Gripping full-cast BBC dramatisations and riveting readings of four ‘Shetland’ tales, plus a bonus short story and interview

Ann Cleeves is well known for her ‘Vera’, ‘Shetland’, and ‘Two Rivers’ crime series, all of which have been adapted into hit TV shows. She was presented with the CWA Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement in 2017, and was appointed an OBE in the 2022 New Year Honours List for services to reading and libraries. This collection includes full-cast dramatisations of the first two ‘Shetland’ novels featuring Detective Jimmy Perez, as well as three short stories and a discussion with the bestselling author.

Raven Black – Midwinter in Shetland, and a young woman is found strangled in a snow-covered field. Suspicion falls on elderly loner Magnus Tait – but Detective Jimmy Perez has a hunch the solution is not that simple. Starring Grant O’Rourke.

White Nights – It is midsummer on the island, a time of white nights where the sun never quite leaves the sky. When a distressed stranger disrupts an art exhibition claiming amnesia, and is later found hanged, it seems a clear case of suicide. But Jimmy Perez has other ideas… Starring Steven Robertson.

‘The Soothmoothers’ – The tensions between three travellers on a business trip to Shetland spark a local woman’s interest. By dawn the next day, DI Jimmy Perez is on the scene, investigating a violent crime. Read by Marnie Baxter.

‘Secrets of Soil’ – Written in collaboration with forensic soil scientist Lorna Dawson, this specially commissioned short story sees Shetland detective Willow Reeves returning to her childhood home on the Scottish island of North Uist to confront a dark secret from her past. Read by Lesley Hart.

‘The Queen of Mystery’ – Attending the Malice Domestic crime convention in Bethesda, Maryland, award-winning mystery writer Stella Monkhouse fears her star is starting to wane… Read by Joanna Tope.

Phil Williams – Ann Cleeves talks to the Radio 5 Live presenter about the inspiration for her work, and why she’s keen to encourage a national passion for reading.