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After the events of the previous book & the loss of one of her team, Vera decides that maybe she needs to change the way she approaches her team. The new member, Rosie is very different & how she will fit in has yet to be seen. The book opens with an extract from Chloe's diary who is a teenaged girls written from a children's home, she is waiting to talk to Josh, the only one of the staff she has connected with. When Josh is found brutally murdered outside the home, Chloe has disappeared. Is she a suspect or a victim? I love the TV series Vera & had read the previous book. I think that was necessary as so much of the repercussions from that affect the characters. I really enjoyed this one, particularly the outlying villages & the traditions . The descriptions of The Witch Hunt were brilliant. The reveal came as a complete surprise. I love how the author keeps the reader guessing. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Another excellent book in the Vera series. I love the descriptions of the dark night skies and surrounding countryside, but the best parts for me are seeing the characters develop and also the relationships between them. Rosie is a great addition to the team. I hope there are many more Vera books to come - I’m not ready for her to retire yet!

Ann Cleeves continues to demonstrate her incredible storytelling style in yet another investigation from Detective Vera Stanhope. As with many Vera books, there is a beautiful authenticity to every character you meet. The Dark Wives is perhaps a more "political" investigation to usual digging into the underfunding on Private Care Homes for children and the implications this can have on their already troubled lives. This story feels rather personal to vera whilst also strikingly vivid in its location descriptions. As always its great representation of the North East & Northumberland and its beautiful landscape. Each chapter reads so easily, the language and style is accessible to many - I always find myself very engaged with an Ann Cleeves story, rattling through them incredibly quickly. The Dark Waves, much like previous Ann Cleeves books has been adapted for TV - this particular story was actually the final episode broadcast on ITV in early 2025 before the show officially ended. The joy of books is you can delve much deeper into the characters and mystery more than a 1 hour 30 minute TV drama ever can - I initially aimed to read this book in late 2024 before the TV episode aired, i was therefore hesitant to read the book so soon after broadcast. (Would knowing the story already ruin the mystery unfolding?) - I was pleasantly surprised at how little this took away from the reading experience, there are more potential suspects, more exploration of Northumbria. The team has a new colleague (Rosie Bell) after the events of the last book 'The Rising Tide' - we therefore see her slowly getting used to her new job, her new boss - and the struggles which come from that. I can't wait to see where Rosie's story goes in the future, and reading more about Joe Ashworth is always a joy. There is so much more to this story than the TV episode, it feels deeper, more emotional and well worth the read even if you have watched the TV version. Whilst the investigations with Vera on TV may be over... I can't wait to hear what else Ann Cleeves has in store for her next jaunt around Northumberland.

Another fast paced, gripping episode in the Vera series. The plotting is based around the disappearance of a teenage girl from a children's home and I was engrossed from the start. I like the new addition of Rosie to the team, it will be interesting to see how she will fit in. All the usual characters are back investigating and Vera is just as we have come to expect in this atmospheric, well written crime thriller. .