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 Crow Trap, Telling Tales, Hidden Depths and Silent Voices from Ann's Vera Stanhope series are all major ITV productions and Red Bones, the third in Ann's Shetland series, became a major BBC1 two-part drama in autumn 2012.