There were awards for VERA at the North East Royal Television Society Awards, presented at a star-studded event at the Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead in February 2022. The programme, starring Brenda Blethyn as the tenacious Detective Vera Stanhope, won the prestigious Best Drama award and the actress won for Best Drama Performance. Accepting the awards, Brenda Blethyn thanked the Royal Television Society, and said: "I am absolutely thrilled to bits. This year sees us embarking on season 12 of Vera, so that means we'll have made 50 feature length Vera films." I have watched every episode of Vera, but until now, have not read any of the books. My mistake! This is a well done police procedural. No fast paced craziness here. Just good solid investigating by a solid team. The book is very character driven, not just the team but every person in the village and how they interconnect. But Vera was troubled. Wouldn’t a mother have shut the door, to keep out the bitter wind? She felt the prospect of a fire and beer disappearing. She lifted out the child’s car seat and strapped it beside her in the Land Rover, struggling to slot the seat belt to hold it firmly in place. It seemed a complicated sort of set-up. Parenthood must be a challenging business these days.

The Darkest Evening, with a script by Colette Kane, and starring - of course! - Brenda Blethyn as DVI Vera Stanhope, was broadcast on 19th February 2023, as the 50th episode of ITV's popular crime drama. It is available to watch again on ITVx. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Cleeves, Ann. The Darkest Evening. Macmillan, 2020. Kindle Edition. For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . . Grabbing the latest book in this series is a no-brainer for a couple of reasons. First, I know I’m in for a well written, twisty murder mystery. Second, I get to spend time with the wonderful Brenda Blethyn. Ever since I saw her portrayal of Vera Stanhope, she’s become the voice in my head as I read these books. And that’s no bad thing. Cons: The author has Vera, an out of shape, middle aged woman putting herself in danger by going after the killer alone. Police officers are taught to have a partner for safety reasons.

Juliet, who looked at mothers’ forums on the Internet in secret, with shame, as if she were accessing pornography, thought it could be about twelve months old. It might just be walking. Not properly talking. But really what did she know? In the drawing room, she heard the sound of voices, a sudden shrill laugh. It was clear that they weren’t missing her. Mark and Harriet would keep things going. She looked again at the baby and found herself unclipping the straps and lifting it out into her arms. It smelled of fabric softener and baby oil. And poo. ‘I think it needs changing. We might have nappies somewhere. Dorothy, our housekeeper, has a baby.’But Vera has her own issues. Re the Baby, which she has no idea how to handle. “Do you think I could bring it in?” she asks a little desperately. If you like the TV series, you're in for a treat - because the atmospheric but realistic books are even better." Vera and her team get to work to solve the crime: the style of this story is very reminiscent of some of Agatha Christie's best mysteries. Vera is an older unmarried woman, a bit of a curmudgeon and poorly dressed (gasp!), who must be dealt with carefully by young Joe and Holly as they work the case. There is a cast of very interesting characters, many of whom seem to have something to hide. 'This whole case...was about families, about what held them together and what ripped them apart.' A very intriguing, entertaining mystery with a surprising reveal. I would definitely enjoy reading more in this series, I believe. Ann is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands... I was hooked from this point on. Even though I'd never the read the other books, the investigative team comes to life, as do all the other suspects. Ironically, the victim was the most vivid character for me, but everyone has their secrets, their agendas, their longings, disappointments and passions. This is a proper procedural and it slowly but relentlessly builds the suspense. The ending isn't over-the-top and every single loose end is tied up, even one that relates to some avocados.

The characters are well-drawn and easily recognisable. Vera knows her strengths but she also knows when Holly or Joe is more likely to get a warmer reception when interviewing people.This was my first Vera Stanhope novel, and it was definitely a treat. Author Ann Cleeves has crafted a wonderful murder mystery, guaranteed to snare the reader right from the start. The investigation begins to focus on finding the identity of Lorna’s son’s father. No one knows who he is. Mark emerges as a suspect because he works part-time in Newcastle and rumor has it that Lorna’s lover was a fancy man in Newcastle. Neil’s son Josh emerges as a suspect because he liked Lorna, but she did not return his affections. although she is lonely, obsessed with her job and over fond of a beer, Vera is one of the few fictional detectives who seems not only like a real person, but one capable of conducting a murder enquiry. Ann Cleeves brings the same skill to all her characterisations in this highly impressive story."