Principal de los Libros, 2026

A new case for the famous detective Vera Stanhope

John Brace is Inspector Vera Stanhope’s former boss. Now, thanks to Vera, he is serving time for his involvement in the murder of a park ranger. Brace claims he is willing to provide the inspector with information on the location of a body from an unsolved murder in exchange for the police protecting his family.

But reopening this case takes Vera back to her own past; it brings her back to La Gaviota, a nightclub that was already in decline when she was young and where her late father used to meet with his group of friends.

As past and present collide with increasing violence, Vera is forced to confront memories she would have preferred to bury and a disturbing possibility: that her own father was involved in the crime. The truth begins to emerge: how far is Vera willing to go to bring it to light?

Ann Cleeves has won the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger Award

A new case for Vera Stanhope, the protagonist of the television series Vera