VeraEpisodes Guide

After two young people are killed in the same way - placed in water and surrounded by flowers - DCI Vera Stanhope knows that she must catch the murderer before they strike again. Aided by her team, especially her trusted right-hand man DS Joe Ashworth, she unpicks the complex and dysfunctional relationships amongst a group of bird-watching friends. As the friends' loyalty turns to betrayal, Vera finds that a small act of teenage blackmail and an illicit affair may have driven someone to kill.

After Jeannie Long commits suicide, evidence comes to light exonerating her for the murder of teenager Abigail Mantel 11 years earlier. DCI Vera Stanhope and her team set out to retrospectively solve the killing, delving into the secrets and lies of a small community which still feels the repercussions of Abigail's death. Then the case takes an violent and unexpected turn - can Vera use her skill and instinct to find the truth and lay ghosts to rest?

When a woman is murdered in the remote Northumbrian countryside, DCI Vera Stanhope is led back to a place from her past. As she and her team investigate, they uncover shadowy liaisons, conflicting sympathies, and hidden injustices.

DCI Vera Stanhope rescues a young boy from a freezing pond after he escapes from a violent attack which left his mother dead. As Vera and her team investigate what happened to the child, they unravel a web of deadly secrets and discover a murderous sequence of events set in motion by power, money and a mother's love. Although she is usually awkward and uninterested around children, Vera finds a kindred spirit in the boy, and begins to realise that the key to the investigation may lie hidden in his memory

Vera's reunion with her first-ever sergeant, Stuart Macken, occurs under tragic circumstances when his house is petrol-bombed. Stuart is badly burned by the attack and his 18-year-old daughter Stella is left fighting for her life in intensive care. Vera is shocked to see that Stuart is a shadow of the man she knew 20 years before and, when her investigation uncovers unpleasant revelations about his personal life, she is faced with some long-buried memories of her own.

Vera investigates the case of a murdered social worked named Jenny Lister, who was universally considered to have been principled and popular. However, in an overworked and understaffed social work system, a notorious case involving the death of a child seems to hold the key to solving the killing. As Vera pursues the truth, she discovers the real secret at the heart of Jenny's death - and the killer who will stop at nothing to keep it hidden.

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the murder of 29-year-old Niall Culham. With those closest to Niall intent upon obscuring the truth, it is not until the body of a drug dealer is found washed up on a Northumberland beach that the dreadful truth begins to emerge about Niall's past. While coping with revelations from her own past, Vera sifts through evidence of the grief, love, and addiction that characterised Niall's life and deduces that his murderer acted through selfless and unrequited love.

DCI Vera Stanhope and DS Joe Ashworth investigate a suspicious death in an army barracks. Although the scene has been made to look like a suicide, Vera quickly establishes that Staff Sgt "Dev" Deverson was murdered. Sensing a connection to a soldier named Ollie who was killed in Afghanistan, Vera interviews Dev's loyal comrades and Ollie's grieving family, exposing a deeply concealed trauma at the heart of the crime.

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the brutal murder of young physiotherapist, Lizzie Faulkner, gunned down at a luxury country retreat. For DS Joe Ashworth, the case brings him face to face with a part of his past he would rather forget. Local man, Robert Doran, was in the area shooting badgers at the time but denies any part in the killing, despite having a connection to Lizzie. In a story of betrayal, guilt and the need for atonement, Vera must move quickly to avoid another tragedy while Joe finally makes amends with the demons from his own past.

When respected surgeon, Dan Marsden, is shot dead days before his retirement and his teen daughters, Mira and Karen, are abducted, DCI Stanhope and the team face a race against time to track down the killer and save the sisters. Orphaned by a missile attack in Baghdad, a young girl being pulled from the rubble of her building became an iconic image of the Iraq conflict. Brought to Britain for treatment, little Mira was adopted by Dan and his dutiful wife, Laura, under the watchful eye of a family friend. Joined by new addition, DC Barry Kelman, it's not long before the case takes a violent and unexpected turn striking at the heart of Vera and her team.

