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Shetland #7
Cold Earth
In the dark days of a Shetland winter, torrential rain triggers a landslide that crosses the road and sweeps down to the sea.
At the burial of his old friend Magnus Tait, Jimmy Perez watches the flood of mud and peaty water smash through a croft house in its path. Everyone thinks the croft is uninhabited, but in the wreckage he finds the body of a dark-haired woman wearing a red silk dress. In his mind, she shares his Mediterranean ancestry and soon he becomes obsessed with tracing her identity.
Then it emerges that she was already dead before the landslide hit the house. Perez feels bound by duty - and something more powerful - to find out who she was, and how she died. Within the house, the only clue is a wooden box that contains two photos, one of two small children and one of an elderly couple. And a handwritten letter, which begins: "My dearest Alis..."
At the burial of his old friend Magnus Tait, Jimmy Perez watches the flood of mud and peaty water smash through a croft house in its path. Everyone thinks the croft is uninhabited, but in the wreckage he finds the body of a dark-haired woman wearing a red silk dress. In his mind, she shares his Mediterranean ancestry and soon he becomes obsessed with tracing her identity.
Then it emerges that she was already dead before the landslide hit the house. Perez feels bound by duty - and something more powerful - to find out who she was, and how she died. Within the house, the only clue is a wooden box that contains two photos, one of two small children and one of an elderly couple. And a handwritten letter, which begins: "My dearest Alis..."
400 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2016
3486 people are currently reading
5564 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,263 reviews
May 23, 2017
I was first drawn to this series by the setting. Have a fascination with the Shetland Islands and these books will probably be the closest I will come, since I don't believe I will actually ever travel there. I kept reading them though because I enjoy the main characters Perez and Sandy. The story lines always fully engage my attention as well
In this outing, a landslide at a funeral will reveal the body of a young woman and will throw suspicion on various island inhabitants. Enjoy the mix of personal stories with a solid police procedural. Perez is very familiar with many seemingly involved, adding a more personal note to the intrigue and investgation. He is also still coming to terms with a past grief and adjusting to the parenting of a young child. Well written and well plotted, this one kept me guessing until the end.
In this outing, a landslide at a funeral will reveal the body of a young woman and will throw suspicion on various island inhabitants. Enjoy the mix of personal stories with a solid police procedural. Perez is very familiar with many seemingly involved, adding a more personal note to the intrigue and investgation. He is also still coming to terms with a past grief and adjusting to the parenting of a young child. Well written and well plotted, this one kept me guessing until the end.
March 12, 2020
I do love this series and I am very sad it is almost over. Just one more book and Perez and Sandy go their separate way.
Anyway, Cold Earth was really good. I love the Shetland Isle setting, the police work, and the characters. All except one because for some reason I cannot take to Willow. She just seems a bit unlikely as well as being his boss.
The mystery was excellent and very hard to work out. Just before the end I suddenly thought "What if it is HIM" and I was right. The ending was quite startling.
So, a five star book for me and a little bit of time out before I read that final book in the series.
Anyway, Cold Earth was really good. I love the Shetland Isle setting, the police work, and the characters. All except one because for some reason I cannot take to Willow. She just seems a bit unlikely as well as being his boss.
The mystery was excellent and very hard to work out. Just before the end I suddenly thought "What if it is HIM" and I was right. The ending was quite startling.
So, a five star book for me and a little bit of time out before I read that final book in the series.
May 26, 2017
“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.”
----Cormac McCarthy
Ann Cleeves, the award-winning British crime author, is back with yet another intriguing thriller in her popular Shetland Island crime series called, Cold Earth, where the infamous protagonist, DI Jimmy Perez, is challenged with the landslides of Shetland that destroys an abandoned house on the island, revealing the body of an unidentified woman, whose death strikes Perez with the tragic death of the love of his life, but this nerve wracking mystery of an unidentified woman's death is taking the toll out of Perez and out of all the islanders who have no clue about this woman.
Synopsis:
In the dark days of a Shetland winter, torrential rain triggers a landslide that crosses the main Lerwick-Sumburgh road and sweeps down to the sea.
At the burial of his old friend Magnus Tait, Jimmy Perez watches the flood of mud and peaty water smash through a croft house in its path. Everyone thinks the croft is uninhabited, but in the wreckage he finds the body of a dark-haired woman wearing a red silk dress. In his mind, she shares his Mediterranean ancestry and soon he becomes obsessed with tracing her identity.
Then it emerges that she was already dead before the landslide hit the house. Perez knows he must find out who she was, and how she died.
On the day of the funeral of Jimmy's old friend, Magnus, a deadly landslide hits the island of Shetland, creating havoc with its outburst. Caught in its destruction is a lonely abandoned and almost dilapidated house, which gets washed away from its place due to the landslide, finally revealing the dead body of an unidentified woman. Soon Perez's team arrives on the spot, but no one has a single clue about who this dead woman could be. Sandy's digging helps reveal about that woman's movement before her death, but no one could say anything about her identity. Although her use of fake name helps a lot, and Perez with the help of Scottish police chief, Willow, could uncover a lot of dark secrets about the suspects behind that woman's death. Whereas, the death of that unknown woman has hit Jimmy real hard and he is haunted by the death of his lover, Fran. But a strong and undeniable attraction towards Willow is distracting him from his goal to find out who killed the woman or who that woman is. Can Perez solve this crime despite of his personal battles?
Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series has been turned into a major TV series of BBC One network called Shetland, starring, Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez. I've read almost all the books in this epic crime series and I absolutely loved them all, including this current book. Even though Cleeves is one of my favorite crime writers, I promise to pen an unbiased review. This book is equally captivating and absolutely mind boggling to the very core. The book left me guessing till the very last page and this is one of the primary reasons why I love reading Cleeves' books where the plot is so thick with suspense that will leave even the seasoned readers anticipating till the very end.
What can I say about Cleeves protagonist- DI Jimmy Perez? Even I’m more drawn to his loneliness, yet there is something striking about him, which will keep the readers glued to his unusual demeanor. Cleeves portrayed Perez as a widower with a step-daughter, Cassie and as a brave, strong man whose determination will keep the readers hooked on to the story line till the turn of the very last page. Although in this book, Cold Earth, the readers will get to see a different side of Perez who has more perturbation and layers of gray shades hidden in the depths of his very soul. Perez will intimidate the readers and at the same time will leave them curious about his past as well as about his present. The supporting characters, like Sandy, Willow and others are also tastefully developed through their flaws and strong aspects.
The author's writing is extraordinarily exquisite and articulate. While reading this book, the readers might feel like the whole story is unfolding right before their eyes and that they might be standing on one of the cliffs of Shetland and watching the modus operandi of Perez and his team with their own eyes. The narration is crystal clear and free-flowing like a river, that is easy to comprehend with. The whole investigation taking place in Shetland is described intricately and vividly by the author.
I’d like to hats off to the author for painting the backdrop of her story so distinctly and strikingly. Shetland is a small Scottish Island where the weather remains cold, dark, windy, chilly and rainy 365 days around the year. And Cleeves has captured it all with such sharpness that the readers can almost feel the wind on their skin and the salty taste of the breeze on their tongue, along with that smell of rain on the Earth. Not only that, the author reveals a lot about traditions behind a funeral also capturing the lives of the islanders in the most vivid way.
In a nutshell, this page turning and absolutely absorbing novel is a must read for all crime fiction readers, especially who love reading a tightly packed and neatly tied with unpredictable twists, thriller.
Verdict: Cold English islandish thriller infused with murder, mayhem and police drama.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Pan Macmillan India for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Cormac McCarthy
Ann Cleeves, the award-winning British crime author, is back with yet another intriguing thriller in her popular Shetland Island crime series called, Cold Earth, where the infamous protagonist, DI Jimmy Perez, is challenged with the landslides of Shetland that destroys an abandoned house on the island, revealing the body of an unidentified woman, whose death strikes Perez with the tragic death of the love of his life, but this nerve wracking mystery of an unidentified woman's death is taking the toll out of Perez and out of all the islanders who have no clue about this woman.
Synopsis:
In the dark days of a Shetland winter, torrential rain triggers a landslide that crosses the main Lerwick-Sumburgh road and sweeps down to the sea.
At the burial of his old friend Magnus Tait, Jimmy Perez watches the flood of mud and peaty water smash through a croft house in its path. Everyone thinks the croft is uninhabited, but in the wreckage he finds the body of a dark-haired woman wearing a red silk dress. In his mind, she shares his Mediterranean ancestry and soon he becomes obsessed with tracing her identity.
Then it emerges that she was already dead before the landslide hit the house. Perez knows he must find out who she was, and how she died.
On the day of the funeral of Jimmy's old friend, Magnus, a deadly landslide hits the island of Shetland, creating havoc with its outburst. Caught in its destruction is a lonely abandoned and almost dilapidated house, which gets washed away from its place due to the landslide, finally revealing the dead body of an unidentified woman. Soon Perez's team arrives on the spot, but no one has a single clue about who this dead woman could be. Sandy's digging helps reveal about that woman's movement before her death, but no one could say anything about her identity. Although her use of fake name helps a lot, and Perez with the help of Scottish police chief, Willow, could uncover a lot of dark secrets about the suspects behind that woman's death. Whereas, the death of that unknown woman has hit Jimmy real hard and he is haunted by the death of his lover, Fran. But a strong and undeniable attraction towards Willow is distracting him from his goal to find out who killed the woman or who that woman is. Can Perez solve this crime despite of his personal battles?
Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series has been turned into a major TV series of BBC One network called Shetland, starring, Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez. I've read almost all the books in this epic crime series and I absolutely loved them all, including this current book. Even though Cleeves is one of my favorite crime writers, I promise to pen an unbiased review. This book is equally captivating and absolutely mind boggling to the very core. The book left me guessing till the very last page and this is one of the primary reasons why I love reading Cleeves' books where the plot is so thick with suspense that will leave even the seasoned readers anticipating till the very end.
What can I say about Cleeves protagonist- DI Jimmy Perez? Even I’m more drawn to his loneliness, yet there is something striking about him, which will keep the readers glued to his unusual demeanor. Cleeves portrayed Perez as a widower with a step-daughter, Cassie and as a brave, strong man whose determination will keep the readers hooked on to the story line till the turn of the very last page. Although in this book, Cold Earth, the readers will get to see a different side of Perez who has more perturbation and layers of gray shades hidden in the depths of his very soul. Perez will intimidate the readers and at the same time will leave them curious about his past as well as about his present. The supporting characters, like Sandy, Willow and others are also tastefully developed through their flaws and strong aspects.
