Ann Cleeves' new series

With the conclusion of the Shetland series (in print at least), Ann Cleeves is turning her hand to a new series set in Devon. Out in September, it's called The Long Call.

Here are some details from goodreads:

In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father’s funeral takes place. Once loved and cherished, the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.

Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

The case calls Matthew back into the community he thought he had left behind, as deadly secrets hidden at its heart are revealed, and his past and present collide.

CWA Diamond Dagger Recipient Announced

I was very pleased to receive the following press release over the weekend, embargoed until today:

Ann Cleeves to receive CWA Diamond Dagger

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) is delighted to announce that Ann Cleeves is to receive the CWA Diamond Dagger, the highest honour in British crime writing. The Dagger award recognises authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre.

Martin Edwards, Chair of the CWA, said: ‘Ann Cleeves is internationally renowned as the author of the series on which the very popular TV programmes Vera and Shetland are based. But long before her television success, she worked hard writing hugely enjoyable crime novels and short stories. As well as publishing thirty books, she has been a passionate and effective advocate for libraries, while her generosity towards fellow crime writers as well as readers means that this news is sure to be widely welcomed.’

Ann Cleeves said: ‘It’s a huge honour to be recognized by my peers, the crime-writers whose books, friendship and support I’ve enjoyed for more than thirty years. I am privileged to have had such a happy career and I will always be grateful for the support of booksellers and forever indebted to the passion and expertise of librarians, without whom I wouldn't still be writing today.'

A Sunday Times bestseller, Ann has written 30 novels and is translated into as many languages. Before her writing career took off, Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard. In 2015, Ann chaired the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, during which Vera was voted the UK’s favourite fictional detective. Also in 2015, Thin Air was nominated for the Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and Ann was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library award. In 2006, Cleeves’ novel, Raven Black, was awarded the Duncan Lawrie Dagger (the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger) for Best Crime Novel, and in 2012, she was inducted into the CWA Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame.

As well as fiction, Ann has written a non-fiction title about Shetland and, in November 2015, she hosted the inaugural Shetland Noir festival on the Shetland Islands.

In 2016 Ann was named Queen of Village Noir, which she loved, while The Guardian named her as 'the best living evoker of landscape’. Ann holds a remarkable record: she is the only living author to have two major drama series on TV.

Ann Cleeves will be presented with the CWA Diamond Dagger at the CWA’s Dagger Awards ceremony in London on 26 October. Previous winners of the CWA Diamond Dagger include P.D. James, John Le Carre, Dick Francis, Ruth Rendell, Lee Child, and Ian Rankin.

The CWA Diamond Dagger is selected from nominations provided by CWA members. Nominees have to meet two essential criteria: first, their careers must be marked by sustained excellence, and second, they must have made a significant contribution to crime writing published in the English language. It’s clear that Ann Cleeves meets these criteria in style.

Favourite Discoveries of 2016 (I)

As per usual I have asked my fellow Euro Crime reviewers to come up with their favourite crime fiction discovery of the past year - be it book, film or tv series.

The first entry comes from Norman Price.

Norman's Favourite Discovery of 2016

The former British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan was allegedly once asked what he feared most; his answer “Events, dear boy, events”. Well we have certainly had plenty of those in 2016.

My own personal events in which I had very close encounters with some of the most expensive equipment owned by the National Health Service lead to my discovery of the pleasure of sitting through a marathon DVD session. The total immersion in a series, in this case Vera, was a great help in taking my mind off my more serious health problems.

My wife and I had both read The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves and really enjoyed the characters and excellent plot, with the result that we decided to get the complete DVD set and watch it over several nights. Our old DVD had broken down years ago so we purchased a basic TV and DVD player combination and settled down to watch.

Fascinating plots combined with superb acting by Brenda Blethyn and David Leon as the main protagonists Vera Stanhope and Joe Ashworth made it a pleasant way to spend our evenings together. The last series without David Leon was not quite as good because the spiky interaction between the solitary Vera and the family man Joe was missing. But I would highly recommend the DVD of Vera.

I am trying to get back to reading, but if my concentration is not up to scratch one of my presents during this festive season was the complete set of the Inspector Morse series. That should last me the rest of the dark winter nights.

The Queen of Mystery - Short Stories on Radio 4

A series of short stories set at Festivals/Events are running over the next three weekends on Radio 4 whilst the first one of the four - this one written by Ann Cleeves - was on last Sunday. You can however listen again for the next 27 days via iplayer or the website. Next Sunday, the story is by Sarah Hilary.

