What do you think?
Rate this book
Shetland #5
Dead Water
An alternate cover edition can be found here.
When the body of a journalist is found, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted from outside to head up the investigation. Inspector Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his local knowledge is needed in this case, and he decides to help Willow. The dead journalist had left the islands years before to pursue his writing career. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl. When Willow and Jimmy dig deeper, they realize that the journalist was chasing a story that many Shetlanders didn't want to come to the surface.
When the body of a journalist is found, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted from outside to head up the investigation. Inspector Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his local knowledge is needed in this case, and he decides to help Willow. The dead journalist had left the islands years before to pursue his writing career. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl. When Willow and Jimmy dig deeper, they realize that the journalist was chasing a story that many Shetlanders didn't want to come to the surface.
399 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2013
2619 people are currently reading
6024 people want to read
About the author
Ann Cleeves
132 books8,752 followersAnn is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands...
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.
Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"
The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,320 reviews
October 6, 2019
I really enjoy this series. Anne Cleeves writes so well and creates the atmosphere of the Shetland Isles to perfection. It does not hurt to have seen the TV series either as that makes it even easier to create pictures of the place in my head. Apart from Perez himself, as I think I have commented before. In the books he is dark skinned and black haired, with some Spanish blood. On the TV he is very blonde and very English.
Dead Water picks up where the last book left off, after Perez's own personal tragedy. He is still recovering and is on leave but as the book progresses he becomes more and more involved in the current murder cases. I became more and more involved as the book progressed too and really enjoyed the way the police pursued all the suspects. And for once I guessed the murderer before the police did!
So - good story, interesting characters, nice police work, atmospheric setting, great writing. Definitely a good book!
Dead Water picks up where the last book left off, after Perez's own personal tragedy. He is still recovering and is on leave but as the book progresses he becomes more and more involved in the current murder cases. I became more and more involved as the book progressed too and really enjoyed the way the police pursued all the suspects. And for once I guessed the murderer before the police did!
So - good story, interesting characters, nice police work, atmospheric setting, great writing. Definitely a good book!
September 26, 2025
The TV series inspired this book's existence, I'm sure, because the adaptation didn't feel as operated on as the others.
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Ann Cleeves returns to her critically acclaimed Shetland Island series with this stunning mystery featuring Inspector Jimmy Perez, who readers will remember from Raven Black, White Nights, Red Bones, and Blue Lightning. When the body of a journalist is found, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted from outside to head up the investigation. Inspector Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his local knowledge is needed in this case, and he decides to help Willow. The dead journalist had left the islands years before to pursue his writing career. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl. When Willow and Jimmy dig deeper, they realize that the journalist was chasing a story that many Shetlanders didn't want to come to the surface. In Dead Water, a triumphant continuation to her Shetland series, Ann Cleeves cements her place as one of Britain's most successful crime writers.
My Review: Cleeves' trademark simplicity of language, her amazing gift for limning a character in a sentence and a setting, her painterly use of color and composition to make the story richer: All present, all accounted for. And it's not one single bit of a surprise that British television pounced on these tales. May they have the monster (comparatively) success that Cleeves' other sleuth-series, Vera, has had.
Originally the books were to be a quartet, which I think we all know means four of something. Here we are on the *fifth* book in the quartet...and a cynical little part of me (known as "the whole body and soul") thinks this fifth entry was inspired by the TV show's existence. I feel it shows in the too-muchness of everything in the story. Too much angst, and from more than only Jimmy the widower. The secondary cast is all angst-ridden, frustrated, scared of something happening, something not happening, something coming out to embarrass them. This gets wearing. In the extreme. It took three days for me to read a book whose predecessors were devoured in hours.
One big surprise is the role of the Fiscal, previously a testy martinet. A new light is shone on her character and a resolution is crafted for her that I myownself felt was too sympathetic. The resolution of the mystery, in fact, seems too sympathetic, and the guilty are, well, sprung on us in a feat-of-detection solution to the logic puzzle that all mysteries are. This isn't my favorite of the series, but I can't deny myself the pleasures of reading even an oversized undermysteried Ann Cleeves novel.
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Ann Cleeves returns to her critically acclaimed Shetland Island series with this stunning mystery featuring Inspector Jimmy Perez, who readers will remember from Raven Black, White Nights, Red Bones, and Blue Lightning. When the body of a journalist is found, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted from outside to head up the investigation. Inspector Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his local knowledge is needed in this case, and he decides to help Willow. The dead journalist had left the islands years before to pursue his writing career. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl. When Willow and Jimmy dig deeper, they realize that the journalist was chasing a story that many Shetlanders didn't want to come to the surface. In Dead Water, a triumphant continuation to her Shetland series, Ann Cleeves cements her place as one of Britain's most successful crime writers.
My Review: Cleeves' trademark simplicity of language, her amazing gift for limning a character in a sentence and a setting, her painterly use of color and composition to make the story richer: All present, all accounted for. And it's not one single bit of a surprise that British television pounced on these tales. May they have the monster (comparatively) success that Cleeves' other sleuth-series, Vera, has had.
Originally the books were to be a quartet, which I think we all know means four of something. Here we are on the *fifth* book in the quartet...and a cynical little part of me (known as "the whole body and soul") thinks this fifth entry was inspired by the TV show's existence. I feel it shows in the too-muchness of everything in the story. Too much angst, and from more than only Jimmy the widower. The secondary cast is all angst-ridden, frustrated, scared of something happening, something not happening, something coming out to embarrass them. This gets wearing. In the extreme. It took three days for me to read a book whose predecessors were devoured in hours.
