The Moth Catcher

The Moth Catcher is the seventh book in Ann Cleeves's Vera Stanhope detective series - which is now a major ITV crime drama starring Brenda Blethyn as Vera. As though to a flame, they were drawn to their deaths . . . Life seems perfect in Valley Farm, a quiet community in Northumberland. Then a shocking discovery shatters the silence. The owners of a big country house have employed a house-sitter, a young ecologist named Patrick, to look after the place while they're away. But Patrick is found dead by the side of the lane into the valley - a beautiful, lonely place to die. DI Vera Stanhope arrives on the scene and when searching the attic of the big house - where Patrick had a flat - she finds the body of a second man. The only thing connecting the two victims is a fascination with studying moths - and catching these beautiful, rare creatures. Those who live in the close-knit Valley Farm development have secrets too, and as Vera is drawn into the claustrophobic world of this increasingly strange community, she realizes that there may be deadly secrets trapped there . . . Enjoy more of Vera Stanhope's investigations with The Seagull, the next entry in the Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling crime series.

Ann Cleeves is the author of forty critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV's Vera, BBC One's Shetland and ITV's The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide. Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021, her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East. In 2022, she was awarded an OBE for her services to reading and libraries. She lives in Northumberland.