The author's writing is extraordinarily exquisite and articulate. While reading this book, the readers might feel like the whole story is unfolding right before their eyes and that they might be standing on one of the cliffs of Shetland and watching the modus operandi of Perez and his team with their own eyes. The narration is crystal clear and free-flowing like a river, that is easy to comprehend with. The whole investigation taking place in Shetland is described intricately and vividly by the author.
I’d like to hats off to the author for painting the backdrop of her story so distinctly and strikingly. Shetland is a small Scottish Island where the weather remains cold, dark, windy, chilly and rainy 365 days around the year. And Cleeves has captured it all with such sharpness that the readers can almost feel the wind on their skin and the salty taste of the breeze on their tongue, along with that smell of rain on the Earth. Not only that, the author reveals a lot about traditions behind a funeral also capturing the lives of the islanders in the most vivid way.
In a nutshell, this page turning and absolutely absorbing novel is a must read for all crime fiction readers, especially who love reading a tightly packed and neatly tied with unpredictable twists, thriller.
Verdict: Cold English islandish thriller infused with murder, mayhem and police drama.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Pan Macmillan India for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
February 25, 2019
Skip, croft, poytunnels, sagging out, peerie, git, bill, bairn, tailback, scrapping- it's a whole new language in the Shetland Islands. These colloquial words and expressions added to the charm of this murder mystery. I will continue reading this series and, who knows, maybe I will eventually speak "Shetlandese".
December 5, 2016
There's nothing like the vision of a cemetery, caskets and headstones and all, sliding down the hill into the North Sea during a torrential storm in the Shetland Islands that will get your attention more. This is how the new Jimmy Perez book (number 7 in the series) starts in this action packed entry into the Shetland Series. So when a dead woman's body is found it's understandable that the police suspect the landslide was the cause of the death.
The body of a beautiful woman, not from Shetland, is found to be a murder victim though. It's hard case for Jimmy because he has no identity, no motive and no reason for the victim to be in the Islands. The case takes him from New York to England to uncover the victim's identity and then things really get interesting. His boss and love interest, Willow, flies in from Inverness to lead the investigation. Jimmy is conflicted with his feelings for her and, in an interesting twist, his former lover, Fran, is one of the bodies sent tumbling into the sea.
No one portrays the atmosphere of the Islands better than Cleeves. She keeps the mystery moving with plenty of twists and turns and it's almost impossible to put the book down. It's the perfect book to be reading on a cold, rainy evening.
The body of a beautiful woman, not from Shetland, is found to be a murder victim though. It's hard case for Jimmy because he has no identity, no motive and no reason for the victim to be in the Islands. The case takes him from New York to England to uncover the victim's identity and then things really get interesting. His boss and love interest, Willow, flies in from Inverness to lead the investigation. Jimmy is conflicted with his feelings for her and, in an interesting twist, his former lover, Fran, is one of the bodies sent tumbling into the sea.
No one portrays the atmosphere of the Islands better than Cleeves. She keeps the mystery moving with plenty of twists and turns and it's almost impossible to put the book down. It's the perfect book to be reading on a cold, rainy evening.
September 26, 2025
Real Rating: 3.75* of four
Ach, Jimmy, you need to pull up your socks and get with the program or Willow's gonna get something better equipped to provide bairns and boom-boom in Inverness! What a pity that'll be!
I'm invested in this novel series. I liked this entry just fine. I had a problem with the resolution: It wasn't enough to ruin my pleasure in spending time with Jimmy and Sandy and Willow, mind you. Something else almost was, though:
So I twigged to the murderer right quick. I was sure the Hay family was in it, particularly once the nature of the business relationships around the community were limned in acid on the backs of my eyelids. EW! What I had built in my head wasn't the connection that came to light, though:
I'm also curious about a throwaway line that Author Cleeves gives to Mavis Rogerson about her Kathryn: "She's her father's daughter all right." Nothing at all is done with it. Nothing really led up to it, although the mother/daughter relationship appeared to me to be quite businesslike; I put it down to adult-child-back-in-nest syndrome. Might be I was only partway right....
There it is, laddies and gentlewomen. There's the reason I keep going with this series in a nutshell. Author Cleeves gives the reader so much more than she writes on the page. She puts in details that don't exactly redherringize you, but do command a fraction more of your attention than ordinary backgrounding. She doesn't fill them out. She says, in effect, "and what do you imagine will be behind this little nug of goodness?" then leaves us to it.
I get the feeling that she likes her readers and enjoys making things that fun bit extra.
So why, I hear the Parity-for-All Perfectioneers grumble, do you give this a "bad" 3-star plus rating? All those nosegays of praise and then *splat*? That's just wrong! The hell it is, Gold Star Granting Gremlins. You just take yourself off and read Red Bones or better still Raven Black! Author Cleeves is capable of nigh-unto-perfection. This book just isn't that. There's the rating explained.
Ach, Jimmy, you need to pull up your socks and get with the program or Willow's gonna get something better equipped to provide bairns and boom-boom in Inverness! What a pity that'll be!