One big surprise is the role of the Fiscal, previously a testy martinet. A new light is shone on her character and a resolution is crafted for her that I myownself felt was too sympathetic. The resolution of the mystery, in fact, seems too sympathetic, and the guilty are, well, sprung on us in a feat-of-detection solution to the logic puzzle that all mysteries are. This isn't my favorite of the series, but I can't deny myself the pleasures of reading even an oversized undermysteried Ann Cleeves novel.
November 22, 2021
In this 5th book in the 'Shetland Island' series, Detective Jimmy Perez helps investigate the death of a journalist. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Journalist Jerry Markham, a former resident of Shetland Island in Scotland, goes back for a visit and ends up dead. His body is found by Procurator Fiscal (prosecutor) Rhona Laing, in a boat she regularly uses.
Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is brought in to investigate the crime.
She works with two local detectives: Sandy Wilson - an insecure lad who lacks confidence in his abilities; and Jimmy Perez - who is still in deep mourning after the death of his girlfriend Fran.
Willow immediately pegs Rhona Laing as "knowing something" but the local police - loyal to Shetland Islanders - resist the idea.
Investigations reveal that Jerry Markham may have been looking into an island group promoting tidal energy. 'Green initiatives' are a controversial issue on the island, with some people promoting the idea and others agitating against it. The police come to suspect shenanigans in this proposed business venture.
The detectives also discover that Markham is generally considered a spoiled, self-centered fellow who - several years before - had run out on his pregnant girlfriend, breaking her heart and angering her family. Moreover, another body soon turns up, complicating the investigation and widening the list of suspects.
The story's setting is well described, and the reader gets (what seems to be) an authentic glimpse of the terrain and culture of the Scottish islands.
The characters, including the detectives and a wide array of suspects, are well-rounded and interesting. In addition to his professional duties we get to know a bit about Jimmy Perez's private life, in which he's raising Fran's young daughter - a sweet, precocious child.
The police investigation proceeds in a logical fashion leading to a finale that's believable but too long and drawn out. All in all an enjoyable mystery.
FYI: 'Shetland' - adapted from Ann Cleeves books - is a BBC crime series starring Douglas Henshall as Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez. It's available on Netflix.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
December 2, 2023
A buddy read with Simon. We're taking a break and enjoying a nice cuppa and a slice of cake as we begin listening on 11/24/23.
Favorite passage that provides an insight into Ann Cleeves intuitive writing:
"Perez replaced the receiver with a sudden and intense sense of anxiety. It was as if his world was shifting again. He had never liked Rhona Laing had found her too shiny and slippery and certain but had respected her."
Favorite passage that provides an insight into Ann Cleeves intuitive writing:
"Perez replaced the receiver with a sudden and intense sense of anxiety. It was as if his world was shifting again. He had never liked Rhona Laing had found her too shiny and slippery and certain but had respected her."
December 8, 2014
“The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces. They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder.”
----Jim Morrison
Ann Cleeves, the English best-selling author of Shetland series, which is now the major BBC1 drama starring Douglas Henshall, SHETLAND, has penned down the fifth book in the Shetland series, called, Dead Water .
Synopsis:
When the body of journalist Jerry Markham is found in a traditional Shetland boat, outside the house of the Fiscal, down at the Marina, young Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted in to head up the investigation. Since the death of his fiancée, Inspector Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his interest in this new case stirred and he decides to help the inquiry. Markham -- originally a Shetlander but who had made a name for himself in London -- had left the islands years before. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl, Evie Watt, who is now engaged to a seaman. He had few friends in Shetland, so why was he back? Willow and Jimmy led to Sullum Voe, the heart of Shetland's North Sea oil and gas industry. It soon emerges from their investigation that Markham was chasing a story in his final days. One that must have been significant enough to warrant his death...
Why have I never come across author Ann Cleeves in my life? Well, because of Ann Cleeves herself, I got a chance to read her new book in the Shetland series. She is utterly brilliant woman!
Inspector Jimmy Perez is back with an all-new mystery on Shetland Islands in Scotland. Jerry Markham, a local popular small-time journalist found murdered in the yoal, and following which begins a roller coaster ride of some hidden past secrets and emotions. A new detective named Willow Reeves assigned to lead this case along with Sandy Wilson. However, it felt to her that the Shetlanders are the very mysterious people where almost every one held a motive to kill that journalist who was hell bound to expose about the new companies setting up in Shetland Islands.
Since this is the first ever book that I read of this author, so I cannot judge her by her previous works. I felt the narration as well as the story telling to be simply smooth and free flowing. Moreover, with her choice of articulate words, it made her prose quite crisp and eloquent. I really fell for her style of writing the book. Cleeves is a genius when it comes to hiding the mystery in the story line. She managed to keep her readers on the loop until the very last chapter. The mystery made me keep on anticipating, but in the end, I felt my conclusion turned out to be wrong and I think the author has quite skillfully managed to throw sand in our eyes.
The story that she spun was highly intriguing and from the very first page, I was standing on the edge to find a killer in Shetland. The twists and the turns were peeled layer-by-layer with the progress of the story. Such an addictive plot left me hooked to the story until the very end.
