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Shetland #3
Red Bones
When a young archaeologist discovers a set of human remains, the locals are intrigued. Is it an ancient find—or a more contemporary mystery? Then an elderly woman is fatally shot and Ann Cleeves’s popular series detective Jimmy Perez is called in. As claustrophobic mists swirl around the island, Inspector Perez finds himself totally in the dark.
392 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
4068 people are currently reading
7401 people want to read
About the author
Ann Cleeves
132 books8,839 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 1,747 reviews
April 27, 2021
Anne Cleeves is a recent favorite author. I am now on her 3 series. Shetland, a BBC production has been a favorite of mine prior to starting the books.
I can’t tell you how outstanding the TV and books are...Like the books, the setting for the series is in the outer Hebrides of Scotland. Desolate. Isolated. No trees. A hard living. A menacing sea. A thick bog you can sink and suffocate in...
Detective Jimmy Perez is what brings such enjoyment to the series... kind, considerate. A man worth knowing...a man that listens more that talks...a fine Scotsman with a very different background...quite interesting...very good at his job.
Do watch the series now in it’s 6th production +- or even better read the books...don’t miss out...the scenery is unbeatable.
4.5 out of 5 stars
I can’t tell you how outstanding the TV and books are...Like the books, the setting for the series is in the outer Hebrides of Scotland. Desolate. Isolated. No trees. A hard living. A menacing sea. A thick bog you can sink and suffocate in...
Detective Jimmy Perez is what brings such enjoyment to the series... kind, considerate. A man worth knowing...a man that listens more that talks...a fine Scotsman with a very different background...quite interesting...very good at his job.
Do watch the series now in it’s 6th production +- or even better read the books...don’t miss out...the scenery is unbeatable.
4.5 out of 5 stars
September 4, 2017
Number three in this excellent series set in the Shetland Islands.
I am probably repeating myself from reviews of the earlier books, but I really enjoy the author's descriptions of the scenery and the lifestyle. The characters grow up, marry and grow old on the islands, some of them never venturing far away at all, even for a holiday! Nevertheless, even in this quiet backwater place people are still murdered and detective Jimmy Perez is called to solve the crimes.
I had already seen the TV episodes of this book but that was okay. There were enough differences between the TV program and the book and enough red herrings and general confusion that I still had no idea who the guilty party was. I won't be watching any more because I do not like the actor chosen to play Perez but I will definitely be reading more of the books .They are great!
I am probably repeating myself from reviews of the earlier books, but I really enjoy the author's descriptions of the scenery and the lifestyle. The characters grow up, marry and grow old on the islands, some of them never venturing far away at all, even for a holiday! Nevertheless, even in this quiet backwater place people are still murdered and detective Jimmy Perez is called to solve the crimes.
I had already seen the TV episodes of this book but that was okay. There were enough differences between the TV program and the book and enough red herrings and general confusion that I still had no idea who the guilty party was. I won't be watching any more because I do not like the actor chosen to play Perez but I will definitely be reading more of the books .They are great!
July 29, 2021
I rate this book a solid 4 stars. The cover classes it as a thriller, but I thought it was more of a mystery than a thriller. A woman named Mima is killed one night on Whalsay Island, part of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. At first it is thought to be an accident, because a neighbor was out shooting rabbits at midnight in fog and accidentally shot her. But DI Jimmie Perez suspects that there is more to this and keeps digging. A second person is found dead, possibly suicide. Perez does solve the case,but the killer is not revealed until near the end, and the author left enough false clues, that I wasn't sure of the who or why until it all came together at the end.
Anne Cleeves writes descriptive books. This series, set in the Shetlands, is best read in order, as I have been doing. Perez is identified as a "Black Shetlander,"i.e. descended form a shipwrecked Spanish Armada sailor in 1588.
Some quotes:
Mima's house: "Her house was tucked into the hill and you came on it very suddenly."
Evelyn Wilson, describing university students working on an archaeological dig: "The two lasses from the university were there. What nice wee girls they are, although I think that Hattie could do with a bit of feeding up.. She's a skinny little thing. All eyes and bone."
Perez thinking about his boss, the Procurator Fiscal: "He found it hard to explain the role of the Fiscal to English colleagues. Even Fran couldn't grasp it. 'But what does she do?' Perez always said that she was a cross between a magistrate and a prosecuting lawyer, but Fran didn't even get that." Jimmie is in a relationship with Fran, an English woman.
