Book Stop Corner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


No one knew he had this beautiful creature to visit him.
She was his treasure, the raven in his cage.
----Ann Cleeves, Raven Black

Ann Cleeves, the award-winning British crime author, penned her first book in the Shetland series called, Raven Black , which later went on to win the The Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger in the year 2006. Raven Black cannot be compared to atypical crime novel, instead, this book promises us with a mystery that will only pull us more into its darker side, and also it promises us with one of the finest detectives in the British Literature- DI Jimmy Perez.

Synopsis:
It is a cold January morning and Shetland lies buried beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a vivid splash of colour on the white ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbour Catherine Ross. As Fran opens her mouth to scream, the ravens continue their deadly dance . . .

The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man - loner and simpleton Magnus Tait. But when police 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 neighbours nervously lock their doors, whilst a killer lives on in their midst.


Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series has been turned into a major TV series of BBC One network called Shetland. And I’ve watched them all and loved them all, especially DI Jimmy Perez.

Honestly speaking, Raven Black is a far better book than Cleeves latest book, Dead Water. Raven Black is not only a crime novel, but it also explores the aspects of teenage friendships, past regrets and madness.

Raven Black has not many twists or turns and it is even easy to predict the killer’s true identity. Then why it is a better book? Well Cleeves writing is extraordinarily exquisite and articulate. While reading the book, you feel like the whole story is simply unfolding right in front of your eyes and that you’re standing on one of the cliffs of Shetland and watching the whole drama with your own eyes. The narration is crystal clear and free-flowing like a river- I will say easy to comprehend. The whole investigation taking place in Shetland is described intricately and vividly.

What can I say about Cleeves protagonist- DI Jimmy Perez? I’m more drawn to his loneliness. Cleeves portrayed Perez as a widower with a step-daughter, Cassie and as a brave, strong man whose determination will keep you hooked on to the story. In BBC One’s Shetland series, Douglas Henshall plays the role of DI Jimmy Perez and he completely justifies his demeanour from flaunting the local Shetland accent to always maintaining that serious look on his face.

Cleeves created rest of the supporting characters skilfully by portraying their past to let us know them on a personal basis, hence leaving room for us to judge them on our opinions. Another striking character which made me love this book wad Magnus Tait- a daft man, more like stupid man who had no idea what to say at the right moments- a loner. Shetlanders boycotted him and that made his activities more suspicious. Magnus is the suspected killer but while I was reading about him, it made me more drawn to his sorry state, rather than hating him.

I’d like to hats off to the author for painting the backdrop of Raven Black so distinctly. Shetland is a small Scottish Island where the weather remains cold, dark, windy, chilly and rainy 365 days in a year. And Cleeves captured them all with such sharpness that you can almost feel the wind on your skin and the salty taste of the breeze on your tongue. The lush green and the ocean blue landscapes will invite you into the heart of Shetland. In one word, Raven Black is an intriguing story that will keep you guessing till the very end and will compel your wits to unravel this puzzling mystery.

Verdict: A must read novel that will keep you engaged from its very first page, and if you want to explore a very English island, then you must definitely read this book.

Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Ann Cleeves, for providing me with a copy of her book, in return for an honest review.
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Author Info:
Ann Cleeves is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands...
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer. 
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