The characterization was strong where both the main as well as the supporting characters were very promising. All the suspects in Pervez's list acted just like a killer with a motive until the very last page. There was no slight change that I managed to observe in their suspicious demeanor all through the book and that made me point fingers on the wrong person.
I felt bit disappointed with air of loneliness around Pervez. Although he was a very strong man from the outside, but from the inside he seem quite broken, lonely, vulnerable, and insecure to me. Reading about him made me gloomy and sad all the time.
The setting of the book was very striking. Since this is the first time I read about Shetland Islands, I felt the author's descriptions about this island was very sharp and intricate. While reading the book, I always felt that chilly, salty breeze of Shetland Islands on my skin. Cleeves made me see Scotland in a completely new light!
P.S. Read the book, and you will know why I quoted Morrison!
Verdict: This book is a must-read for all crime lovers.
Courtesy: I'd like to thank the author, Ann Cleeves, as well as her publisher from Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read and review her book.
----Jim Morrison
Ann Cleeves, the English best-selling author of Shetland series, which is now the major BBC1 drama starring Douglas Henshall, SHETLAND, has penned down the fifth book in the Shetland series, called, Dead Water .
Synopsis:
When the body of journalist Jerry Markham is found in a traditional Shetland boat, outside the house of the Fiscal, down at the Marina, young Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted in to head up the investigation. Since the death of his fiancée, Inspector Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his interest in this new case stirred and he decides to help the inquiry. Markham -- originally a Shetlander but who had made a name for himself in London -- had left the islands years before. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl, Evie Watt, who is now engaged to a seaman. He had few friends in Shetland, so why was he back? Willow and Jimmy led to Sullum Voe, the heart of Shetland's North Sea oil and gas industry. It soon emerges from their investigation that Markham was chasing a story in his final days. One that must have been significant enough to warrant his death...
Why have I never come across author Ann Cleeves in my life? Well, because of Ann Cleeves herself, I got a chance to read her new book in the Shetland series. She is utterly brilliant woman!
Inspector Jimmy Perez is back with an all-new mystery on Shetland Islands in Scotland. Jerry Markham, a local popular small-time journalist found murdered in the yoal, and following which begins a roller coaster ride of some hidden past secrets and emotions. A new detective named Willow Reeves assigned to lead this case along with Sandy Wilson. However, it felt to her that the Shetlanders are the very mysterious people where almost every one held a motive to kill that journalist who was hell bound to expose about the new companies setting up in Shetland Islands.
Since this is the first ever book that I read of this author, so I cannot judge her by her previous works. I felt the narration as well as the story telling to be simply smooth and free flowing. Moreover, with her choice of articulate words, it made her prose quite crisp and eloquent. I really fell for her style of writing the book. Cleeves is a genius when it comes to hiding the mystery in the story line. She managed to keep her readers on the loop until the very last chapter. The mystery made me keep on anticipating, but in the end, I felt my conclusion turned out to be wrong and I think the author has quite skillfully managed to throw sand in our eyes.
The story that she spun was highly intriguing and from the very first page, I was standing on the edge to find a killer in Shetland. The twists and the turns were peeled layer-by-layer with the progress of the story. Such an addictive plot left me hooked to the story until the very end.
The characterization was strong where both the main as well as the supporting characters were very promising. All the suspects in Pervez's list acted just like a killer with a motive until the very last page. There was no slight change that I managed to observe in their suspicious demeanor all through the book and that made me point fingers on the wrong person.
I felt bit disappointed with air of loneliness around Pervez. Although he was a very strong man from the outside, but from the inside he seem quite broken, lonely, vulnerable, and insecure to me. Reading about him made me gloomy and sad all the time.
The setting of the book was very striking. Since this is the first time I read about Shetland Islands, I felt the author's descriptions about this island was very sharp and intricate. While reading the book, I always felt that chilly, salty breeze of Shetland Islands on my skin. Cleeves made me see Scotland in a completely new light!
P.S. Read the book, and you will know why I quoted Morrison!
Verdict: This book is a must-read for all crime lovers.
Courtesy: I'd like to thank the author, Ann Cleeves, as well as her publisher from Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read and review her book.
March 31, 2015
Audio. (narrator has a beautiful voice) Shetland #5
Inspector Jimmy Perez has been off work since the death of his partner Fran, unable to cope with much beyond his day to day life of caring for Cassie, his step-daughter.
When the body of a journalist is found, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted from outside to head up the investigation. The dead journalist had left the islands years before to pursue his writing career. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl.
Jimmy Perez does not intend becoming involved in the investigation, but against his will he is drawn into it.
Although I have watched most of the Shetland series on TV, this is my first Ann Cleeves "read".
The characters are realistic, the plot convincing and had me guessing for a good way through. Every time I thought I had it figured out who the killer was, something would happen to make me think it was someone else.
A very worthwhile read.
Inspector Jimmy Perez has been off work since the death of his partner Fran, unable to cope with much beyond his day to day life of caring for Cassie, his step-daughter.
When the body of a journalist is found, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted from outside to head up the investigation. The dead journalist had left the islands years before to pursue his writing career. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl.
Jimmy Perez does not intend becoming involved in the investigation, but against his will he is drawn into it.
Although I have watched most of the Shetland series on TV, this is my first Ann Cleeves "read".
