Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
New York : Thomas Dunne Books, 2008.
Description
Long a celebrated crime writer in Britain, Ann Cleeves' fame went international when she won the coveted Duncan Lawrie Dagger for this amazing suspense novel, Raven Black. Like Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse or Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks, Cleeves' new detective, Inspector Jimmy Perez, is a very private and perceptive man whose bailiwick is a remote hamlet in the Shetland Islands. It is a cold January morning and Shetland lies beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a splash of color on the frozen ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbor, Catherine Ross. The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man---loner and simpleton Magnus Tait. But when detective Jimmy Perez and his colleagues from the mainland insist on opening out the investigation, a veil of suspicion and fear is thrown over the entire community. For the first time in years, Catherine's neighbors nervously lock their doors, while a killer lives on in their midst. Ann Cleeves is sure to dazzle U. S. mystery readers with this unforgettable series debut. This series is the basis for the hit BBC show Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall, which attracted over 12 million viewers in its first two nights on the air.… (more)
Original publication date
2006-02
ISBN
0312359675 / 9780312359676
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User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
There are two facts I must convey to you before reviewing the book. One: I am extremely uncomfortable, to the point of pain, around people with cognitive and/or communicative disorders or inabilities. Two: I was the object of my pedophile mother's sexual interest until I was fifteen.
Unsurprisingly,
The younger of my two grandsons is autistic. It is extremely hard for his mother to cope with the demands of two active, intelligent, communicative children plus an active, intelligent, uncommunicative one. I don't know how she does it. I would be incapable of doing one-third what she does, with (at long last) support and help from her (second) husband.
Magnus Tait, one of our POV characters, is cognitively impaired. It was *horrible* for me to read the sections of text told from his POV because I could not bear to be in this close contact with him. It made me think of the helpless inability I feel when confronted with my autistic grandson...that sense of having nothing of myself to offer, of withdrawal from avoidable contact...no one can tell me the boy isn't aware of it, and while Magnus isn't autistic, it was a close-enough situation, and to know from the inside what chill and distance feels like...well, how awful, how awful to know it, feel it, and be unable to *understand* it.
At least I understand. But funnily enough, that fails to make it better. It makes it worse.
Pedophilia is present in several characters, no spoilers so no names, and the object of desire's POV is used in the story as well. It's unbelieveable to me that Cleeves can recreate the unmixed-but-unsettled feelings of a child who holds that kind of intoxicating, terrifying, inappropriate power over an adult. I hope not, for her sake, but I felt "takes one to know one" so many times in reading certain parts of the book.
The thriller aspects of the book were nicely done, though as an old hand I pegged the murderer and motive fairly early on...but, discomfittingly, I found that I wanted the truth not to be what I knew, but what my prejudices drooled over.
I recommend this book to the unsqueamish. It's strong stuff. Nothing that happens in it is gratuitous. The guilty, and I mean those morally guilty, are punished severely. There is a bleak pleasure in that.
Unsurprisingly,
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these aren't the sorts of themes I find enjoyable to find in my leisure reading. "Raven Black" has both! I was thinking seriously of abandoning the read, just quietly taking the book back to the library and forgetting it existed. Cleeves managed to make that an undesirable option, and in doing so, made it possible for me to hold a very unflattering mirror up to my character.The younger of my two grandsons is autistic. It is extremely hard for his mother to cope with the demands of two active, intelligent, communicative children plus an active, intelligent, uncommunicative one. I don't know how she does it. I would be incapable of doing one-third what she does, with (at long last) support and help from her (second) husband.
Magnus Tait, one of our POV characters, is cognitively impaired. It was *horrible* for me to read the sections of text told from his POV because I could not bear to be in this close contact with him. It made me think of the helpless inability I feel when confronted with my autistic grandson...that sense of having nothing of myself to offer, of withdrawal from avoidable contact...no one can tell me the boy isn't aware of it, and while Magnus isn't autistic, it was a close-enough situation, and to know from the inside what chill and distance feels like...well, how awful, how awful to know it, feel it, and be unable to *understand* it.
At least I understand. But funnily enough, that fails to make it better. It makes it worse.
Pedophilia is present in several characters, no spoilers so no names, and the object of desire's POV is used in the story as well. It's unbelieveable to me that Cleeves can recreate the unmixed-but-unsettled feelings of a child who holds that kind of intoxicating, terrifying, inappropriate power over an adult. I hope not, for her sake, but I felt "takes one to know one" so many times in reading certain parts of the book.
