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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Detective Jimmy Perez brings his fiancée, Fran, to Fair Isle to meet his parents, when a woman is murdered. Stormy weather isolates the island, so Jimmy must investigate on his own, and we are drawn into the world of bird watching. The setting is wild, beautiful and atmospheric, the characters are well drawn, and the mystery satisfying. The television series is quite different, but Jimmy Perez is totally compelling in both mediums, and this series packs an emotional punch.
This has been the best, to me, so far. That's all I want to say in this review. My first 5-star for a book in this series. Looking forward to #5.
I loved the prior books and did NOT expect that ending.
Blue Lightening is the fourth in a series by Ann Cleeves. It's a British police procedural, one of my favorite kinds of mysteries, and there are usually birds involved in some way, which I always enjoy as well.
I liked the first three books a lot, and I enjoyed this one up to a point. However, a character introduced in the first book, fully developed in relationships to other characters throughout the four books, died in this one, which surprised me a lot and not in a good way. I think the character could have been injured instead of killed and the plot would still have been effective. I'm not sure I want to continue reading the series.
However, Ann Cleeves is a good writer and the setting, the Shetland Islands, is an interesting one.
I liked the first three books a lot, and I enjoyed this one up to a point. However, a character introduced in the first book, fully developed in relationships to other characters throughout the four books, died in this one, which surprised me a lot and not in a good way. I think the character could have been injured instead of killed and the plot would still have been effective. I'm not sure I want to continue reading the series.
However, Ann Cleeves is a good writer and the setting, the Shetland Islands, is an interesting one.
Each book in the series seems to just keep getting better! I loved learning all the ins and outs of the characters, as well as trying to puzzle out the murder mystery.
Best one of the series, good flow, kept you guessing and brave ending.....
mysterious
slow-paced
It's time for Jimmy to introduce Fran to his home island of Fair Isle. Jimmy's mom jumps at the opportunity to throw Fran and Jimmy an engagement party to welcome Fran and celebrate their impending marriage. All of the local characters turn out not just to celebrate Jimmy and Fran but to let loose a little. The revelry includes the staff and visitors of the bird-watching group that works on the island. When the night ends with the murder of the director of the center, Jimmy is the only one qualified and available to begin investigating the death. What's clear is the murderer is a bird-watcher, either staff or visitor, and it's up to Jimmy to figure out who it is. When another body is found, Jimmy starts to worry that he's not going to be able to stop the body count from rising until help can get to the island. The weather, as usual, is a factor in the investigation. Meanwhile, Fran is "stuck" with Jimmy's parents and bored out of her mind, and one of the bird-watching visitors sees a rare bird for the first time ever in this part of the world, causing a rush of press and visitors to the island, threatening to muck up the murder investigation. As all the pieces of this murder puzzle begin to fit together, Jimmy sees who the murderer is and is desperate to keep Fran out of the picture.
This particular title felt tedious to me. The isolation of the Shetland Islands and the specific isolation of the outer islands, like Fair Isle, is starting to get to me as a reader. Despite that "criticism," this is another solid addition to the series, although the ending shocked me. I didn't believe what I had read at first. I thought I had misunderstood, so I had to reread it and sit with it for a moment. As a viewer of the TV series, I find it interesting to see how the book series was transformed into a TV series - what elements the writers took from the books and changed them for TV.
This particular title felt tedious to me. The isolation of the Shetland Islands and the specific isolation of the outer islands, like Fair Isle, is starting to get to me as a reader. Despite that "criticism," this is another solid addition to the series, although the ending shocked me. I didn't believe what I had read at first. I thought I had misunderstood, so I had to reread it and sit with it for a moment. As a viewer of the TV series, I find it interesting to see how the book series was transformed into a TV series - what elements the writers took from the books and changed them for TV.
4.75 Another super book in the series. I think the best but darkest one. The series is really wonderful. So much atmosphere, deeply developed characters and plots and excellent mysteries that really keep you guessing. I love both the series and the books.