minty's review against another edition
3.0
Glad to have another murder-mystery series to dip into when I need a break from other fare. I had watched the first ep of Shetland, but managed to remember next to nothing at all, so the book was still a suspense.
rayne709's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Listened to the version read by Gordon Griffin. It was a long and slow book, just like the show. But honestly somehow I was hooked the whole time and I had to keep listening to find out what happened. One of the few slow burns I actually enjoyed will definitely get around to listening to the others.
carolwk's review against another edition
4.0
Very well done. Interesting setting, compelling characters, well plotted. And I didn't figure out whodunnit until the reveal, at which point it all fit perfectly--which is just what I want in a mystery.
glory317's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
dorhastings's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is actually my second time reading the book, although it's the first time I'm writing a review of it. I originally heard of this book (and the author and series) through my friend Deanna. Bookshop Santa Cruz recommended it as one of their seasonal reads. At the time I was quite yet reading Louise Penny, but I fell in love with her series and was delighted to know that she and Cleeves often attend the same conferences and have mystery series. Since I blew through all of Penny's books, I wanted to take a bit more time with Cleeves's work, especially with the knowledge that she would only have eight books in the series. I've since read five of them and may hold off on reading the next one until next year, although I do still have all of the Vera Stanhope books to read.
Cleeves herself is very familiar with the Fair Isle, and it and Shetland is as much a character as anyone else in the series. This novel in particular is set in Ravenswick (quite a lot of ravens in this book), where a teenage girl who is new to the area is found dead in the middle of the snow. The telling of the story is in third person, but we follow along with several characters. We are introduced to DI Jimmy Perez, a man who looks like an outsider but isn't (his Spanish origin seems to have disappeared in the BBC series, unfortunately). We also follow Fran and Cassie, and we see her ex-husband, Duncan. We see a little of Catherine before her demise, and we follow along with Magnus and Sally throughout the book. While the mystery of what happened to Catherine is the major plotline, so much of the novel is devoted to the characters. We have Sally, the teacher's daughter, who is unpopular and often bullied because of her mother. We have Duncan, whose affair with Celia caused the end of his marriage to Fran, and said affair is the secret of Shetland that everyone knows. We have Euan, Catherine's father, who lost his wife years ago and mourns her so deeply that he emotionally neglects their daughter. And we have Magnus, whose mother's disapproval haunts him in death and who the town suspects was involved in the disappearance of a young girl years ago. Some of these characters we'll see again in future books.
I remembered who is responsible for what happens to Catherine, but I didn't remember why, and I didn't remember some other aspects of the books. Cleeves's writing is excellent. I'm unfamiliar with much of the language in the book, but Cleeves uses it in such a way that you can process via contextual clues. Her descriptions are visual but not overwhelming; Shetland is still a character, one worth describing, but we don't get so lost in the descriptions that we lose focus on the other characters. I don't know that I would reread Cleeves's books as I would some other authors, but I'd still list her as one of my favorite mystery authors, and I'll read pretty much anything she writes.
Cleeves herself is very familiar with the Fair Isle, and it and Shetland is as much a character as anyone else in the series. This novel in particular is set in Ravenswick (quite a lot of ravens in this book), where a teenage girl who is new to the area is found dead in the middle of the snow. The telling of the story is in third person, but we follow along with several characters. We are introduced to DI Jimmy Perez, a man who looks like an outsider but isn't (his Spanish origin seems to have disappeared in the BBC series, unfortunately). We also follow Fran and Cassie, and we see her ex-husband, Duncan. We see a little of Catherine before her demise, and we follow along with Magnus and Sally throughout the book. While the mystery of what happened to Catherine is the major plotline, so much of the novel is devoted to the characters. We have Sally, the teacher's daughter, who is unpopular and often bullied because of her mother. We have Duncan, whose affair with Celia caused the end of his marriage to Fran, and said affair is the secret of Shetland that everyone knows. We have Euan, Catherine's father, who lost his wife years ago and mourns her so deeply that he emotionally neglects their daughter. And we have Magnus, whose mother's disapproval haunts him in death and who the town suspects was involved in the disappearance of a young girl years ago. Some of these characters we'll see again in future books.
I remembered who is responsible for what happens to Catherine, but I didn't remember why, and I didn't remember some other aspects of the books. Cleeves's writing is excellent. I'm unfamiliar with much of the language in the book, but Cleeves uses it in such a way that you can process via contextual clues. Her descriptions are visual but not overwhelming; Shetland is still a character, one worth describing, but we don't get so lost in the descriptions that we lose focus on the other characters. I don't know that I would reread Cleeves's books as I would some other authors, but I'd still list her as one of my favorite mystery authors, and I'll read pretty much anything she writes.
bookishwendy's review against another edition
4.0
This is a moody, atmospheric mystery along the lines of [a:Jane Harper|556546|Jane Harper|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1550638161p2/556546.jpg] or [a:Tana French|138825|Tana French|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1535655031p2/138825.jpg], but set on the (literally and figuratively) insular Shetland Islands. The desolate setting comes to life and serves the story well, a cold case of a missing local girl, and then another found murdered years later. Investigating officer Jimmy Perez may not have the psychological depth of a Tana French character, but his quiet presence and tendency to over-empathize with possible suspects is an interesting and unexpected take. Also, the ending came a surprise for me (though maybe it shouldn't have). Would recommend!
leelee77's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this, didn’t see the twist coming. Looking forward to reading the next one.