• Raven Black

  • Book One of the Shetland Island Quartet
  • By: Ann Cleeves
  • Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
  • Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (3,929 ratings)

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Raven Black  By  cover art

Raven Black

By: Ann Cleeves
Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
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Publisher's summary

Long a celebrated crime writer in Britain, Ann Cleeves' fame went international when she won the coveted Duncan Lawrie Dagger for this amazing suspense novel, Raven Black. Like Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse or Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks, Cleeves' new detective, Inspector Jimmy Perez, is a very private and perceptive man whose bailiwick is a remote hamlet in the Shetland Islands. It is a cold January morning, and Shetland lies beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a splash of color on the frozen ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbor, Catherine Ross. The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man - loner and simpleton Magnus Tait. But when detective Jimmy Perez and his colleagues from the mainland insist on opening out the investigation, a veil of suspicion and fear is thrown over the entire community. For the first time in years, Catherine's neighbors nervously lock their doors while a killer lives on in their midst.

Ann Cleeves is sure to dazzle US mystery listeners with this unforgettable series debut. This series is the basis for the hit BBC show Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall, which attracted over 12 million viewers in its first two nights on the air.

©2006 Ann Cleeves (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

What listeners say about Raven Black

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,927
  • 4 Stars
    1,371
  • 3 Stars
    487
  • 2 Stars
    97
  • 1 Stars
    47
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    2,155
  • 4 Stars
    984
  • 3 Stars
    279
  • 2 Stars
    50
  • 1 Stars
    38
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,688
  • 4 Stars
    1,211
  • 3 Stars
    434
  • 2 Stars
    110
  • 1 Stars
    46

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great start to series, no audio problems anymore

Woo-hoo! I found a new crime series to love. Great setting (Shetland Islands north of Scotland), rich characters, strong plot. In this case, two girls ring the door of a man with mental disabilities on New Year’s Eve as part of a dare. One of them turns up dead a couple of days later, and the small community turns on the man because they’d always blamed him in the disappearance of a little girl years earlier. Bechdel test: Pass. Grade: A-

The narrator does well conveying old men and teen girls, not an easy feat. He gives enough of a hint of accent that you feel transported but without the characters being difficult to understand.

Some reviewers talk about audio problems but as of March 28, 2017, I heard none.

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57 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

A Cozy With Technical Trouble

I wanted to love this award winning thriller but to me it just had too many issues. Several other reviewers commented on production problems and I have to agree with them--it was pretty terrible. There seemed to be a secondary recording that did random parallel voice overs that made no sense at all--and spoke with the narration. It was disturbing and almost jarring. Even more than this the book is most definitely not a thriller but a cozy police procedural. In the end a very slow, plodding and careful story telling and delivery. Can't recommend.

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55 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I Want More!

Last year the local PBS affiliate broadcast several episodes based on this series. At first I wasn't sure if I liked them or not. However, by the end of the second episode I was "hooked".

My reaction to this book was similar. The first 30 minutes or so seemed a little "talky" and slow. I stuck with it, and very soon was completely immersed in the characters and the story. By the time I got to chapter 4 I found it very difficult to stop listening.

If you are looking for non-stop action from page 1, this probably isn't the book for you. If you have the patience to allow the author time to set the scene and introduce some very unique characters then you are likely to be pleased with this book.

The mystery is compelling. A number of characters seemed like possible perpetrators and I was quite surprised when the final solution was revealed. One thing I am sure of is that I intend to read the entire series.

As I listened to this book the narration was never distracting. The character "voices" were well defined, but never over acted. I suspect this is very difficult for an actor to do. Gordon Griffin does it perfectly.

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42 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Couldn't find a weak point.

I am stingy with five star reviews, but five stars it must be for this book. It wasn't perfect, but there weren't any weak points. Kudos to an author who writes a mystery with near perfect tempo, strong character development, and an intriguing plot. And, Cleeves accomplishes this without overt gore, profanity, or sexuality. I hope subsequent books in the series do not become rote. Audible, please more Cleeves.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Defective Production

Good story, excellent reader, problems with the audio, as has been noted by other reviewers. I'll probably just read this somewhere, and return this book, as it is much too disconcerting to hear "Chapter 29" in the middle of a description of our protagonist reeling from a punch in the face -- this defect is at 1:05 and I have already heard several of these recorded overlays, which are interfering with the actual story.

I even deleted this from my library and downloaded again, in case Audible had decided to fix the problem. But they haven't as of 2/23/15.

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37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

HEY AUDIBLE!!! Get more Ann Cleeves!! good stuff!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes - I liked the suspense - I changed my mind about 'who done it' many times and was surprised again and again. The characters are different from those in all of the suspense books I've read in the last few years. Audible only has one of Cleeve's books I hope they get more! The book has a slow start but it is worth it and helped to define characters sufficient for me to get involved. After first few chapters I listened non stop for about 9 hours.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the way the characters each had assumptions or hopes concerning the other characters and how those assumptions changed and led to unusual conclusions - I liked the way she brought in surprise actions while holding true to all that she wrote of the characters from beginning to end.

Which character – as performed by Gordon Griffin – was your favorite?

Paris of course.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

not really.

Any additional comments?

get more Cleeve books!!!!!!!

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27 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Poorly edited recording, apparently not proofed

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I have not completed the listen yet. I am enjoying the story, and the reader. What I am NOT enjoying is the apparent lack of a proof-listen to this story. There have been several instances of voices in the background announcing unrelated chapter numbers or random words. It is very distracting from an otherwise good story.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Audio problems

Any additional comments?

Noticing the same problem as others with the bad audio interruptions. I also tried erasing it and re-downloading. No change. Is the book worth finishing or should I return it?

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Ann Cleeves Hit!

Ann Cleeves' stories about the Shetland Island are really good! This one was a bit different than the rest and at first, I had trouble getting that fact straight in my head. But once started, I couldn't stop listening. This one features what some might term "the village idiot" and the villagers' belief that he (Magnus) was responsible for the death of a young girl a decade earlier and now for another girl found dead. Cleeves uses the procedures of the police and in particular of a singular detective inspector to work through the assumptions, circumstantial evidence and true evidence to seek the killer and justice. Gossip, lies and hypocrisy are confronted -- and a number of the more colorful villagers are outed in the process. Cleeves' descriptions take you to the Shetlands and the characters she creates are wonderfully developed. A good listen!!

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A New Discovery - More Please

Raven Black is a moody, atmospheric story with twists and turns throughout. I was actually surprised when the killer was revealed. Cleeves is excellent at pulling the reader/listener into the story and her descriptions of the island culture hook you. Lt. Jimmy Perez is a character with substance, as in Fran Hunter. I understand this book was made into a British TV show called Shetland. I will be on the lookout for it.

I concur with the other reviewers. More of Ann Cleeves please.

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