The characters are realistic, the plot convincing and had me guessing for a good way through. Every time I thought I had it figured out who the killer was, something would happen to make me think it was someone else.
A very worthwhile read.
January 7, 2023
So, we are back here again. I almost passed on reading this since I am still super ticked about the events in the last book. But this came up after being on hold for about 2 months so I decided to read. And then the next book in the series came up for me about 2 hours later. Apparently the Book Gods want me to give this series another go. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. This was an interesting mystery and we have a new character, Willow Reeves who I ended up liking a lot. Jimmy worked my nerves a fair bit, but that's only because Cleeves used the death of his fiancée to make him interesting or some such nonsense and he was not. His obsession with Cassie and just being angry was not doing a lot for me. Thank goodness we have Sandy as a bridge in this story though. The writing is typical Cleeves, she knows how to set a scene. The flow got better as things get going. I have to say though, that the explanation behind the murders didn't make a lot of sense to me and that was honestly why I gave this 4 stars. I mean I get why the murderer supposedly did it, but I went really and shook my head.
"Dead Water" takes place 6 months after Inspector Jimmy lost his fiancée, Fran. Jimmy is still sort of drifting and making sure he's looking after Fran's daughter, Cassie. However, he doesn't really do police work anymore and his colleagues are getting a bit tired of him at this point. When a dead body is found near the Fiscal's home, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is called in. Willow works alongside Sandy, but puzzles about bringing in Jimmy. At first Jimmy is reluctant, but something about the case of the murdered journalist calls to him, and he finds himself involved in another murder.
I really liked Willow. She's the total opposite of Jimmy in some ways, but she's just as keen to solve murders, and has a different touch than him on some matters. She finds herself intrigued by him, but also frustrated.
Sandy was Sandy, but also getting a lot better at voicing his opinions.
Jimmy was like a wraith through the first part of the book. Still feeling guilty about Fran, he is just focused on Cassie and taking her to school. But he starts to realize that he needs to loosen things up a bit with regards to her because she's worried about him. When he starts to investigate the murder a part of him that he thought no longer existed, pops up.
The other characters in this one were interesting as well. We got more insight into the Fiscal which was good.
The writing was typical Cleeves, and the flow improved as the mystery deepened.
The setting of Shetland always seems so dark and tragic. With things focused on the water, even though seemed to become threatening.
I have to say though that the resolution about the murder and who/why was a bit of a mess. I didn't really think it was realistic. I just went with it because everything up to that point was working. But I literally went, okay and then sighed.
"Dead Water" takes place 6 months after Inspector Jimmy lost his fiancée, Fran. Jimmy is still sort of drifting and making sure he's looking after Fran's daughter, Cassie. However, he doesn't really do police work anymore and his colleagues are getting a bit tired of him at this point. When a dead body is found near the Fiscal's home, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is called in. Willow works alongside Sandy, but puzzles about bringing in Jimmy. At first Jimmy is reluctant, but something about the case of the murdered journalist calls to him, and he finds himself involved in another murder.
I really liked Willow. She's the total opposite of Jimmy in some ways, but she's just as keen to solve murders, and has a different touch than him on some matters. She finds herself intrigued by him, but also frustrated.
Sandy was Sandy, but also getting a lot better at voicing his opinions.
Jimmy was like a wraith through the first part of the book. Still feeling guilty about Fran, he is just focused on Cassie and taking her to school. But he starts to realize that he needs to loosen things up a bit with regards to her because she's worried about him. When he starts to investigate the murder a part of him that he thought no longer existed, pops up.
The other characters in this one were interesting as well. We got more insight into the Fiscal which was good.
The writing was typical Cleeves, and the flow improved as the mystery deepened.
The setting of Shetland always seems so dark and tragic. With things focused on the water, even though seemed to become threatening.
I have to say though that the resolution about the murder and who/why was a bit of a mess. I didn't really think it was realistic. I just went with it because everything up to that point was working. But I literally went, okay and then sighed.
June 28, 2016
3 1/2 stars
The cliff-hanger ending of Cleeves's previous entry in this series, Blue Lightning, propelled me immediately into this book. After two books set in the outer Shetland Islands of Whalesy and Fair Isle, we're back on the main island for another story where murders pile up. Familiar characters populate Dead Water; and we meet Willow Reeves, the new inspector from Inverness who replaces Roy Taylor.
I love this series and I "liked" this book. The story line was interesting and kept me turning pages, but the characters bordered on caricatures and the ending seemed rushed and out of the blue. Still recommended if you have read the previous Shetland Island books.
The cliff-hanger ending of Cleeves's previous entry in this series, Blue Lightning, propelled me immediately into this book. After two books set in the outer Shetland Islands of Whalesy and Fair Isle, we're back on the main island for another story where murders pile up. Familiar characters populate Dead Water; and we meet Willow Reeves, the new inspector from Inverness who replaces Roy Taylor.
I love this series and I "liked" this book. The story line was interesting and kept me turning pages, but the characters bordered on caricatures and the ending seemed rushed and out of the blue. Still recommended if you have read the previous Shetland Island books.
June 26, 2022
Detectivul Jimmy Perez este in depresie dupa moartea logodnicei, simtindu-se vinovat. Dar, crimele de pe insula nu il pot tine de o parte ajutandu-si echipa in frunte cu noua colega, Willow.
Ziaristul Jerry Markham e gasit mort intr-o barca, oare investiga ceva interesant?
