Ann Cleeves has published 39 novels, 2 short story collections and 1 other book, beginning with A Bird in the Hand (1986). The series is Vera Stanhope (10 books, starting with The Crow Trap). 3 feature George Palmer-Jones. The best-known is Raven Black (2006). The latest is The Killing Stones (2025).
Updated September 2026
Vera Stanhope books in order (10)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Crow Trap (1999) · 2 Hidden Depths (2007) · 3 Silent Voices (2011) · 4 The Glass Room (2012) · 5 Harbour Street (2014) · 6 The Moth Catcher (2015) · 7 The Seagull (2017) · 8 The Darkest Evening (2020) · 9 The Rising Tide (2022) · 10 Dark Wives (2024)
- 1.
The Crow Trap (1999)
- 2.
Hidden Depths (2007)
- 3.
Silent Voices (2011)
- 4.
The Glass Room (2012)
- 5.
Harbour Street (2014)
- 6.
The Moth Catcher (2015)
- 7.
The Seagull (2017)
- 8.
The Darkest Evening (2020)
- 9.
The Rising Tide (2022)
- 10.
Dark Wives (2024)
Where to start with Ann Cleeves
Start here
Raven Black
Ann Cleeves's most-read book.
Newest
The Killing Stones
Published 2025.
Standalone novels in order
A Bird in the Hand (1986)
Murder in Paradise (1988)
A Prey to Murder (1989)
A Lesson in Dying (1990)
Murder in My Back Yard (1991)
Sea Fever (1991)
A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy (1992)
Killjoy (1993)
The Mill on the Shore (1994)
The Healers (1995)
The Baby-Snatcher (1997)
The Sleeping and the Dead (2001)
Burial of Ghosts (2003)
Raven Black (2006)
White Nights (2008)
Red Bones (2009)
Blue Lightning (2010)
Dead Water (2013)
Thin Air (2014)
Ann Cleeves' Shetland (2016)
Cold Earth (2016)
Wild Fire (2018)
The Long Call (2019)
The Heron's Cry (2021)
Raging Storm (2023)
The Killing Stones (2025)
Short story collections in order
Christmas Crimes (1996)
Telling Tales (2005)
Other books in order
The Dying Light (Sep 2026)
About Ann Cleeves
Ann Cleeves is a British mystery crime writer. She wrote the Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez, and Matthew Venn series, all three of which have been adapted into TV shows. In 2006, she won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for her novel Raven Black, the first novel in the Jimmy Perez series.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Ann Cleeves FAQ
- How many books has Ann Cleeves written?
- Ann Cleeves has published 39 novels, 2 short story collections and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Ann Cleeves's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Vera Stanhope with The Crow Trap. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Ann Cleeves's latest book?
- The Killing Stones (2025).
- What is Ann Cleeves's most famous book?
- Raven Black (2006) is Ann Cleeves's most widely read book.
- Are Ann Cleeves's books connected?
- 10 books belong to 1 series (Vera Stanhope); the other 32 books stand alone.
Authors like Ann Cleeves
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.