Ann Cleeves
Ann Cleeves (born 1954) is a British mystery crime writer. She wrote the Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez, and Matthew Venn series, all three of which have been adapted into TV shows. In 2006 she won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for her novel "Raven Black", the first novel in the Jimmy Perez series. Early life and career. Cleeves was born in Herefordshire and brought up in north Devon where she attended Barnstaple Grammar School; she studied English at the University of Sussex but dropped out and then took up various jobs including cook at the Fair Isle bird observatory , auxiliary coastguard, probation officer, library outreach worker and child care officer. Personal life. She lives in Whitley Bay, and is widowed with two daughters. Honours, awards, and media appearences. In 2006 she won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for her novel "Raven Black". In 2014 Cleeves was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Sunderland. In 2015, Cleeves was the Programming Chair for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival & the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. In 2015, she was shortlisted for the Dagger in the Library UK Crime Writers' Association award for  an author's body of work in British libraries (UK). Cleeves was chosen as the 2017 recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers' Association for "sustained excellence" in crime fiction. In February 2019 Ann Cleeves appeared on Desert Island Discs. Cleeves was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to reading and libraries. Bibliography. Vera Stanhope. These novels, except for "The Glass Room", have been dramatized in the television series "Vera" on ITV, which stars Brenda Blethyn in the title role. The programme premiered in May  2011. Shetland Island. In 2013, "Red Bones" was dramatised by David Kane for BBC television as the first episode of the series "Shetland", which stars Douglas Henshall as Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez. Episodes broadcast in 2014 were based on "Raven Black", "Dead Water", and "Blue Lightning". A Shetland Island series travel tie-in preceding the below released "Too Good To Be True". A Shetland Island series novella following the above non-fiction "Shetland" and preceding "Cold Earth". Two Rivers. First book is the adaptive basis for "The Long Call" ITV series starring Ben Aldridge as DI Matthew Venn. TV series  adaptations. The Vera Stanhope novels have been dramatised as the TV detective series "Vera"; the Jimmy Perez novels as the TV series "Shetland"; and the Matthew Venn novel "The Long Call" (from Cleeves' "Two Rivers" book series) as the TV series "The Long Call" (premiered autumn 2021).