From the BBC Radio 4 website:

In the month that thousands of fiction fans head to Yorkshire for the Harrogate Crime Festival, this new short story series celebrates the very particular atmosphere of such festivals. It's often said that there is something different about crime writers - they flock together, they enjoy each other's company and freely interact with their fans. Over the next four Sunday evenings, festival stalwarts Ann Cleeves, Sarah Hilary, Val McDermid and David Mark, will take us to events real and imagined in four original stories that will charm and intrigue.

In this first story, Ann Cleeves (bestselling author of the Vera and Shetland crime novel series) takes us to Malice Domestic in Bethesda, Maryland - an annual crime convention for lovers of the traditional mystery novel. Her character, Stella Monkhouse, known to her fans as the "Queen of Mystery", is an award-winning crime writer who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that her literary star is beginning to wane...

Read by Joanna Tope.

Written by Ann Cleeves.

Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.

New Reviews: Chisholm, Cleeves, Collett, Indridason, Jacobsen, Kitchin, Marklund, Nickson, Webster

Here are nine reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today, one has appeared on the blog since last time, and eight are completely new.

NB. You can keep up to date with Euro Crime by following the blog and/or liking the Euro Crime Facebook page.

New Reviews

Terry Halligan reviews the sixth in P F Chisholm's Elizabethan Robert Carey series, An Air of Treason, in which is tasked to discover who killed Amy Dudley;

Susan White reviews the latest in Ann Cleeves's Shetland series, Thin Air;

Terry also reviews Chris Collett's Dead of Night, the seventh book to feature one of the few fictional Birmingham coppers, Tom Mariner;


Lynn Harvey reviews the latest (and possibly last) in the 'Older' Erlendur series, Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason tr. Victoria Cribb. (NB. The recent Reykjavik Nights features a younger Erlendur.)

Susan also reviews Trophy by Steffen Jacobsen tr. Charlotte Barslund, which she "thoroughly recommends";


Rich Westwood reviews Rob Kitchin's Stumped, a "slightly blacker comedy set in Dublin, Manchester and the West of Ireland";

Michelle Peckham reviews Liza Marklund's Borderline tr. Neil Smith, which see reporter Annika Bengtzon on the other side of the media fence when her husband gets kidnapped;


Michelle also reviews Gods of Gold by Chris Nickson, set in 1890's Leeds

and if you weren't already convinced by Lynn's review earlier in the year then Laura Root's review should ensure that you give Jason Webster's Blood Med a go.


Previous reviews can be found in the review archive.

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here along with releases by year. NB. Forthcoming releases by category for 2015 are now available.

Publishing Deal - 4 more from Ann Cleeves

I received the following press release today which contained good news for Ann Cleeves's many fans:

Catherine Richards has acquired UK & Commonwealth rights for four new novels by Ann Cleeves from Sara Menguc Literary Agent. These will be two new books in Ann Cleeves’ Vera series and two new Shetland novels.

The BBC drama Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall as Cleeves’ Detective Jimmy Perez, will begin its first full series on 11th March on BBC One, with adaptations of Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning. This follows ITV’s successful adaptation of Cleeves’ Vera novels, starring Brenda Blethyn, which enters its fourth series in late spring 2014.

Catherine Richards at Pan Macmillan said ‘I’m thrilled that we’ve signed up four more novels from Ann Cleeves. With two crime series on two prime-time channels – as well as a new Shetland novel, Thin Air, publishing in the autumn – this is a very special year for Ann.’

Sara Menguc said ‘We’re delighted to be concluding a contract with Macmillan for four new books in a year which will see publication of two outstanding new novels by Ann in the UK, simultaneously with her wonderful fictional characters DI Vera Stanhope and Detective Jimmy Perez being realised brilliantly in two very distinctive prime-time TV series. This success is mirrored by her growing international profile , with publication in many different languages and territories. ‘

Ann Cleeves said 'I'm delighted that I'll be working with the magnificent team at Pan Macmillan for the next four years.'

TV News: Shetland returns to BBC One

Shetland starring Douglas Henshall and based on Ann Cleeves's novels returns to BBC One on 11 March at 9pm with the first of six episodes. The six episodes are split into three two-parters of the books, Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning.

Raven Black also stars Brian Cox.

Episode 1:

Old wounds are painfully reopened for the shocked residents of Ravenswick, as Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez and his team look to a past crime to solve the present day murder of a young teenage girl.

New Reviews: Bilal, Cadbury, Cleeves, Mark, Smith, Thorne

Here are six new reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today.

I've also begun a new and occasional feature of highlighting books by a theme. The first post was on crime novels set in Norfolk (England).

