Showing results by author "Ann Cleeves" in All Categories

Isolated farmer Ernie Bowles was found lying on his kitchen floor, gruesomely strangled. News of the murder came to Inspector Stephen Ramsay early on Monday morning and he fears this case will not be simple. In his experience, most murders are straightforward: an explosion of family pressure, the loss of control in a fight. But Bowles seems to have kept himself to himself and had lived alone since his mother’s death. A seemingly unconnected women is then found strangled too, surely two such killings in the same locality are more than just chilling coincidence?

When DI Vera Stanhope finds the body of a woman in the sauna room of her local gym, she wonders briefly if, for once in her life, she’s uncovered a simple death from natural causes. Then Vera spots ligature marks around the victim’s throat...Vera revels being back in charge of an investigation again, working with Sergeant Joe Ashworth to find a motive. While Joe struggles to reconcile his home life with the demands of the case, death has never made Vera feel so alive. The duo investigates the victim’s past and discovers a shocking case, involving a young child.

The sight is a particularly horrible shock for George Palmer-Jones, ornithologist and amateur detective, as he was an old friend of the victim Eleanor Masefield. George and his wife, Molly, are staying at Eleanor’s family run hotel, and whilst George believed Eleanor was a beautiful and charming widow, Molly has other ideas. Is Molly a little jealous? Or was Eleanor more a black widow–a ruthless manipulator of all those caught in her far-reaching web? Can Molly prove it in time to prevent another death?

Newlyweds Jim and Sarah were welcomed home from their honeymoon to the Scottish island of Kinness with a huge celebration and the whole island was present to witness the bitter end. But did Jim’s younger sister Mary fall? Or was she pushed? George Palmer-Jones, retired birdwatcher and amateur detective, suspected the latter, but proving it would be difficult—no one wanted to upset the balance of the island’s ancient relationships.

Emma Bennett sieht sich mit dem schlimmsten Trauma ihrer Kindheit konfrontiert: Zehn Jahre zuvor entdeckte sie an einem frostigen Wintertag in einem Graben die Leiche ihrer besten Freundin. Eine Frau wurde verhaftet, doch nun taucht ein Zeuge auf, der ihr umstrittenes Alibi nach all den Jahren bestätigt. Kommissarin Vera Stanhope würde den Mordfall gerne lösen, doch das gestaltet sich unerwartet schwierig: In dem Dörfchen Elvet findet sich kaum ein Einwohner, der kein Motiv gehabt hätte, die hübsche, verzogene und sehr gerissene Abigail zu töten.

After a young archaeologist uncovers a set of human remains, the island settlers are intrigued. Is it an ancient find – or a more contemporary mystery? Then, in the middle of the night, an elderly woman is shot dead. It appears to be a tragic accident, but Jimmy Perez is called to investigate. The sparse landscape and the emptiness of the sea have bred a fierce and secretive people. As Jimmy looks to the islanders for answers, he finds instead two feuding families whose envy, greed and bitterness have lasted generations.

Ursula Ottway’s beautiful cottage is wanted by her landlord, politician Marcus Grenville, so he can convert it into a holiday residence. So when Ursula discovers that the illegal use of poisoned bait on Grenville’s land has killed not only a rare bird of prey but her two beloved cats, she storms to his house and threatens revenge. Shocked and saddened to find Ursula’s body the morning after this conflict, Molly and her husband, George, decide to piece together a picture of Ursula’s last days.

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is standing by his kitchen window when he first spots them. Two young girls, facing away from him, seemingly staring towards something in the distance. They are holding hands, and they are alone. Though not a natural with children, Matthew knows he must find out why the girls are here, on a school day, unsupervised. And so he meets Olivia and Imogen, a pair of sisters whose secrets Matthew must uncover if he hopes to get them home.

When young teacher Anna Blackwell is found dead in her home, the police think her death was suicide or a tragic accident. After all, Stonebridge is a quiet country village in the Scottish Borders, where murders just don't happen. But Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez soon arrives from faraway Shetland when his ex-wife, Sarah, asks him to look into the case. The local gossips are saying that her new husband, Tom, was having an affair with Anna. Could Tom have been involved with her death?

Die Dramaturgie des Tötens: Die ruppige Kommissarin Vera Stanhope ist niemand, der leicht Freundschaften schließt. Doch ihre Nachbarin hat sie sofort ins Herz geschlossen. Als Joanna vermisst wird, macht sie sich höchstpersönlich auf die Suche. Die Spur führt zum Writers House, wo gerade ein Krimi-Workshop stattfindet. Dort hat man es längst nicht mehr mit fiktiven Mordfällen zu tun: Im Wintergarten wurde ein Dozent erstochen. Angeblich von Joanna. Doch die beteuert ihre Unschuld.

