Ann Cleeves is a New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty critically acclaimed novels. In 2017, she was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez, and Matthew Venn, who have been brought to life on the television series Vera, Netflix's Shetland, and The Long Call on Britbox. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide. Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook, and auxiliary coastguard before she began writing. She is a member of 'Murder Squad', working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. She lives in North Tyneside, England, near where the Vera books are set.