alicem_23's review against another edition
5.0
Another fantastic read from Ann Cleeves, with the building suspense and satisfying ending that she is known for. I felt that Perez's character was developed really well in this book and we were able to see a different side to him, which was so enjoyable. He is one of my fave fictional detectives and this series brings me so much joy! I also adore Cleeves' ability to perfectly capture the culture in Shetland, and the dance scene at the beginning of the book made me long to be in a community hall at a ceilidh.
deeclancy's review
4.0
Although I have read only one other book in the Shetland series, and this is the sixth installment, this book reads well as a discrete entity, telling you all you need to know about Perez and any other regularly occurring characters. It relates to a group of professional thirty-somethings from London attending the wedding of two friends to one another in the Shetlands, and the untimely death of one of the friends, the femme fatale of the group, Eleanor.
To avoid plot spoilers, suffice to say that the book has everything you'd really want in a murder mystery, and more. There is an array of fairly complex and complicated characters, and the ins and outs of an island community and its intricate family histories are drawn with expertise. I found it difficult to keep track of some of the Shetland place names, and at times, found the topographical and geographical descriptions a little longer and more frequent than I would have liked. However, the latter reservation is most probably due to personal taste in detective fiction, and there may be people who would be irritated by scanty descriptions of a landscape that is known for its uniqueness. Personally, I prefer to look at photos to get a picture in my head of a landscape, rather than read descriptions.
At the end of the day, though, this is a page-turner, with many twists and turns in the plot that kept me reading well into the wee hours of the morning.
To avoid plot spoilers, suffice to say that the book has everything you'd really want in a murder mystery, and more. There is an array of fairly complex and complicated characters, and the ins and outs of an island community and its intricate family histories are drawn with expertise. I found it difficult to keep track of some of the Shetland place names, and at times, found the topographical and geographical descriptions a little longer and more frequent than I would have liked. However, the latter reservation is most probably due to personal taste in detective fiction, and there may be people who would be irritated by scanty descriptions of a landscape that is known for its uniqueness. Personally, I prefer to look at photos to get a picture in my head of a landscape, rather than read descriptions.
At the end of the day, though, this is a page-turner, with many twists and turns in the plot that kept me reading well into the wee hours of the morning.
angelfireeast24's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Child death, Murder, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Kidnapping
judyward's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
holies's review
3.0
I really like this series of crime novels. Crime novels with a strong sense of place are definitely my thing. Shetland is as much of a character as DI Jimmy Perez and in this sense 'Thin Air' doesn't disappoint. Set in Unst, the landscape, folklore and customs of the nothernmost island in the UK are central to the story, as it is customary in this series of Ann Cleevea. Another trademark of Cleeves', well-rounded and layered characters (you really feel like you get to know the victim and the other players in the story) is present. What prevented me from giving this novel four stars is the plot, whose resolution seemed a bit rushed and not as tight as in the previous instalments. It was still very much a gripping read (I devoured it in 24 hours) and I look forward to the next book in the series.
zoemaja's review
5.0
I LOVE these books and I really hope she keeps writing them. They end up being so different from the show that I really hope they keep making the show too.
audio
audio
roshk99's review
3.0
Entertaining read, lots of twists and turns, and I didn't really expect the ending. Set in the northernmost island in Scotland