Raven Black

Book One of the Shetland Island Quartet

By: Ann Cleeves

Narrated by: Gordon Griffin

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Long a celebrated crime writer in Britain, Ann Cleeves' fame went international when she won the coveted Duncan Lawrie Dagger for this amazing suspense novel, Raven Black. Like Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse or Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks, Cleeves' new detective, Inspector Jimmy Perez, is a very private and perceptive man whose bailiwick is a remote hamlet in the Shetland Islands. It is a cold January morning, and Shetland lies beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a splash of color on the frozen ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbor, Catherine Ross. The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man - loner and simpleton Magnus Tait. But when detective Jimmy Perez and his colleagues from the mainland 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 neighbors nervously lock their doors while a killer lives on in their midst.

Ann Cleeves is sure to dazzle US mystery listeners with this unforgettable series debut. This series is the basis for the hit BBC show Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall, which attracted over 12 million viewers in its first two nights on the air.

©2006 Ann Cleeves (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Interesting Place & Great Characters for a Series

I love a book that has me researching the internet and my atlas for more information about the place. The Shetlands was the perfect location for the moody feel of this story. I can see why Ann Cleeves is a beloved author of thrillers from the United Kingdom. I particularly liked how the mood and place were as much a part of the story as the people and plotting. All were developed gradually and consistently. Jimmy Perez is a detective I will follow for as many selections that Audible will provide -- which I hope will be many. The narration was excellent.

Sometimes the story slowed down, but in the end, it all makes sense, and I was surprised by the outcome. I noticed in my research that the BBC has a 2014 TV series called "Shetland" that is based on Ann Cleves stories of Jimmie Perez. This TV series is not available in the US yet, but I will be checking regularly. I would love to watch them, too.

A bit slow to get started

I've heard so many great things about this author so I had to find out for myself. I'm a fan of the "Vera" and "Shetland" tv adaptations so there's another reason to read the books.

It was interesting enough but I found it rather slow and drawn out. The descriptions of Shetland and its customs are quite well done. I will continue with the series.

Good- but 2hours too long

Good story- maybe even great. Good narration. I'm a big fan of Anne Cleeves work, this one felt tedious. I think it needed some trimming up. The detail into each character's background and thoughts is excellent but that's where it got tedious it was almost 12 hours I think and it could have easily been cut down to 9- 9.5. Definitely worth the listen particularly if you're a fan of her other books.
I love both tv series 'Vera' and 'Shetland' . predictably this is very different then the show w a few character's being portrayed differently . I personally think both book and tv series 'Shetland' are very good. However, w the ' Vera' series I think the books are much better. I'm not sure how other 'Shetland's' tv series fans will like the changes they see in this book though. Again, I think it's worth a listen especially if you're a fan of Cleeves other work.

Slow rolling, but okay

It's a good story with an unpredictable twist, but a bit slow going for my taste. Take my review with a grain of salt however, I don't typically listen to this genre, I'm an avid Stephen King fan. The narrator did do a good job and was consitant with the characters and the plot twist was unexpected and appreciated.

Intriguing Mystery

Intriguing characters and a slow burn plot with an ending I did not see coming. I liked Perez very much, he was sympathetic to the families of the victims and he brought a very humanistic quality to his duties. I liked that he was shown as a not perfect, by the book detective, which made his character very likable. I also liked that the story is told from different perspectives, giving more depth to what has happened and how the investigation is progressing.

The narrator did very well. I had no trouble following along with the different characters.

meh

Well written prose, but characters were unsympathetic and not believable. Good narration, not enough engagement in characters and story to finish it.

Use your credit!

I could not have imagined how it ended, a really surprising twist that isn’t so unbelievable that it cheapens the experience leading up to it. The sensory language is well developed which really helped build up the story, really take you there. To almost feel cold and damp with the characters made it haunting. I am excited to move to the next book in the series, I’m very glad I went for it.

Interesting story

So many crime mysteries are so patently implausible as to be ridiculous. This story is engaging without being completely ridiculous. Good characters with genuine interpersonal relationships. It is a good read (or listen). The narration is excellent.

Narrator can't get Perez's name right

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Sure it was an interesting story and I enjoyed most of the characters.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

There were a few issues around the fact that this book is based in Scotland and the narrator is English, but beyond that I found myself correcting him every single time he mispronounced the main character's name...that's just the worst in an audio book. His pronunciation of Perez was pathetic and annoying and detracted from the book for me in a very big way.

Good story, but tedious

The story was very long and drawn out. It became tedious to listen to after a while.