Ziaristul Jerry Markham e gasit mort intr-o barca, oare investiga ceva interesant?
September 15, 2025
Kocham Szetlandy i książki Ann Cleeves. That's it.
March 17, 2017
A journalist gets murdered and detective Inspector Willow Reeves gets recruited from outside to lead the investigation since inspector Jimmy Perez haven't been himself since his loss in the last book. But it doesn't take a long time before Jimmy joins the investigation...
Ann Cleeves Shetland Island series has oddly become one of my favorite series. Oddly because the first three books were quite ordinary crime/mystery books. But the last book was really good and I have been looking forward to reading this book for some time. And I wasn't disappointed, a good mystery story, Jimmy, and Sandy are back and a new character, Willow Reeves that I came to like quite good. Now I just want to read the next book...
Ann Cleeves Shetland Island series has oddly become one of my favorite series. Oddly because the first three books were quite ordinary crime/mystery books. But the last book was really good and I have been looking forward to reading this book for some time. And I wasn't disappointed, a good mystery story, Jimmy, and Sandy are back and a new character, Willow Reeves that I came to like quite good. Now I just want to read the next book...
August 1, 2014
This is a tough one. I was looking forward to reading this book, if only to see what direction the author would take now that my beloved Fran has been killed off. So, she did that. Life goes on in the Shetland Isles. But this time the mystery, the actual reason for the book, seemed to miss something for me. There were plenty of red herrings, and some of the familiar richness of local culture, but little actual texture in the story line, which seemed more confused than confusing. The outcome seemed less surprising than implausible, and none of the ample opportunities for foreshadowing it could have presented were ever employed. The lengthy explanatory verbiage at the end seemed more like an author's self-justification than any kind of illumination. I hope for better next time!
June 20, 2025
One of my favorites. The ending made my jaw drop! I never imagined that person to be the murderer. Cleeves is SO tricky!
May 3, 2020
This book in the Shetland Island series takes place after Fran's death as Inspector Jimmy Perez slowly immerses himself in what turns out to be 2 murders. As time heals all, so he comes back to life especially helped along by his dual custody with Duncan, Cassie's real father. This book also introduces Inspector Willow Reeves assigned to be in charge of the murder of a journalist up from London. There is a connection with Willow and Jimmy that assures us we probably will see more of her. In addition, Rhona Laing, the Fiscal, is involved in what turn out to be 2 murders and we are given a lot of her backstory as she always seemed cold, ambitious, but effective.
I'm rooting for Jimmy to heal and move on. He's an excellent detective and as always, the Shetland scenery adds to the atmosphere and backdrop for these mysteries.
I'm rooting for Jimmy to heal and move on. He's an excellent detective and as always, the Shetland scenery adds to the atmosphere and backdrop for these mysteries.
April 22, 2020
A nice addition to The Shetland series!
I liked the character of Willow Reeves and I hope to see her in the next installment also!
The character of fiscal Laing irritated me to no end in this story and I'm glad to see her gone!
Oh dear me though because I hate cheaters and the justification of having real feelings or feeling bad about it afterwards makes me want to rant!
Can't say I felt sorry for any of the victims since both in their own way were a bunch of hypocrites! Not that I'm glad they were killed but didn't feel any sympathy towards them!
The mystery was well played out and I didn't managed to figure out who did it!
The setting of Shetland was also a nice way to "escape" my hours on lockdown!
I liked the character of Willow Reeves and I hope to see her in the next installment also!
The character of fiscal Laing irritated me to no end in this story and I'm glad to see her gone!
Oh dear me though because I hate cheaters and the justification of having real feelings or feeling bad about it afterwards makes me want to rant!
Can't say I felt sorry for any of the victims since both in their own way were a bunch of hypocrites! Not that I'm glad they were killed but didn't feel any sympathy towards them!
The mystery was well played out and I didn't managed to figure out who did it!
The setting of Shetland was also a nice way to "escape" my hours on lockdown!
May 19, 2017
I love this understated but compelling detective series set in the Shetland Islands.
Another interesting mystery involving old and new characters - highly recommended.
Another interesting mystery involving old and new characters - highly recommended.
March 6, 2021
Great Googly Moogly, I never, ever, saw that coming. WOW.
May 17, 2024
Parts of Dead Water were some of the best I've read from Ann Cleeves, but the resolution was flimsy and rushed, and the last page ended abruptly.
This novel introduces us to Senior Investigative Officer Willow Reeves. Reeves has a very different vibe: where Jimmy Perez is patient and boring, Willow is like a ball of energy. She can't stay still, and she struggles with Jimmy's silences. She's a great foil to Perez, and I like her with muttonhead Sandy, too.
Like all Ann Cleeves' mysteries, Dead Water is chock full of characters and red herrings. You almost need to keep notes. The mystery starts when Rhona Laing discovers a dead body in her boat. Being a witness in the case precludes her from working on it, so chain of command sends over Willow Reeves. Sandy, Jimmy and Willow follow a convoluted trail involving green energy, Big Oil, religious fanatics, competitive rowing, many sets of smothering parents, an upcoming wedding, and two murdered men.
I really liked this one because it had great momentum, and it was just plain interesting. I really wish the final resolution hadn't been so disappointing. Oh well; onward to Thin Air.