The thriller aspects of the book were nicely done, though as an old hand I pegged the murderer and motive fairly early on...but, discomfittingly, I found that I wanted the truth not to be what I knew, but what my prejudices drooled over.
I recommend this book to the unsqueamish. It's strong stuff. Nothing that happens in it is gratuitous. The guilty, and I mean those morally guilty, are punished severely. There is a bleak pleasure in that.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
When the body of a local teenager is discovered in a field near her home, the whole community is sure that her mentally challenged neighbor, Magnus Tait, is responsible for her murder. Although Tait is a strong suspect, Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez isn't content to settle with the most obvious
While the Shetland Islands are part of Scotland, there is also a strong Norse historic and cultural influence. Lerwick's annual Up Helly Aa festival (think Mardi Gras) features prominently in the novel. I was so drawn into the location that the first time I left my house after I finished the book, I was mildly surprised to find my own neighborhood looking the same as usual!
Fans of P. D. James and Ruth Rendell would probably enjoy this novel. Although this is not a cozy mystery, cozy readers looking for something a little different would probably enjoy it as well.
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explanation for the crime. Several characters claim it is impossible to have any secrets in a place as small as the Shetland Islands, where most residents are connected by family and/or social ties. Nevertheless, almost every major character, including the victim, has secrets for Perez and the investigators to uncover. I've read enough mysteries that I can usually identify the guilty party before I reach the end of the book. This one surprised me!While the Shetland Islands are part of Scotland, there is also a strong Norse historic and cultural influence. Lerwick's annual Up Helly Aa festival (think Mardi Gras) features prominently in the novel. I was so drawn into the location that the first time I left my house after I finished the book, I was mildly surprised to find my own neighborhood looking the same as usual!
Fans of P. D. James and Ruth Rendell would probably enjoy this novel. Although this is not a cozy mystery, cozy readers looking for something a little different would probably enjoy it as well.
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LibraryThing member CBJames
Many people who read mysteries will pick up a book because its setting is exotic. Reading a mystery for its setting is an easy way to get an introduction to a particular place or culture. The setting is the main reason why my book club selected Raven Black by Ann Cleeves. That and the fact that the
Raven Black takes place in the Shetland Islands, off the coast of Scotland in the North Sea. I suppose Raven Black is a good way to introduce oneself to the Shetland Islands; I know nothing of them beyond what is in the book so I cannot say. The book has made me think about the importance of setting in murder mysteries.
Raven Black reminded me so much of David Lynch's Twin Peaks that I really want to ask the author if she is a fan of the show. Both are set in cold, northern towns with a rural character. Both open with the discovery of a dead girl. Both feature a respected local policeman aided by a more sophisticated detective from the nation's main police force. Both feature a wide range of quirky local characters including a subset of very wealthy people, one of whom is a prime suspect. Both include the discovery of the dead girl's "journal" which features may dark secrets about the quirky locals. I don't think Ann Cleeves is borrowing from David Lynch, nor do I mean to suggest that anything untoward is going on with Ms. Cleeves' plot. I suspect both Raven Black and Twin Peaks simply play with the same ideas, tropes which are common to mysteries in which the setting is prominent.
How important is the setting to a mystery novel or to a series of novels? (Raven Black is the first of a quartet of novels set in the Shetland Islands.)
Certain detectives are forever tied to their settings: Sam Spade to San Francisco, Philip Marlowe to Los Angelos. I will confess that if Cara Black ever writes a novel featuring Aimee Leduc on vacation in Florence, I won't be buying it. Keep Aimee in Paris where she belongs. I've never been exactly happy to see Inspector Maigret leave town either. Place is a major part of the reason why readers are so loyal to certain detectives.
Does Ms. Cleeves do the Shetland Islands justice? Modern mysteries all promise to go beneath the respectable surface of their settings. They all intend to expose what a place is really like. Raven Black takes place during the winter when the island's major festival, one celebrating its Viking ancestry, is approaching. The locals rely on the festival for much of their winter income, they participate in it without any sense of irony. However many of them decry the fact that the outside world views their home as a quaint bed and breakfast with a rollicking Viking bonfire.
After reading Raven Black, I am interested in visiting the Shetland Islands, but I'm also certain I would never want to move there. There are good people everywhere you go, but there are so many awful people in Raven Black, so much small town prejudice and small mindedness, that I'm with the islanders who leave. This is not the case with Sam Spade's San Francisco, Philip Marlow's Los Angelos, Inspector Maigret's or Aimee Leduc's Paris. Nor with Twin Peaks for that matter.
