Ann Cleeves - is Shetland any good?

[waycat]

Sorry to start yet another Shetland thread, but this isn't anything to do with the TV series!

I have read all of the Vera books and although I enjoyed the series, I did at times find parts of it slow in places. I guess Ann Cleeves likes to tell a story slowly, drip feeding the reader information bit by bit.

I did read one or two of the Shetland books several years ago, but I can't remember which ones, although I know it was at the most two and they were probably read out of order.

What I wanted to ask is if anyone who has read both the Vera and the Shetland series' could perhaps recommend one over the other? As I said, I quite enjoyed Vera but now am looking for something perhaps a bit pacier and darker - I was wondering if the Shetland series would fit the bill?

Many thanks for any insight.

I like the Vera series, and have read them all, but I prefer the Shetland novels, love Jimmy Perez, he is rather different from the tv character. I do think they need to be read in order, though, to follow the Fran story from the start.

I loved the Shetland series and the Vera series equally. So probably no help.

I also loved the Tan French dublin murder squad series which is a bit more pacey. Read them in order if you can.

And the Simon Serrialer series is also good. By Susan Hill. Not as gentle as Vera or Shetland but a good read.

I have tried several series and those 4 are my favourites.

Thanks for all your replies.

From what I’ve read I think I shall give the first Shetland book, Raven Black, a go and see if I like it. I am definitely one for reading a series in order so hopefully it will be a series I can get into.

I have read the Simon Serailler series by Susan Hill and thought it was great - a series I could happily revisit in the future. And so different from her ghost stories.

Tana French I’ve never heard of, but her books sound right up my street. I have put her first one, In The Woods, on my library reading list.

Right then - off to buy Raven Black while it’s only 99p at Amazon.

Thanks again all.

I have just started rereading the Shetland books - I think I have got them out of order, but I am on White Nights - and I think they are brilliant books.

You will enjoy Tana French OP. I had never heard of her before a recommendation on here. The first one is very gripping but does leave you hanging and a bit wtf? but the rest crack on at a fair old rate. It's one of the few book series I have been unable to put down.

There is also the Lewis triology by Peter May. I enjoyed these but they are in a similar vein to Shetland. So if you don't love them then maybe not.

I have read a few of the Shetland novels, I enjoyed them to start with but could hardly struggle through to the end of one recently, it was so slow and in need of a good edit. Terribly repetitive.

I have loved them, slightly darker than Beta I think, but a cracking read IMO.

Beta! Flipping autocorrect! Vera!

Oh goodness yes! Loved them all. And Tana French is excellent too.

Well it seems as if I have made the right decision in reading the Shetland books, even if some are a bit slow and in need of a good editor. I have yet to read a series of books where each one in the series has been a top read - I think you always get one or two duds.

I have read the Peter May Lewis Trilogy three times! A quite brilliant series, and I don't think he has matched it with any of his other offerings.

Now I am eager to get cracking with Shetland so I can make a start on the Tana French Dublin series - I wish there were more hours in the day!