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The Darkest Evening
- Narrated by: Janine Birkett
- Series: Vera Stanhope, Book 9
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
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Summary
DCI Vera Stanhope returns in The Darkest Evening, the ninth novel in Sunday Times best seller Ann Cleeves' enduringly popular series.
Driving home during a swirling blizzard, Vera Stanhope's only thought is to get there quickly.
But the snow is so heavy that she becomes disorientated and loses her way. Ploughing on, she sees a car slewed off the road ahead of her. With the driver's door open, Vera assumes the driver has sought shelter, but when she inspects the car she 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 recognises 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 knows immediately she has a new case. Could this woman be the child's mother, and if so, what happened to her?
A classic country house mystery with a contemporary twist, Ann Cleeves returns with a brilliant Vera novel to savour.
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What listeners say about The Darkest Evening
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lucy Anne Barber
- 04-09-20
stopped my day
I was hooked straight away. It was so good well read. I had to listen to the whole book in one go!
the reader had the voices of the characters so well matched.the atmosphere was so chilly. I felt the cold weather added to the drama.
Ann Cleeve is a brilliant author. This latest work is up with the rest.
12 people found this helpful
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- mollyeyre
- 18-09-20
I don't believe all the plaudits for the narrator!
I cannot bear to listen any more, this narrator sounds like an inexperienced drama queen trying for her first audition.
4 people found this helpful
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- Mrs N Forbes
- 08-09-20
narrator unsuitable
good storyline.But ruined by the narrator reading as if it was a Noddy tale.Not at all well matched. narrator better suited to children's fairytales. The geordie tale deserves a slight geordie dialect.as the previous book.
3 people found this helpful
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- Robert Caunt
- 20-09-20
Poor Book / Narrator
Poor story, Not one of the best Anne Cleeve Vera books and it didnt help with the poor narration
2 people found this helpful
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- Julia Williams
- 06-09-20
Fab as always
I enjoy Vera on TV but these audio books are really great and give you more background. The narrator is excellent.
2 people found this helpful
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- mel white
- 06-09-20
a brilliant read
The plot kept me guessing until the end and the narrator was excellent. I listened to it over a weekend as it was unputdownable. Would like to know more about the progress of the main characters. Another storyline perhaps?
2 people found this helpful
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- Angelcritique
- 06-09-20
Brilliant plot and characterisation
What can I say. This is a brilliantly written and narrated further adventure in the 'Vera' series. I love Ann Cleeves' heroine. These and the Shetland novels are the jewels in her crown. She should focus her time on these two series. It's wasted on any of the other series she has produced, in my opinion. 'The Darkest Evening' is a must for 'Vera' aficionados.
2 people found this helpful
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- david tomlinson
- 01-03-21
VERA
As always, another fascinating twisted tale of murder solved by the irresistibly fascinating DCI Vera Stanhope, always a delight and joy however, for this book to be truly enjoyed there is only one person whom I feel can tell the story and that is the star of the story herself.
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- Kate Murphy
- 28-02-21
Loved it!
Great narration by Janine Burkitt really added to this atmospheric story. A great story, well worth a credit. Reviews of other Vera books don’t like the narration but I thought it was excellent - so important in an audio book.
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- Kindle Customer
- 23-02-21
Excellent
Thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook
and narrator
will definitely try others from the author and narrator
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- jeannie-mar
- 07-09-20
fantastic story
I had to listen to this straight through it was a great fast paced story that kept me entertained to the end
1 person found this helpful
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- aphtrt77
- 22-02-21
Slow and repetitive
Ok, but unfortunately it is full of filler and constant repetitions. The pace is really slow.