But for the record, everyone in my book club both finished and enjoyed Raven Black. We just wouldn't want to live there.
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book cover has an award on it. Raven Black takes place in the Shetland Islands, off the coast of Scotland in the North Sea. I suppose Raven Black is a good way to introduce oneself to the Shetland Islands; I know nothing of them beyond what is in the book so I cannot say. The book has made me think about the importance of setting in murder mysteries.
Raven Black reminded me so much of David Lynch's Twin Peaks that I really want to ask the author if she is a fan of the show. Both are set in cold, northern towns with a rural character. Both open with the discovery of a dead girl. Both feature a respected local policeman aided by a more sophisticated detective from the nation's main police force. Both feature a wide range of quirky local characters including a subset of very wealthy people, one of whom is a prime suspect. Both include the discovery of the dead girl's "journal" which features may dark secrets about the quirky locals. I don't think Ann Cleeves is borrowing from David Lynch, nor do I mean to suggest that anything untoward is going on with Ms. Cleeves' plot. I suspect both Raven Black and Twin Peaks simply play with the same ideas, tropes which are common to mysteries in which the setting is prominent.
How important is the setting to a mystery novel or to a series of novels? (Raven Black is the first of a quartet of novels set in the Shetland Islands.)
Certain detectives are forever tied to their settings: Sam Spade to San Francisco, Philip Marlowe to Los Angelos. I will confess that if Cara Black ever writes a novel featuring Aimee Leduc on vacation in Florence, I won't be buying it. Keep Aimee in Paris where she belongs. I've never been exactly happy to see Inspector Maigret leave town either. Place is a major part of the reason why readers are so loyal to certain detectives.
Does Ms. Cleeves do the Shetland Islands justice? Modern mysteries all promise to go beneath the respectable surface of their settings. They all intend to expose what a place is really like. Raven Black takes place during the winter when the island's major festival, one celebrating its Viking ancestry, is approaching. The locals rely on the festival for much of their winter income, they participate in it without any sense of irony. However many of them decry the fact that the outside world views their home as a quaint bed and breakfast with a rollicking Viking bonfire.
After reading Raven Black, I am interested in visiting the Shetland Islands, but I'm also certain I would never want to move there. There are good people everywhere you go, but there are so many awful people in Raven Black, so much small town prejudice and small mindedness, that I'm with the islanders who leave. This is not the case with Sam Spade's San Francisco, Philip Marlow's Los Angelos, Inspector Maigret's or Aimee Leduc's Paris. Nor with Twin Peaks for that matter.
But for the record, everyone in my book club both finished and enjoyed Raven Black. We just wouldn't want to live there.
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LibraryThing member Eat_Read_Knit
The body of a teenager is found lying in the snow. The whole community thinks they know who is responsible – the same man they also consider responsible for the disappearance of another girl some years earlier. As the effects of the girl’s death ripple out into the community, old secrets come
A tense and subtle story. Cleeves cleverly shows the personalities and relationships in a way which hints that there is always more than the reader can quite grasp. Every portrayal is subjective, and every character has secrets or thoughts that they are trying – not always with much success – to hide. Detective Jimmy Perez is an appealing and rounded character, and a quietly competent detective. The reader is never quite sure who is truthful, and what is true – and never sure, either, who is responsible for the crimes. The layers of personality and community are carefully described and delicately peeled away to reveal an astonishing and dramatic conclusion.
I was absolutely hooked on this story, and suspicious of almost everyone. The tension and drama wound tighter and tighter as the story neared its conclusion, and I felt absolutely compelled to keep reading. (When a reader picks up a book over their Saturday breakfast and continues reading in their pyjamas until lunchtime, unable to put the book down long enough to shower and get dressed, the author is doing a very good job.) I was very surprised by the final revelations, and very impressed by the skill with which the author concealed and yet hinted at the truth throughout the book.
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to light.A tense and subtle story. Cleeves cleverly shows the personalities and relationships in a way which hints that there is always more than the reader can quite grasp. Every portrayal is subjective, and every character has secrets or thoughts that they are trying – not always with much success – to hide. Detective Jimmy Perez is an appealing and rounded character, and a quietly competent detective. The reader is never quite sure who is truthful, and what is true – and never sure, either, who is responsible for the crimes. The layers of personality and community are carefully described and delicately peeled away to reveal an astonishing and dramatic conclusion.
