Ann Cleeves Books in Order: Vera, Shetland, and Two Rivers Explained

Ann Cleeves Books in Order

Some crime writers give you a puzzle. Ann Cleeves gives you a place. The windswept cliffs of Shetland, the moors of Northumberland, the river towns of North Devon. Her settings feel so real that you can almost smell the sea air. If you want to read the Ann Cleeves books in order, you are about to spend time in some of the most vivid corners of British crime fiction.

Cleeves has written more than 35 novels across several series. Three of them became hit TV shows, and two new books landed in the last year alone. This guide sorts out every major series, shows you where to start, and covers what she has planned next.

Who Is Ann Cleeves?

Ann Cleeves is an English author who has been writing mysteries since the 1980s. She worked as a cook at a bird observatory on Fair Isle in Shetland, where she met her late husband, Tim. That time in the far north planted the seed for her best-known work.

She is a winner of the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger, the top honor in British crime writing. Her books are quiet, character-driven, and full of small-town tension rather than gore. They suit readers who like slow-burn mysteries with a strong sense of place.

The Main Ann Cleeves Series at a Glance

Vera Stanhope Books in Order

Vera is a sharp, rumpled detective who drinks too much, eats badly, and misses nothing. She first appeared in 1999 and later became the star of a long-running ITV series with Brenda Blethyn.

1. The Crow Trap (1999)
2. Telling Tales (2005)
3. Hidden Depths (2007)
4. Silent Voices (2011)
5. The Glass Room (2012)
6. Harbour Street (2014)
7. The Moth Catcher (2015)
8. The Seagull (2017)
9. The Darkest Evening (2020)
10. The Rising Tide (2022)
11. The Dark Wives (2023)

Vera’s story is not over yet. Pan Macmillan has confirmed one more Vera novel for October 2027. It will be set in Whitley Bay, and Cleeves has said it will be the last.

Ann Cleeves Shetland Series in Order

This is the series that made her famous. Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez is a quiet, thoughtful man with Spanish roots, working on remote islands where everyone knows everyone. The first four books follow a seasonal theme, with titles tied to color and light.

1. Raven Black (2006)
2. White Nights (2008)
3. Red Bones (2009)
4. Blue Lightning (2010)
5. Dead Water (2013)
6. Thin Air (2014)
7. Cold Earth (2016)
8. Wild Fire (2018)

Raven Black won the CWA Gold Dagger, the award for best crime novel of the year. Wild Fire was meant to close the Ann Cleeves Shetland series, and for several years it did.

The Killing Stones: Perez Returns

In 2025, Cleeves brought Jimmy Perez back in The Killing Stones. This time, Perez and Willow Reeves have moved to Orkney, Shetland’s neighbor to the south. It works as the start of a new chapter, and listings already show a second Perez and Willow book planned for 2027.

You can read The Killing Stones on its own, but it hits much harder if you have read the eight Shetland books first. The emotional weight of Perez’s past carries straight into the new story.

Two Rivers Series in Order (Matthew Venn)

The Two Rivers books are set in North Devon, where Cleeves grew up. Detective Inspector Matthew Venn left a strict religious community as a young man and now works in the same area where his family still lives. He is married to Jonathan, who runs a local arts center.

1. The Long Call (2019)
2. The Heron’s Cry (2021)
3. The Raging Storm (2023)
4. The Dying Light (2026)

The Dying Light is her newest novel, published in October 2026. A young woman is found dead in the pool of a luxury holiday home owned by a rising politician, and her best friend is missing. As a heat wave builds, Venn uncovers ties between the victims and the politician’s family.

Early Series and Standalones

Before Vera and Perez, Cleeves wrote two shorter series in the 1980s and 1990s:

• George and Molly Palmer-Jones: Eight cozy mysteries starring a retired Home Office worker and his wife, both birdwatchers. The first is A Bird in the Hand (1986).
• Inspector Stephen Ramsay: A handful of police procedurals set in Northumberland, starting with A Lesson in Dying (1990).