I read this library book in 4 days.
Anne Cleeves writes descriptive books. This series, set in the Shetlands, is best read in order, as I have been doing. Perez is identified as a "Black Shetlander,"i.e. descended form a shipwrecked Spanish Armada sailor in 1588.
Some quotes:
Mima's house: "Her house was tucked into the hill and you came on it very suddenly."
Evelyn Wilson, describing university students working on an archaeological dig: "The two lasses from the university were there. What nice wee girls they are, although I think that Hattie could do with a bit of feeding up.. She's a skinny little thing. All eyes and bone."
Perez thinking about his boss, the Procurator Fiscal: "He found it hard to explain the role of the Fiscal to English colleagues. Even Fran couldn't grasp it. 'But what does she do?' Perez always said that she was a cross between a magistrate and a prosecuting lawyer, but Fran didn't even get that." Jimmie is in a relationship with Fran, an English woman.
I read this library book in 4 days.
September 27, 2025
EXCERPT: Later they went into the house for a break. Mima made sandwiches for them and then came out herself to see what was happening. When Evelyn went back to work on the practice trench, the older woman stood watching. Mima was wearing black crimplene trousers and wellingtons that flapped around her knees. She'd thrown a threadbare grey fleece over her shoulders. Hattie thought she looked like a hooded crow, standing there watching her daughter-in-law at work. A hooded crow ready to snatch at a fragment of food.
'Well, Evelyn, what do you look like?' Mima said. 'On your hands and knees like some sort of beast. In this light you could be one of Joseph's pigs, grubbing around in the soil there. You be careful or he'll be slitting your throat and eating you as bacon.' She laughed so loud that she coughed and spluttered.
Evelyn said nothing. She knelt up and glared. Hattie felt sorry for her. She'd never know Mima to be so cruel. Hattie jumped into the trench beside Evelyn. The bone was protruding from the earth now, largely uncovered. Hattie took her own trowel from her jeans pocket. With intense concentration she stripped away more of the soil, then took a brush. The shape of the bone became more defined: there was a pleasing curve, a sculptured hollow.
'Pars orbitalis,' she said. Shock and excitement made her forget her earlier resolve not to show off, to keep her language simple so that Evelyn would understand.
Evelyn looked at her.
'The frontal orbit,' Hattie said. 'This is part of a human skull.'
'Oh, no,' Mima said. Hattie looked up at her and saw that her face was white. 'That cannot be right. No, no, that cannot be.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: An island shrouded in mist and a community with secrets buried in the past . . .
When a young archaeologist studying on a site at Whalsay discovers a set of human remains, the island settlers are intrigued. Is it an ancient find - or a more contemporary mystery?
Then an elderly woman is shot in a tragic accident in the middle of the night. Shetland detective Jimmy Perez is called in by her grandson - his own colleague, Sandy Wilson.
The sparse landscape and the emptiness of the sea have bred a fierce and secretive people. Mima Wilson was a recluse. She had her land, her pride and her family. As Jimmy looks to the islanders for answers, he finds instead two feuding families whose envy, greed and bitterness have lasted generations.
Surrounded by people he doesn't know and in unfamiliar territory, Jimmy finds himself out of his depth. Then there's another death and, as the spring weather shrouds the island in claustrophobic mists, Jimmy must dig up old secrets to stop a new killer from striking again . . .
MY THOUGHTS: In her own beautiful style, Cleeves takes a handful of unrelated threads: an archeology dig, the birth of a baby, the discovery of a skull, family feuds, and weaves them into a tapestry of intrigue. She is a master at the slow boiler, the novel that doesn't really appear to have much action but simmers slowly until it boils over at the climax.
I think one of the things I most love about her work, is that I never have any idea as to who the 'bad guy' might be. We get to know the characters intimately, their hopes, dreams and desires, their disappointments and frustrations, their family history. We can picture the setting down to the last mound of dirt, surging wave. We can feel the atmosphere she creates seep into our bones.
This is not a thrilling book, but it is a good mysterious 'whodunnit'.
Reread 2025 - I enjoyed the print version every bit as much as the audio.
😍😍😍😍
THE AUTHOR: Ann is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which was 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...
