Ann Cleeves shortlisted for Crime Thriller Award

Ann Cleeves, the award-winning author of the Shetland Quartet and the Vera Stanhope series, now the major ITV drama Vera starring Brenda Blethyn, has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2012 Crime Thriller Awards.

Ann is in the running for the Specsavers Bestseller Dagger, an award which honours the success of authors throughout their careers, with the winner being chosen by the reading public.

To celebrate, Ann is giving fans the chance to become immortalised in a Vera Stanhope short story, and win a weekend break for two at a luxury 5* B&B in the heart of Northumberland, where the books are set.

The two short stories, The Habit of Silence and Hector’s Other Woman, will be made available to download for free from Ann’s Facebook page. The winner will not only see their name feature in one of these stories, but also enjoy a weekend for two at one of Northumberland’s premier B&Bs, St Cuthbert’s House in Seahouses. St Cuthbert’s is an award winning, 5* Gold B&B located in a 200- year-old former chapel. One runner up will also see their name featured in one of the stories.
To enter, fans simply need to vote for Ann at the Crime Thriller Awards website, and then enter their details via the competition tab on Ann’s Facebook page.

The television series Vera is again shortlisted for two Daggers, one for Brenda Blethyn as best actress, one for the team of Brenda Blethyn and David Leon as best detective duo. More info on the awards can be found here.

In 2006, Ann won the inaugural Duncan Lawrie Dagger for her novel Raven Black.  Red Bones, the first book in Ann’s Shetland Quartet, has been adapted by BBC1 and will air later this year, starring Douglas Henshall as Detective Jimmy Perez.

The Crime Awards air on ITV3