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A review by readsewknit
The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves
4.0
Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope finds herself at the grand home of a relative, first seeking aid after finding a toddler alone in a car, then while investigating a body found on the estate grounds. Not only is there the intricate web of suspects to parse through, there is the threat that the lens will circle back to a relative, an undesirable outcome in the best of relationships, muddied when the connections are already strained.
Ann Cleeves creates flawed characters and works in details on their situations and histories. There is depth to everyone, and in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- their flawed natures, they are relatable and you can develop fondness for them and wish them well.
This is the ninth installment of the Vera Stanhope series, none of which I'd read previously, and I didn't suffer for it. I could have believed it to have been a standalone; there was reference to renovating after a fire that in hindsight must be in reference to a past title, but I wasn't concerned at the lack of detail and context for the series.
I've now read two titles by Cleeves; I don't know that I will work my way through her back catalog (a quick glance shows that there are nearly 40 titles to her name now), but she's established herself as a writer who creates thoughtful mysteries that I could see myself making room to read newer titles if they cross my path.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
Ann Cleeves creates flawed characters and works in details on their situations and histories. There is depth to everyone, and in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- their flawed natures, they are relatable and you can develop fondness for them and wish them well.
This is the ninth installment of the Vera Stanhope series, none of which I'd read previously, and I didn't suffer for it. I could have believed it to have been a standalone; there was reference to renovating after a fire that in hindsight must be in reference to a past title, but I wasn't concerned at the lack of detail and context for the series.
I've now read two titles by Cleeves; I don't know that I will work my way through her back catalog (a quick glance shows that there are nearly 40 titles to her name now), but she's established herself as a writer who creates thoughtful mysteries that I could see myself making room to read newer titles if they cross my path.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)