Ann Cleeves

A Lesson in Dying

Detective:   Inspector Ramsey
Location::    North East England (Heppleburn)
Time:         1990s
Genre:       Police Procedural

This is the first in the Ann Cleeves Inspector Ramsay novels and possibly recently re-published following the success of her later Vera Stanhope and Shetland novels.

The plot is based on the murder of an unpopular headteacher at a small village school and between the staffroom and the parents' association there are a number of likely suspects. When the head's wife is arrested the school caretaker and his daughter (a member of the parents' association) begin their own investigation and after some hesitation Ramsay accepts their support.

Blackmail is uncovered and other deaths follow before the conclusion which has a nice twist.

Ann Cleeves' websie

Ann Cleeves

The Shetland Quartet
           Raven Black
           White Nights
           Red Bones
           Blue Lightning

Detective: Inspector Jimmy Parez
Time:        Present
Location   Shetland Islands
Genre        Scots Noir

For novels in the sequence, which I read in quick succession. Set in various locations around the Shetland Isles the stories are nicely constructed, each with a good twist towards the end, while giving an interesting insight into life in this remote part of the United Kingdom. Jimmy Parez is a local lad, descended from an Armada survivor in tue with the crofting traditions of the area.

The back story involves his developng romance with an artist incomer although the story ends in tragedy.

Rating A+

Ann Cleeves Website