Customer Reviews

Raven Black (Shetland Quartet 1)

5 star:		(161)
4 star:		(98)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This novel won the Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie Dagger for 2006. It is the first Ann Cleeves book I've read, and it won't be the last. It's a neatly constructed crime novel, perfectly paced and beautifully written - the psychological crime novel meets the old-fashioned whodunit.

The novel begins at New Year in the Shetland home of elderly Magnus Tait. A few days later an incomer to the island, Fran Hunter, discovers the body of teenager Catherine Ross in the snow not far from the old man's house. The islanders believe Tait had murdered a young schoolgirl, Catriona Bruce, eight years before and are all certain who must have murdered Catherine. Thrown into this psychological mix is Jimmy Perez, the lonely detective assigned to the case. Jimmy is `emotional incontinent', and you would think he would have trouble suspecting anyone of murder. And yet, slowly but surely, he uncovers the strained relationships and hidden secrets that lead him to the killer.

The sense of place is tremendous - the cold and the isolation are tangible. And the author has captured perfectly the sense of a community seemingly united but with tensions and divisions just below the surface. There are echoes of the cult movie The Wicker Man, with the outsider policeman coming to Shetland to solve the murder against the background of the forthcoming Up Helly Aa fire festival.

There is a fairly large cast of characters, and therefore many suspects, but Ann Cleeves draws each of them well, giving them unique voices of their own. There are clues and red herrings, and I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery before Perez finally discovers the identity of the murderer. And despite my amateur sleuthing, I was completely wrong and satisfyingly surprised when the killer was revealed. The identity of Catriona's killer is also uncovered (I got that wrong, too!) as the novel reaches its satisfying climax.

There are three more novels promised in this series, and I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the next one.

'Twenty past one in the morning on New Year's Day. Magnus knew the time because of the fat clock, his mother's clock, which squatted on the shelf over the fire.'

The opening lines introduce a Shetland islander waiting to be first footed on New Year's Eve, even though nobody has visited him for years. The novel quickly sets up both the mystery aspects and the psychological thriller aspects of this story. Magnus has been isolated from the rest of this small island community for years. The novel is partly an exploration of the history of this and whether it is justified. As readers, Cleeves places us like the camera that one of the girl victims held up to this island community - we see the pieces and try to fit them together to solve the mystery. The sense of place is excellent and Jimmy Perez is an intriguing detective that we want more of - so I'm not surprised that this will be the first in a series. Perez is descended from a Spaniard wrecked on the Fair Isles and the novel deals with the themes of heredity and inheritance as well as exclusion.

I found this novel because it won the 2006 Duncan Lawrie Dagger for best crime novel and will now read more Cleeves.

Easy to see why this novel won the 2006 Dagger award for best crime novel.
The body of young schoolgirl Catherine Ross ios discovered one morning immediately the close knit community suspect local man Magnus Tait a simpleton who was previously suspected of having killed another girl who disappeared years before on this normally quiet island of Shetland.

Ann Cleeves perfectly paints the picture of the small island where everyone seems to know everyone else's business, the job of solving the murder falls to local detective Jimmy Perez whose hardest job seems to be convincing his team not to jump to conclusions like the locals is perfect any other author and you want bet Perez would be from the city and struggling to deal with this closed community but instead Perez comes from an even smaller more remote island.

There are characters galore and therefore plenty of suspects, I really can't see anyone reading this and guessing the murderer of either of the girls. Is it the same person or someone different ? There aren't that many similarities between the two victims or are there ? Yet when the motives are explained it was entirely plausible.

One other reviewer mentioned The Wicker man and I agree it was something I thought of frequently whilst reading this as much is written on the build on to the Up Helly Aa celebration which seems very similar to the pagan festival in Wicker Man. I think though the book benefitted from not having the outside policeman sent to investigate but instead having Perez already based there.

I note with interest that the author plans to write a Shetland Quartet of novels featuring Inspector Perez with the next White Nights due 4th April 2008. I will certainly by reading that as this was a gripping thriller brilliantly written.

A big story set on a small island

A modern slick crime thriller set in the Shetlands. On a bleak, windswept and snowy landscape a girl's body is discovered and all suspicion falls upon 'troll' Magnus Tait. As the story develops it appears he may have 'previous' but did he do it?

Ms Cleeves has clearly done extensive research on both the geography and history of the Shetlands, as the novel covers the period between the New Year and the 'Up Helly Aa' celebrations. She has a pacy style with short sentences and punchy chapters that immediately drew me in and the novel sped by.

