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The Darkest Evening
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
29 posts | 25 read | 10 to read
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.
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Justanothercoupleofpages
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Pickpick

Book 70 of the year for me and I think I‘ve read almost all the Vera series by Ann cleeves def worth checking out. I want to watch the tv versions now the see how close they are to the books!

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Madison91
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Panpan

This was so long and boring, won‘t be buying Anne cleeves again

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TrishB
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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#serieslove2023
Another good outing with Vera. Don‘t think I‘ve ever guessed the murderer!
This is book 9 in the series and 10 has not long come out so I‘m nearly up to date.

Andrew65 A great series, and I really enjoyed book 10. Well done 🥳 1y
TheSpineView Awesome!❤️📘📚 1y
MicheleinPhilly I haven‘t read these books but the television series is one of my absolute favorites! 1y
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TrishB @MicheleinPhilly and of course I haven‘t seen any of the tv show! 1y
MicheleinPhilly I think you‘d like it. Brenda Blethyn is a crotchety grump and I want to be her when I grow up. 1y
TrishB @MicheleinPhilly I‘ve seen trailers and she looks like great casting for Vera 👍🏻 1y
Centique I‘m so glad I‘ve got 8 more to read! 1y
TrishB @Centique I spread them out for that reason! 1y
89 likes8 comments
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Jas16
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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I really enjoyed this book especially the characters- those we are already acquainted with but get to know better and the interesting group we are introduced to who surround the murder that Vera is trying to solve.

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murfman
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
Pickpick

The 9th novel in Cleeve's Vera Stanhope series doesn't disappoint. In fact we see more character building for Holly, a member of Vera's team, than we have previously. We also get a glimpse into the shrouded past of Hector's (Vera's late father) family. It's a good book, but I did pick out the murderer at about halfway through, although I did get the method and motive wrong. You really can't go wrong with a Vera novel, really.

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SusanLee
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Eggs I watch Vera on tv ❤️❤️ 2y
6 likes1 comment
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SusanLee
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Eggs 🖤😥🖤 2y
7 likes1 comment
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rabbitprincess
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
Pickpick

Another great Vera story. Now I‘m caught up wih the series until the new book comes out in the fall!

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SusanLee
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds scary 🥶🖤😱 2y
Eggs Love Vera!! 2y
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kspenmoll
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Pickpick

Em loves to snuggle!
Highly recommend book.Ingenious plot.Set in winter, with snow,winds,&intense cold.One scene when Vera is waiting with a dead body for the forensic team during the dead of night,in the dark,eerie forest,amidst piles of snow,exemplifies the bitter cold & darkness permeating the novel.We see Vera‘s vulnerability as she ponders Hector‘s legacy&new found family. So many to choose as murderer.Growth in Vera & Holly‘s relationship.

kspenmoll #joyousjanuary #readathon Book 1 finished. 2y
Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 Ann Cleeves writes great books. 2y
PhyllisH I‘m looking forward to reading this one. 😊 2y
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Megabooks What a cutie! 🤩 2y
kspenmoll @Megabooks Awww shucks, she is!!! 2y
kspenmoll @Andrew65 @PhyllisH This book in her series was so well done!!! 2y
72 likes6 comments
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kspenmoll
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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#coffeeandbooks #cuptour

One of our family road trips we took one summer was to Hersey, Amish country, & Gettysburg.My dad was a history buff, so most of our trips centered on historic sites. All 10 of us piled in our Country Squire station wagon and hit the road. We read, played road games(a favorite seeing who could find state license plates first),sang,squabbled.When I get together with my sibs we still share our vivid memories of our trips.

