DCI Vera Stanhope returns in The Darkest Evening, the ninth novel in Sunday Times bestseller Ann Cleeves' enduringly popular series.

Christmas is coming – and death is at the door. DCI Vera Stanhope returns in The Darkest Evening, the ninth novel in number one Sunday Times bestseller Ann Cleeves’s phenomenally popular crime series.

The darkest nights can hide the deadliest secrets . . .

Driving home during a swirling blizzard, Vera Stanhope’s only thought is to get there quickly.

But with the snow driving down heavily, she becomes disorientated and loses her way, eventually stumbling on another car abandoned on the road. With the driver’s door open, Vera assumes the driver has sought shelter but 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 has a new case. Could she be the child’s mother and, if she is, what happened to her?

'A thoroughly engrossing thriller' – Mail on Sunday

"A thoroughly engrossing thriller" - Mail on Sunday

"Cleeves’s Northumberland novels are strong on atmosphere, combining old-fashioned detective work with a modern take on class" - Sunday Times

"Brilliantly written, with more twists and turns you can shake one of Vera’s hats at" - Heat

"A gripping read" - Sun

"Fans will enjoy matching wits with Cleeves’s eccentric sleuth right up to the dangerous surprise in her denouement" - Kirkus Reviews

"Cleeves has a fine time constructing a clockwork murder plot" - Booklist

"This ninth instalment will keep you guessing until the end" - My Weekly

"Well-paced and plotted, with its evocative Northumberland village setting and excellent characterisation, this is a great winter read" - Choice

"Award-winning crime author Ann Cleeves makes a welcome return with the ninth book in her popular Vera series" - Woman