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of Red Bones by Ann Cleeves, narrated by Kenny Blyth, published by Isis Publishing Co, via Overdrive. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile, or the about page on Sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Well, Evelyn, what do you look like?' Mima said. 'On your hands and knees like some sort of beast. In this light you could be one of Joseph's pigs, grubbing around in the soil there. You be careful or he'll be slitting your throat and eating you as bacon.' She laughed so loud that she coughed and spluttered.
Evelyn said nothing. She knelt up and glared. Hattie felt sorry for her. She'd never know Mima to be so cruel. Hattie jumped into the trench beside Evelyn. The bone was protruding from the earth now, largely uncovered. Hattie took her own trowel from her jeans pocket. With intense concentration she stripped away more of the soil, then took a brush. The shape of the bone became more defined: there was a pleasing curve, a sculptured hollow.
'Pars orbitalis,' she said. Shock and excitement made her forget her earlier resolve not to show off, to keep her language simple so that Evelyn would understand.
Evelyn looked at her.
'The frontal orbit,' Hattie said. 'This is part of a human skull.'
'Oh, no,' Mima said. Hattie looked up at her and saw that her face was white. 'That cannot be right. No, no, that cannot be.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: An island shrouded in mist and a community with secrets buried in the past . . .
When a young archaeologist studying on a site at Whalsay discovers a set of human remains, the island settlers are intrigued. Is it an ancient find - or a more contemporary mystery?
Then an elderly woman is shot in a tragic accident in the middle of the night. Shetland detective Jimmy Perez is called in by her grandson - his own colleague, Sandy Wilson.
The sparse landscape and the emptiness of the sea have bred a fierce and secretive people. Mima Wilson was a recluse. She had her land, her pride and her family. As Jimmy looks to the islanders for answers, he finds instead two feuding families whose envy, greed and bitterness have lasted generations.
Surrounded by people he doesn't know and in unfamiliar territory, Jimmy finds himself out of his depth. Then there's another death and, as the spring weather shrouds the island in claustrophobic mists, Jimmy must dig up old secrets to stop a new killer from striking again . . .
MY THOUGHTS: In her own beautiful style, Cleeves takes a handful of unrelated threads: an archeology dig, the birth of a baby, the discovery of a skull, family feuds, and weaves them into a tapestry of intrigue. She is a master at the slow boiler, the novel that doesn't really appear to have much action but simmers slowly until it boils over at the climax.
I think one of the things I most love about her work, is that I never have any idea as to who the 'bad guy' might be. We get to know the characters intimately, their hopes, dreams and desires, their disappointments and frustrations, their family history. We can picture the setting down to the last mound of dirt, surging wave. We can feel the atmosphere she creates seep into our bones.
This is not a thrilling book, but it is a good mysterious 'whodunnit'.
Reread 2025 - I enjoyed the print version every bit as much as the audio.
😍😍😍😍
THE AUTHOR: Ann is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which was 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...
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of Red Bones by Ann Cleeves, narrated by Kenny Blyth, published by Isis Publishing Co, via Overdrive. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile, or the about page on Sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
September 26, 2025
2017 UPDATE: The TV series based on the idea of the books is on Netflix in the US. Aired four years ago, and you can tell:
PEREZ: For more holiday lets? Christ Duncan you're turning into Shetland's answer to Donald Trump.
DUNCAN: *laughs*
That line spoken in Scotland today would lead to blows and severed friendships.
Rating: 4.125* of five
The Publisher Says: When a young archaeologist studying on a site at Whalsay discovers a set of human remains, the island settlers are intrigued. Is it an ancient find - or a more contemporary mystery?
Then an elderly woman is shot in a tragic accident in the middle of the night. Shetland detective Jimmy Perez is called in by her grandson - his own colleague, Sandy Wilson.
The sparse landscape and the emptiness of the sea have bred a fierce and secretive people. Mima Wilson was a recluse. She had her land, her pride and her family. As Jimmy looks to the islanders for answers, he finds instead two feuding families whose envy, greed and bitterness have lasted generations.
Surrounded by people he doesn't know and in unfamiliar territory, Jimmy finds himself out of his depth. Then there's another death and, as the spring weather shrouds the island in claustrophobic mists, Jimmy must dig up old secrets to stop a new killer from striking again . . .
