Independent
‘Beautifully constructed . . . a lively and surprising addition to a genre that once seemed moribund’
Times Literary Supplement
‘Raven Black shows what a fine writer Cleeves is . . . an accomplished and thoughtful book’
Sunday Telegraph
‘This is an absolute must for crime drama fans and you’ll be kept guessing right up until the last crucial moments on a beach as to who is the real villain of the piece’
Radio Times (Radio 4 Saturday Play of Raven Black)
‘Ann’s characterization is worthy of the best writers in the field . . . Rarely has a sense of place been so evocatively conveyed in a crime novel’
Daily Express
BLUE LIGHTNING
Ann Cleeves worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She is a member of ‘Murder Squad’, working with other northern writers to promote crime fiction. In 2006 Ann was awarded the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for Best Crime Novel, for Raven Black. Ann lives in North Tyneside.
The novels in Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope series, The Crow Trap, Telling Tales and Hidden Depths are available now and are forthcoming major ITV productions.
Visit the author’s website at:
www.anncleeves.com
By Ann Cleeves
A Bird in the Hand
Come Death and High Water
Murder in Paradise
A Prey to Murder
A Lesson in Dying
Murder in My Back Yard
A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy
Another Man’s Poison
Killjoy
The Mill on the Shore
Sea Fever
The Healers
High Island Blues
The Baby-Snatcher
The Sleeping and the Dead
Burial of Ghosts
The Vera Stanhope series
The Crow Trap
Telling Tales
Hidden Depths
The Shetland series
Raven Black
White Nights
Red Bones
Blue Lightning
For my wise, funny and indomitable daughters
Acknowledgements
Once again many people have contributed to the writing of this book and to keeping me organized and sane. Jean Rogers and Roger Cornwell do far more than look after my website. Julie Crisp and Helen Guthrie from Pan Macmillan and Sara Menguc and her associate agents round the world seem like family now. Helen Pepper advised on probably the most awkward crime scene I’ve yet devised for her. Visit Shetland and Shetland Arts continue to provide support and assistance with efficiency and good humour. Ingrid Eunson read the script, though any remaining mistakes in Fair Isle geography and customs are mine not hers. Although the North Light field centre is fictitious, I’d like to thank Hollie and Deryk from Fair Isle Bird Observatory for their hospitality and help. I look forward to visiting the new obs! Tim gave me the space and the time to write and lent his birding expertise to the book. Finally a big thank you to the glorious sisterhood of ex-bird observatory cooks.
First published 2010 by Macmillan
This edition published 2010 by Pan Books
This electronic edition published 2010 by Pan Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-0-330-53476-5 PDF
ISBN 978-0-330-53475-8 EPUB
Copyright © Ann Cleeves 2010
The right of Ann Cleeves to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The Macmillan Group has no responsibility for the information provided by any author websites whose address you obtain from this ebook (‘author websites’). The inclusion of the author website addresses in this ebook does not constitute an endorsement by or association with us of such sites or the content, products, advertising or other materials presented on such sites.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Visit www.panmacmillan.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that you’re always first to hear about our new releases.
