Can you give us the elevator pitch for your latest novel, The Killing Stones?
Shetlander Jimmy Perez moves to Orkney with his pregnant partner (and boss) Willow and their son. In a midwinter storm, his friend Archie Stout disappears on the small island of Westray. As the wind blows through, Jimmy finds Archie’s body close to an archaeological dig. He’s been killed by a neolithic stone, inscribed by later Nordic runes.
What can readers expect from a Jimmy Perez novel if they’ve only familiar with your Vera character?
The same strong sense of place, I think. I first went to Shetland and Orkney 50 years ago, so these are communities I understand.I went back to Orkney to research the book with an Orcadian friend while I was writing it. It’s about families, and many of the Vera books have the same subject.
Why do the islands off the Scottish coast inspire you?
Fair Isle, the most remote inhabited island in the UK, is very special to me. I’d dropped out of university and quite by chance I got a job there as assistant cook in the Fair Isle Observatory. It’s where I met my husband,a visiting birdwatcher. I still have good friends among the islanders. I was there recently to celebrate 50 years since I first visited – it’s also birthplace to Jimmy Perez.
Why is it important to spend time in the locations you write about?
It’s the small details that bring a place to life, and a writer can only find those by being in the place and listening to locals’ preoccupations. For example, I discovered that Westray folk only eat cold baked beans, and that they make a special biscuit called a fatty-cuttie. My Orcadian friend suggested we visit Maeshowe, a neolithic burial chamber, during the winter solstice and that now plays an important part in the novel.
You have one more Vera book left to write – how is that going?
I’ve only just started thinking about this. There’ll be a new Matthew Venn book between The Killing Stones and the last Vera. So, I’m not quite sure what I’ll feel about it yet!
What was it like to watch the last Vera show?
It was very moving to watch the very last Vera. I went on set for the last day. Many of the cast and crew had worked on the show from the very beginning, and the wrap party was very special. I was invited along to the final cast and crew screening, which took place in the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle.
How did (Vera star) Brenda Blethyn feel?
Of course, Brenda had mixed feelings about leaving the show. It was so much a part of her life for all those years. But it was very demanding too, and I suspect she won’t miss the early starts and long working days. Soon after she and I were invited to a book festival in Iceland and we had a wonderful time.
What do you need around you when you sit down to write?
I drink lots of tea.
How do you feel about your creations coming to life on screen?
It’s great fun! I don’t think there is a worst part. The same production company – Silverprint Pictures – makes all three shows [Vera, Shetland, The Long Call] and I trust them to keep the atmosphere and tone in the adaptations. I’m more concerned about that than about the story details.
What crime fiction authors have you been enjoying reading recently?
I’ve recently read the new Chris Hammer – I do love his books, perhaps because sense of place is so important to me. I very much enjoyed Clown Town by Mick Herron, author of the Slow Horses series. And, as for a newcomer, look out for American author Amy Pease. I’ve just read her latest thriller Wildwood, set in rural Illinois.
The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves is out on September 30. Buy it here.