Life seems perfect in Valley Farm, a quiet community in Northumberland. Then a shocking discovery shatters the silence. The owners of a big country house have employed a house-sitter, a young ecologist named Patrick, to look after the place while they’re away. But Patrick is found dead by the side of the lane into the valley - a beautiful, lonely place to die.

En gruppe venner, der har holdt sammen siden universitetstiden, rejser fra Londons storbyliv til Unst, Shetlandsøernes nordligste ø, for at fejre, at en fra gruppen skal giftes med en shetlænder. Men sent om natten under bryllupsfesten forsvinder én af vennerne, Eleanor - tilsyneladende i den blå luft. Det er midsommer, en tid med lyse nætter og uforudsigelig tåge på Shetlandsøerne. Dagen efter opdager Eleanors veninde Polly en e-mail.

When DI Vera Stanhope finds the body of a woman in the sauna room of her local gym, at first, she thinks it is a death from natural causes. But then Vera spots ligature marks around the victim’s throat and has another murder case on her hands. The victim is Jenny Lister, who was an experienced social worker, but her neighbours are quick to inform Vera about Jenny’s involvement in a notorious case. A young child tragically died and a member of Jenny’s team was subsequently fired and vilified by the media. Another body is found, and Vera finds herself in a race against time to stop the killer.

DI Vera Stanhope is not one to make friends easily, but her neighbours keep her well-supplied in homebrew and conversation. But when one of them goes missing, her path leads her to more than a missing friend...Vera tracks the young woman down to the Writer’s House, a country retreat for aspiring authors. Things get complicated when a body is discovered and Vera’s neighbour is found with a knife in her hand. Calling in the team, Vera knows that she should hand the case over. She’s too close to the main suspect. But the investigation is too tempting and she’s never been one to follow the rules.

Auftakt der "Vera Stanhope"-Krimireihe von Spiegel-Bestsellerautorin Ann Cleeves. Ein heißer Sommerabend an der Küste Northumberlands. Wie hatte sich Julie Armstrong auf ihr erstes Date seit Jahren gefreut. Doch bei ihrer Rückkehr erwartet sie ein schreckliches Bild: Ihr Sohn Luke liegt tot in der Badewanne, auf dem Wasser schwimmen Blüten. Wenig später treibt die attraktive Referendarin Lily im Teich inmitten von Blumen - ein schauriges Gemälde. Die inszenierten Morde geben Kommissarin Vera Stanhope und ihrem Kollegen Joe Ashworth Rätsel auf.

Raue Landschaft, dunkle Geheimnisse. Whalsay: ein kleines, beschauliches Eiland. Teil der Shetlandinseln. Nur 1030 Einwohner, die sich vom Fischfang ernähren. Jeder kennt jeden, jeder weiß über alles Bescheid. Die perfekte Idylle. Bis eines Tages die alte Mima tot aufgefunden wird. Angeblich war es ein Jagdunfall. Doch Detective Jimmy Perez ist sich da nicht so sicher. Kurze Zeit zuvor war bei Ausgrabungen auf Mimas Land ein Skelett gefunden worden. Mima war beim Anblick der Knochen erbleicht, hatte jedoch kein Wort gesagt.

Abandoned as a baby, twenty-five-year-old Lizzie Bartholomew spent her childhood moving between foster homes and has had more than her fair share of troubles. Now a holiday in Morocco seems to be the perfect escape. Especially when she meets Philip, a fellow tourist. After a brief affair, Lizzie returns to England, only to find a solicitor's letter waiting for her. Philip Samson has died and has left Lizzie a gift of £15,000 in his will. But there are conditions attached to this unexpected legacy that will soon force Lizzie to confront terrifying secrets from her past life.

Shetland detective Jimmy Perez knows it will be a difficult homecoming, as he returns to Fair Isle to introduce his fiancée to his parents. With the autumn storms raging, the island is cut off from the rest of the world. Then a woman’s body is discovered at the renowned bird observatory, with feathers threaded through her hair. Perez has no support from the mainland and must investigate the old-fashioned way – alone. He soon realizes that this is no crime of passion, but a murder of cold and calculated intention.

Weißt du, wem du trauen kannst? Winter auf den Shetland-Inseln. Still ruht die Welt unter einer weißen Decke. Das Mädchen im Schnee trägt einen roten Schal um den Hals. Um sie herum sitzen Raben. Als Fran Hunter die Leiche der Sechzehnjährigen findet, ist es um die Dorfidylle geschehen. Ein Schuldiger ist schnell gefunden. Die Polizei verhaftet Magnus Tait, einen menschenscheuen Sonderling. Doch dann verschwindet während des Wikingerfestivals "Up Helly Aa" Frans kleine Tochter Cassie.