I'm invested in this novel series. I liked this entry just fine. I had a problem with the resolution: It wasn't enough to ruin my pleasure in spending time with Jimmy and Sandy and Willow, mind you. Something else almost was, though:
So I twigged to the murderer right quick. I was sure the Hay family was in it, particularly once the nature of the business relationships around the community were limned in acid on the backs of my eyelids. EW! What I had built in my head wasn't the connection that came to light, though:
I'm also curious about a throwaway line that Author Cleeves gives to Mavis Rogerson about her Kathryn: "She's her father's daughter all right." Nothing at all is done with it. Nothing really led up to it, although the mother/daughter relationship appeared to me to be quite businesslike; I put it down to adult-child-back-in-nest syndrome. Might be I was only partway right....
There it is, laddies and gentlewomen. There's the reason I keep going with this series in a nutshell. Author Cleeves gives the reader so much more than she writes on the page. She puts in details that don't exactly redherringize you, but do command a fraction more of your attention than ordinary backgrounding. She doesn't fill them out. She says, in effect, "and what do you imagine will be behind this little nug of goodness?" then leaves us to it.
I get the feeling that she likes her readers and enjoys making things that fun bit extra.
So why, I hear the Parity-for-All Perfectioneers grumble, do you give this a "bad" 3-star plus rating? All those nosegays of praise and then *splat*? That's just wrong! The hell it is, Gold Star Granting Gremlins. You just take yourself off and read Red Bones or better still Raven Black! Author Cleeves is capable of nigh-unto-perfection. This book just isn't that. There's the rating explained.
July 2, 2025
Another hit for me. Again, I thought I knew who the killer was but I was wrong!! Ann Cleeves is really good at stumping me. It makes the reading journey so enjoyable. The characters are becoming good friends!
February 18, 2022
O carte in care isterul predomina, nu actiunea in sine, de aceea cartiile lui Ann sunt o relaxare. Locul de actiune: insulele Shetland, o alunecare de teren aduce la iveala un cadavru. Victima nu pare sa fie din zona, asa ca Inspectorul Perez incepe investigatia. Dar peste putin timp mai apare un cadavru, astfel incat totul se complica. Si cand fiecare familie implicata are secrete de ascuns, ancheta este nu rocmai o linie dreapta.
June 3, 2017
Wow, what a book. I have read every single one of the books in the Shetland series, but COLD EARTH, book seven, is my favorite so far. The story is intriguing and perplexing and I especially enjoyed the interplay between Jimmy Perez and Willow Reeves.
The book starts with Jimmy Perez attending his friend Magnus Tait's funeral, but a sudden landslide puts an abrupt end to that. Luckily no one seems to have been hurt, the croft that was smashed in the landslide should be empty. However, Jimmy discovers outside the craft the body of dark-haired women wearing a red silk dress. What is she doing in a croft that should be empty? Was she murdered? Jimmy gets obsessed finding out the identity of the woman and what happened to her. But, how to find out who she is when no one knew she was in the croft in the first place, or is really so?
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
The book starts with Jimmy Perez attending his friend Magnus Tait's funeral, but a sudden landslide puts an abrupt end to that. Luckily no one seems to have been hurt, the croft that was smashed in the landslide should be empty. However, Jimmy discovers outside the craft the body of dark-haired women wearing a red silk dress. What is she doing in a croft that should be empty? Was she murdered? Jimmy gets obsessed finding out the identity of the woman and what happened to her. But, how to find out who she is when no one knew she was in the croft in the first place, or is really so?
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
March 5, 2024
Currently listening with Simon as we travel to our daughter's graduation!
Update: we finished listening today as we returned from a trip to our local Costco. We discussed how we planned to rate our reading experience and Simon indicated that he thought either three stars, or perhaps four. I mentioned that the pace was rather slow at times causing me to drift off and miss a plot point. He agreed that it was slow paced.
However, the ending was pretty exciting - we were left in suspense for a while as we shopped - then, learned the surprising conclusion when we resumed our car journey again. I had to ask Simon to remind me about the role the murderer had played earlier in the book, as I didn't recognize the name!
Update: we finished listening today as we returned from a trip to our local Costco. We discussed how we planned to rate our reading experience and Simon indicated that he thought either three stars, or perhaps four. I mentioned that the pace was rather slow at times causing me to drift off and miss a plot point. He agreed that it was slow paced.
However, the ending was pretty exciting - we were left in suspense for a while as we shopped - then, learned the surprising conclusion when we resumed our car journey again. I had to ask Simon to remind me about the role the murderer had played earlier in the book, as I didn't recognize the name!
September 24, 2017
Five big stars. I immensely enjoyed this book. I much more appreciate a good story and good detective work than stories with a lot of torture and easy anxiety. This book was like coming back to a place where you were on holiday before. You recognise it and enjoy the familiarity, but you also notice what's new and are interested to find out more. I hope there are going to be a lot more books in this series.
May 5, 2025
3.5 stars
In this 7th book in the 'Shetland' series - set in Scotland's Shetland Islands - Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez investigates the death of a beautiful stranger. The book works fine as a standalone.
*****
Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez and some of his Shetland neighbors are at the funeral of elderly Magnus Tate when the landslide starts.
Relentless as a rushing river, the earth, mud, and rocks denude the hillside and force their way through a small croft, smashing windows and breaking down the door.
Perez can't remember anyone living in the croft since its owner, Minnie Laurenson, died. Still, a tenant might be smothered or crushed, and Jimmy has to check. As Jimmy approaches the damaged croft he sees the body of a beautiful dark-haired woman clothed in a red silk dress. Jimmy doesn't recognize the woman, and no one admits to knowing who she is.