DCI Stanhope delves into the tangled past of extreme sports fanatic, Gideon Frane, when he plunges from a Northumberland cliff top in a ball of flames. An anonymous letter spelling ‘Burn in Hell' and a scan of files reveal a litany of stalking complaints and intimidation against an ex-girlfriend, Izzy Rawlins. As a former head boy, Headmistress Vivienne Ripman remembers Gideon as leader of a gang of ‘golden lads and girls'. But ex-girlfriend Manda Adelaide went missing after an attempted suicide and best friend Jamie Levinson has long since succumbed to drug addiction. Supported by DC Shepherd and the newly appointed DC Edwards, Vera and the team must track down Gideon's gang to uncover a lifetime of bullying and an unexpected story of tested loyalties and rough justice.

Vera investigates a fatal stabbing outside a busy Newcastle nightclub. Identifying the victim as ex-Met Officer, John Warnock, the only clues are an empty flat and an unregistered car with six thousand pounds hidden in the boot. With the help of her loyal team, they track John's next of kin to a local farm run by his sister, Maggie. Having recently returned to Newcastle, John had been working at Finches, a large brewery run by Maggie's fiancé, Sam Harper. Lisa Strachan, John's childhood sweetheart, admits to rekindling their affair in recent months. Delving deeper into John's world, Vera uncovers a secret relationship with Sam's daughter, Eva and an under-hand plot to spy on the brewery for a multi-national company eager to buy out the family business. But lawyer Katrina Lennox insists he was called off the case months ago. So why did he continue to spy on Sam Harper?

Joe's daughter is a witness to the death of a pensioner, seemingly stabbed, on a rush hour train she and her father were travelling on. Her seemingly quiet life turns out to be anything but as Vera's investigation begins to unravel a tangled web of lies and deceit. An old friend of Vera's father appears to hold the key to the entire mystery, which involves unraveling a murder committed thirty years previously, a rape which resulted in a child whose identity has been shrouded in mystery, and an affair which nobody suspected would ever be likely to have taken place. Vera realises that the answer may lie in events which have started to repeat themselves.

When a young property developer dies on a beach in Whitley Bay, Vera's investigation begins to tread on many toes. It appears that the victim was not only having a secret relationship with his estranged sister, but that he had confronted a local arcade owner, whose son had died at his house many years before, having slipped from a flat roof in a supposed 'burglary'. However, a scam involving the family's rental business may hold the key to the motive behind the victim's death. But in order to place all of the pieces of the puzzle together, Vera has to reveal some long buried - and heartbreaking - secrets, leading to a shock revelation which points the team firmly in the direction of the real killer.

Teenagers Sassi and Louis Barnes discover Shane Thurgood, dead from a single gunshot wound on the moors of the Northumberland countryside. An abandoned truck is found burnt out a mile away, containing the remains of a deer. DS Joe Ashworth is convinced this is a poacher's war gone wrong but for DCI Vera Stanhope, the truth is never that straightforward.

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the mysterious death of businessman John Shearwood, found floating in the waters under the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Supposedly on a golf trip to Ireland, wife Stella and brother Luke are baffled to discover John has been working as an informant for Revenue and Customs. But why spy on your own firm?

With Joe now promoted, Vera and her new sergeant, DS Aiden Healy, investigate a fatal explosion at a caravan park which killed Deena Viner, sister of the park's owner, Jim. The mystery deepens when Vera and Aiden discover that Deena was killed and then placed in the caravan before it blew up.

The discovery of skeletal remains in Hollowthorp Woods leads to Vera re-opening the case of a seventeen-year-old school girl, Carrie Telling, who went missing some thirty years earlier. Found with the body's remains were a camera, a company credit card, and a telephone number for an abortion clinic. When another murder occurs, it becomes apparent to Vera that the killer is somebody who had something to hide thirty years ago, and is still prepared to kill to ensure their secret stays safe.

