Ann Cleeves Books in Order

Ann Cleeves is a bestselling British crime writer best known for the Vera Stanhope, Inspector Ramsay, Shetland, and Two Rivers series. Several of her books have been adapted into successful television series, and in 2025 she also returned to Jimmy Perez in a new spin-off sequence beginning with The Killing Stones.

This page lists all Ann Cleeves books in order, including her series, standalone novels and collections.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

George and Molly Palmer-Jones Series (Books in Order)

The George and Molly Palmer-Jones series follows an amateur sleuthing couple whose birdwatching repeatedly draws them into murder investigations.

Publication Order

1. A Bird In The Hand, 1986
2. Come Death and High Water, 1987
3. Murder In Paradise, 1988
4. A Prey To Murder, 1989
5. Another Man’s Poison, 1992
6. Sea Fever, 1991
7. The Mill On The Shore, 1994
8. High Island Blues, 1996

Inspector Ramsay Series (Books in Order)

The Inspector Ramsay series follows Inspector Stephen Ramsay as he investigates murders in Northumberland.

Publication Order

1. A Lesson In Dying, 1990
2. Murder In My Backyard, 1991
3. A Day In The Death Of Dorothea Cassidy, 1992
4. Killjoy, 1993
5. The Healers, 1995
6. The Baby Snatcher, 1997

Vera Stanhope Series (Books in Order)

The Vera Stanhope series follows Detective Inspector with the Northumberland & City Police Vera Stanhope as she solves crimes using unorthodox methods.

Publication Order

1. The Crow Trap (#1), 1999
2. Telling Tales (#2), 2005
3. Hidden Depths (#3), 2007
4. Silent Voices (#4), 2011
5. The Glass Room (#5), 2012
6. Harbour Street (#6), 2014
7. The Moth Catcher (#7), 2015
8. The Seagull (#8), 2017
9. Frozen (#8.5), 2020
10. The Darkest Evening (#9), 2020
11. The Woman on the Island (#9.5), 2022
12. The Rising Tide (#10), 2022
13. The Dark Wives (#11), 2024

Shetland Series (Books in Order)

The Shetland series follows Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez who investigates murders in the Shetland Islands. Books 1-4 are also called The Four Seasons Quartet, and books 5-8 are called The Four Elements Quartet.

Publication Order

1. Raven Black (#1), 2006
2. White Nights (#2), 2008
3. Red Bones (#3), 2009
4. Blue Lightning (#4), 2010
5. Dead Water (#5), 2013
6. Thin Air (#6), 2014
7. Shetland (#6.5), 2015 (non-fiction book)
8. Cold Earth (#7), 2016
9. Too Good To Be True (#7.5), 2016
10. Wild Fire (#8), 2018
11. Missing in the Snow (#8.5), 2023

Two Rivers Series (Books in Order)

The Two Rivers series follows Detective Matthew Venn and his team who solve cases in North Devon.

Publication Order

also called the Detective Matthew Venn series

1. The Long Call (#1), 2019
2. The Heron’s Cry (#2), 2021
3. The Girls on the Shore (#2.5), 2022
4. The Raging Storm (#3), 2023
5. Dying Light (#4), 2026

Jimmy Perez Series (Books in Order)

The Jimmy Perez series follows Jimmy Perez after he relocated with Willow to Orkney. Although it is a spin-off series, it starts a new chapter in Perez’s life and is best treated as a separate continuation series.

Publication Order

1. The Lonely Man (#0.5), 2025
2. The Killing Stones (#1), 2025
   

Standalone Novels

• The Sleeping and the Dead, 2001
• Burial of Ghosts, 2003

Short Story Collections and Anthologies

Ann Cleeves Biography

Ann Cleeves is one of the UK’s best-known contemporary mystery authors, known for creating Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez, and Matthew Venn. Several of her detective series have been adapted for television.
Official website: anncleeves.com

Ann Cleeves was born in Herefordshire, on October 24, 1954. She grew up in North Devon and later studied English at the University of Sussex before leaving university early.

She worked several temporary jobs, including as a child care officer, women’s refuge leader, auxiliary coastguard, and bird observatory cook at the Fair Isle bird observatory, where she met her husband, ornithologist Tim Cleeves.

She began her writing career with the George Palmer-Jones series, then created then Inspector Ramsay series, Vera Stanhope, Shetland, and Two Rivers series. Her novels are especially known for their strong sense of place, from Northumberland and Devon to Shetland and Orkney.

Ann Cleeves has received major recognition for her contribution to crime fiction, including the CWA Diamond Dagger, and she was appointed OBE for services to reading and libraries. She lives in the North East of England.

Ann Cleeves Book Adaptations

• The Vera Stanhope series – adapted into the ITV drama Vera (2011-2025)
• The Jimmy Perez novels – adapted into the BBC series Shetland (2013-present)
• The Two Rivers series – adapted into the four-part drama The Long Call (2021)

Ann Cleeves Awards and Honors

Awards

• Raven Black – CWA Gold Dagger (2006)
• CWA Diamond Dagger (2017)
• The Long Call – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2020)
• Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award (2023)

Nominations and Shortlists

• CWA Dagger in the Library (2003)
• Dead Water – McIlvanney Prize (2013)
• CWA Dagger in the Library (2015)
• Thin Air – McIlvanney Prize (2015)
• The Moth Catcher – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2016)
• Cold Earth – McIlvanney Prize (2017)
• The Seagull -– Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2018)
• Wild Fire – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2019)
• The Long Call – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2020)
• The Heron’s Cry – Ned Kelly Award, Best International Crime Novel (2022)
• The Heron’s Cry – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2022)
• The Raging Storm – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2024)
• The Dark Wives – Agatha Award, Best Contemporary Novel (2025)
• The Dark Wives – ITW Award, Best Series Novel (2025)
• Parkrun – Short Story Dagger (2025)

Readers Also Liked

Allen Eskens

Rob Sinclair

Tess Gerritsen

William Kent Krueger

Michael Connelly

Louise Penny

Charles Todd

Anne Perry

Ian Rankin

Tana French

Elly Griffiths

Lisa Black

Lynda La Plante

James Lee Burke

Beverly Connor

Kathy Reichs

Suzanne Adair

Jane Harper