The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves is a thrilling mystery about a detective, Vera Stanhope, who investigates a murder that seems to have darker ties. Early in the morning, a local dog walker discovers a man’s body near the park outside a group home for troubled teens. The home, Rosebank, is located in the coastal village of Longwater, and the victim is a staff member who never showed up for work.
DI Vera Stanhope is called in to investigate the death. The only clue she has is the disappearance of one of the home’s residents, fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence. Vera doesn’t believe that a teenager is responsible for the murder, but she lacks sufficient evidence to dismiss the possibility. As Vera and her team delve into the case, another body is found by the “Three Dark Wives" monument, which is surrounded by superstition and folklore. Vera knows she needs to find Chloe to uncover the truth, but someone is desperate to prevent her from doing so.
The book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. There are some recurring characters with nuances I might have missed, but I was still able to follow along. The book was entertaining, though it took me a few chapters to feel invested. It felt repetitive, and I felt like not much was happening until the end when everything snowballed. I didn’t appreciate that Vera kept her suspicion about the murderer a secret from her team, but I still liked her character overall. I would be open to reading more books by the author.
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