This novel introduces us to Senior Investigative Officer Willow Reeves. Reeves has a very different vibe: where Jimmy Perez is patient and boring, Willow is like a ball of energy. She can't stay still, and she struggles with Jimmy's silences. She's a great foil to Perez, and I like her with muttonhead Sandy, too.
Like all Ann Cleeves' mysteries, Dead Water is chock full of characters and red herrings. You almost need to keep notes. The mystery starts when Rhona Laing discovers a dead body in her boat. Being a witness in the case precludes her from working on it, so chain of command sends over Willow Reeves. Sandy, Jimmy and Willow follow a convoluted trail involving green energy, Big Oil, religious fanatics, competitive rowing, many sets of smothering parents, an upcoming wedding, and two murdered men.
I really liked this one because it had great momentum, and it was just plain interesting. I really wish the final resolution hadn't been so disappointing. Oh well; onward to Thin Air.
August 27, 2015
Detective Jimmy Perez returns in this fifth Shetland Island book by Ann Cleeves. A rich history of family relationships, the mosaic of insular communities, and deeply ingrained local traditions make this an outstanding series. The islands lie to the northeast of Scotland and the name deceptively suggests cultural homogeneity. Cleeves' book, with its shifting locales, counters that impression. On the North Sea side lies the remote island of Fetlar, accessible from the main island by the Yell ferry. Far to the south on the main island is Lerwick, a professional, commercial and administrative center. Offshore, north of Lerwick is Whalsay, a small island insular even by Shetland standards. On the western side of the main island lie Weisdale, a community of historical importance and restored buildings; Aith, site of a strong maritime tradition and a busy marina; and to the north, Brae, positioned at the south end of a channel known as Sullom Voe, and largely populated by workers in the nearby offshore drilling fields. The action of the book is spread among these varied communities. There are old families and newcomers; working poor and well-heeled; traditionalists and modernists. The traditions frequently reflect Norwegian rather than Scottish influences.
Prospective readers should try to read this series in chronological order. Not only do the characters develop over time but book five opens with a major spoiler to its predecessor, BLUE LIGHTENING, my favorite of the series.
Sandy Wilson reappears as the stolid, well-intentioned police officer whose lack of confidence is often mistaken for incompetence. It does not help that Detective Jimmy Perez, the man he looked up to and relied on for leadership, has been on extended leave, or that the brusque Procurator Fiscal (public prosecutor) Rhona Laing makes no effort to hide her contempt for him both professionally and personally. Much of Sandy's diffidence can be traced to his upbringing on remote Whalsay. That difference in background however, makes him acutely sensitive to cultural distinctions. He bristles when an English officer in Inverness confides that the new investigator being dispatched to fill in for Perez is from the Hebrides: “'Grew up in North Uist. Almost one of you,'” the Englishman says. “No, Sandy wanted to say. 'The people of the Uists are quite different. They speak Gaelic, and the crofts are all sand and seaweed. A different landscape and a different culture. In the Hebrides you can't get a drink on a Sunday. Only an Englishman could think a Hebridean would have anything in common with a Shetlander.'”
The Hebridean is special investigator Willow Reeves. She pegs the Fiscal as an outsider immediately: “She had an Edinburgh accent. Classy Edinburgh, clipped and glacial.” The two women dislike each other from the start. The circumstances of their meeting do not help.
In brief, a body has turned up, practically on the Fiscal's doorstep. The deceased is Jerry Markham, a prodigal son of the Shetlands who left for London to pursue ambitions as a journalist. In his wake he left a trail of scandal. He was murdered elsewhere and then positioned in the boat, a traditional yoal owned and maintained by Laing's rowing team. Having discovered the body, the Fiscal is put in the awkward position of involvement in the case. Special Investigator Reeves immediately senses the prickly Laing knows more than she is admitting about the murder victim.
The third person narrative shifts deftly among the viewpoints of the four principals, Sandy, Willow, Jimmy and Laing. The ambiguous chain of command disrupts the normal procedural decorum. Reeves pursues an aggressive investigation. Laing vacillates between curiosity and defensiveness. Reeves is also torn between her role as investigative lead and deferment to Jimmy's superior local knowledge and seasoned instincts as he is drawn back into police work.
Cleeves seeds the plot with a succession of intriguing questions. Why put the body in the boat? Why use the boat located at the marina on Laing's doorstep? Why did Markham return to the island? Why did he arrange a mundane tour of the drilling complex in Brae, a complex whose operations he was already familiar with before he left for London? What was his connection with the anti-green energy group whose meeting he agreed to attend the evening he was killed? Like a complex crossword puzzle, many answers seem readily available, but only one will fit all the facts. The questions accumulate, holding the reader's interest in the central plot. That plot is enlivened by the dialog. Reeves investigates the Fiscal: “'You didn't notice anything odd when you came in from work?' Again Rhona thought how persistent the woman was. She was beginning to find her presence in the house unbearable. She clenched her fists by her sides. Felt her nails digging into the skin of her palm. 'I do think I might have mentioned it,' she said. 'A killer lifting a corpse into our racing yoal — yes, I do think I might have told you, without waiting to be asked.'” Reeves has the thick skin of a skilled investigator, despite the fact this is her first murder inquiry and her apology is merely a matter of politesse, a fact that irritates Laing even further.
This was an engaging mystery with interesting characters. I highly recommend the entire series.
NOTES:
A useful map of the Shetland Islands from Ann Cleeves' website http://www.anncleeves.com/shetland/ma...
