DCI Vera Stanhope returns in The Darkest Evening, the ninth novel in Sunday Times bestseller Ann Cleeves' enduringly popular series.
Driving home during a swirling blizzard, Vera Stanhope's only thought is to get there quickly.
But the snow is so heavy, she becomes disoriented and loses her way. Ploughing on, she sees a car slewed off the road ahead of her. With the driver's door open, Vera assumes the driver has sought shelter but when she inspects the car she is shocked to find a young toddler strapped in the back seat.
Afraid they will freeze, Vera takes the child and drives on, arriving at Brockburn, a run-down stately home she immediately recognizes as the house her father Hector grew up in.
Inside Brockburn a party is in full swing, with music and laughter to herald the coming Christmas. But outside in the snow, a young woman lies dead and Vera knows immediately she has a new case. Could this woman be the child's mother, and if so, what happened to her?
A classic country house mystery with a contemporary twist, Ann Cleeves returns with a brilliant Vera novel to savour.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781529051094
Weight: 240 g
Dimensions: 139 x 140 x 27 mm
A thoroughly engrossing thriller - Mail on Sunday
Cleeves’s Northumberland novels are strong on atmosphere, combining old-fashioned detective work with a modern take on class - Sunday Times
Who doesn’t love “large and shabby” Vera Stanhope, the blunt detective in Ann Cleeves’s Northumberland police procedurals? She is already one of the genre immortals. Cleeves delivers some choice Vera moments in THE DARKEST EVENING - New York Times
Brilliantly written, with more twists and turns you can shake one of Vera's hats at - Heat
A gripping read - Sun
Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers! - Louise Penny
Fans will enjoy matching wits with Cleeves’ eccentric sleuth right up to the dangerous surprise in her denouement - Kirkus Reviews
Cleeves has a fine time constructing a clockwork murder plot - Booklist
Superb . . . This page-turner is must reading for fans as well as newcomers - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
This ninth instalment will keep you guessing until the end - My Weekly
Nobody does unsettling undercurrents better than Ann Cleeves - Val McDermid
One of Britain's best crime writers - Daily Express
A young woman, Lorna Falstone, is found murdered near the back entrance to the large country house where a gathering is taking place to drum up financial support for a business venture. Lorna's toddler son is... More
Grabbing the latest book in this series is a no-brainer for a couple of reasons. First, I know I’m in for a well written, twisty murder mystery. Second, I get to spend time with the wonderful Brenda Blethyn. Ever... More
General bit first, more about the book itself in the second paragraph. I've come late to these books. No plots will be given away here. These are very impressive books. The writing is brilliant. And like my... More
Please sign in to write a review
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