My Review: This is the third in what the publishers call The Shetland Islands Quartet in some places, A Shetland Islands Thriller in others. I hope that this betokens a realization on the part of Cleeves and her publishers that the series has the essential ingredient for longevity: Terrific characters entwined in believeable relationships.
We see Jimmy Perez, our sleuth, living without gal-pal Fran Hunter while she's down south in London to visit family and friends. His every waking thought seems to return to her, to her daughter Cassie, and to the natural fears of a man in love whose lover is far away: Is she safe, is she having too good a time to want to come back, is this the end of my dream of happiness, all the stuff men think but never admit they're thinking.
Sandy, Perez's Detective Sergeant, is also away, though closer to home...he's on Whalsay, a short ferry ride from Lerwick where Jimmy is based. While visiting home, Sandy's beloved grandmother is shot. It looks like a horrible, horrible accident. Sandy is first cop on the scene, naturally, and has to make hard calls about how to pursue the matter before Jimmy shows up to take over. Sandy's family will never be the same again, of course, but more importantly for the story, Sandy won't either. Jimmy helps Sandy grow into his manhood during this investigation, and this makes the book far richer than we'd have any right to expect from a simple thriller. When a second horrible death occurs, Sandy and Jimmy both conclude there are connections here that the two of them aren't making, and whether or not the deaths were intentional, the connections need to be investigated and explored. This takes each of them farther from his comfort zone than either expected.
Cleeves's plot snake-twines around each character, squeezing the past and the present tightly together, and finally forcing the characters into one inevitable crushing future. It looks nothing like the present. It looks nothing like the future the characters saw coming. And that's why I recommend this book, and this series, with such a strong voice.
PEREZ: For more holiday lets? Christ Duncan you're turning into Shetland's answer to Donald Trump.
DUNCAN: *laughs*
That line spoken in Scotland today would lead to blows and severed friendships.
Rating: 4.125* of five
The Publisher Says: When a young archaeologist studying on a site at Whalsay discovers a set of human remains, the island settlers are intrigued. Is it an ancient find - or a more contemporary mystery?
Then an elderly woman is shot in a tragic accident in the middle of the night. Shetland detective Jimmy Perez is called in by her grandson - his own colleague, Sandy Wilson.
The sparse landscape and the emptiness of the sea have bred a fierce and secretive people. Mima Wilson was a recluse. She had her land, her pride and her family. As Jimmy looks to the islanders for answers, he finds instead two feuding families whose envy, greed and bitterness have lasted generations.
Surrounded by people he doesn't know and in unfamiliar territory, Jimmy finds himself out of his depth. Then there's another death and, as the spring weather shrouds the island in claustrophobic mists, Jimmy must dig up old secrets to stop a new killer from striking again . . .
My Review: This is the third in what the publishers call The Shetland Islands Quartet in some places, A Shetland Islands Thriller in others. I hope that this betokens a realization on the part of Cleeves and her publishers that the series has the essential ingredient for longevity: Terrific characters entwined in believeable relationships.
We see Jimmy Perez, our sleuth, living without gal-pal Fran Hunter while she's down south in London to visit family and friends. His every waking thought seems to return to her, to her daughter Cassie, and to the natural fears of a man in love whose lover is far away: Is she safe, is she having too good a time to want to come back, is this the end of my dream of happiness, all the stuff men think but never admit they're thinking.
Sandy, Perez's Detective Sergeant, is also away, though closer to home...he's on Whalsay, a short ferry ride from Lerwick where Jimmy is based. While visiting home, Sandy's beloved grandmother is shot. It looks like a horrible, horrible accident. Sandy is first cop on the scene, naturally, and has to make hard calls about how to pursue the matter before Jimmy shows up to take over. Sandy's family will never be the same again, of course, but more importantly for the story, Sandy won't either. Jimmy helps Sandy grow into his manhood during this investigation, and this makes the book far richer than we'd have any right to expect from a simple thriller. When a second horrible death occurs, Sandy and Jimmy both conclude there are connections here that the two of them aren't making, and whether or not the deaths were intentional, the connections need to be investigated and explored. This takes each of them farther from his comfort zone than either expected.
Cleeves's plot snake-twines around each character, squeezing the past and the present tightly together, and finally forcing the characters into one inevitable crushing future. It looks nothing like the present. It looks nothing like the future the characters saw coming. And that's why I recommend this book, and this series, with such a strong voice.
