The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves

First Paragraph(s):

It's November today.  I hate November.  Two years ago, in November, my dad ran off.  A year ago Mam stopped eating and started slipping away.  She got the sack from the travel agency in town, and I caught her talking to the TV when it wasn't even switched on.  She had the idea that it was talking back.  There was just her and me, and I felt I was drowning.  I'm only fourteen, so what could I do to help?

I tried to tell Miss at school.  I'd always thought she was okay, but in the end, she was only interested that I wasn't wearing the uniform socks and that I hadn't got my homework in on time.  When I told her about Mam, she frowned and said I was making excuses.  I needed to stick to the rules, whatever was happening at home.  If I had real problems, I should talk to pupil welfare.

My Thoughts:

I was happy to catch up on another of my favorite mystery series.  Written by Ann Cleeves and featuring DI Vera Stanhope, it's the 11th book and it's a good one.  A little poignant and sad, partly due to the adjustments Vera and her team have had to make after the last book, and partly because of the underlying societal issues it highlights.  These include mental health and how society cares for the vulnerable.  And, of course, there is a murder and some vivid descriptions of Vera's part of the world.  Vera herself is getting older, but she soldiers on determined to still make a difference.  I enjoyed the book and look forward to more in the series.

I will say that I have also watched and loved the Vera TV series, based on these books.  Sadly, that is coming to an end.  There will be a 14th season, but it will only contain two episodes.  I think it will be available in early January and this new season is based on this book, but different.  Brenda Blethyn, who has played Vera through all the seasons will be retiring and, honestly, no one could do the character justice besides Brenda.  In my opinion anyway.  Ann Cleeves has said that the books will continue, so we'll see what's to come in that regard.  Have you read any of Cleeves work or watched any of the TV adaptations of her books?  Do tell!  

Blurb:

As New York Times bestseller Ann Cleeves' 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.