I was absolutely hooked on this story, and suspicious of almost everyone. The tension and drama wound tighter and tighter as the story neared its conclusion, and I felt absolutely compelled to keep reading. (When a reader picks up a book over their Saturday breakfast and continues reading in their pyjamas until lunchtime, unable to put the book down long enough to shower and get dressed, the author is doing a very good job.) I was very surprised by the final revelations, and very impressed by the skill with which the author concealed and yet hinted at the truth throughout the book.
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LibraryThing member FicusFan
The first book in The Shetland Island Quartet a mystery series set on the islands. This book is set during the brutal winter with little light. It is a choice for a RL book group.
The characters are well done, the setting is fascinating and the story is interesting. I thought the writing flowed. I
The story is of the murder of a teenage girl. She is found strangled on a hillside. It is near the home of the island outcast. He is an old man with limited mental abilities. He is also suspected of the murder of a 10 year old girl when she disappeared after visiting his mother, 20 years ago. There was not enough evidence to charge him, but in the minds of the islanders he is guilty.
The story follows Policeman Jimmy Perez as he tries to find the killer of the teenager. He tries to keep an open mind, and investigate what happened, not just frame Magnus.
Jimmy is dark, and not of Viking stock, though he and his family are Shetlanders. Supposedly he had an ancestor from the Spanish Armada who swam ashore on Fair Isle. He had to board on the main isle when he was in high school, and he knows what it means to be thought an outcast.
There are police specialists from Inverness who have to be called in for their scientific skills and the joint force takes on the investigation. Jimmy has to make sure the team works together and doesn't compete, and end up fighting each other.
The story is about the murder, but it also looks at the small group of people involved, their lives, pasts, and connections. It looks at how they all know each other's business and are trying to live with their difficulties. It is very interesting and you really think they are real people.
The first murder of the 10 year old girl is also opened up when her body is found as well.
I went on to read the next book in the series immediately after this one.
The characters are well done, the setting is fascinating and the story is interesting. I thought the writing flowed. I
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ended up reading it very quickly.The story is of the murder of a teenage girl. She is found strangled on a hillside. It is near the home of the island outcast. He is an old man with limited mental abilities. He is also suspected of the murder of a 10 year old girl when she disappeared after visiting his mother, 20 years ago. There was not enough evidence to charge him, but in the minds of the islanders he is guilty.
The story follows Policeman Jimmy Perez as he tries to find the killer of the teenager. He tries to keep an open mind, and investigate what happened, not just frame Magnus.
Jimmy is dark, and not of Viking stock, though he and his family are Shetlanders. Supposedly he had an ancestor from the Spanish Armada who swam ashore on Fair Isle. He had to board on the main isle when he was in high school, and he knows what it means to be thought an outcast.
There are police specialists from Inverness who have to be called in for their scientific skills and the joint force takes on the investigation. Jimmy has to make sure the team works together and doesn't compete, and end up fighting each other.
The story is about the murder, but it also looks at the small group of people involved, their lives, pasts, and connections. It looks at how they all know each other's business and are trying to live with their difficulties. It is very interesting and you really think they are real people.
The first murder of the 10 year old girl is also opened up when her body is found as well.
I went on to read the next book in the series immediately after this one.
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LibraryThing member MmeRose
I found it difficult to finish this book. None of the characters appealed to me, the plot "twists" were rather predictable, and except for the Shetland Island setting - which was not described well enough in my opinion - the story was nothing new. I truly don't understand why it won an award!
Magnus
This book needs more of the "show it, don't tell it" type of writing.
Magnus
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Tait is a typical small village outcast and too obvious suspect. Jimmy Perez is the typical outsider policeman in a small village, trying to decide whether to stay or go. The women, teens and children are cardboard cutouts, without much personality except through the voices of others.This book needs more of the "show it, don't tell it" type of writing.
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LibraryThing member catzkc
I'm a big fan of the PBS series Shetland. It was until I had watched a half-dozen episodes I became aware it was based on this book series. I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy this one as I had recently watched the episode that was based on it. But there were enough differences that wasn't a problem!