October 12, 2022
3.75 Stars — Cleeves writes elegantly & Detective Perez is an endearing character both for his skill and insight as a detective but more so his genuine nature, his willingness to have empathy as a person first, is refreshing. His attributes as a Father who’s there for his child when he can be and his constant struggle to balance that with his job are more real and human than many a detective ever displays in the loads of Literature out there focused on crime.
Shetland is a beautiful, Nordic-type setting and the novel plays into this well using the setting in such a romantic, binding and visceral way, Lyric itself feels like a character more than just the surroundings or setting.
The author has a unique prose in the genre and it is seldom not front and centre here, almost every page has such a vibrant and engaging appeal based on her warmth and character telling that’s detailed and refined. It creates a situation whereby the narrative, the crime and any twists feel almost secondary to the central character driven storytelling.
The death of a staunch and reclusive Matriarch is what sets off the story here, after an archeological dig discovers a skull that threatens to destroy the fabric of what has been built in Shetland over the past 3/4 of a century. What follows is a story spanning back to the history of the area and it is clear from the early chapters that the key families of the area will never be the same!
A wonderful, settled and fun read that feels relaxingly-thrilling without ever feeling dull or drawn out. The scenic landscape is undoubtedly the star here though and the large amount of characters that come in and out are waves together to create a lovely community to match the scenery in what ends up being a top read.
Shetland is a beautiful, Nordic-type setting and the novel plays into this well using the setting in such a romantic, binding and visceral way, Lyric itself feels like a character more than just the surroundings or setting.
The author has a unique prose in the genre and it is seldom not front and centre here, almost every page has such a vibrant and engaging appeal based on her warmth and character telling that’s detailed and refined. It creates a situation whereby the narrative, the crime and any twists feel almost secondary to the central character driven storytelling.
The death of a staunch and reclusive Matriarch is what sets off the story here, after an archeological dig discovers a skull that threatens to destroy the fabric of what has been built in Shetland over the past 3/4 of a century. What follows is a story spanning back to the history of the area and it is clear from the early chapters that the key families of the area will never be the same!
A wonderful, settled and fun read that feels relaxingly-thrilling without ever feeling dull or drawn out. The scenic landscape is undoubtedly the star here though and the large amount of characters that come in and out are waves together to create a lovely community to match the scenery in what ends up being a top read.
April 4, 2022
This was my fourth visit to the Shetland Isles thanks to the wonderful mystery series by Cleaves (one read out of order). Red Bones is set on the small isle of Whalsay located at the northern extremity of the UK. Less than 20 of the 100 islands of Shetland are inhabited. Detective Jimmy Perez must travel to different islands as murders occur. The author couldn't have all the victims in this series happen on only one small island or the resulting population would be as sparse as the wind battered trees.
The history of these Islands, dating back to the Vikings, makes them a great location for an archeological excavation. Many artifacts may still be discovered. The young archeologist in charge of the dig on Whalsay knows her career future may be determined by what she finds. When human remains are found, it is not immediately known if they are from this century or a much earlier time. Do any of the inhabitants of this close-knit community know something about this discovery? Are there secrets better left buried? After two murders occur near the site, Jimmy Perez begins his meticulous investigation.
The pace of all books I have read in this series is quite slow, much like the pace of life on the islands. This, in my opinion, allows for a strong sense of place and characters I really feel I know and care about. Perez is an admirable investigator, his personal flaws making him more realistic. His strength is in how well he knows human nature.
Is that your peenie bairn? Do you own a croft and does it have a broch? The dialect of these islands with its strong Norse and Old Scots influence adds to its charm. I may never actually travel to these beautiful but stark islands, but I enjoy visiting vicariously with each book in the series.
The history of these Islands, dating back to the Vikings, makes them a great location for an archeological excavation. Many artifacts may still be discovered. The young archeologist in charge of the dig on Whalsay knows her career future may be determined by what she finds. When human remains are found, it is not immediately known if they are from this century or a much earlier time. Do any of the inhabitants of this close-knit community know something about this discovery? Are there secrets better left buried? After two murders occur near the site, Jimmy Perez begins his meticulous investigation.
The pace of all books I have read in this series is quite slow, much like the pace of life on the islands. This, in my opinion, allows for a strong sense of place and characters I really feel I know and care about. Perez is an admirable investigator, his personal flaws making him more realistic. His strength is in how well he knows human nature.