Perez assumes the woman was killed by the battering mud and rocks and is surprised when the medical examiner says the victim was murdered.... strangled with a belt. Jimmy assumes the killer meant to dispose of the body, but was stymied by the mudslide.
To help with the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Willow Reeves and her crime scene investigator Vicki fly in from the mainland.
The policewomen work with DI Perez and his colleague, Sergeant Sandy Wilson. Sandy's always striving to hone his detective chops, and he works hard to make good contributions to the case.
The investigators' first order of business is to identify the victim, which takes some time since she entered Shetland using a false identity, calling herself Alis. While the detectives search for 'Alis's' real name they interview people who may have seen her around.
The investigators learn 'Alis' first visited Shetland 15 years ago, and probably met some people on the island. However the Shetlanders are very cagey about admitting they ever knew'Alis', probably because she's a murder victim.
As the investigation unfolds, the detectives learn 'Alis' bought a bottle of champagne and some food, which seems to indicate she had an assignation. It turns out someone saw a man in the croft talking to 'Alis' but they keep mum. In fact, lots of people keep secrets or lie, and Jimmy, Willow, and Sandy have to dig deep to uncover the murderer.
As the narrative progresses, we also catch a glimpse of the characters' private lives. Jimmy is raising Cassie, the daughter of his deceased fiancée Fran, whom Jimmy still misses terribly. Nevertheless, Jimmy's just beginning to move on romantically, and he MIGHT have a tenuous connection with Willow Reeves.
Sandy's also involved with a woman, a schoolteacher named Louisa, and Sandy's planning a special Valentine surprise for her.
The twisty plot contains several surprises, as would be expected from talented mystery writer Ann Cleeves. The novel is a must read for fans of the 'Shetland' books. In case you don't know, 'Shetland' is also an entertaining television series.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
June 13, 2022
A story set in the Shetland Islands. Jimmy Perez is a detective along with his colleagues Willow and Sandy investigating the death of a woman. She was in a mudslide but turns out was strangled. There are not that many suspects and the reveal at the end was for me not unexpected.
Set in winter the atmosphere of wind, rain and ice make a great setting. Parts of the story were a bit soap opera. Will Jimmy and Willow get together?, will Sandy propose to Louisa. The psychologist also seems to be a bit to perfect. There is also a thread of addiction in the story of Jane a recovering alcoholic and her odd son Andy. Still overall a good story and rates for me 3.5 stars.
Set in winter the atmosphere of wind, rain and ice make a great setting. Parts of the story were a bit soap opera. Will Jimmy and Willow get together?, will Sandy propose to Louisa. The psychologist also seems to be a bit to perfect. There is also a thread of addiction in the story of Jane a recovering alcoholic and her odd son Andy. Still overall a good story and rates for me 3.5 stars.
July 9, 2017
It's only the second Shetland Island series that I've read and it will be my last.
The locale detail is constant and intense and for some that will increase their attachment and interest. Not for me, I find in these long and very slow Ann Cleeves that after page 150 or so, the redundancy and the gloom make them such a slog I want to skip every sunken roofed croft or muddy rain splattered description.
And the worst aspect is too many characters with not enough, IMHO, personality spark in any of them. Too many women who don't seem to know who they are or what they want too. It's like most of the characters/ they are all non-easy sleeping or morose depressants. No appetite, give me a drink, let me pace around the room people. Parents are either hovering or neglectful, hardly anything in the normal range family wise on top of it. Neighbors know SO much, but don't KNOW each other. Not anything like the small towns I am familiar with at all. Stand offish in too many nuance ways despite the clubs and free food for the grief stricken.
The plot was the best part, but I wasn't invested by the ending- just too many late appearing facts and tie ups that made me think. "Oh yes, that's the one." But by then I had no tension to find out anything about anyone other than Andy. He was mysterious and moody without real causes?
She can write clearly and has success with these. Just not my cuppa at all. I almost gave it a two and I would have without the Andy angle and the new baby for Rosie.
The locale detail is constant and intense and for some that will increase their attachment and interest. Not for me, I find in these long and very slow Ann Cleeves that after page 150 or so, the redundancy and the gloom make them such a slog I want to skip every sunken roofed croft or muddy rain splattered description.
And the worst aspect is too many characters with not enough, IMHO, personality spark in any of them. Too many women who don't seem to know who they are or what they want too. It's like most of the characters/ they are all non-easy sleeping or morose depressants. No appetite, give me a drink, let me pace around the room people. Parents are either hovering or neglectful, hardly anything in the normal range family wise on top of it. Neighbors know SO much, but don't KNOW each other. Not anything like the small towns I am familiar with at all. Stand offish in too many nuance ways despite the clubs and free food for the grief stricken.
The plot was the best part, but I wasn't invested by the ending- just too many late appearing facts and tie ups that made me think. "Oh yes, that's the one." But by then I had no tension to find out anything about anyone other than Andy. He was mysterious and moody without real causes?
She can write clearly and has success with these. Just not my cuppa at all. I almost gave it a two and I would have without the Andy angle and the new baby for Rosie.
March 28, 2022
FYI, I won't be talking about that slap on here.