DCI Stanhope and DS Healy investigate the death of an unidentified man dredged up from a slurry pit on a remote Northumberland farm.Owner Danny Pryor and his right hand man Milosh Beqiri are forced to admit they use a number of illegal Serbian workers. A faded tattoo identifies the slurry man as Jack Reeves, a young man from the local travelling community. But what is his connection to the Serbians and Pryor Farm? Aided by her trusted team, DC Whelan and DC Lockhart, Vera must expose the tragic truth at the heart of Pryor Farm before it's too late.

Vera must uncover a life of secrets and lies when Owen Thorne, a well-loved family man, plummets to his death from a multi-storey car park.

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the mysterious murder of a fifty six year old grandmother, discovered by a young girl on the wild and desolate Northumberland moors. The body is swiftly identified as Anne-Marie Richards, recently returned from Scotland to reconcile with her two daughters, Nicole McKendrick and Christine Withers. A 999 call placed by Anne-Marie on the night of the murder, coupled with the disturbed state of her cottage, suggests a possible abduction by someone she knew.

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the death of Jamie Thorne, a local lad whose body is found wrapped in plastic sheets at a rural teenage hang out. Pathologist Dr. Marcus Summer quickly identifies the cause of death as trauma to the cranium. But with no sign of a weapon, the only clues Vera has to work with are a crucifix found on the body, and ticket stubs for Pevensey's funfair in Jamie's pocket.

A mysterious double murder in a remote country home is investigated by Vera and her team. The strange circumstances circulating around the hit-and-run incident and brutal stabbing of a man inside the home, leads to team to build a picture to what really happened the night before.

A mysterious death of a fisherman is investigated by Vera. The fisherman's sons believe the answer may lie within a long-running feud between their Dad and the owner of a local fish market.

DCI Vera Stanhope is drawn into a suspicious death on Ternstone, a remote and inaccessible island off the coast of Northumberland, home only to numerous species of birds and the rangers who observe them. The last thing anyone expected to see was a body, cruelly washed up on the shore.

The body of a young man is discovered face down in a river by Thrunton Woods, bludgeoned to death. But with no ID on the body, tracing the victim's identity proves difficult for DCI Vera Stanhope and her team. Vera is forced to make headway with the only clues they have: a mourning ring worn around the young man's neck, needle marks on the body, and a drugs wrap with a distinctive stamp - 'Dark Angel'.

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the murder of a promising journalism student, who falls to his death under suspicious circumstances. With no eyewitnesses and no immediate leads, Vera turns to friends and family to glean all she can about Jamie, and to discover who might have wanted him dead. Could his investigative journalism be responsible for making serious enemies?

When the body of 18-year-old Mia Hinkin is discovered buried on the moors, DCI Vera Stanhope is forced to delve into the life and the secrets of the victim. Vera has to deliver the terrible news of her death to her family. Mia had left home against their wishes to attend the Eastbury music festival. Vera must retrace the vulnerable young woman's footsteps from her isolated rural life and into a dark and tangled web of deceit to track down her killer.

When charred remains are discovered in an abattoir furnace, DCI Vera Stanhope is called to investigate the horrific circumstances and uncover the mystery that led to the murder.

DCI Stanhope is called to the scene of a violent car crash. With her typically sharp skills of observation, Vera quickly realises that the crash was not accidental and that another driver tried to kill victim, Faye Wakeland. When she dies in hospital shortly after, Vera suspects that Faye's murder might be connected to the recent suicide of a local man. But, Vera and Aiden find it difficult to get to the truth when everyone that they encounter seem to be protecting a secret. Vera must continue to delve into the lives of the people that Faye lived amongst, as well as the links she had with her past. Joined by her faithful team including DC Kenny Lockhart, as well as new recruit DC Jac Williams, Vera attempts to find the missing link that will lead to Faye's killer.

Quiet life in suburbia takes a dark turn when a woman is discovered lying dead in her back garden. DCI Stanhope realises that the neighbours aren't all that they seem. Buried secrets must be unearthed to catch the killer of murder victim and mother of two, Alison Glenn. Vera and Aiden try to uncover the kind of woman Alison was by looking to her local community. But they are forced to expand their enquiry when Alison's long lost family come out of the woodwork and suspicions begin to mount. Vera must endeavour to identify which of the underlying conflicts in Alison's life have prompted the crime of passion that caused her death.