Is that your peenie bairn? Do you own a croft and does it have a broch? The dialect of these islands with its strong Norse and Old Scots influence adds to its charm. I may never actually travel to these beautiful but stark islands, but I enjoy visiting vicariously with each book in the series.
September 16, 2025
I’ve read three Ann Cleeves mysteries now, two in the Shetland series one Vera. This was my least favorite. The setting and the locals are the best part of the book for me. I wasn’t all that impressed with the police characters this time. Of course it does take place away from their headquarters in Lerwick. I found Perez to be too wrapped up in his own love life. Cleeves has a tendency to create at least one somewhat dim witted character among the police force and then come down on them hard. In this book it’s poor immature Sandy and he has a central part in this book.
Red Bones involves local resentments old and new. That’s a good idea in an isolated island location. I just wish I’d liked it more.
Red Bones involves local resentments old and new. That’s a good idea in an isolated island location. I just wish I’d liked it more.
June 5, 2018
Each book in this series has gotten progressively better, and Red Bones was a wonderful read. Cleeves uses the Shetland Island setting to maximum advantage, really bringing the story to life and the characters into vivid detail. And I'll be darned if I could figure out who the murderer was! Looking forward to the next in line.
March 22, 2013
If I wasn't so intrigued with the climate and culture of the Shetlands, I would have stopped reading this book after the first few chapters. She does do a good job describing the unique characteristics of this incredibly interesting locale, but beyond that, what a lousy "thriller." The two main cops are riddled with self-doubt and self-deprecation, but not in a cool, Harry Hole kind of way, in the "gosh, I hope I get the girl!" and "how can I get my dad to like me?" way. Sure, part of the human experience, but not really what contributes to a page-turner. The writing is redundant, in that a character makes a statement, then the author tells us what the character said and meant. Boring. The crimes themselves aren't particularly interesting, but with a stronger writer they could have been used to bring out angst, longing, and fear. I kept thinking Cleeves was writing with 15-year-olds in mind. However, any self-respecting 15-year-old reader would also find the book less than compelling. Very disappointing, as I love the BBC "Vera" series based on her books (haven't seen their Shetland Islands series, also based on Cleeves' books). Another rare case when the movies are better than the books, perhaps.
April 27, 2021
Slow-burning and atmospheric; just what i needed!
Bones in the land... skeletons in a cupboard...
Two deaths on an island.
An old woman's death is considered an accident, the other's, an archaeologist, a suicide. Coincidence?
Are the two deaths connected?
Is there more to those deaths than meets the eye?
What if there is a cunning murderer on the island who needs his buried secrets not to be dug out?
Bones in the land... skeletons in a cupboard...
Two deaths on an island.
An old woman's death is considered an accident, the other's, an archaeologist, a suicide. Coincidence?
Are the two deaths connected?
Is there more to those deaths than meets the eye?
What if there is a cunning murderer on the island who needs his buried secrets not to be dug out?
April 28, 2020
The 3rd installment of the Jimmy Perez/Shetland Island series which brings Sandy to the forefront of the mystery. It is Sandy's friend, Ronald, who is accused of accidentally shooting Sandy's grandmother, Mima, which sets off a chain reaction resulting in another killing. Mima has allowed an archeological dig on her property. After one of the students at the dig find a skull, old secrets are eventually brought to light, leading to finding the killer.
Sandy, who is never taken seriously, is forced into more responsibility and really comes into his own. I enjoyed learning more about Sandy's backstory and the history of all the Shetland Islands and how their differences contribute to the societies within them.
Sandy, who is never taken seriously, is forced into more responsibility and really comes into his own. I enjoyed learning more about Sandy's backstory and the history of all the Shetland Islands and how their differences contribute to the societies within them.
January 29, 2023
I confess, I prefer the Vera Stanhope series also by Ann Cleeves. I found it hard to remain engaged with this complex story, but perhaps that is due to the breaks we had between listening, as this was a buddy read with Simon. Also, I don't really feel attached to the main characters in this series yet, however this could change as we move through further volumes. On the bright side, we enjoy the TV series very much.
September 4, 2020
I really like this series and the setting. The archeological background to the plot was very interesting as well. I enjoyed the tv series very much but while they are similar to the books I enjoy the books just a bit more.
