Book info

• Title Raven Black
• Author Ann Cleeves
• Year 2009
• Genre Mystery

A remote community with a killer in their midst... On New Year’s Day, Shetland lies buried beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a vivid splash of colour on the white ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbour. As Fran opens her mouth to scream, the ravens continue their deadly dance... The body is found close to the home of a lonely outcast and local suspicion falls firmly on him. But when Inspector Jimmy Perez insists on broadening the search for suspects, a veil of distrust and fear is thrown over the entire community. As the case develops, Perez finds himself peering deeper into the past of the Shetland Islands than anyone wants to go.

Thoughts

My overriding feeling on reading this book is melancholy - from the wintry setting and the isolation felt by almost all of the characters. Even though it’s a small and tight-knit community, there seems to be a distance between all of them which only goes to add to the mystery of who can possibly have committed the murder.

I had my guesses and was totally wrong, and whilst I’m on board with the perpetrator, the reason behind it didn’t seem to be a good enough motive? But who am I to say, living in that community might be enough to send anyone a bit loopy.

Good story, very emotive, and it’s nice to have a detective that is just a good guy with no major trauma going on in his life - the biggest issue being whether to make a decision that will disappoint his parents. Good times.

Rating: 3 / 5