When the body of a teenage boy is found in a reservoir in a remote rural town, DCI Vera Stanhope must scrutinise the fractured relationships of the surrounding community to find his killer.

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the murder of a trainee forensic psychologist found dead on a Northumberland landfill site.

Vera is confronted with the tragic scene of a teenage boy's murder. His body is found in a shipyard in the sleepy coastal town of Peyton-by-the-Sea. As he isn't recognised locally, it's not immediately apparent who he is. Eventually, Missing Persons records reveal that troubled Caden Lennon had absconded from the care of his support worker six weeks previously. With few leads thrown up by the Newcastle estate where Caden came from, Vera looks to the Peyton locals to throw some light on the investigation. Beneath the quaint facade she discovers that there is a growing drugs problem. But, with local dealer Tony Briggs now apparently going straight, it's not clear why. Vera begins to question whether Caden's connections to Newcastle and Peyton run deeper, and whether the lack of leads points to a ring of silence with darker forces at play. Vera must uncover the missing link to find Caden's ruthless killer.

Successful business-woman Lisa Varsey throws a lavish boat party for her family and friends on the River Tyne. But it goes horribly wrong when her sister Dani is found dead in the water. Lisa has an empire of beauty salons in Newcastle and a caring family in husband, Ross, and sister Sadie. At first the family believe that Dani's death was an accident but DCI Vera Stanhope and pathologist Malcolm Donahue (Paul Kaye) know that the forensics point to murder. Vera and the team alight on concerning rumours that Dani could have been in an abusive relationship and questions whether this could have led to her death. But, the investigation takes a turn when evidence points to the fact that something was rotten in another area of Dani's life. Vera begins to believe that Dani was going to expose an unpalatable truth. Vera must unpick the tightly-woven threads that hold the family together to discover who killed an innocent woman.

Based on the eighth novel in Ann Cleeves' DCI Stanhope series, The Seagull sees Vera (Brenda Blethyn) opening up a cold case when a skeleton is discovered buried in Whitley Bay. Robbie Marshburn was a notorious criminal who went missing over 20 years ago never to be seen again.But this isn't a typical case for Vera as Robbie, and those connected to him, were friends of her father. And to make matters worse, Robbie's remains are found underneath the burnt-out site of the infamous nightclub where they all used to meet. But, just as Robbie's remains are identified, the team come across another murder nearby. Vera investigates the possibility of the victim's connections to a local crime family and whether this led to the brutal killing. Elaine and Leonard Sidden (Claire Higgins and Michael Feast) ran The Seagull in its heyday and Vera learns that they haven't quite severed ties with the past as their son Alec (Daniel Ryan) is now developing the site where the burnt-out nightclub stands.In a case that's often too close to home, Vera must uncover a web of secrets and corruption to understand the circumstances that led to both murders.

Vera has to unravel the circumstances of self-styled entrepreneur Freddie Gill's death when his body is found by bailiffs attempting to repossess his house.

DCI Vera Stanhope must unravel a tangled web of deceit between two wildly different families when the body of a teenage boy is discovered floating near a Northumberland salmon farm.

Luke Sumner's body is discovered close to his flat in Newcastle, but pathology concludes that the killing blow could have occurred several hours before he succumbed to his injuries, prompting Vera to piece together Luke's final hours in order to investigate his murder.

When wealthy betting shop magnate Alun Wilmott is shot and killed after returning home early amid a terrifying home invasion, it's assumed that he is the unlucky victim of a burglary gone wrong.  The culprits abscond with a huge amount of cash from Alun's personal safe, leaving his wife and daughter traumatised in their wake.  Vera suspects an inside job and immediately targets the affluent neighbourhood's shady head of private security, Ciaran Duggan, whose history of violent crime calls his reformed character into question.

