The Dark Wives Synopsis
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 isolated wilds of the Northumbrian countryside, near the Three Dark Wives standing stones which have triggered legends across the centuries, 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 - secrets 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.
About This Edition
Ann Cleeves Press Reviews
'A series of expertly plotted and mesmerizing crime novels' - Mick Herron, bestselling author of Slow Horses
'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
'Ann Cleeves has a special place in her heart for Stanhope, and the shortcomings of the care system engage the sympathies of the author in this heart-wrenching story' - 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
About Ann Cleeves
A letter from Ann Cleeves to our readers.....
Dear Lovereading members,
I first came to Shetland when I was nineteen. I'd dropped out of university and was offered, quite by chance, the job of assistant cook in the bird observatory on Fair Isle, the most southerly island of the archipelago. It's thirteen hours by ferry from Aberdeen to Shetland mainland and then another three hours in a horrible little boat to Fair Isle. I thought I'd come to the end of the world. But I arrived in spring when the lowlands were covered in flowers and the seabirds were nesting on the cliffs and I fell in love with the place. I've been visiting ever since. In Shetland I learned to cook, to clip sheep and even to knit. I met my husband on Fair Isle and some of my best friends live in the islands. Shetland is bleak and bare, with a magic all of its own. I hope these books give a flavour of the place and of the preoccupations of its people. Besides telling a story that you won't want to put down...
Best wishes, Ann Cleeve
Ann Cleeves 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 northern writers to promote crime fiction. In 2006 Ann was awarded the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for Best Crime Novel for Raven Black. Her Vera Stanhope series is now a major ITV drama starring Brenda Blethyn. Ann lives in North Tyneside.
In 2017 Ann Cleeves was awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger - the highest honour in British crime writing. The Dagger award recognises authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre.
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