Ann Cleeves for The Killing Stones

'Cleeves is one of our secret chroniclers, charting a series of expertly plotted and mesmerizing crime novels' - Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses

Ann Cleeves is the author of more than thirty-five 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, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV's Vera, BBC One's Shetland and ITV's The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide.

Ann joins us for her superb new novel The Killing Stones, which sees the long-awaited return of Shetland protagonist Detective Jimmy Perez.

When a violent storm descends upon Orkney, the body of Archie Stout is left in its wake. An unusual murder weapon, a Neolithic stone bearing ancient inscriptions, is found discarded nearby. Archie was a popular, larger-than-life character, and his death is a shocking blow to the community.

Detective Jimmy Perez, no stranger to the complexity of human nature and the darkness it can harbour, is soon on the scene. He counted Archie as a childhood friend, so this case is more personal than most. Now living in Orkney with his partner, Willow, and their son, Perez is soon drawn into the lives of the islanders, many of whom hold secrets. Dark secrets, which could have led to the man's murder.

Here, in these ancient lands where history runs deep, Perez must discern the truth from legend before a desperate killer strikes again . . .