When the body of well-respected local builder, Jim Tullman, is found beaten to death on the steps of the Collingwood Monument, DCI Vera Stanhope questions how such a seemingly beloved and imposing figure could be attacked so viciously.

The discovery of a deceased addiction support worker sets Vera the challenge of investigating a deeply private woman's life.

When security foreman Gary Mallon is fatally wounded during a robbery at a Blyth container port the evidence points to an audacious heist that went awry. Vera begins to suspect an inside job. But the investigation takes an unexpected turn when Gary's ex-wife contacts police with the news that their 13-year-old son is missing.Gary Mallon was acting under duress - the victim of a tiger kidnapping. His son was being held as collateral - but where is he now?

Primary school teacher Lizzy Swann is found dead at the bottom of a cliffside coastal walkway, but what appears at first to be a terrible accident, quickly becomes a murder investigation as Vera discovers evidence the body has been tampered with. Interviews with those who knew Lizzy paint a troubling picture of a guarded and paranoid woman who seemed to be burning bridges with friends and family alike in the days leading up to her death.

Vera is called out to the grim scene of a body found in the back of a burned out car. When identified as a popular local GP, we enter a world of intrigue, betrayal, and lust.

The body of a young woman has been washed up on the banks of the River Tyne. Although she was a popular colleague, loyal friend, and loving mother and wife, we uncover a web of intrigue, betrayal, and lost promises.

Vera is called to a remote lighthouse where a body of a local council enforcement officer has been discovered lashed to a sailboat.

Struggling to adapt to civilian life, a decorated soldier attempts to get his life back on track. But a dark secret from his past, and betrayal in the present, left his future looking uncertain and deadly.

When a respected officer is found dead, floating in a park lake, Vera finds herself investigating both sides of the thin blue line in order to find his killer.

During a massive storm, Vera comes across an abandoned car with a baby inside. With no cell signal and blocked roads at every turn, Vera is forced to seek refuge somewhere she'd rather not be.

DCI Vera Stanhope is called to a quiet country lane where a young man has been found dead following a collision with a car. On closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is not an accident and is way more than a hit and run. Vera discovers that the victim is a popular market trader so heads down to his pitch to start to put together an idea of who our man is and ascertain why anyone would want him dead.As the investigation gathers pace, Vera learns that our cheeky chappy was a complex character. Antagonistic, arrogant and able to get what he wants, but did all of this come at a price? Secrets. Lies. Betrayal. Fractious relationships and intense rivalries but who would want our barrow boy buried.

DCI Vera Stanhope is on track to uncover an intriguing yet puzzling case when the body of a sickly young girl is discovered in a railway siding.Found in the middle of nowhere she could be anyone but the investigation soon turns up twists and turns that makes Vera question who this girl actually was. A vulnerable young person with a serious health condition, has her weakened state allowed someone to take advantage of her? And how does the family dynamic work when she's not truly part of the family? A tale of intrigue, betrayal and blurred lines, Vera's investigation questions the meaning of family, care and accountability. And with eroding trust, does care come at a cost?

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates when the body of the co-owner of a chip shop is found in his own freezer. A seemingly successful entrepreneur and dedicated family man, Vera uncovers secrets, lies and some unforgivable behaviour as she tries to unwrap the case. Once the investigation begins, it soon becomes apparent that our enigmatic entrepreneur has left behind debts, broken promises, ruined lives and seriously interfered in family business that was not his own. Who is responsible for this unsavoury chip shop assault and battery?

DCI Vera Stanhope is called to the banks of the Tyne where the body of a young man has been discovered by some anglers. A tangled web of a broken relationship, secret love, grudges, regret, and fraud begins to emerge - has our former inmate been served cold justice, or does his death run deeper?

The final episode brings Vera back to a familiar place when a body is found at the foot of legendary local stones The Dark Wives - with memories of childhood in the background, Vera must work hard to uncover the mystery of why a bright young student would be violently attacked and left so far from home. This poignant episode weaves together past and present and makes for a compelling and emotional farewell.