Raven Black by Ann Cleeves was first published in 2006. This is the first book by Cleeves that I’ve read, and when I started to read it I realised that it is one that I had seen on TV years ago, but I didn’t remember the ins and outs of it – so carried on reading. I’m glad that I did because there are so many details in the book that you don’t get on TV.
It’s January in Shetland, so it’s freezing and snowy, but the Up Helly Aa celebrations are something to look forward to, even if a lot of the locals see it as being a bit embarrassing, something for the tourists really.
But when Fran Hunter discovers that the splash of red that catches her eye in the distance turns out to be a scarf which has been tightened around the neck of her teenage neighbour Catherine, and the local ravens had already discovered her, the island is gripped with fear.
A young girl had disappeared some years ago and her body had never been found, the locals are suspicious of the man who had been under suspicion back then, but Jimmy Perez isn’t so sure. The mainland police have come over to Shetland to help with the investigation, which Perez doesn’t mind at all, in fact he’s not even sure if he wants to give up his career in the police and go back to his home of Fair Isle where a family croft is now available for him.
I’ll continue with this series as I enjoyed being in the company of Jimmy Perez and his team.