She also wrote standalones, including The Sleeping and the Dead (2001) and Burial of Ghosts (2003). These early Ann Cleeves books are harder to find but show where her style began.

Ann Cleeves Books in Order on TV

Three of her series became television shows, which is how many people first find her work.

• Vera (ITV): Brenda Blethyn starred as Vera for 14 series, from 2011 to early 2025. Cleeves and Blethyn both received Royal Television Society honors for the show.
• Shetland (BBC): Douglas Henshall played Jimmy Perez starting in 2013. Later series moved past the books and brought in new leads.
• The Long Call (ITV): A 2021 adaptation of the first Two Rivers book.

The shows often change plots, killers, and even characters. If you watched them first, the books will still surprise you.

Should You Read the Ann Cleeves Books in Order?

Within each series, yes. Each book has a self-contained case, but the detectives’ personal lives build over time. This matters most in the Shetland books, where a major event in book four shapes everything after it.

Across series, order does not matter much. You can start with Vera, Shetland, or Two Rivers and switch whenever you like. The only cross-over is The Killing Stones, which you should save until after the Shetland books.

Where Should You Start?

It depends on your taste:

• If you like a tough, funny lead: Start with The Crow Trap, the first Vera book.
• If you want atmosphere and isolation: Start with Raven Black. It is a near-perfect entry point.
• If you want something newer and more modern in tone: Start with The Long Call.
• If you watched Shetland on TV: Go to Raven Black, then read the series in order before The Killing Stones.

Tips for Reading Her Work

• Pick one series and finish it. Jumping between them is fine, but finishing one gives you the full character arc.
• Try the audiobooks. The regional voices add a lot, especially in the Shetland and Vera books.
• Read in season. The Shetland books feel great on dark winter nights.
• Plan for 2027. With the final Vera and a new Perez book both expected, next year is a big one for fans.

Common Questions About Ann Cleeves Books in Order

Which series should I read first? If you only pick one, choose Shetland. It is her most celebrated work, and Raven Black gives you a full taste of her style in one book.

Do I need to watch the TV shows first? No. The books came first, and they go deeper into each detective’s thoughts. Many fans read the books after the shows and find them richer.

Is the final Vera book really the last? Cleeves has said so. The October 2027 novel will close Vera’s story, so if you want to finish the Ann Cleeves books in order before then, now is a good time to start with The Crow Trap.

Are her books violent? Not very. Cleeves focuses on people and motives rather than graphic crime scenes. Most readers would call her books gentle compared to other crime writers.

Where do the Ann Cleeves books in order fit for new mystery fans? They make a great bridge between cozy mysteries and darker police thrillers. If you enjoy Louise Penny or Elly Griffiths, Cleeves is a natural next step, and the Ann Cleeves books in order give you years of reading ahead.

Final Thoughts

The Ann Cleeves books in order span four decades, three big series, and a fresh return to Jimmy Perez. Start with The Crow Trap, Raven Black, or The Long Call, then follow that series to the end. With The Dying Light out now and the final Vera coming in 2027, there has never been a better time to work through the Ann Cleeves books in order.

Key Takeaways

• Ann Cleeves writes three major series: Vera Stanhope (11 books), Shetland (8 books), and Two Rivers (4 books).
• The Vera series starts with The Crow Trap (1999). A final Vera novel is confirmed for October 2027, set in Whitley Bay.
• The Ann Cleeves Shetland series runs from Raven Black (2006) to Wild Fire (2018).
• The Killing Stones (2025) brings Jimmy Perez back, now in Orkney with Willow Reeves. Read it after the Shetland books.
• The Two Rivers series follows DI Matthew Venn in North Devon. The Dying Light (October 2026) is the newest book.
• Read each series in order, since the detectives’ personal lives build from book to book.
• Vera, Shetland, and The Long Call all became TV shows, but the books differ in many ways.
• Raven Black is often called the best entry point for new readers.