NB. You can keep up to date with Euro Crime by following the blog and/or liking the Euro Crime Facebook page.

New Reviews

Lynn Harvey reviews Parker Bilal's The Ghost Runner, the third in the Makana series set in the Egypt of a few years ago;

Terry Halligan reviews Helen Cadbury's debut To Catch a Rabbit set in Doncaster;

Vera is back in Ann Cleeves's Harbour Street reviewed here by Susan White;

Geoff Jones reviews David Mark's Original Skin, the second in the Hull-based DS Aector McAvoy series, which is now out in paperback;

Ardy Renko is back in Martin Cruz Smith's Tatiana, reviewed here by Laura Root

and Amanda Gillies reviews David Thorne's debut, East of Innocence, set in Essex.




Previous reviews can be found in the review archive.

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here along with releases by year.

Review: Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves

Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves, January 2014, 384 pages, Macmillan, ISBN: 023076018X

Reviewed by Susan White.
(Read more of Susan's reviews for Euro Crime here.)

Detective Joe Ashworth is hurrying home with his daughter after a carol service when, due to the snow, the Metro they are on stops suddenly at Mardle, on the outside of Newcastle. They are asked to leave and catch a bus but Jessie is worried that an old lady has fallen asleep and returns to the carriage to shake her awake. Unfortunately she has been stabbed in front of the many passengers, and Joe.

She is identified as living and working at a small hotel in Harbour Street owned by a widow Kate Dewar, with Kate’s teenage children. DI Vera Stanhope is pleased to have a case to absorb her during the insanities of the Christmas season and relishes the challenge.

The dead woman is liked by every one who knew her. A quiet well-bred woman who appears to have fallen on hard times and who helps the disadvantaged and distressed women who find a home at the Haven which is supported by the local church. But as Vera and Joe dig deeper, it is obvious to both of them that there are secrets in Harbour Street and that they are not being told all there is to know about Margaret Krukowski.

Then another young vulnerable women is found dead and a body which has been buried for a long time is discovered and Vera and Joe must bring the secrets into the light to find the truth and the killer.

Vera is an older single woman who uses her intuition and knowledge of human nature to great affect and, it is always a pleasure to read a novel where a woman can be interesting and good at her job, without being sexy, or burdened with the cares of family and children that compromise the investigation. With Vera, we have a detective who just happens to be a woman.

This is an interesting story based in a small declining community. As always with this author, the characters are well rounded. Readers may well know the central characters of Vera and Joe from the TV series and they don't disappoint whether in print or on the screen.

A good read.

Susan White, February 2014

TV News: More Shetland

The BBC announced yesterday that they have commissioned 3 more two-parters based on Ann Cleeves's Shetland series:

The crime drama Shetland is to return to television screens for three more two-part stories on BBC One.

Based on the novels of Ann Cleeves, the series features detective Jimmy Perez, played by Douglas Henshall.

The first series, aired earlier this year, attracted about 6m viewers for each episode.

Filming will begin in the coming months in Shetland and other locations on mainland Scotland.

According to Shetland News, the books next to be televised (Red Bones was the first tv show) are Raven Black, Blue Lightning and the recently published, Dead Water.

New Reviews: Camilleri, Cleeves, Haynes, Kernick, Lipska, MacLean, Roberts, Sherriff, Templeton

Win Where the Devil Can't Go by Anya Lipska (UK only)






Nine new reviews have been added to Euro Crime today:


I review Andrea Camilleri's The Dance of the Seagull tr. Stephen Sartarelli, the fifteenth in this charming series;



Lynn Harvey reviews Dead Water by Ann Cleeves, the fifth in the (recently televised) Shetland series;


Amanda Gillies reviews Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes, writing that her work "goes from strength to strength";
 

Terry Halligan reviews Simon Kernick's Ultimatum, the sequel to Siege;

Rich Westwood reviews this month's competition prize, Where the Devil Can't Go by Anya Lipska, and he's looking forward to the sequel;


Geoff Jones reviews S G MacLean's The Devil's Recruit, the fourth in her Alexander Seaton series set in seventeenth century Aberdeen;

Susan White reviews Mark Roberts's debut The Sixth Soul and found it "quite compelling";

Terry also reviews The Wells of St Mary's by R C Sherriff, now available as an ebook or POD, Terry says it was "much appreciated entertainment at the end of a hard day"

and Michelle Peckham reviews Evil for Evil by Aline Templeton, concluding that "Aline Templeton's books featuring Marjory Fleming keep improving with each new outing".




Previous reviews can be found in the review archive.

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here along with releases by year.