Crazeedi Katherine you and I had such similar childhoods! There were 8 of us in a Plymouth station wagon and Mom would have picnic packed and we would be on the road at daybreak(how did she do it?!) . We did the license plate game( poker hands) and Dad had a beautiful voice so we sang all kinds of songs, hymns, songs from the 40s and 50s and we visited many places around PA. We camped in a wagon Dad built covered with a huge ⬇️ 2y
Crazeedi Red Cross tarp!! We went to the PA state parks 2y
kspenmoll @Crazeedi We went to state parks for picnics too! Enough kids to play kickball, etc. Yes, how did our mom‘s do it!!!!? My mom was the one with the beautiful voice but my dad loved to sing as well & just boomed along. (edited) 2y
Crazeedi @kspenmoll we were blessed 2y
62 likes4 comments
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kspenmoll
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Settling in on this cold night with a little boost from Irish Creme, and Ann Cleeves. It‘s 8 degrees at the moment. Fun fact: it is just 30 degrees where my brother lives in Kenai, Alaska.
#joyousjanuary #readathon #day1

Andrew65 Love Ann Cleeves 2y
kspenmoll @Andrew65 I just finished & feel like this is one of her best but that comes with having the background knowledge from her previous books in the series. 2y
67 likes2 comments
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kspenmoll
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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#coffeeandbooks #mugtour

While not a mug, this tea cup is reminiscent of my mother. So many mornings drinking coffee together. Sometimes tea in the afternoon. Sometimes just us; sometimes with others. Times of conversation, times of quiet. Times of laughter; times of tears. Thousands of memories in just one cup.

The kitties just had to join in.

Mollyanna I love everything about this post! 🥰 2y
AmyG I love your cats joining you. I so miss having a cat. 2y
RaeLovesToRead Love the cup AND the kitties 💕 2y
Suet624 What a heartwarming post. 2y
67 likes4 comments
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kspenmoll
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Not the darkest evening but the coldest…11 degrees now; going down to 5 degrees while I sleep. Winter has finally come…
Starting this library book.

TheBookHippie Us too ❄️❄️🥶 2y
61 likes1 comment
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SusanLee
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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#falltreasures #slowburn @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
This is a slow burn kinda book for me.

Eggs Love Ann Cleeves 💙🧡💙 3y
3 likes1 comment
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alexbloodfire
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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A brilliant book by a brilliant author. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

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Jnnlb
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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While this is the ninth in the series, The Darkest Evening, is a fine stand alone novel. This is an enjoyable read that checks all the categories of an engaging crime novel.
I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheDarkestEvening

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MamaGina
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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If you haven‘t read Ann Cleeves, you really need to, especially if you love atmospheric, well-plotted and character driven mysteries. I‘ve read the entire Shetland series as well as the first in her newest series, The Long Call. I‘ve watched every episode of the BBC series Shetland and Vera. However, this is my first Vera book. What an idiot I am, it‘s excellent! Believe me, I‘ll be reading the Vera backlist posthaste!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jaimelire I am reading the Shetland series after having loved the show. Vera is next, show and books! 3y
erzascarletbookgasm Agree with you on her books! I‘m still reading the Shetland series and haven‘t ventured to the Vera series yet. 3y
28 likes2 comments
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BookishMarginalia
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Over the last few months I‘ve devoured all of Ann Cleeves‘s books: all 8 Shetland novels, 8 of the Vera Stanhope novels, and the first in her new series. I‘m halfway through the latest Vera, #9. The audiobooks of all are excellent!