Back to books. This was a disappointment. I know that the series was obviously moving to a Willow/Jimmy pairing, it just didn't work for me in the end. And it didn't help that the case got overshadowed by the will they, or won't they parts. The actual mystery was good in this, but think that after centering the victim, it seemed as if the author/via Jimmy stopped caring about her when it came out what she was really doing in Shetland. Which leads to a larger conversation around [redacted]. The flow was up and down in this one and the ending had me go ehhh. Still better than the last book in the series though.
Back to books. This was a disappointment. I know that the series was obviously moving to a Willow/Jimmy pairing, it just didn't work for me in the end. And it didn't help that the case got overshadowed by the will they, or won't they parts. The actual mystery was good in this, but think that after centering the victim, it seemed as if the author/via Jimmy stopped caring about her when it came out what she was really doing in Shetland. Which leads to a larger conversation around [redacted]. The flow was up and down in this one and the ending had me go ehhh. Still better than the last book in the series though.
October 10, 2016
A quick well-written read but a few frustrations about the story. We barely bury Fran, wet Willow is having baby cravings of the monstrous kind and poor Jimmy hasn't got a chance. We never really connect with the deceased, characters are thinner than usual and the denouement comes out of the shadows with barely any red herrings. I won't give up as the Shetlands keep calling me back.
January 28, 2018
This book has been sitting in my shelf unread for at least a year, probably longer. I've read the other books in the series. Ann Cleeves is an "unreliable" author for me - sometimes I love her work, sometimes I hate it and usually it leaves me feeling nothing. This was one I really enjoyed. So much so that after buying a dozen books and just having read a couple of chapters in this one, finished it rather than move on to something new. Neophilia is a problem for me, I am loath to admit - but I managed to restrain myself this time.
Jimmy Perez has still not quite gotten over the loss of his partner Fran a few books ago. He is beginning to consider moving on though, and when his boss Willow comes to town to help with the murder of an unidentified woman, the temptation is too much for the two of them. Willow is at a point where wanting children is moving from a theoretical possibility to a real need. This made me feel anthropological, since such stirrings never moved my heart.
Jimmy is ambivalent though, not wanting to take on a new woman while Fran's daughter Cassie, entrusted in his care, is so young. Besides, he has the murder to concentrate on. Identifying the woman found dead in a landslide takes time, and becomes a priority after it becomes evident she wasn't killed by mud. The family living closest to where the mystery woman was living, pretends to have seen and heard nothing, but it is evident that someone is lying.
This was atmospheric and well-plotted, with interesting characters. I'm almost inspired to check if there are more in the Shetland series. Though I have 200 unread books to attend to in my shelves, so buying anymore on the internet will definitely have to wait.
Jimmy Perez has still not quite gotten over the loss of his partner Fran a few books ago. He is beginning to consider moving on though, and when his boss Willow comes to town to help with the murder of an unidentified woman, the temptation is too much for the two of them. Willow is at a point where wanting children is moving from a theoretical possibility to a real need. This made me feel anthropological, since such stirrings never moved my heart.
Jimmy is ambivalent though, not wanting to take on a new woman while Fran's daughter Cassie, entrusted in his care, is so young. Besides, he has the murder to concentrate on. Identifying the woman found dead in a landslide takes time, and becomes a priority after it becomes evident she wasn't killed by mud. The family living closest to where the mystery woman was living, pretends to have seen and heard nothing, but it is evident that someone is lying.
This was atmospheric and well-plotted, with interesting characters. I'm almost inspired to check if there are more in the Shetland series. Though I have 200 unread books to attend to in my shelves, so buying anymore on the internet will definitely have to wait.
January 2, 2020
I had a very good New Year's Day and finished two books. I am at my limit as far as socializing goes and really need everyone who is not my immediate family to go away. And then I need my immediate family to leave me alone for several days so I can recharge my batteries in solitude.
This holiday season has really made me realize that I need alone time desperately. No one in my family aside from my son seems to have this same need, and at this point, between the road trip, the wedding, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, I feel like I haven't been alone since September. My in-laws, thank God, are leaving this morning after spending New Years with us, and I can't wait to have my house back.
This is the seventh book in the Shetland series. I didn't think that this was one of the stronger entries. I was blindsided by the solution, so I guess Cleeves was successful there, but I didn't feel like I was blindsided in a good way. More like the misdirection was all too heavy handed.
It wasn't an "ah ha" reveal, it was more like a "wtf" reveal.
Anyway, I put book 8 on hold at my library and I'm going to finish out the series. I'll be sad to have finished and will miss my periodic visits to the Shetland Islands.
This holiday season has really made me realize that I need alone time desperately. No one in my family aside from my son seems to have this same need, and at this point, between the road trip, the wedding, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, I feel like I haven't been alone since September. My in-laws, thank God, are leaving this morning after spending New Years with us, and I can't wait to have my house back.
This is the seventh book in the Shetland series. I didn't think that this was one of the stronger entries. I was blindsided by the solution, so I guess Cleeves was successful there, but I didn't feel like I was blindsided in a good way. More like the misdirection was all too heavy handed.
It wasn't an "ah ha" reveal, it was more like a "wtf" reveal.
Anyway, I put book 8 on hold at my library and I'm going to finish out the series. I'll be sad to have finished and will miss my periodic visits to the Shetland Islands.