Trailer for Ann Cleeves' Shetland

Here's a short trailer for the tv series Shetland, coming soon to BBC One, starring Douglas Henshall and based on Ann Cleeves's Red Bones, the third in the Jimmy Perez series:

• Raven Black	2006	1
• White Nights	2008	2
• Red Bones	2009	3
• Blue Lightning	2010	4
• Dead Water	2013	5

New Reviews: Adams, Beckett, Cleeves, Eastland, Higashino, Kaaberbol & Friis, Leather, Rickman, Russell

As is vaguely customary, a 6 review week is followed by a 9 review week...making roughly a review a day.

Win 3 Richard Nottingham mysteries by Chris Nickson (UK only).

Here are this week's 9 new reviews:

Lizzie Hayes reviews Jane A Adams's sixth Naomi Blake outing, Blood Ties;

Geoff Jones reviews Simon Beckett's fourth David Hunter novel, The Calling of the Grave, now out in paperback;

Maxine Clarke reviews the fifth in Ann Cleeves's "Vera" series, The Glass Room;

Lynn Harvey reviews the third in Sam Eastland's Inspector Pekkala series, Siberian Red;

Michelle Peckham reviews the paperback release of The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino, translated by Alexander O Smith & Elye J Alexander;

I review The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis, tr. Lene Kaaberbol set in Copenhagen and which is the first in the Nina Borg series;

Terry Halligan reviews the third in the supernatural PI Jack Nightingale series from Stephen Leather Nightmare;

Rich Westwood reviews Phil Rickman's The Lamp of the Wicked which touches on some true-life crimes, and is the fifth in the Merrily Watkins series which is being issued in paperback by Atlantic Books;

and Amanda Gillies reviews Craig Russell's third book in the Lennox series, The Deep Dark Sleep, set in 1950s Glasgow.

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive.

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here and new titles by Jane Adams, John Connolly, Sebastian Fitzek, Tony/Anthony Hays, Anne Holt, Fabrice Humbert, Susan Elia MacNeal, Danielle Ramsay and Simon Urban have been added to these pages this week.

New Reviews: Cain, Cleeves, Cregan, Eriksson, Lewis, Morris, Pearson, Roslund-Hellstrom, Zouroudi

The final set of reviews for 2011 will be uploaded next weekend. There are 9 new reviews this week (to make up for missing last week). Look out for some forthcoming blog posts from the Euro Crime review team on their new discoveries this year.

Here are this week's new reviews:

Terry Halligan reviews the fifth (and best so far he thinks) in Tom Cain's Carver series - Carver;

Lynn Harvey reviews her first but the fourth "Vera" book in Ann Cleeves's (now televised) series - Silent Voices which is now out in paperback;

Laura Root reviews the second of Sean Cregan's Newport set series, The Razor Gate which is an example of "futurist noir writing";

I review the latest title that has been made available in English in Kjell Eriksson's Ann Lindell series, The Hand That Trembles, tr. Ebba Segerberg;

Susan White reviews the second in Jonathan Lewis's DCI Bale and dog-handler Kate Baker series, Into Dust;

Geoff Jones reviews the fourth (and last I believe) of R N Morris's Porfiry Petrovich series, The Cleansing Flames;

Lynn Harvey also reviews the fourth in another series, Murder Club by Mark Pearson which features DI Jack Delaney and is set in London;

Maxine Clarke reviews Roslund-Hellstrom's Cell 8, tr. Kari Dickson

and Amanda Gillies reviews Anne Zouroudi's The Whispers of Nemesis, the fifth in the Hermes Diaktoros series.

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive.

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here and new titles by George Arion, James Becker, Nancy Bilyeau, Ken Bruen, Paul Grossman, Oliver Harris, James Henry, Antonio Hill, Hjorth-Rosenfeldt, Bogdan Hrib, Camilla Lackberg, Andy McDermott, Roger/R N Morris, Leif GW Persson, Sarah Pinborough, Oana Stoica-Mujea, Roland Vernon, Jason Webster, Kate Williams and Juli Zeh have been added to these pages this week.

New Reviews: Cleeves, Cumming, Henry, Hilton, McDermid, Robertson, Tallis

Here are this week's new reviews:

Maxine Clarke reviews the new Vera Stanhope novel from Ann Cleeves: Silent Voices;

Geoff Jones reviews Charles Cumming's The Trinity Six;

Amanda Gillies enjoyed the return of Jack Frost in James Henry's First Frost;

Michelle Peckham review the fourth in the Joe Hunter series by Matt Hilton: Cut and Run, now out in paperback;

Lizzie Hayes reviews the paperback release of Val McDermid's Trick of the Dark;

Terry Halligan reviews Random by Craig Robertson now out in paperback (both EC reviewers have loved it);

and Laura Root reviews Death and the Maiden by Frank Tallis, the newest and sixth in his historical, Vienna based Dr Liebermann series.

