged that proves her innocence and means that Abigail's killer still roams free.
Abigail's best friend at the time of the murder has now returned to the East Yorkshire village of Elvet to raise her young family. Shocked by the new revelations, she begins to realize that she didn't know her friend as well as she thought . . .
Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is tasked with uncovering the truth and, as her new inquiries stoke up past secrets the villagers will lie to protect, she must find out which lies will bring her to the killer.
Enjoy more of Vera Stanhope's investigations with The Crow Trap, Hidden Depths and Silent Voices."
"Nineteen-year-old Panda, is planning to meet her suicide buddy, Brian, at midnight. Until then, she wants to experience Last Summer Night in Kirkwall, when, according to local legend, all those who should never be allowed out, come out.
She encounters some interesting people: Sigurd, and his feuding Viking family; her tattooed friend Martin, who is actually a girl and a criminal, of sorts; Lionel, a visiting reporter and sometime relationship counsellor; Davey, an itinerant and talkative eighty-four-year-old; and her father’s new girl-friend, Sandy.
Her father, Kito, Sandy, her friends, and the police are trying to find Panda, but it is a good night to avoid them as Kirkwall is full of people drinking a lot and doing rather strange things. Things that could only happen somewhere so strongly connected to the past."
"Introducing Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope.
The Crow Trap is the first book in Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope series – which is now a major ITV detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn, Vera.
Everyone has something to hide . . .
Three very different women come together at an isolated cottage on the North Pennines to complete an environmental survey. Three women who each know the meaning of betrayal . . .
Rachael, the team leader, is still reeling after a double betrayal by her lover and boss. Anne, a botanist, sees the survey as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace, a strange, uncommunicative young woman, hiding plenty of her own secrets.
Rachael is the first to arrive at the cottage, but when she gets there she is shocked to discover an apparent suicide. But then another death occurs, and a fourth woman enters the picture – the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, who must piece together the truth from these women’s tangled lives . . .
Enjoy more of Vera Stanhope’s investigations with Telling Tales, Hidden Depths, and Silent Voices."
"The Seagull is the eighth book in Ann Cleeves’s Vera Stanhope series – which is now a major ITV detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn as Vera.
Obsession never dies . . .
When prison inmate and former police officer John Brace says he’s willing to give up information about the location of a dead body in return for protection for his family, Vera knows that she has to look into his claims.
But opening up this cold case strikes much closer to home than Vera anticipates as her investigation takes her back in time to The Seagull, a once-decadent and now-derelict nightclub where her deceased father and his friends used to congregate.
As Vera’s past collides dangerously with the present, she will have to confront her unwanted memories and face the possibility that her father was involved in what happened. The truth is about to come out, but is Vera ready for what it will reveal?
Enjoy more of Vera Stanhope’s investigations with The Crow Trap, The Moth Catcher and The Darkest Evening."
"Vera Stanhope, star of ITV's Vera, returns in the tenth novel in number one bestseller Ann Cleeves' acclaimed series.
'Birkett is superb at creating voices for the diverse cast of relatable characters who are imbued with unique accents and distinct personalities. Her engaging narrative style sweeps the listener along, generating suspense and a thoroughly compelling listen.' - AudioFile
Fifty years ago, a group of teenagers spent a weekend on Holy Island, forging a bond that has lasted a lifetime. Now, they still return every five years to celebrate their friendship, and remember the friend they lost to the rising waters of the causeway at the first reunion.
Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . .
But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . ."
