Professional Book Nerds - Ann Cleeves interview

Ann Cleeves is best known as the author of Vera and Shetland series of crime novels though in an interview on the Professional Book Nerds podcast she admitted to having written many novels before she became known as a famous writer. For years most of the publicity for the books that she wrote was when she visited libraries to publicise her books. Then after twenty years of writing without much commercial success the public discovered Vera.

The book being discussed in the podcast is The Darkest Evening, the ninth book in the Vera series published in 2021. Driving home in a storm Vera discovers an abandoned car by the side of the road. When she investigates she discovers a young child in the back of the car. Needing assistance she takes the child to a large house nearby. The house is known to her as members of her father's family live there. Why is the child in the back of the car alone and what has happened to the child's mother?

In the podcast Ann Cleeves discusses the importance of place in her novels. She especially likes the comparison of people who own land with the people who live on it. In The Darkest Evening the reader learns more about Vera's early life with her father.

For Ann Cleeves family and community are also important in her books. The author likes to play with relationships of both major and minor characters as the story evolves. She likes writing about ordinary people and how they would react in stressful circumstances.  Compassion is important in the Vera novels. Vera is written as a real person. In The Darkest Evening there are themes of kindness and honesty and the importance of keeping family together.

Although when beginning a book there are plot lines, the story evolves as the writing progresses. However when reading a book, each reader will experience it differently.

Also in the podcast the importance of the editing of her books was discussed. She also discussed how in times of trouble such as the Great Depression and the Second World War people tended to turn to books, including crime fiction, to escape. This might help to explain why in the current uncertain times readers are devouring crime fiction.