Well, it sped by until three quarters of the way through, at which point I began to feel like the jockey on board Crisp in the Grand National. The book suddenly meandered and struggled for the finishing line to deliver an implausible and second-rate finish. It is still a good read but not an excellent one.

This mystery is set in the Shetlands in winter, and the weather was a character -- I felt cold through the whole book. There are wonderful twists and turns to the plot, and the characters are extremely well-drawn; you understand how each of them thinks and care about them. I look forward to the next in the series.

Anne Cleeves' 'Raven Black' perfectly catches the spirit of Shetland, it's people and the tight-knit communities that make up these remote islands. Her cast are beautifully realistic and the rendering of the landscapes allows you to picture the scenes with crystal clarity. Capturing the unique character of the Shetland people and that of the 'Incomers', or 'Soothmoothers', that are attempting to adapt and integrate has leant an uncannily accurate, real-life feel to her fictional story. The subdued undercurrent of tension between the islanders and the Mainlanders who arrive, thinking that they are more cosmopolitan and worldly-wise than the locals, nicely demonstrates the quiet, knowing confidence of a population who are far more cultured and cosmopolitan than a visitor would suspect. Anne works this into the general feel of the novel and also evokes memories of the trials and tribulations of childhood and family life.

The plot and its main and supporting characters build and progress evenly, elevating the suspense and developing it all the way to a most satisfying and unsuspected ending. I do not normally read crime novels and only did so on this occassion because of its location but I would recommend Anne's book wholeheartedly to all, but especially to Shetlanders and anyone else that is in love with the 'Auld Rock'.

This is a professional job, effectively enough done by a writer who knows how to do it.

It's confident but understated, nothing too exciting, and consequently nothing special.

I like the policeman, Jimmy Perez, a sympathetic character in both senses, and I will tune in to #2 to follow his story; other characters are less well drawn, and the Shetland setting adds little that is unique (see Peter May's Lewis trilogy for the sort of thing I mean).

I disagree with 'Hitting the Wall' (3 star review) about the pace: on the contrary, I found this quite a stately read until about three quarters of the way through; then it picks up before, yes, I concede, a pedestrian resolution to the plot.

Read this because of the award it picked up and the book doesnt disappoint.

The author makes great use of the location and the characterisation is good enough that you can keep up with all their relationships with each other - to be expected on an island.

The book is a genuine page turner - short chapters end, time is getting on, but you are left wanting to read the next one just to find out what happened. This is a major credit and a long time since a crime book has done this for me.

On reflection, the plot doesn't hold out to too much scrutiny and you wonder how much bad luck one woman can have in a community where you dont need to lock the doors but overall, a success.

I loved this book I have also now read all 4 of the Shetland Quartet, all books were really good reads I am sorry in a way that I have finished them. I especially thought the last one "Blue Lightning" had a great climax I will now start to read more of Ann Cleeves.

This novel won the Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie Dagger for 2006. It is the first Ann Cleeves book I've read, and it won't be the last. It's a neatly constructed crime novel, perfectly paced and beautifully written - the psychological crime novel meets the old-fashioned whodunit.

The novel begins at New Year in the Shetland home of elderly Magnus Tait. A few days later an incomer to the island, Fran Hunter, discovers the body of teenager Catherine Ross in the snow not far from the old man's house. The islanders believe Tait had murdered a young schoolgirl, Catriona Bruce, eight years before and are all certain who must have murdered Catherine. Thrown into this psychological mix is Jimmy Perez, the lonely detective assigned to the case. Jimmy is `emotional incontinent', and you would think he would have trouble suspecting anyone of murder. And yet, slowly but surely, he uncovers the strained relationships and hidden secrets that lead him to the killer.

The sense of place is tremendous - the cold and the isolation are tangible. And the author has captured perfectly the sense of a community seemingly united but with tensions and divisions just below the surface. There are echoes of the cult movie The Wicker Man, with the outsider policeman coming to Shetland to solve the murder against the background of the forthcoming Up Helly Aa fire festival.

There is a fairly large cast of characters, and therefore many suspects, but Ann Cleeves draws each of them well, giving them unique voices of their own. There are clues and red herrings, and I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery before Perez finally discovers the identity of the murderer. And despite my amateur sleuthing, I was completely wrong and satisfyingly surprised when the killer was revealed. The identity of Catriona's killer is also uncovered (I got that wrong, too!) as the novel reaches its satisfying climax.

There are three more novels promised in this series, and I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the next one.