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive and forthcoming titles can be found by author or date, here.

Ann Cleeves's Vera News

Hat-tip to Maxine for this news that Ann Cleeves's Vera has been recommissioned even before it's been shown. Here's the news from Ann's website:

Fans of Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope books are waiting impatiently for the transmission of Vera, the television series, starring Brenda Blethyn as DI Vera Stanhope. The original plan was for the adaptation of Ann's novel Hidden Depths, to be broadcast in the autumn of 2010, but ITV were so pleased with this pilot episode that they commissioned three additional instalments, even before the first episode was broadcast. Trailers have already been screened, and we should soon have a chance to see four Vera Stanhope mysteries, based on Ann's three existing Vera Stanhope novels plus one entirely new story, all filmed on locations in the north east of England.

Blue Lightning - Cover Opinions

This week's selection for "cover opinions" is the US and UK hardback covers for Ann Cleeves's Blue Lightning, the fourth in the Shetland quartet (now to be a quintet I believe). The US edition was published yesterday.

So what are you thoughts on the US (LHS) and UK (RHS) covers? Which would entice you to pick the book up if you were not familiar with Ann Cleeves?

If you have read it, how well does the cover match the story?

Here is the Euro Crime review by Maxine of Blue Lightning.

New Reviews: Bauer, Benacquista, Blake, Cleeves, James, Scott

Just a few hours left to enter the January competition: 3 copies of A K Shevchenko's Bequest are up for grabs. There are no geographical restrictions. Details of how to enter can be found here.

Here are this week's reviews:

Paul Blackburn reviews the much talked about (in the UK) Blacklands by Belinda Bauer which made his 'top 5 reads of 2009';

I review the violent black comedy that is Tonino Benacquista's Badfellas, tr. Emily Read which may make my 'top 5 reads of 2010';

Amanda Gillies praises the second in Richard Blake's Roman Empire series, now out in paperback - The Terror of Constantinople;

The last part of Ann Cleeves's Shetland Quartet, Blue Lightning, is out this week and Maxine Clarke's review will want to make you read it and the previous three if you haven't already;

Terry Halligan continues to be impressed with the Roy Grace series by Peter James; the latest - Dead Tomorrow is now out in paperback

and Michelle Peckham reviews the reissue of Manda Scott's The Crystal Skull, now prefixed with 2012 (nb. the film 2012 is not based on it) and is the third euro crime reviewer to enjoy the book very much.

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive and forthcoming titles can be found here.

Raven Black on Radio 4

Radio 4 has a 60 minute play of Raven Black by Ann Cleeves on Saturday 23 January at 2.30pm. It should also be available via "listen again" for a further 7 days.

Raven Black is the CWA Dagger Award-winning first part of the Shetland Quartet which has been followed by White Nights, Red Bones and the soon to be published Blue Lightning.

Ann Cleeves's Euro Crime page is here with links to reviews of the books mentioned above and Raven Black is reviewed on Euro Crime here and here and my review of the audio book of Raven Black for Mystery Women is here.

On the High 'C's

Good news in the Bookseller for fans of Ann Cleeves and Martina Cole:

Pan Macmillan is to rejacket crime author Ann Cleeves’ Inspector Vera Stanhope novels with an “atmospheric” new look.

The publisher has also delayed publication of the titles to tie in with broadcast of the ITV1 adaptation of Cleeves’ novel Hidden Depths, which has now been set for September 2010.

Hidden Depths, The Crow Trap and Telling Tales will now be published on 3rd September as £7.99 B-­format paperbacks by Pan, with a new Vera Stanhope novel, as yet untitled, to be published as a £16.99 hardback on the same day by Macmillan.

Raven Black, the first title in Cleeves’ Shetland series, will also be a BBC Radio 4 “Afternoon Play” in January.

Read the whole article and view the new cover here.

Headline has signed a new four-book deal with bestselling crime author Martina Cole.

Since Cole signed with Headline in 1992, for the debut Dangerous Lady, she has published 16 bestsellers with combined sales of more than 10m copies. Her latest novel, Hard Girls, has sold more than 126,000 copies in five weeks and knocked Dan Brown off the number one spot.

This year Sky One broadcast a dramatisation of her novel "The Take". The same channel will show an adaptation of The Runaway in early 2010.

Read the whole article here.