The Raging Storm
The Raging Storm is the new mystery novel by award-winning author Ann Cleeves, out now in the both the UK and the US. Matthew Venn must unravel a third case, set in a remote fishing village in the area of North Devon where he - and Ann - grew up.
When Jem Rosco - sailor, adventurer and local legend - blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. The residents think nothing of it when Rosco disappears again; that's the sort of man he is.
Until the lifeboat is launched to a hoax call-out during a raging storm and his body is found in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own....
"Cleeves crafts a devilishly intricate mystery that will surprise even seasoned genre fans, and Venn remains an appealing lead every bit as memorable as the author's Vera Stanhope or Jimmy Perez. Cleeves's fans and newcomers alike will be hungry for the next entry."
"A surprising denouement moves this character-based mystery to the top tier."
"an atmospheric police procedural that builds on the other books while introducing fascinating suspects."
Read more about The Raging Storm.
Vera visits Lindisfarne
The latest Vera Stanhope mystery by award-winning author Ann Cleeves is The Rising Tide, now available in paperback in the UK and US. It takes her much-loved detective Vera Stanhope to the beautiful tidal island of Lindisfarne. ITV's Vera, played by the one and only Brenda Blethyn (pictured above) heads to Lkndisfarne to solve the mystery in a feature-length adaptation of The Rising Tide, which will be broadcast later this year. It will be a lanfmark rposode for Twam Vera, as Kenny Doughty, who has played DS Aidan Healey since 2015, and Ibinabo Jack, (DC Jacqueline 'Jac' Williams) have both announced their departure from the drama. But series 13 - filming in summer 2023 - does welcome back an old friend: David Leon returns as Vera's sidekick Joe Ashworth.
While we are waiting for it to air, VERA series 1 - 12 is available on ITVX.
In The Rising Tide, a group of teenagers spent a weekend on Holy Island: that was fifty years ago, but it forged a bond that has lasted a lifetime. They still return every five years to celebrate their friendship, and remember the friend they lost to the rising waters of the causeway at the first reunion.
When one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . .
But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . .
ITV's DCI Vera Stanhope, played by the one and only Brenda Blethyn (pictured above) heads to Lkndisfarne to solve the mystery in in a feature-length adaptation of The Rising Tide, which will be broadcast ;ater this year. It will be a lanfmark rposode for Twam Vera, as Kenny Doughty, who has played DS Aidan Healey since 2015, and Ibinabo Jack, (DC Jacqueline 'Jac' Williams) have both announced their departure from the drama. But series 13 - filming in summer 2023 - does welcome back an old friend: David Leon returns as Vera's sidekick Joe Ashworth.
Meanwhile, VERA series 1 - 12 is available on ITVX.
And if you are wondering why Vera is so familiar with the tidal island that provides her latest case with its spectacular setting, you can download a FREE Kindle single story The Woman on the Island, about Vera's previous visits to Lindisfarne (includes a taster of the first chapters of The Rising Tide!)
Read all about The Rising Tide here. Or read more about all things Vera - in print and on TV - here.
Ann Cleeves - a paragon of inspiration!
Ann Cleeves has been presented with the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award, in recognition of her impressive writing career. The announcement was made at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate during the opening ceremony for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. Ann is the author of more than thirty-five critically acclaimed novels, is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, all three of whom have made the transition to television. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the imaginations of millions worldwide.
Ann served as the first Reader-in-Residence at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003 and has played a significant role in the crime writing community since then. Her book The Long Call was chosen for 2023's Big Read, the North's biggest book club, which takes the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival on tour to libraries across the north of England to promote literacy and reading for pleasure in local communities. In 2021 she launched the Reading for Wellbeing Project with local authorities in the North East, advocating for reading as a way to improve mental health and well-being and support access to books.
Ann Cleeves is the latest in a line of acclaimed authors who have received the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Award: previous winners include Sir Ian Rankin, Lynda La Plante, James Patterson, John Grisham, Lee Child, Val McDermid, P.D. James and last year's recipient Michael Connelly. Ann said, on receiving the award: "The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate has always been a very special festival for me because I was in at the beginning. I'm delighted to accept this award and to help the team celebrate 20 years of brilliant crime writing."
Simon Theakston, Executive Director of Theakston, commented: "Deservedly taking home the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution prize, Ann Cleeves stands as a paragon of inspiration, and her unparalleled talent has paved the way for countless aspiring crime writers; we're delighted that we're with her to celebrate."
Reading for Wellbeing - news!
Ann (pictured above at a celebration event at The Word, South Shields, in February 2023) announces that "Our Reading for Wellbeing website has gone live. Of interest if you work in libraries, public health or social prescribing. Check it out for info & a video of participants explaining its impact."
See the Reading for Wellbeing website here.
Ann Cleeves Classic Crime
Book Break guides you through the books of Ann Cleeves: you may know Vera Stanhope, but did you know about Ann's first series set in Vera's county of Northumberland, featuring Inspector Stephen Ramsay? Or maybe you've read all of the Shetland books, but didn't know about Ann's standalone titles. Or maybe you'd like to read some short stories next...?
Some of Ann's classic crime novels will be easier to find in the future, with a series of new editions from Pan Macmillan. 2023 started with two stunning standalone mysteries, The Sleeping and the Dead and Burial of Ghosts: now readers have the chance to discover Ann's very first detective series, featuring George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher - helped by his wife, Molly.
Start with A Bird in the Hand: Young Tom French is found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they? ...
And then watch out for new additions to the cataligue of Ann Cleeves Classic Crime, as they appear. More details of Ann Cleeves's stand-alone mysteries, and other books here.
"I do love Vera!"
Val McDermid
In true Agatha Christie style, Cleeves once again pulls the wool over our eyes with cunning and conviction
Colin Dexter
A most satisfying mystery set in an isolated and intriguing location
Peter Robinson
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Last update: 6th September 2023.