MicheleinPhilly Have you watched the tv adaptation of Vera? It‘s one of my favorites. ☺️ 3y
BookishMarginalia @MicheleinPhilly I haven‘t yet, though I did watch the Shetland series (loved it, though it is VERY different from the books). 3y
MicheleinPhilly I‘ve only watched the first episode of Shetland and wasn‘t really feeling it but I do want to give it another shot. We‘ve been steadily working our way through every British crime show we can find. ☺️ 3y
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BookishMarginalia @MicheleinPhilly So have I! I‘ve binge watched Father Brown, Midsommer Murders, Endeavor, Morse, Lewis, A Touch of Frost, Shakespeare & Hathaway, Agatha Raisin, New Tricks... A favorite of mine is The Brokenwood Mysteries, from New Zealand, not 🇬🇧 3y
MicheleinPhilly We‘ve watched every single one of those too. 😂😂😂We‘re currently on Season 8 of New Tricks. We‘ve also loved some of the “grittier” ones like Line of Duty, Broadchurch, The Tunnel, etc. SO much better than American crime shows. We tried watching an episode of a U.S. show we once enjoyed a few weeks ago and were LOLing over how bad it was. 3y
BookishMarginalia @MicheleinPhilly I loved season 1 of Broadchurch but stopped at the beginning of season 2 because it was giving me too much anxiety (and did you see the American remake of Broadchurch — that was... not good, and so TOTALLY unnecessary). American shows have too many pretty people (seriously, actors come in all shapes and sizes and levels of attractiveness, folks!) and way too many guns, two things British shows certainly do not have! 3y
MicheleinPhilly I didn‘t even know there was an American version of Broadchurch. Or maybe I did and suppressed it. 😣 And completely agree with you on those 2 counts. I so look forward to those weekly emails from BritBox and Acorn! 3y
MicheleinPhilly OMG! I was just recounting this conversation to my wife and she is begging me to recommend the following shows: Silent Witness, Rebus, Dr. Foster, Doc Martin, Dalziel & Pascoe, Inspector Lynley, McDonald & Dodds, Rosemary & Thyme, Scott & Bailey, Loch Ness, and London Kills. Enjoy! 😂 3y
Lillie I‘ve also binged all of Ann Cleeves‘ books save the newest one this fall/winter. She‘s a fantastic writer! Can‘t wait till my hold comes in. 3y
BookishMarginalia @Lillie Her newest detective is fab — you‘ll enjoy it! 3y
BookishMarginalia @MicheleinPhilly — I have seen and loved Doc Martin, Dalziel & Pascoe, Inspector Lynley, Rosemary & Thyme, Loch Ness, — Looking forward to trying London Kills, Silent Witness, Rebus, Dr. Foster, McDonald & Dodds, and Scott & Bailey now. Thanks for the recs! 3y
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emmaturi
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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This was the first time I read a Vera book. I loved her Shetland series. I liked this one, this involves some of Vera's distant relatives and of course murder. Vera is such a great character and of course in the tv show which I also watch, she is brought to life brillianty. #crimebooks

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Bookgirl
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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I liked this police procedural which is the 9th centering on detective Vera Stanhope. I‘m intrigued enough to go back and read more about Vera. I had no idea who the killer was, so the author did a good job. It‘s a British novel, and one aspect I started to wonder about. Everywhere the police go, all day, they are offered tea or coffee. I know England has tea in the afternoon but it started to feel excessive. Odd observation 🤣 #petsoflitsy #dogs

SaraFair Love this picture! 3y
Bookgirl @SaraFair Thanks! The decorating is slowly happening but the fireplace is done! 3y
47 likes2 comments
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Jeg
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Pickpick

Another good read from Ann Cleeves. I love that I can hear the TV Vera as I read. A gentle well written murder mystery. #2020joybooks
@MrsMalaprop

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Susanita
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Peter May and Ann Cleeves at Bloody Scotland. Until the sound got dodgy this was a very interesting discussion.

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SusanLee
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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And miles to go before I sleep.

Thanks to Netgalley for this enthralling read! I‘ve enjoyed the story and midway I realised I‘ve been guessing ‘who did it?‘ Incessantly😅 How annoyed I was when it turns out to be the one person I never thought of! It did reminded me of Agatha Christie‘s style of writing but this one is more detailed. I liked Vera‘s persona and honesty😊

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Lizpixie
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Very much enjoyed the latest Vera Stanhope novel by Ann Cleeves. The ninth book in the series, it has a bit more about Veras back story & her estranged family. It follows a very “Dame Agatha” type storyline with a snowy ancestral home, a dead body & an abandoned child with lots of false leads & red herrings laid along the way. I‘m just stoked to get some reading done, I‘m having some Reno‘s done which has slowed gardening & boosted reading time!

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Lsmoore43
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Pickpick

This book started out strong. It had great potential and was a somewhat good story. I had a few problems though. 3/5 stars

Full review here: https://lsmoore49.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-darkest-evening-by-ann-cleeves.html

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EadieB
The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves
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Pickpick

9th book of Vera series. Ann Cleeves‘ books are very hard-to-solve mysteries. Works as a standalone but start with book 1 and get to know the characters. Vera finds a toddler in a car. Brockburn is nearby. It is the home where her father, Hector, grew up. A woman‘s body is also found on the grounds. Brockburn holds many secrets from the past. Plot fast-paced, characters believable. Holly is my favorite. Looking forward to the next book. recommend.

55 likes1 comment