Book Review
The Darkest Evening
by Ann Cleeves
Minotaur Books © 2020
A Vera Stanhope Novel
Plot Summary:
Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope did not intend to miss her turn, but the snow storm obscured her view, disorienting her and taking her down a narrow way where she finds an abandoned car, skidded off the road. When she investigates the car she finds the driver’s door is ajar and there is a baby in the back seat.
Vera takes the child and drives towards safety, lights in the distance. Those lights turn into Brockburn, a large house of Vera’s distant relatives. Inside the house is a party, guests happily chatting and oblivious to the baby’s mother, lying dead in the snow.
In order to solve the murder, Vera will have to dig into secrets of her own family’s past.
My Thoughts:
I did not realize that this book was the series upon which the BBC TV series Vera and Shetland are based. I have not seen either show, but they are consistent recommendations based upon my love of Midsomer Murders and Endeavour.
Though this is the 9th book in a series, I did not find it difficult to start with this novel. This team obviously has some back-story and chemistry coming into this book, but the story is completely stand-alone, and it was not difficult to follow without having the context of other Vera Stanhope novels.
The story is set in Northumberland in the United Kingdom. I will say there were some slang terms that gave me slight pause when reading (I am only familiar with American English slang.), but, once I was grounded in the language, I found this slang added to the context and world building of the story.
DI Vera Stanhope is also not a typical detective. Quirky and out of shape, I found her to be endearing and relate-able. She is whip smart and a strong leader of a talented team. It reminded me of the leadership style and team talent of Mary McDonnell’s Captain Raydor in Major Crimes or Kyra Sedgwick’s Chief Johnson in The Closer.
The story itself was intriguing. A death in a small town, a young, single woman with a baby whose father is unknown…I love the backdrop of a small town with all of its residents and relationships. The mystery unfolds as a result of solid police work and interviews vs. a forensics and science-heavy investigation.
The story is well-paced and thoughtful. Peeling back the layers of family secrets generates the amount of intrigue which had me staying up past my bedtime to find out who done it!
I would recommend this to mystery lovers, and I am excited to pick up another Vera Stanhope mystery!