Very
Very
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enjoyable! Afraid I have another book series to work my way through! Show Less
LibraryThing member Hardboiled
Like so many others, I was drawn to Raven Black because of the PBS series. I found the novel very easy to read and quick to draw the reader into the atmosphere of Shetland and the characters who lived there. Cleeves did an admirable job of developing the characters in such a way as to coax the
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reader through the process of figuring out what led up to the deaths of the two young ladies. I'm a great fan of Peter May who is a master of creating a sense of place in his Lewis trilogy. While there are similar moments in this novel, Cleeves strength seems to be in her ability to create complex characters on several different levels and then letting them "live" out the plot. I look forward to reading more in this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Shutzie27
Aside from the truly unique setting, several things that make this novel a true page-turner in every sense of the word.
Raven Black takes place on the Shetland Islands, which are located northeast of Great Britain. They consist of a barren, harsh landscape and small villages and are best known for
So why on Earth would anyone write a mystery quartet that takes place in this low-population, cold, inhospitable setting? While the answer to that question may be elusive, after reading Raven Black one finds themselves asking, "Why hasn't anyone done this before?"
The setting demands a story that is largely character driven, but Cleeves takes this one step further by writing each of the short, crisp chapters from a different character's point of view while continuing to use third person omniscient narrative. The result is that the reader "gets to know" each of the characters in snippets and fragments that are revealed through several of the other characters' viewpoints at various times, forming a kind of kaleidoscopic image of each of the residents in the reader's mind.
An example of this would be how the school teacher, Margaret, is portrayed at times through both how her daughter, Sally, see her and how she is perceived by another resident, Fran, whose daughter is taught by Margaret. On occasion, other characters refer to Margaret in passing, which adds more pieces to the woman. And this is true for almost all of the characters.
Likewise, the mystery unfolds in much the same way. Instead of the lead Inspector, Jimmy Perez, going about and investigating, the reader is treated to delicious snippets and tidbits of information that make the case more clear through conversations or setting descriptions that are revealed as the narrative progresses. But of course, Perez does his share of work as well, assisted by Taylor, who is sent to the help.
Finally, Cleeves employs an interesting writing style that consists of short, clipped sentences and blunt, no-frills statements. This gives the story a kind of clicking, forward-moving rhythm that contrasts seamlessly with the complexity of the people and the mystery being solved.
Often, stories are said to be "woven," and Ann Cleeves has shown us exactly what that means in this story. The plot seems only mildly interesting from the back-cover synopsis:
A teenager is found strangled in the snow and everyone thinks it's the town recluse, a man who is probably mentally deficient in some way but may or may not be harmless. Inspector Jimmy Perez returns to the island after his divorce and isn't looking forward to dealing with a murderer. But all the same, the sensitive detective is home, and a quiet and restless determination keeps him poking around long after everyone decides the recluse did it.
But the setting, writing style, narrative structure and character complexity make this thriller so much more than just another mystery in a quirky place. Oh, and make no mistake: the ending will shock you, even if you're a practiced armchair sleuth like me.
Raven Black takes place on the Shetland Islands, which are located northeast of Great Britain. They consist of a barren, harsh landscape and small villages and are best known for
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the annual Up Helly Aa fire festival. The temperature, according to Wikipedia, rarely gets above 70 degrees and it's nearly always windy and cloudy.So why on Earth would anyone write a mystery quartet that takes place in this low-population, cold, inhospitable setting? While the answer to that question may be elusive, after reading Raven Black one finds themselves asking, "Why hasn't anyone done this before?"
The setting demands a story that is largely character driven, but Cleeves takes this one step further by writing each of the short, crisp chapters from a different character's point of view while continuing to use third person omniscient narrative. The result is that the reader "gets to know" each of the characters in snippets and fragments that are revealed through several of the other characters' viewpoints at various times, forming a kind of kaleidoscopic image of each of the residents in the reader's mind.
An example of this would be how the school teacher, Margaret, is portrayed at times through both how her daughter, Sally, see her and how she is perceived by another resident, Fran, whose daughter is taught by Margaret. On occasion, other characters refer to Margaret in passing, which adds more pieces to the woman. And this is true for almost all of the characters.
Likewise, the mystery unfolds in much the same way. Instead of the lead Inspector, Jimmy Perez, going about and investigating, the reader is treated to delicious snippets and tidbits of information that make the case more clear through conversations or setting descriptions that are revealed as the narrative progresses. But of course, Perez does his share of work as well, assisted by Taylor, who is sent to the help.
Finally, Cleeves employs an interesting writing style that consists of short, clipped sentences and blunt, no-frills statements. This gives the story a kind of clicking, forward-moving rhythm that contrasts seamlessly with the complexity of the people and the mystery being solved.
