Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves is a celebrated British author renowned for her bestselling crime fiction novels. She is the creator of multiple acclaimed detective series, most notably those featuring Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez, which are deeply rooted in distinctive British landscapes. Her work has achieved international recognition through major television adaptations and prestigious literary awards, solidifying her status as a leading figure in contemporary crime writing.

Biography

Born in Hereford, she grew up in the English countryside before attending the University of Sussex. After graduating, she took on a variety of roles, including as a child-care officer, probation officer, and cook at the Fair Isle bird observatory in Shetland, an experience that profoundly influenced her later writing. She began writing novels while living in Northumberland, a region that would become the evocative backdrop for one of her most famous series. She is married to Tim Cleeves, a former ornithologist, and has lived for extended periods in Whitley Bay and North Tyneside.

Literary career

Her literary career began in the late 1980s, but she achieved major breakthrough success with the publication of Raven Black in 2006, which won the coveted Duncan Lawrie Dagger. This novel introduced Detective Jimmy Perez and launched the Shetland series, praised for its intricate plotting and atmospheric use of the Scottish archipelago. Parallel to this, she created the Vera Stanhope series, beginning with The Crow Trap, featuring the unorthodox Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope of the Northumbria Police. A third series, the Palmer-Jones series, draws on her knowledge of birdwatching, while a newer quartet, the Two Rivers series set in North Devon, introduces Detective Matthew Venn.

Bibliography

Her extensive bibliography is defined by her four primary series. The Shetland series includes eight novels such as White Nights, Red Bones, Blue Lightning, and Cold Earth. The Vera Stanhope series comprises ten titles, including Telling Tales, Hidden Depths, Silent Voices, and The Seagull. The earlier Palmer-Jones series features mysteries like A Bird in the Hand and Come Death and High Water. Her Two Rivers series begins with The Long Call and continues with The Heron's Cry and The Raging Storm. She has also authored several standalone novels and short story collections.

Adaptations

Her work has been successfully adapted for television, reaching a global audience. The *Vera* series, produced by ITV Studios and starring Brenda Blethyn as the titular detective, premiered in 2011 and has run for multiple seasons, filming extensively in locations across North East England. Similarly, the *Shetland* series, aired on BBC One, adapts the Jimmy Perez novels, with actors including Douglas Henshall and Ashley Jensen in the lead role. These adaptations have been critically acclaimed, winning awards such as the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Television Drama.

Awards and recognition

She has received numerous high honors within the crime writing community. Her novel Raven Black earned her the Duncan Lawrie Dagger (now the Gold Dagger) from the Crime Writers' Association. In 2017, she was awarded the highest accolade from the association, the CWA Diamond Dagger, for lifetime achievement. Her contributions to literature were further recognized with an OBE in the 2022 New Year Honours. Additionally, the television adaptation *Shetland* won her a BAFTA Scotland award.

Category:English crime writers Category:1954 births Category:Living people