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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Excellent. Great twist. First of hers I read as a book not audio and frankly they deserve it. Easy to read but I can never guess the killer!
I always enjoy Ann Cleeves. Her characters are believable.
Ann Cleeves is a really solid author. Having focused only on the Shetland series (apart from the first I quite like her style of writing, it’s not too cliche and there is sufficient of the landscape and history of the area to add interest and to enable Shetland to be another integral character to the cast.
Red Bones is the the 3rd in the Shetland series and introduces us to the island of Whalsay, a small close knit island community just east of the main Shetland island. Apart from being a fishing community, we learn that Whalsay was a main trading port for the Hanseatic League. Ships from Hamburg, Bremen and Lubeck sailed here every summer, bringing seeds, cloth, iron tools, salt, spirits, luxury goods and hard currency.
We are also introduced to the Shetland Bus, a regular transport system developed during WW2 between the UK and Norway, also providing an escape life-line for refugees and fugitives.
Cleeves weaves this historical fiction into a modern day mystery with Lerwick based policeman and Whalsay local, Sandy Wilson, at the front and centre with Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez close behind.
While the historical elements of the location certainly feature, they could have been delved into more deeply in my opinion and certainly to my liking. I love nothing more than going between modern day and history, two narratives overlapping and making sense of one another. Red Bones is ripe for this but clearly that was not Cleeves purpose and intent in writing, which I completely understand having read the previous two books in the series.
I love that this series has introduced me to this remote part of Scotland. Yearning to visit now… 4 stars.
Red Bones is the the 3rd in the Shetland series and introduces us to the island of Whalsay, a small close knit island community just east of the main Shetland island. Apart from being a fishing community, we learn that Whalsay was a main trading port for the Hanseatic League. Ships from Hamburg, Bremen and Lubeck sailed here every summer, bringing seeds, cloth, iron tools, salt, spirits, luxury goods and hard currency.
We are also introduced to the Shetland Bus, a regular transport system developed during WW2 between the UK and Norway, also providing an escape life-line for refugees and fugitives.
Cleeves weaves this historical fiction into a modern day mystery with Lerwick based policeman and Whalsay local, Sandy Wilson, at the front and centre with Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez close behind.
While the historical elements of the location certainly feature, they could have been delved into more deeply in my opinion and certainly to my liking. I love nothing more than going between modern day and history, two narratives overlapping and making sense of one another. Red Bones is ripe for this but clearly that was not Cleeves purpose and intent in writing, which I completely understand having read the previous two books in the series.
I love that this series has introduced me to this remote part of Scotland. Yearning to visit now… 4 stars.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ugh! Every time I try to guess who it could be and I can’t! It’s so frustrating! Just means Cleeves knows what she’s doing and how to keep me hooked!
Slowly making my way through the Shetland series. Don’t know what I’ll do when it’s finished 🙃 3rd book I’ve read now and I can’t wait for the next one! Lots of great misdirections as always. Lots of people with motive! Loved it 😊
Slowly making my way through the Shetland series. Don’t know what I’ll do when it’s finished 🙃 3rd book I’ve read now and I can’t wait for the next one! Lots of great misdirections as always. Lots of people with motive! Loved it 😊
Well, I read this out of order, apparently. Still, it was a good read, and starts to expand the story of Perez.
I am definitely addicted to this series. It's the atmosphere I like. This particular edition has a quote on the cover that sums it up for me: "slow-burning intrigue" (from a Peter James). The story builds up, but that is fine by me. It just adds to the tension until you stay up late to read more because you just can't put the book down.
I did feel that the stealing part came slightly out of nowhere. Of course, Sandy knew something was definitely wrong, but what exactly we do not know. There were plenty of opportunities for Perez and Sandy to have a chat that the reader isn't privy to, and that is an OK technique. I just paused a moment there leafing back and forth wondering if I had missed something. You could argue that Sandy arranging something unknown with Cedric was also out of the blue, but that worked and didn't give me pause for thought.
A side comment irrelevant to the story: I was quite amazed at the description of the two women in a photo who were both carrying a huge pack of peat on their backs AND knitting in their hands. To walk and knit while carrying a huge on their backs! Hats off to the knitters of the Shetland islands! That was also knitting of necessity and not just some pretty pattern for fun. I would have to still and alone to handle some of those Shetland patterns. :)
Spoiler
I was not expecting Hattie to get murdered. We hear so many of her thoughts so I thought she would be a character who would be a witness to something. That sort of made the effect of her death a bit stronger. It made you feel Sandy's anger even more when he asked Ronald "how could you".I did feel that the stealing part came slightly out of nowhere. Of course, Sandy knew something was definitely wrong, but what exactly we do not know. There were plenty of opportunities for Perez and Sandy to have a chat that the reader isn't privy to, and that is an OK technique. I just paused a moment there leafing back and forth wondering if I had missed something. You could argue that Sandy arranging something unknown with Cedric was also out of the blue, but that worked and didn't give me pause for thought.
A side comment irrelevant to the story: I was quite amazed at the description of the two women in a photo who were both carrying a huge pack of peat on their backs AND knitting in their hands. To walk and knit while carrying a huge on their backs! Hats off to the knitters of the Shetland islands! That was also knitting of necessity and not just some pretty pattern for fun. I would have to still and alone to handle some of those Shetland patterns. :)
I think I prefer the TV adaptation version of this one and I thought that the depiction of mental illness could've been slightly improved. But again another interesting Perez case: murder, archeology, mayhem. 3 stars
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I was almost going to abandon this series after book 2. But this one was much better. I love reading about the inner workings of Jimmy Perez and his sidekick Sandy.
Had to pick up these books after binge watching the TV show Shetland so I could get more of my beloved characters and this book did not disappoint. Also the plot is somewhat different from the TV series so it is still interesting to read.
Had to pick up these books after binge watching the TV show Shetland so I could get more of my beloved characters and this book did not disappoint. Also the plot is somewhat different from the TV series so it is still interesting to read.