May 13, 2020
This next to the last installment of the Shetland Island series starts with a funeral attended by Jimmy Perez for Magnus Tait. There is a torrential rainfall triggering a mudslide washing away among other things like Fran's headstone, is the body of a woman in a red evening type dress. They set about finding out who she is and in doing so, another murder is triggered. We also start to see the beginning of a relationship between Jimmy and Willow, maybe? Sandy is continuing to see Louise and is quite smitten. For those rooting for Sandy, he is coming into his own and was quite instrumental in helping solve the case.
March 19, 2017
This is the seventh Shetland mystery featuring police detective Jimmy Perez. He remains devoted step-father to his late fiance's daughter, taciturn, and a loner. Though he lived outside of Shetland for several years, you feel he belongs nowhere else. His sergeant Sandy Wilson from one of the smaller Shetland isles occasionally shines in his job, but you can't imagine him surviving in the outside world.
There is a landslide, and a body of a woman is discovered. I don't know how often landslides occur but I visited a sheep farm there a few years ago that had an entire layer of a hill slide into their house. Roads are no more than 2 lanes,and sometimes single track and in the novel,traffic is greatly disrupted between the airport and the main town Lerwick, thirty miles to the north,
The woman found in the landslide, which destroyed a cottage, had been murdered. She is an outsider and it seems the police spend too much time trying to figure out who she is. This caused the book to drag at times and probably made it longer than it needed to be. Then there's a second murder and things start to develop. The Shetland winter is relentlessly dark and wet. Shetland is at the same latitude as Norway so they experience the same lack of daylight in winter,and endless daylight in summer. It is bleak especially after their festival of fire, Up Helly Aa, the last Tuesday in January. Jimmy and Sandy are both falling for women and thinking what they could mean for their futures.
This was a 3 1/2 star read for me, but because I love the series,I bumped it up. I expect that what started as trilogy will continue with an eighth book that I look forward to reading.
There is a landslide, and a body of a woman is discovered. I don't know how often landslides occur but I visited a sheep farm there a few years ago that had an entire layer of a hill slide into their house. Roads are no more than 2 lanes,and sometimes single track and in the novel,traffic is greatly disrupted between the airport and the main town Lerwick, thirty miles to the north,
The woman found in the landslide, which destroyed a cottage, had been murdered. She is an outsider and it seems the police spend too much time trying to figure out who she is. This caused the book to drag at times and probably made it longer than it needed to be. Then there's a second murder and things start to develop. The Shetland winter is relentlessly dark and wet. Shetland is at the same latitude as Norway so they experience the same lack of daylight in winter,and endless daylight in summer. It is bleak especially after their festival of fire, Up Helly Aa, the last Tuesday in January. Jimmy and Sandy are both falling for women and thinking what they could mean for their futures.
This was a 3 1/2 star read for me, but because I love the series,I bumped it up. I expect that what started as trilogy will continue with an eighth book that I look forward to reading.
April 28, 2021
Another intriguing Shetland mystery, so very atmospheric that it becomes almost a character in of itself. I really enjoy the great detective work by Jimmy and Sandy, but just can't warm up to Willow. I love how Ann Cleeves writes and look forward to the Vera series once I've finished the Shetlands.
March 12, 2017
3.5 stars
I enjoyed the first half of the book. However, nearer the end I was less interested. It felt like the author had too many loose ends that she had to tie up.
I enjoyed the first half of the book. However, nearer the end I was less interested. It felt like the author had too many loose ends that she had to tie up.
May 2, 2020
Despite some things that didn't add up Cold Earth is a nice addition to the Shetland series and I can't believe I have only one more installment until the series finale!
I love Jimmy Perez because he isn't the usually macho type detective that indulges into drink or women! He is kind and considerate! Despite that his personal life is complicated it doesn't take up much time during the investigation of the case! I like the developing relationship he has with Willow and I wish the author took some more time to describe his feelings for her because we already how he felt for Fran! Also a tiny confession... I like Willow much more than Fran!
I like Willow very much because she is cheerful most of the times and she isn't the usual type of woman that spends much time concerned with her appearance!
Jimmy and Willow balance each other out in a nice way and form a good couple!
Yet again I want to mention that Cleeves is one of the authors that makes you want to read more about her characters instead of having enough of their personal drama like many other authors!
Sandy since the beginning has a nice character development and in this installment we see how he takes up with a more serious relationship!
As for the case it was interesting enough and Shetland is again front and centre!
Through the story we read about families with different structures and people with different personalities and you try to find who might had the best motive to commit murder! You grow to care for some of them and is a pity that you can't get to know what happens to them!
If you want to read a nice crime novel without unnecessary soapy kind of drama in the protagonist's life I totally recommend it because after 7 books I'm not tired to read about his life!
I love Jimmy Perez because he isn't the usually macho type detective that indulges into drink or women! He is kind and considerate! Despite that his personal life is complicated it doesn't take up much time during the investigation of the case! I like the developing relationship he has with Willow and I wish the author took some more time to describe his feelings for her because we already how he felt for Fran! Also a tiny confession... I like Willow much more than Fran!
I like Willow very much because she is cheerful most of the times and she isn't the usual type of woman that spends much time concerned with her appearance!
Jimmy and Willow balance each other out in a nice way and form a good couple!
Yet again I want to mention that Cleeves is one of the authors that makes you want to read more about her characters instead of having enough of their personal drama like many other authors!
Sandy since the beginning has a nice character development and in this installment we see how he takes up with a more serious relationship!
