Shetland Island Books

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Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series is set in the Shetland Islands which is the most northerly community in all of the United Kingdom. They are actually closer to Norway than they are to Edinburgh and the terrain looks far more like Scandinavia than what you would expect from a typical UK community. The books focus on Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez from Fair Isle, and he works on a number of mysteries involved the Shetland Islanders. The mysteries tend to be quiet and intense, much like life out on the Shetland Islands.

Ann Cleves is the writer behind the critically acclaimed television series, VERA, which is currently in its third season. The Shetlands is also another well-received television series, which was first aired in 2012. The VERA Stanhope book series has been set in the Northumberland and features Vera Stanhope, together with Joe Ashworth, her partner. Anne Cleves was raised in Herefordshire, and later on in North Devon. Clevees father used to be a village schoolteacher.

After Ann Cleeves dropped from the University, she decided to take several temporary jobs such as women’s refuge leader, child care officer, auxiliary coastguard, and a bird observatory cook. Eventually, she decided to head back to College, where she undertook probation training. While Ann Cleeves was working on the Bird Observatory, she met with her husband Tim, who at the time was a visiting orthinologist.

Soon after Anne and Tim got married, Tim was named as the warden of Hilbre, which happens to be a reserve located on a tiny island. Anne and Cleves were the only residents on the island. On the Island, there was no access to water or electricity and to access the mainland, the two were to wait for the low tides. In the year 1987, Anne, Tim and their three daughters decided to relocate to Northumberland, because the region would provide various titles for future novels.

Shetland Island Books into Movies

The Shetland Island books have been the subject to adaptation in multiple forms.

Raven Black was adapted as a radio show in both the United Kingdom and Germany. The book’s story was aired and was quite the hit among listeners. The book was adapted by Iain Finlay MacLeod for BBC4’s Saturday Play. The Radio Times review called it “an exquisitely original story” and listed it as an “absolute must for crime drama fans.”

Red Bones was also adapted, this time for television, as the book became the BBC Scotland series drama “Shetland”. Douglas Henshall plays Detective Jimmy Perez in the series, and Alison O’Donell plays Detective Sergeant Alison Macintosh with Steven Robertson as Detective Constable Sandy Wilson. The series has been well received with multiple seasons and a 2016 BAFTA Scotland award going to Douglas Henshall for best actor.

The series has won numerous awards from BAFTA Scotland and also been recognized by the British Society of Cinematographers. The show airs in numerous countries and has gained much interest in America thanks to its appearance on PBS and Netflix.

Best Shetland Island Books

Raven Black: While the VERA book series has been set in Northumberland, the Raven Black book series has been set on Shetland Island. One of the strongest aspects in any of the work that Ann Cleves has done is the setting. Author Ann Cleves can describe places in her books, such that the readers will feel as if- they have been transported to the various location. The various descriptions of the sea, land, and towns are detailed ensuring that the readers feel a real sense of place and time.

All her characters are down to earth individuals and very believable. In Raven Black, author Ann Cleeves introduces the readers to two girls Sally and Magnus who have just stepped from a New Year’s Eve party. Caroline and Sally are still tipsy from the wine that they took. They dare themselves into visiting, Magnus Tait. For such a long time, the entire community of Shetland Island has viewed old man, Magnus Tait as an outcast.

Because he is odd looking and slow minded, Magnus Tait is believed to be somehow involved in the disappearance of a young girl, so many years ago. The two girls decide to share the little wine that they had with Magnus Tait. Once the drink was over, Sally and Caroline decided to go back home.

Several nights later, Caroline was coming back home from one of the famous, Duncan Parties. Along the way, Caroline meets with Magnus Tait, who had just come back from a shopping-tip. On the following morning, Caroline’s body is discovered, a few meters from the local school. Once again, the main suspect in the killing of another young girl is Magnus Tait.

White Nights: The second installment in the Shetland Islands book series. In White Nights, author Ann Cleves writes about flawed, real and likable characters, who are in bad emotional states because of their evil and violent acts. The narratives that Ann Cleeves tells are proof that Cleeves has looked deeply into the human nature.

Everyone in White Nights is running away from their hurts. However, the flight of these characters is somewhat inevitable. Jimmy Perez is not able to run away from his co-dependance. Fran, on the other hand, cannot run from her rather seething ambition. Bella, on the other hand, cannot run from her self-driven persona.

Other Book Series You May Like

The “Lady Katherine” book series by authors Leighan Dobbs and Harmony Williams is another exhilarating mystery. An Invitation to Murder is the first installment in the Lady Katherine book series. The book begins as Lady Katherine has a few days to catch a ribbon killer. Katherine has to stop another killing and also prove that she has the detections skills that her father was best known for having.

What Is The Next Book in The Shetland Island Series?

There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Shetland Island Series. The newest book is Wild Fire and was released on September, 4th 2018.

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