*****
Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope was raised by a difficult bullying father, and now has a soft spot for struggling adolescents.
So Vera is especially concerned when a midnight 999 call summons her to Rosebank Home, a foster care facility for 'teens that no one wants.'
At Rosebank Home, Vera learns that the body of Josh Woodburn, a university student employed at Rosebank part-time, was found outside the facility.
In addition, a fourteen-year-old girl called Chloe Spence, who's a resident of Rosebank Home, is missing.
Vera observes that Josh's head was caved in with a hammer, and Chloe's diary reveals the teen liked hanging out with Josh and had a crush on him. Vera thinks, "Oh Chloe. What have you done? And where are you now" And if this wasn't you - and really there's nothing in your diary to suggest that it was - are you still alive?"
In Vera's mind there are three possibilities: Chloe killed Josh and ran away; or Chloe saw who killed Josh and is hiding from the murderer; or Chloe was abducted by the killer. All this makes Vera anxious to find Chloe, hopefully alive and well.
Vera gathers her detective squad to investigate. This includes Vera's longtime partner, Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth....
.....and a new member of the team, Detective Constable Rosie Bell.
The investigators' first interest is Rosebank Home, a dilapidated facility with peeling floors and mismatched furnishings. The facility can accommodate four teenagers, and Chloe's co-residents, two boys and a girl, claim to know nothing about Josh's death or Chloe's whereabouts. The youngsters all acknowledge, though, that Chloe kept to herself and read a lot of books.
A visit to Chloe's school, Salvation Academy, provides little additional information. The administrators and teachers say Chloe was a good student who did well until her father ran off and her mother had a psychotic break. This landed Chloe in Rosebank Home, presumably until her mother recovers.
The inquiry into Josh's homicide also yields few clues. Josh's parents, former girlfriend, and acquaintances all say Josh was a genial young man, with no enemies who would want to kill him.
A new avenue for the investigation opens up when Vera discovers that Chloe's deceased grandpa had a cottage in Gillstead, where Chloe sometimes visited. Gillstead is known for a rock formation called the 'Three Dark Wives', which attracts tourists and historians. Legend says three crones were turned to stone by a giant who thought they talked too much. Gillstead has an annual activity called the 'Witch Hunt', where people run around at night trying to catch a witch.
Vera thinks Chloe might be hiding in her grandpa's old cottage, and goes to Gillstead to investigate. Instead of Chloe, Vera finds the body of a teenage boy from Rosebank Home, dead from a drug overdose.
The case gets darker and more obscure until Vera and her team make some breakthroughs. This leads to the novel's exciting, action packed climax. The resolution of Josh's murder and Chloe's disappearance is quite clever, and will tax the deductive ability of even the most dedicated armchair sleuth.
A fun aspect of the book is the rivalry between DS Joe Ashworth and DC Rosie Bell, who compete to find clues, and try to best each with their investigative skills.
Rosie, who's the new person on the team, wants to prove herself to Vera, and Joe doesn't want to be shown up. It all turns out well in the end, though, and the trio make a fine team.
Like all the Vera Stanhope books, this is a good thriller, recommended to fans of the genre.
Thanks to Netgalley, Anne Cleeves, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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