Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves is one of Britain's most successful crime writers, best known as the creator of two hugely popular detective series — Vera and Shetland — both of which have been adapted into award-winning television dramas. Her ability to evoke a powerful sense of place, combined with shrewdly plotted mysteries and deeply human characters, has earned her millions of readers and listeners worldwide. Born in 1954, Cleeves grew up in the countryside and has drawn on a varied and colourful life in her writing. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a probation officer, a bird observatory cook, a childcare worker, and an auxiliary coastguard — experiences that have given her fiction an authenticity and groundedness that readers find irresistible. Her first novel, A Bird in the Hand, was published in 1986, but it was the Vera Stanhope series, beginning with The Crow Trap in 1999, that brought her widespread recognition. DCI Vera Stanhope — frumpy, stubborn, brilliant, and magnificently bad-tempered — became one of crime fiction's most iconic characters, brought to life on screen by Brenda Blethyn in ITV's Vera, which ran for over a decade. The Shetland series, starting with Raven Black in 2006, relocated the action to the remote Scottish islands, where Inspector Jimmy Perez navigates close-knit communities harbouring dark secrets. The BBC adaptation, starring Douglas Henshall, became a global hit and introduced audiences around the world to the stark beauty of the islands. Cleeves has also written the Two Rivers series, set in North Devon and featuring Detective Matthew Venn, which has been adapted for television as The Long Call. The audiobook editions of Cleeves's novels are hugely popular, with narrators capturing the distinctive regional voices and atmospheric settings that are central to her storytelling. Listeners particularly appreciate how well her tightly constructed plots and vivid landscapes translate to audio. Ann Cleeves was awarded an OBE in 2022 for services to reading and libraries. She is also a passionate advocate for literacy, libraries, and supporting new writers. She was named the 2017 CWA Diamond Dagger winner, the highest honour in British crime writing, recognising a lifetime of outstanding achievement. With over thirty novels to her name, plus short stories and adaptations, Ann Cleeves continues to write with the energy and insight that have made her one of crime fiction's most treasured voices. Her books and audiobooks are essential for anyone who loves a compelling mystery set against a beautifully drawn British landscape.