Good Reads  /  Community Library Notes
Raven Black
​Ann Cleeves
Review by Priscilla Comen

“Raven Black” by Ann Cleeves is a stunning mystery that gained rave reviews for its author. She won the 2006 Dagger Award for the UK. This one is a wonderful tale about a young girl whose murdered body is found on the small island of Shetland where all the inhabitants know each other. The high school students are shocked when Catherine Ross turns up dead in a snowy field. Several people want to blame Magnus, a retarded man who lives near where the body was found. 
            Fran found the body on her way to pick up her daughter Cassie, at school. Sally Henry, whose mother teaches at the school, was Catherine’s best friend, but she doesn‘t know what happened. Sally dreams about Robert Isbister whose father is on the city council. When she accepts a ride home from school with him, she realizes he only wants another conquest. Inspector Perez, who used to live in Shetland but doesn’t now, enjoys the drama of the search for the killer on his return there.. He tries to keep an open mind when others beg him to arrest Magnus. Author Cleeves delves into each of the characters’ former lives and keeps up the suspense.. 
            A few years back, another young girl was killed. They never found her body. Everyone thought Magnus had done away with her. Then there’s Duncan Hunter, Fran’s ex-husband, who throws big parties, lives in a castle, and likes young women. His second wife, Celia, has left him because of this addiction. Perez has a lot of investigating to do. .He goes to see Catherine’s father and learns about a video she was filming of the locals and students and others. This, if found, might give a clue to her killer. She had seen life through film, perhaps as the director. She had filmed a big party at Duncan’s place, and Celia, then his mistress, felt foolish as she watched Duncan act for the camera and for Catherine. 
            Inspector Perez asks Celia about her son Robert and then he takes Sally to lunch at the harbor. Fran goes to the father’s house where she joins him in looking for Catherine’s film disc and script. She was an organized person, and her father is convinced it was stolen. Will they find the video? Will it prove anything? Will Perez find the murderer and what was the motive? Cleeves keeps us guessing until she reveals all on the final page. Find out in this mystery on the new fiction shelf of your community library.