Infinite Books

The institution of privately owned care homes for troubled teens in England is controversial. Running them should be a noble mission, but without sufficient state control, it can evolve into a business like any other, subject to negligence. Additionally, for the residents of such houses, their temporary homes and proximity to other teens like themselves can become either a rescue or a stepping stone into more serious conflicts with the law.

Chloe is a fourteen-year-old living in such a place but is now missing. At the same time, when she disappeared, her only friend, a university student and a volunteer staff member, was found dead. Vera and her team come to investigate. Soon, they discovered that the small community had dark secrets. Some of Chloe’s peers consider her and two of her friends to be involved in some witchcraft practices. There is also a strange ceremony planned in the village, based on the witch hunt, and the local attraction includes the Three Dark Wives monument in the Northumberland countryside. Someone might want to take advantage of the local dark folklore tradition and use it as a cover for another murder. Chloe is undoubtedly in danger. Or is she a danger?

Even with such a dark background, coming back to another book in the Vera Stanhope series feels like meeting old friends. There is a new member of Vera’s team, Rosie, a young woman who is bright, energetic, and unafraid to question Vera’s methods. Joe, caught between two strong women, is simultaneously warm, logical, and vulnerable. It’s such fun to watch the dynamics between these three!

The ending was a bit unexpected for me, as this time Vera was even more than usual secretive, although she had a good reason – she wanted to make sure that Chloe was back safe and sound, and sometimes it was hard to say who was a friend and who was a foe. The people interviewed by the team are often not even aware that they are being interviewed. The conversations sound like friendly but inquisitive chats, and the plot moves forward, never losing sight of its purpose: finding Chloe, finding the murderer. “The Dark Wives” is another excellent book by Ann Cleeves, who quickly became one of my favorite mystery writers.

THE DARK WIVES by Ann Cleeves, Macmillan, 2024