ciarag01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jacobamol's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
peterp3's review against another edition
3.0
It was good to come across an Ann Cleeves book that I hadn’t read before, but this one is not as good as her usual standard, sad to say. The characters are not so well-drawn, and the ending in particular feels very contrived and unnecessary.
zoemaja's review against another edition
4.0
Devastated. Completely gutted. I can't even talk about it.
roshk99's review against another edition
3.0
The tragedy hits close to home on this one as Jimmy with his pause-filled interrogation tries to find the truth on his own on his own childhood home, Fair Isle. Isolated with a pool of suspects going stir-crazy at a bird observatory, this one is a challenge and all doesn't end well.
skateanddonate's review against another edition
4.0
Still bawling. Never saw that coming. The slow build then the breaking mystery that can’t be put down always hooks me. Didn’t see the twist coming. Shocked is an understatement. And the ending...think I’ll just go cry myself to sleep. 4.5 stars
smemmott's review against another edition
2.0
The setting and story were 90% great, but the more I think about Fran’s death and the ending, the less I like it.
judyward's review against another edition
4.0
Unfortunately, this is the last in the Shetland Islands quartet. And, as such, it's the best of the series. Or maybe I've just gotten to know the major characters better and more clearly understand and appreciate the ways in which they interact. Detective Jimmy Perez is engaged to Fran, who is new to the Shetlands--having moved north from London--and he has brought her to tiny Fair Isle to meet his parents and the people with whom he grew up. His parents, who want Jimmy to move back to Fair Isle, welcome Fran into their family and throw an engagement party for the couple at the North Light Field Center Lighthouse which is a bird study center and has the "best chef ever" as part of its staff. The next morning Jimmy gets the news that the director of the center, Angela Moore, has been murdered. Did I mention that an autumn storm has cut the island off from the rest of civilization? No plane or boats can get in or out until the storm passes. Did I also mention that Angela is famous as a BBC ornithologist and as a sideline is hateful to or uses almost everyone she knows? Jimmy is, therefore, all alone in trying to unravel what happened and who was involved. As much as this a a satisfying mystery, the book is much more. The effects of growing up in a small community where everyone knows everything about everyone else, the continuing pull of family with its positive and negative ramifications, and an individual's inability to control events are all themes that are explored. I wish that Goodreads had a more flexible rating system because I would actually give this book a 4.5.
angelfireeast24's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Murder, and Bullying
Moderate: Abandonment and Violence
lisaeirene's review against another edition
5.0
Book 4 in the series. This time detective Jimmy Perez brings his fiance back to the Fair Isles to meet his family before their wedding. It's a very remote island and of course there's a murder he must solve! As the story unfolds you discover the murder victim was not a nice or good person, cheating on her husband with everyone...so who killed her? Then there's another murder and Perez needs to figure out if they are connected. I don't want to give away a spoiler but the ending is SHOCKING.