Ann Cleeves is the author of over thirty critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez, who can now be found on television in ITV’s Vera and BBC One’s Shetland. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide.
Before she started writing, Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard. She is a member of ‘Murder Squad’, working with other northern British writers to promote crime fiction. Ann is also a passionate champion for libraries and was a National Libraries Day Ambassador. Ann lives in North Tyneside near where the Vera books are set.