January 19, 2022
So this was a mess. Nothing made sense and I just wanted this book to be over. I fell asleep a few times while reading this. I think the main issue is that we follow Sandy through a lot of this book and he's not an engaging character. I read "Blue Lightning" right after this and I am going to regret that forever. I don't know if I will finish the series after that book.
I think the reason why I just didn't get into this one is that the book drags a lot. I just didn't care about the characters. It felt like the two murders had nothing to do with each other, and then when we got to the reveal and the why I was so annoyed. I wish I had went with my gut instinct to crack open an Agatha Christie book. But this book is head and shoulders above what readers will get next.
I think the reason why I just didn't get into this one is that the book drags a lot. I just didn't care about the characters. It felt like the two murders had nothing to do with each other, and then when we got to the reveal and the why I was so annoyed. I wish I had went with my gut instinct to crack open an Agatha Christie book. But this book is head and shoulders above what readers will get next.
December 14, 2025
This was a good read, with many interesting plot twists. Life in the Shetlands is described in a very vivid manner. The characters all intermingle and know one another. The secrets are partially known and the subject of rumors. I did have trouble keeping track of four generations of two families though. It was tough, as they were also relatives in the families. I am also unsure if the motive for the murders was strong enough.
August 16, 2019
3.5 - 4 wavery stars
I enjoyed this book for what it is, but not for what it’s advertised to be.
It’s subtitled ‘A Thriller’.
Well, no. Not at all.
A mystery? A little bit. Yes, I’d put it in the genre. But the genre checklist is pretty weak. You’re not even sure if any crimes have been committed till you’re nearly through the book.
And the idea that a really satisfying mystery/thriller gets justice against a really bad guy? Well, not so satisfying in that regard.
As a mystery it’s almost closer to a traditional Agatha Christie or a solid (non-fluffy) cozy. Not really, but the feel is closer to those than what you’d expect from a contemporary mystery.
Police procedural? Well, you would think so. The central (sort of) characters are a couple of cops. But it’s far more a character study of these two, especially one of them, and some of the other characters, than a procedural crime-solver.
I would be complaining or criticizing on behalf of all these bait and switches, but instead I enjoyed the book for its individualist take on a crime story, as a s sneaky way to burrow under the skin of a very imperfect cop, and to experience a picturesque and way-too-human small community in the hinterlands of the world.
I recommend the book as one to take you to a far away place, and make you know real people you will now expect to meet there if you ever manage to get yourself to this water-defined land.
Definitely contouring the series.
I enjoyed this book for what it is, but not for what it’s advertised to be.
It’s subtitled ‘A Thriller’.
Well, no. Not at all.
A mystery? A little bit. Yes, I’d put it in the genre. But the genre checklist is pretty weak. You’re not even sure if any crimes have been committed till you’re nearly through the book.
And the idea that a really satisfying mystery/thriller gets justice against a really bad guy? Well, not so satisfying in that regard.
As a mystery it’s almost closer to a traditional Agatha Christie or a solid (non-fluffy) cozy. Not really, but the feel is closer to those than what you’d expect from a contemporary mystery.
Police procedural? Well, you would think so. The central (sort of) characters are a couple of cops. But it’s far more a character study of these two, especially one of them, and some of the other characters, than a procedural crime-solver.
I would be complaining or criticizing on behalf of all these bait and switches, but instead I enjoyed the book for its individualist take on a crime story, as a s sneaky way to burrow under the skin of a very imperfect cop, and to experience a picturesque and way-too-human small community in the hinterlands of the world.
I recommend the book as one to take you to a far away place, and make you know real people you will now expect to meet there if you ever manage to get yourself to this water-defined land.
Definitely contouring the series.
March 13, 2012
It took a long time (more than 50 pages) to warm up to this book. It starts really, really slowly. And it takes awhile to get used to the Scottish slang and phrases. It was interesting in that I learned a lot about the Shetland Islands and the bleak existence that islanders share. And the mystery was ok - more like an Agatha Christie novel than anything else. It was frustrating because the police seemed so inept. Maybe we watch too much CSI and maybe small villages in Scotland don't have access to the kind of forensics in big cities. But, come on. They weren't able to tell how far away the shooter was? They couldn't tell which direction the shot had come from? Same with the second murder; they couldn't tell self-inflicted wounds from murder? It's an implausible plot in a gloomy place. I won't be running out to find other books by this author.
