(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Red Bones, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Shetland books.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Hattie James, an English post-graduate student working on a PhD in archaeology, is as surprised as anyone when she discovers human remains at her Whalsay dig site.  The locals are intrigued—is this an ancient skeleton or one with a more recent pedigree?  When an old woman is killed nearby, accidental though the death seems to be, the spot seems cursed.  Not long after, Hattie's dead body is discovered in one of the trenches at the site.  Everyone knew the intense young woman loved Shetland—did she commit suicide so she'd never have to leave it?

Three deaths in the same locale cannot be coincidental.  Detective Jimmy Perez knows there's something more to the story.  But what?  What did Hattie dig up?  Did her discovery lead to her death?  Perez is determined to find out whose bones were buried at the site and what, if anything, they had to do with the other deaths.  In the process, he'll discover lurid secrets kept bottled up by tight-lipped islanders.  Can he use this insider's knowledge to crack the puzzling case?  With his girlfriend away in London, Perez has all the time in the world to solve it ... or does he?

Red Bones, the third book in Ann Cleeves' mystery series set in the Shetland Islands, is another compelling, atmospheric thriller.  Blending an intriguing plot with complex characters and fascinating glimpses at island culture, it's an engrossing read.  Although the story builds slowly, it's never boring.  I cared about its people and was surprised by the identity of the killer.  I've enjoyed the first three books in the Shetland series; I can't wait to see what happens in the last four.  

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Shetland series [Raven Black; White Nights; Blue Lightning; Dead Water; Thin Air; and Cold Earth]; also reminds me of Peter May's Scottish thrillers)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated: 

for language (one F-bomb, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for White Nights, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Raven Black.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

It's an unsettling time of year on the Shetland Islands.  Summer daylight stretches past midnight, creating interminable "white nights."  It's enough to drive a person crazy, hence local terms like "midsummer madness" and "summer din."  Perhaps it's the eerie weather that drives a stranger to burst into a local art show, break into tears, then disappear as mysteriously as he appeared.  Later, the man is found dead in a nearby boat shed.  Although suicide is first expected, it soon becomes apparent that the stranger has been murdered.  Who is the dead man?  What was he doing in an isolated community like Biddista?  Who killed him?

Detective Jimmy Perez is tasked with answering these questions.  His investigation focuses on a colorful local artist, although he deems all residents of the seaside community suspect.  The arrival of a slick city detective intent on showing up the local yokel complicates matters.  As does Jimmy's new romance with single mom Fran Hunter.  When more remains turn up, Perez finds himself digging through not just Biddista's present dramas, but also the secrets of its past.

I enjoy a good mystery set in an exotic locale and White Nights by Ann Cleeves certainly qualifies.  The second book in her Shetland series, the thriller is tense and compelling, with a spectral setting that gives it an extra layer of creepiness.  Although the story sags a little in the middle, the plot kept me turning pages.  The identity of the murderer surprised me, which is always a bonus!  All in all, I enjoyed this one and am eager to read the next book in the series.  

for language (1 F-bomb plus milder expletives), violence, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

New Year's Eve on the Shetland Islands is a time of cheerful celebration.  On hogmanay night, it's a tradition for friends to call on one another, sharing food, drink, and conversation as they ring in the new year together.  For eight years, Magnus Tait has waited for visitors to call on him.  No one ever has.  Until now.  

The next morning, one of those visitors is found dead.  Catherine Ross, a 16-year-old incomer from Yorkshire, has been murdered.  Is slow, reclusive Magnus to blame for her death?  There seems to be no other explanation.

As Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez investigates the crime, he delves far deeper into town history and Shetland's past than is comfortable for the people of Ravenswick.  Will long-buried secrets explain what happened to Catherine Ross?  Is someone willing to kill in order to make sure they never come to light?

There's nothing I like better than a twisty murder mystery set in a rugged, remote location.  Raven Black, the first in Ann Cleeves' series of thrillers set in the Shetland Islands, is exactly that.  With an atmospheric setting, more-than-meets-the-eye characters, and a complex plot, it makes for a very compelling read.  Cleeves' examination of Shetland history/culture enrich the tale, adding to its originality.  While I saw some of its plot surprises coming, I still found Raven Black to be an engrossing, entertaining mystery.  I've already read several more books in the series and definitely plan to catch Shetland, the BBC drama based on them.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books in the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves [White Nights; Red Bones; Blue Lightning; Dead Water; Thin Air; Cold Earth] as well as Sacrifice by Sharon Bolton)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a few F-bombs plus milder expletives), violence, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find