Recently, Jeff Smith mentioned that one of his favorite mystery writers was Ann Cleeves. Then, the other day Jeff Meyerson sent me a link to an Ann Cleeves short story, “Missing in the Snow” (you can read the short story here).
I enjoyed this domestic mystery story where a search for a missing person produces some startling results. Are you a fan of Ann Cleeves? GRADE: B
I tried to get the story after sending you the link, but I couldn’t get it to come through, so I used your link to get it now.
I like the television adaptations of Cleeves’ Shetland and Vera series, though I have not read any of the books in either series yet. I have read her newer Matthew Venn series (and seen the adaptation).
Jeff, glad the link worked! I have several Ann Cleeves novels on my shelves waiting to be read. This Summer for sure!
I’ve read a number of her books—more of the Vera Stanhopes than the Jamie Perez/Shetlands. I love the tv adaptations with Brenda Blethyn as the indomitable Vera Stanhope, but I think the Shetlands ran off the rails after a couple of seasons: instead of focusing on what happens when crimes are committed in isolated places with limited resources, the series went full-on human-trafficking/drug-smuggling/organized-crime stories. I got tired of that pretty quickly.
True. I hate those trafficking stories.
Jeff, I’m tired of trafficking stories and serial killers. Too much repetition!
Deb, like you I get turned off when a TV series departs from the books it’s based on and ends up in the weeds.
Never read the books but like the series although I agree with what Deb said. Drug and sex trafficking really bores me. I also got tired of it in several other British series.
Patti, I know drug and sex trafficking is increasing all over the world, but surely there are other types of crimes to investigate!
Sadly, they have life-and-death consequences and Lures of Vice that anything else, aside from murder straight up, doesn’t as readily have, particularly for the audiences who have not been reading crime fiction, nor watched as much crime drama…
Haven’t yet read Cleeves and have only seen a bit of the adaptations, so far.
Todd, Jeff Smith considers Ann Cleeves to be one of his favorite writers. That’s good enough for me! I have some of Cleeves’s novels waiting to be read.
Note, for example, the currently endless run of LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. Not quite up to German television’s TATORT, but stalking it.
I’ve never read her, not surprisingly! I guess if I want to hear about drug and sex trafficking I’ll just watch footage of the porous southern border!
George, I do like Ann Cleeves’ writing. I have read a few books from three of her series: two from the Inspector Ramsay series (from the 1990s); three books from the Vera series, and the first four books in the Shetland series. They have great settings.
Tracy, I may try watching some of the TV series on PBS based on Ann Cleaver’s novels.
This short story is nothing at all like Cleeves’s novels, which are in the third person and move from viewpoint character to viewpoint character, fleshing out the characterization.
Jeff, I moved some Ann Cleeves novels to the top of the Read Real Soon stack based on your recommendations.