Readers will also want to take a look at the yoal; there are numerous images posted on the internet.
Prospective readers should try to read this series in chronological order. Not only do the characters develop over time but book five opens with a major spoiler to its predecessor, BLUE LIGHTENING, my favorite of the series.
Sandy Wilson reappears as the stolid, well-intentioned police officer whose lack of confidence is often mistaken for incompetence. It does not help that Detective Jimmy Perez, the man he looked up to and relied on for leadership, has been on extended leave, or that the brusque Procurator Fiscal (public prosecutor) Rhona Laing makes no effort to hide her contempt for him both professionally and personally. Much of Sandy's diffidence can be traced to his upbringing on remote Whalsay. That difference in background however, makes him acutely sensitive to cultural distinctions. He bristles when an English officer in Inverness confides that the new investigator being dispatched to fill in for Perez is from the Hebrides: “'Grew up in North Uist. Almost one of you,'” the Englishman says. “No, Sandy wanted to say. 'The people of the Uists are quite different. They speak Gaelic, and the crofts are all sand and seaweed. A different landscape and a different culture. In the Hebrides you can't get a drink on a Sunday. Only an Englishman could think a Hebridean would have anything in common with a Shetlander.'”
The Hebridean is special investigator Willow Reeves. She pegs the Fiscal as an outsider immediately: “She had an Edinburgh accent. Classy Edinburgh, clipped and glacial.” The two women dislike each other from the start. The circumstances of their meeting do not help.
In brief, a body has turned up, practically on the Fiscal's doorstep. The deceased is Jerry Markham, a prodigal son of the Shetlands who left for London to pursue ambitions as a journalist. In his wake he left a trail of scandal. He was murdered elsewhere and then positioned in the boat, a traditional yoal owned and maintained by Laing's rowing team. Having discovered the body, the Fiscal is put in the awkward position of involvement in the case. Special Investigator Reeves immediately senses the prickly Laing knows more than she is admitting about the murder victim.
The third person narrative shifts deftly among the viewpoints of the four principals, Sandy, Willow, Jimmy and Laing. The ambiguous chain of command disrupts the normal procedural decorum. Reeves pursues an aggressive investigation. Laing vacillates between curiosity and defensiveness. Reeves is also torn between her role as investigative lead and deferment to Jimmy's superior local knowledge and seasoned instincts as he is drawn back into police work.
Cleeves seeds the plot with a succession of intriguing questions. Why put the body in the boat? Why use the boat located at the marina on Laing's doorstep? Why did Markham return to the island? Why did he arrange a mundane tour of the drilling complex in Brae, a complex whose operations he was already familiar with before he left for London? What was his connection with the anti-green energy group whose meeting he agreed to attend the evening he was killed? Like a complex crossword puzzle, many answers seem readily available, but only one will fit all the facts. The questions accumulate, holding the reader's interest in the central plot. That plot is enlivened by the dialog. Reeves investigates the Fiscal: “'You didn't notice anything odd when you came in from work?' Again Rhona thought how persistent the woman was. She was beginning to find her presence in the house unbearable. She clenched her fists by her sides. Felt her nails digging into the skin of her palm. 'I do think I might have mentioned it,' she said. 'A killer lifting a corpse into our racing yoal — yes, I do think I might have told you, without waiting to be asked.'” Reeves has the thick skin of a skilled investigator, despite the fact this is her first murder inquiry and her apology is merely a matter of politesse, a fact that irritates Laing even further.
This was an engaging mystery with interesting characters. I highly recommend the entire series.
NOTES:
A useful map of the Shetland Islands from Ann Cleeves' website http://www.anncleeves.com/shetland/ma...
Readers will also want to take a look at the yoal; there are numerous images posted on the internet.
May 7, 2023
Mi-a plăcut mai puțin. Mi s-a părut destul de neverosimil mobilul pentru prima crimă și absurd pentru a doua.
February 3, 2013
Ann Cleeves can't write a bad book, as far as I'm concerned, and this latest in her Shetland series is no exception.
Detective Jimmy Perez is recovering from in the previous book. He spends his day moping about, taking care of the precocious Cassie, and generally doing nothing useful at the police station. Even his peers and fellow police officers at the station are sick of his moodiness.
A body is inevitably found, a new detective is introduced, and one of their own may be entangled in the case. Against his will, Jimmy Perez finds himself waking from the lethargy of grief and becoming involved in the case.
The characters and the writing is the hallmark of every Ann Cleeves novel. I never tire of her writing style; she has just the right amount of detail and of characterization to keep the reader interested. Her writing is spare, concise, and just right for the feel of the book. The mystery is secondary to the environment she has created.
Detective Jimmy Perez is recovering from in the previous book. He spends his day moping about, taking care of the precocious Cassie, and generally doing nothing useful at the police station. Even his peers and fellow police officers at the station are sick of his moodiness.
A body is inevitably found, a new detective is introduced, and one of their own may be entangled in the case. Against his will, Jimmy Perez finds himself waking from the lethargy of grief and becoming involved in the case.
The characters and the writing is the hallmark of every Ann Cleeves novel. I never tire of her writing style; she has just the right amount of detail and of characterization to keep the reader interested. Her writing is spare, concise, and just right for the feel of the book. The mystery is secondary to the environment she has created.