Often, stories are said to be "woven," and Ann Cleeves has shown us exactly what that means in this story. The plot seems only mildly interesting from the back-cover synopsis:
A teenager is found strangled in the snow and everyone thinks it's the town recluse, a man who is probably mentally deficient in some way but may or may not be harmless. Inspector Jimmy Perez returns to the island after his divorce and isn't looking forward to dealing with a murderer. But all the same, the sensitive detective is home, and a quiet and restless determination keeps him poking around long after everyone decides the recluse did it.
But the setting, writing style, narrative structure and character complexity make this thriller so much more than just another mystery in a quirky place. Oh, and make no mistake: the ending will shock you, even if you're a practiced armchair sleuth like me.
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LibraryThing member gbelik
This is the first book in a mystery series that takes place on the Shetland Islands. I had watched the series on TV and this book does cover the same plot, but of course it is fuller and the characters have a different focus. I liked it and intend to go on to the next in the series.
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
I thought Ms. Cleaves did a great job of laying trails to lots of suspects - some very obvious, and some just possibilities. It was satisfying to the get to the end of the book and discover all the threads coming together. I'm looking forward to more Jimmy Perez mysteries.
LibraryThing member infjsarah
Easy read and I had completely forgotten the culprit so that was a surprise. Enjoyable.
LibraryThing member Dabble58
Dark, atmospheric book about the Shetland Islands and the characters therein. Cleves captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of small town in the fog very well, and tosses her well-drawn characters through a series of lost little girls and horrific conclusions.
Red herrings abound and are
Expertly written, gripping, difficult to out down. Now for the rest in the series.....
Highly recommended.
Red herrings abound and are
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convincingly drawn - different potential criminals are held up until the reader feels slightly nervous in every scene, wondering if this is when the other shoe will drop. All characters, including the village, are carefully nuanced and deep.Expertly written, gripping, difficult to out down. Now for the rest in the series.....
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
The body of a teenager is found near the home of a somewhat "slow" man named Magnus Tait who is widely believed to have murdered another teen eight years earlier although no convincing proof was never found and he was never charged. Inspector Jimmy Perez uses his knowledge of the locals as he and
Just about everyone in the book had some motive or opportunity to have murdered the young girl. The conclusion of this book was completely unexpected to me as I had never seriously considered this person a suspect.
Cleeves is a great writer, and I look forward to reading White Nights in the near future.
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the investigators from the mainland set out to discover who is responsible for both murders.Just about everyone in the book had some motive or opportunity to have murdered the young girl. The conclusion of this book was completely unexpected to me as I had never seriously considered this person a suspect.
Cleeves is a great writer, and I look forward to reading White Nights in the near future.
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LibraryThing member cmt100
The killers were a complete surprise--they never occurred to me--but Cleves was fair. There were no hints beforehand, but the fact that they killed was consistent with their characters, when you thought about it. The book was too wordy. There was too much extended third-person narrative about the
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characters' thoughts. The book needed editing. I'm not tempted to read the next installment, although the characters and the descriptions of Shetland were interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member bhowell
This book won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger prize and is the first in a series. Ann Cleeves is a popular crime writer in the UK and this is her introduction to the US market. Her next book, "White Nights" was offered by LIbraryThing in June of 2009 and I am looking forward to receiving my copy.
"Raven
The book is an easy read and perfect for summer reading or a cold winter night.
"Raven
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Black" takes place in winter in a remote hamlet in the Shetland Islands. A teenage girl is murdered and the locals focus on a mentally handicapped man, but as Detective Jimmy Perez investigates, the situation does not seem so simple. Or is it? The isolated community has its own traditions and secrets and outsiders are viewed with some suspicion, hampering the investigation, but the story is fascinating with a strong sense of place.The book is an easy read and perfect for summer reading or a cold winter night.
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LibraryThing member ParadisePorch
This is the first Ann Cleeves work that I’ve read and, once again, I praise the web-site Fantastic Fiction where I can find out what series an author has written and the chronological order of the books in each; and our public library system which allows me to borrow from other library systems in
The Shetland Islands seem a romantic setting for a murder that is decidedly unromantic. Cleeves draws the Shetland island community as closed and suspicious of outsiders, as it likely is–much like most other islands around the world.
