One of the country's best-loved authors has been honoured for her outstanding contribution to crime writing.
The impressive writing career of Ann Cleeves was recognised with the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award at this year's ceremony at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, in North Yorkshire.
The author, who lives in Whitley Bay, has written dozens of critically acclaimed novels.
She is the the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV’s Vera, BBC One’s Shetland and ITV’s The Long Call respectively.
The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, one of the UK's top crime fiction awards, went to an author from Carlisle who grew up in Newcastle.
Former soldier and probation officer Mike W Craven, 55, now joins the list of the best known crime writers in the industry who have carried off the award, including Cleeves, Sir Ian Rankin, Lynda La Plante and John Grisham.
Craven won the award for his latest novel The Botanist, part of the DS Washington Poe thriller series.
The Botanist follows the disgraced detective as he is tasked with catching a poisoner sending the nation's most reviled people poems and pressed flowers.
Born in Carlisle, Craven grew up in Newcastle, joining the army at 16, before leaving in 1995 doing a degree in social work specialising in criminology. He joined Cumbria probation Service before becoming a full time author after taking redundancy.
The author wins £3,000 and an engraved hand-crafted beer cask.
He said: “This was genuinely the biggest shock of my life. It was a huge honour to be shortlisted among friends. I’m utterly thrilled, this is the biggest award for crime fiction.”
A record 14,110 readers voted for their winner this year among the six shortlisted authors.
The judging panel said they had a difficult choice but they agreed to recognise author Elly Griffiths with a 'highly commended' citation for the penultimate mystery in her bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway series, The Locked Room.
She said: “I’m absolutely delighted. This has been an ambition of mine for a long time. It is the best award and to get highly commended is a huge honour.”
Simon Theakston, executive director of Theakston added: “The winners truly represent Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Awards' well-earned reputation for showcasing the very best crime writing talent.
"The Botanist is a real encapsulation of masterful crime writing. Elly Griffiths has kept crime fans alike hooked with Dr Ruth Galloway’s investigations and I’m equally thrilled she is recognised for her ability to keep us holding our breaths until the very last page.
"Deservedly taking home the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution prize, Ann Cleeves stands as a paragon of inspiration, and her unparalleled talent has paved the way for countless aspiring crime writers."
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