As for the case it was interesting enough and Shetland is again front and centre!
Through the story we read about families with different structures and people with different personalities and you try to find who might had the best motive to commit murder! You grow to care for some of them and is a pity that you can't get to know what happens to them!
If you want to read a nice crime novel without unnecessary soapy kind of drama in the protagonist's life I totally recommend it because after 7 books I'm not tired to read about his life!
October 14, 2016
So, there it is. I managed to make it last for four days. Had to finish it, disappointed that it's over. I love Shetland - these wild, Northern Isles where I followed in Jimmy Perez's footsteps in May this year. Ann Cleeves has made them her own. She understands the Shetlanders and their way of life. And how they will react to a murder in their community. This number 7 in the series is another gem - a beautifully crafted slow-burner that sees DI Jimmy Perez and DCI Willow Reeves together once again, investigating the crime. Is romance in the air or is it too soon following the murder of Fran? How is Cassie coping? Why is there no mention of Sergeant 'Tosh'? Will there be another murder? If you are a Shetland fan you will have to read it and find out.
I loved it.
I loved it.
April 29, 2018
Another great read in the Shetland series. You never know what your going to get with this author but you know it will be good. Back with Jimmy investigating a double murder. Diving into all the residents lives and secrets. I love Ann's writing style. Theres always a good mix of characters in there and they all mix well.
November 11, 2017
I give this wonderful book a 4.5/5 stars.
A dark, cold rain has descended upon the Shetland Islands, as Jimmy Perez watches a landslide wreak havoc during Magnus Tait's funeral. The landslide destroys everything in its path, including an uninhabited house. However, in the aftermath, Jimmy discovers the body of an exotic lady, dark haired lady, attired in red, identity unknown. He becomes obsessed discovering who she is and where she came from, especially after an autopsy reveals cause of death as strangulation. When another well known Shetland person washes ashore in the sane vicinity, an intense investigation ensues.
This is Cleeves' seventh Shetland mystery, and presents an assortment of interesting and endearing characters and a peek into events that transpired in the past. It is an excellent read, and Perez is an engaging detective with his cohort Sandy, and a love interest is in the works, making the story line more riveting.
A dark, cold rain has descended upon the Shetland Islands, as Jimmy Perez watches a landslide wreak havoc during Magnus Tait's funeral. The landslide destroys everything in its path, including an uninhabited house. However, in the aftermath, Jimmy discovers the body of an exotic lady, dark haired lady, attired in red, identity unknown. He becomes obsessed discovering who she is and where she came from, especially after an autopsy reveals cause of death as strangulation. When another well known Shetland person washes ashore in the sane vicinity, an intense investigation ensues.
This is Cleeves' seventh Shetland mystery, and presents an assortment of interesting and endearing characters and a peek into events that transpired in the past. It is an excellent read, and Perez is an engaging detective with his cohort Sandy, and a love interest is in the works, making the story line more riveting.
January 24, 2020
Although it is a few months since I had a spell of reading this series, I seemed to slipback into the Shetland way of life very easily.
There are ways in which I found "Cold Earth" similar to previous instalments of this Island saga but there was enough differences to make it an enjoyable read.
As with most of this author's stories , I didnt identify the 'villain' before they were unmasked, however, I should have got this one using one of my old and well used theories,(you know the sort of thing, like the first celebrity actor you see in an episode of a crime series is usually the killer). May be Ms Cleeves knows of my theory because at about the time when I should have been testing my idea, I was distracted with developments in the story which I am sure were put there just to divert my attention! Clever writing as always by one of my favourite authors.
I think that this is the last of the Shetland series that I have in my book case. I shall have to go shopping.
There are ways in which I found "Cold Earth" similar to previous instalments of this Island saga but there was enough differences to make it an enjoyable read.
As with most of this author's stories , I didnt identify the 'villain' before they were unmasked, however, I should have got this one using one of my old and well used theories,(you know the sort of thing, like the first celebrity actor you see in an episode of a crime series is usually the killer). May be Ms Cleeves knows of my theory because at about the time when I should have been testing my idea, I was distracted with developments in the story which I am sure were put there just to divert my attention! Clever writing as always by one of my favourite authors.
I think that this is the last of the Shetland series that I have in my book case. I shall have to go shopping.
January 6, 2017
Just could not put this one down. Loved all the books in the series so far but this one just totally gripped me from page one. Love the back stories of the characters and the setting too. The author writes these so well, it's a shame I can't get on with the Vera Stanhope series, although I have tried. I blame it on the TV casting people - I just can't take Brenda Blethyn seriously as a policewoman and, when I read my first Vera book, kept seeing her and it really put me off!! - 9.5/10 for the latest Shetland book anyway!!
November 28, 2016
When a landslide reveals a woman's body in the wreckage, Jimmy Perez thinks she's a victim of mother nature...until the autopsy reveals she's a victim of a different ilk.
Jimmy, Willow, and Sandy are once again racing against the clock to find a murderer, as the body tally begins to rise.
"Cold Earth" is brilliant, with more twists than a corkscrew, and with a denouement that will blow you away.
Highly recommended.
Jimmy, Willow, and Sandy are once again racing against the clock to find a murderer, as the body tally begins to rise.
"Cold Earth" is brilliant, with more twists than a corkscrew, and with a denouement that will blow you away.
Highly recommended.
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