Book Review: Raven Black by Anne Cleeves

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Collection Development Team Leader Angela shares her own recent discovery in the collection

I don’t know how Ann Cleeves passed me by as her books are right up my alley:

  • Award-winning UK psychological crime fiction – tick
  • A murder with no obvious motive – tick
  • Rugged detective with a complicated past – tick
  • Colourful locals with secrets to hide – tick
  • Remote island location which is as much a part of the plot as the characters – tick

I stumbled across Book 1 of the Shetland series, Raven Black, as an eAudiobook on Borrowbox and thought I would give it a go as I loved the Shetland TV series which is based on these books. I quickly discovered that the TV series was not a carbon copy of the book (but I couldn’t help seeing Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez as I was reading), so it’s well worth reading even if you think you know what happens. 

Set not long before Shetland’s famous Lerwick Up Helly Aa fire festival, the body of a teenage girl is found in the snow, ravens circling overhead. We are introduced to Inspector Jimmy Perez and connections are soon drawn between this death and the disappearance of another girl years ago. Old suspicions about a reclusive old man are stirred up and we also learn a bit about Jimmy’s background on the island.

It was a bonus listening to the story unfold as the narrator had a wonderful Scottish accent which really added to the sense of place. The Library has this title available in multiple formats and between Borrowbox and uLibrary you can listen to the entire series on eAudiobook. I have placed Book 2 on hold on Borrowbox and can’t wait to get back to Shetland!