Raven Black

Book One of the Shetland Island Quartet

by Ann Cleeves

Hardcover, 384 pages

English language

Published May 29, 2007 by St. Martin's Minotaur.

ISBN:: 978-0-312-35966-9

(10 reviews)

Raven Black begins on New Year's Eve with a lonely outcast named Magnus Tait, who stays home waiting for visitors who never come. But the next morning the body of a murdered teenage girl is discovered nearby, and suspicion falls on Magnus. Inspector Jimmy Perez enters an investigative maze that leads deeper into the past of the Shetland Islands than anyone wants to go.

3 editions

ManyRoads reviewed Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Review of 'Raven Black' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A very winding, twisting, dark mystery.

Chris Aldrich reviewed Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Review of 'Raven Black' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Entertaining enough. I may have ruined it by watching the series first (though I missed this episode somehow.)

alien_sunset reviewed Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Review of 'Raven Black' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

4 1/2 stars
Good writing, the characters were great, i really liked detective Perez, the descriptions of Shetland we amazing and really brought the place alive and the descriptions of knitting, knitwear and woodwork in general made my knitters heart proud. But the mystery was merely ok, not terribly earth shattering, but believable.

Didactylos reviewed Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Review of 'Raven Black' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Atmospheric and cleverly plotted. Well worth the read. Ending came as a shock, not what I was expecting.

dria reviewed Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Review of 'Raven Black' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Good solid mystery with memorable-ish characters (the detective here is no Sherlock, to be sure) and a slightly-telegraphed twist. Enjoyed it enough to immediately buy the follow up (White Nights) when I finished.