If guilt for this murder has to be pinned on someone local, then simpleton Magnus Tait is the obvious choice. Most people in the community have already decided he was responsible for the disappearance of a young girl eight years previous. But the reader knows Magnus didn’t do it – or did he?
The setting is a little bleak, the detective a little low-key, the subject matter a little dark (but not as taut as, say, a Kathy Reichs serial killer novel), but the plot advances steadily and evenly and there are plenty of clues to the identity of the murderer. But, since there’s also plenty of red herrings, it’s unlikely you’ll figure out who it is until the end of the book. Cleeves manages to make nearly everyone in the area appear to be a possible suspect. In my mind, that is one of the marks of a really good mystery. And this is one.
I’d like to read the other four books in this series (White Nights, Red Bones, and Blue Lightning). Recommended for mystery fans.
A solid four out of five stars.
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our province – in this case, it was the Annapolis Valley Regional Library that lent me this book.The Shetland Islands seem a romantic setting for a murder that is decidedly unromantic. Cleeves draws the Shetland island community as closed and suspicious of outsiders, as it likely is–much like most other islands around the world.
If guilt for this murder has to be pinned on someone local, then simpleton Magnus Tait is the obvious choice. Most people in the community have already decided he was responsible for the disappearance of a young girl eight years previous. But the reader knows Magnus didn’t do it – or did he?
The setting is a little bleak, the detective a little low-key, the subject matter a little dark (but not as taut as, say, a Kathy Reichs serial killer novel), but the plot advances steadily and evenly and there are plenty of clues to the identity of the murderer. But, since there’s also plenty of red herrings, it’s unlikely you’ll figure out who it is until the end of the book. Cleeves manages to make nearly everyone in the area appear to be a possible suspect. In my mind, that is one of the marks of a really good mystery. And this is one.
I’d like to read the other four books in this series (White Nights, Red Bones, and Blue Lightning). Recommended for mystery fans.
A solid four out of five stars.
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LibraryThing member nicx27
A teenage girl, Catherine Ross, is found murdered in the Shetland Isles, and Detective Jimmy Perez is called on to investigate. A local man, loner Magnus Tait, is suspected of the murder, but there appears to be more to this case than meets the eye.
This is a very well-written crime story, with a
Throughout the book I really had no idea 'whodunnit' and right up to the conclusion I still hadn't guessed. I suppose you could say this is the mark of a good crime novel. I'll certainly be reading the next in the series, White Nights.
This is a very well-written crime story, with a
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wonderful, sometimes bleak, backdrop of the Shetlands. This ended up being a very topical time to read it too, with it being set at New Year and there being snow on the ground. I didn't really feel that some of the characterisations were properly filled out, but it didn't seem to matter as the book flowed very well. Throughout the book I really had no idea 'whodunnit' and right up to the conclusion I still hadn't guessed. I suppose you could say this is the mark of a good crime novel. I'll certainly be reading the next in the series, White Nights.
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LibraryThing member sianpr
Great read that keeps you guessing until the last minute
LibraryThing member lincroft
I liked it. Cleeves made so many suspicious characters that it really could have been anyone who commited the murder and it was a surprise.
LibraryThing member fordbarbara
the only mystery series set in Shetland, and Ann spends time on the islands to write with authenticity
LibraryThing member Copperskye
This is a great murder mystery. Set in the Shetland Islands, the story kept me guessing until the end. I found it to be well written, I loved all of the quirky townspeople, and am looking forward to reading the next installment.
LibraryThing member blockbuster1994
This book was a fun read and although I was derailed by other life activities, I throughly enjoyed the story. The atmosphere and mystic of the Shetland Islands were a welcome experience. I found Cleeves to be descriptive, but not overbearing. Her characters were well developed. I will certainly
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read her next work. Show Less
LibraryThing member Risa15
Set in the Shetland Islands, this is a well written mystery about a teenage girl who is found strangled. The town implicates Magnus who is somewhat impaired because several years ago a young girl went missing and he was the main suspect The detective handling the case is a very nice guy and with
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the help of another detective from out of time solves the case. Show Less
LibraryThing member arkgirl1
This is the first book in a quartet set in the Shetlands and features an intriguing Inspector, Jimmy Perez, who has a quiet contemplative approach to policing. A young girl is found in the snow close to the house of a recluse who many locals feel was responsible ... This book has satisfying twists
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and turns, a few annoying coincidences, and ultimately is a satisfying crime novel with an excellent sense of place. Show Less
Physical description
375 p.; 21 cm
Pages
375