December 22, 2014
Ann Cleeves does it again - presents a bleak and enticing Shetland, facinating characters, mystifying whodunnit and keeps the pace and the plot right until the end. Then it somehow disappoints and the murderer doesn't quite seem belieavable. I enjoyed most of this though, and I have the sixth book in the series, which I will read in short order.
June 12, 2014
I absolutely loved this book, to me it is the best of the series. I am so grateful Cleeves chose to write a 5th book, it is such a strong novel and really moves Jimmy Perez forward after the tragic ending of book 4.
February 18, 2019
This book came across as a rather routine crime novel. Jimmy Perez is still traumatised by the murder of his girlfriend Fran Hunter and he is having difficulty returning to work and care for Cassie, Fran young daughter. When journalist Jerry Markham is found dead he is pressed into action on the arrival of the Senior Investigating Officer Inspector Willow Reeves is sent in to lead the investigation.
The portrayal of the sometimes bleak and sometimes beautiful Shetland landscape makes the books on its own and you can feel yourself pulled there for the "Good Life". Good characters, even the former commune girl Willow Reeves grows on you as the story progresses. The ending is rather abrupt and the explanation of the offence laboured to a conclusion.
A good enough story for three stars.
The portrayal of the sometimes bleak and sometimes beautiful Shetland landscape makes the books on its own and you can feel yourself pulled there for the "Good Life". Good characters, even the former commune girl Willow Reeves grows on you as the story progresses. The ending is rather abrupt and the explanation of the offence laboured to a conclusion.
A good enough story for three stars.
September 19, 2021
This is probably going to be my last read by Ann Cleeves. Full explanation in spoilers because of the possibility that what wrecked it for me will do the same to someone else, and I don’t want to impede anyone's happy reading time.
Despite the futility of me trying to recall even the broad plot of a book I read a month ago, I suspect this one trivial sentence will come back and haunt me through any future books I might try by the author. Such a pity, because I do like the Shetland setting and I loved the blueness of the cover, which almost certainly has nothing to do with Shetland in any of its detail. And I've enjoyed the series so much up till now.
So that was my Film at 11 square. At least I've got a square called and read out of it.
Library copy
Despite the futility of me trying to recall even the broad plot of a book I read a month ago, I suspect this one trivial sentence will come back and haunt me through any future books I might try by the author. Such a pity, because I do like the Shetland setting and I loved the blueness of the cover, which almost certainly has nothing to do with Shetland in any of its detail. And I've enjoyed the series so much up till now.
So that was my Film at 11 square. At least I've got a square called and read out of it.
Library copy
June 10, 2017
Book #5 in the Shetland series with Jimmy Perez: and it felt awkward to me, as if the author were trying to find her way again after a hiatus. I don’t know the publishing history of the books, but I get the sense that Cleeves initially intended the series to be a self-contained quartet. Then, after the success of the television adaptation, she was inspired–or perhaps encouraged by her agent and publisher—to continue the series. That’s all speculation on my part, but especially the first several chapters felt awkward to me. The prose was rough, filled with tons of sentence fragments and lots of head hopping. There is a new detective, too, a woman from the Hebrides who runs the murder investigation since Jimmy Perez is on leave and depressed after the death of his fiancée in the previous book.
Perhaps that’s part of the reason why I found it hard to warm up to this book: because Jimmy is more of a secondary character than the lead. Or maybe his grief is contagious, and the story itself sputters due to a depressive’s lack of energy.
The ending felt rushed to me as well; with a murderer who came out of the blue. It took two chapters of exposition to fill readers in, belatedly, on the killer’s motivation, and that felt strained. We weren’t shown the clues to the killer’s true self in the story, so it was unsatisfying to suddenly be told, “Oh this is was X is really like” suddenly at the end. I also felt that the motivation of the victim didn’t hang together; I didn’t buy it as authentic psychologically.
Despite this, I like the Shetland setting, and I like Jimmy Perez enough that I am reading the sixth book now, hoping he returns to a more central role.
Perhaps that’s part of the reason why I found it hard to warm up to this book: because Jimmy is more of a secondary character than the lead. Or maybe his grief is contagious, and the story itself sputters due to a depressive’s lack of energy.
The ending felt rushed to me as well; with a murderer who came out of the blue. It took two chapters of exposition to fill readers in, belatedly, on the killer’s motivation, and that felt strained. We weren’t shown the clues to the killer’s true self in the story, so it was unsatisfying to suddenly be told, “Oh this is was X is really like” suddenly at the end. I also felt that the motivation of the victim didn’t hang together; I didn’t buy it as authentic psychologically.
Despite this, I like the Shetland setting, and I like Jimmy Perez enough that I am reading the sixth book now, hoping he returns to a more central role.
November 21, 2016
Detective Jimmy Perez is understandably still depressed from the unfortunate results of his last investigation so when the body of a disliked journalist is discovered, his superiors assign a detective to come to the Shetland Islands to supervise the proceedings. Although Jimmy has been struggling to anything other than care for his (more or less) stepdaughter Cassie, he becomes interested in the mystery despite himself and joins the offcomer, Willow Reeves, and the amiable but not very bright Sandy, in the investigation. Perhaps because I was listening to this on audio or because the author, like her readers, has not fully recovered from the death of a much-liked character, this book did not engage me as much as the earlier four books in the series.
January 18, 2015
The conclusion was a surprise, mostly because it stretched credibility. A disappointing read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,320 reviews