All Books
Four series across more than three decades — Vera, Shetland, Two Rivers, and the earlier Palmer-Jones and Ramsay mysteries.
| Series | Detective | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Vera Stanhope (11 books) | DI Vera Stanhope | Northumberland |
| Shetland (8 books), plus The Killing Stones (2025 follow-up) | DI Jimmy Perez | Shetland Islands / Orkney |
| Two Rivers (3 books, 4th due autumn 2026) | DI Matthew Venn | North Devon |
| Inspector Ramsay (6 books) | Inspector Stephen Ramsay | Northumberland |
| George & Molly Palmer-Jones | Amateur birdwatching sleuths | Various |
Where to Watch
Cleeves is one of Britain's most-adapted living crime writers.
Vera
Starring Brenda Blethyn across 14 series. Some episodes (Hidden Depths, Telling Tales, The Crow Trap, Silent Voices) directly adapt the novels; many others are original stories using the characters.
Shetland
Douglas Henshall starred as Jimmy Perez through Season 7; Ashley Jensen took over as DI Ruth Calder from Season 8 onward, an original creation not found in the books.
The Long Call
A four-part adaptation of the first Two Rivers novel, starring Ben Aldridge as DI Matthew Venn.
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