February 10, 2019
Sandy finalmente ha i suoi riflettori. Il libro è incentrato su di lui e la sua famiglia. Il tutto sull'isola di Whalsay. Un ottimo stacco dopo due libri incentrati su Perez.
Alla fine
Alla fine
March 16, 2016
I love this series - cosy murder mystery set in Shetland Isles - will certainly be working my way through these!
June 8, 2024
Not a must read but a good series to dip into.
April 22, 2020
The third story of the Shetland Island series is more personal. A murder that involves one of Perez's colleagues that we get to know a little better and has a bigger part in this investigation.
After an accident Perez is called to investigate and decide what is to be done with the person responsible. As the story continues questions arise as to wether or not it was an accident and then another person dies under tragic circumstances and Perez doubts that it's a coincidence and tries to find the pieces that fit to complete the puzzle and connect the two murders.
As always I enjoy the setting of the Shetland islands and like how atmosperic the stories are! In this story I liked a lot of characters and cared about what will become of them. The bond and relationships between the members of the family were very well written.
Even though I tried to guess who the murderer I was unsuccessful until the end and a bit disappointed!
A good crime story but at some points I would prefer less details!
After an accident Perez is called to investigate and decide what is to be done with the person responsible. As the story continues questions arise as to wether or not it was an accident and then another person dies under tragic circumstances and Perez doubts that it's a coincidence and tries to find the pieces that fit to complete the puzzle and connect the two murders.
As always I enjoy the setting of the Shetland islands and like how atmosperic the stories are! In this story I liked a lot of characters and cared about what will become of them. The bond and relationships between the members of the family were very well written.
Even though I tried to guess who the murderer I was unsuccessful until the end and a bit disappointed!
A good crime story but at some points I would prefer less details!
December 19, 2022
Perez returns investigating a suspicious death on Whalsay Island. The elderly woman Mima is his colleagues grandmother. Sandy is shocked his best friend Ronald appeared to accidentally shoot her while at rabbit hunting at night.
Cleeves description of the Shetland landscape is evocative. The characters are well written. Hattie the intense Phd student going a archeological dig near the scene of the murder. Sophie her outgoing, rich and slightly promiscuous colleague and friend. Paul the sleepy professor. Sandy’s parents, Joseph a taciturn man and Evelyn the Duracell bunny mother. Always busy with community projects. Ronald’s parents the disabled Andrew and Jackie the caring wealthy carer. Lots of potential suspects.
Another suspicious death. The uncovering of a history where during the war a Norwegian resistance fighter disappeared mysteriously. How Sandy’s family was involved and how the dig started a tragic chain of events.
A good story. The motive surprisingly is money. The murderer fairly obvious.
Cleeves description of the Shetland landscape is evocative. The characters are well written. Hattie the intense Phd student going a archeological dig near the scene of the murder. Sophie her outgoing, rich and slightly promiscuous colleague and friend. Paul the sleepy professor. Sandy’s parents, Joseph a taciturn man and Evelyn the Duracell bunny mother. Always busy with community projects. Ronald’s parents the disabled Andrew and Jackie the caring wealthy carer. Lots of potential suspects.
Another suspicious death. The uncovering of a history where during the war a Norwegian resistance fighter disappeared mysteriously. How Sandy’s family was involved and how the dig started a tragic chain of events.
A good story. The motive surprisingly is money. The murderer fairly obvious.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2015
Excellent addition to the series. These books are enchanting and intriguing. Although, Cleeves' writing style has me giving myself a break between novels. They are so packed with multiple stimulus I cannot read the entire series straight through.
January 22, 2025
Ann Cleeves is a really solid author. Having focused only on the Shetland series (apart from the first I quite like her style of writing, it’s not too cliche and there is sufficient of the landscape and history of the area to add interest and to enable Shetland to be another integral character to the cast.
Red Bones is the the 3rd in the Shetland series and introduces us to the island of Whalsay, a small close knit island community just east of the main Shetland island. Apart from being a fishing community, we learn that Whalsay was a main trading port for the Hanseatic League. Ships from Hamburg, Bremen and Lubeck sailed here every summer, bringing seeds, cloth, iron tools, salt, spirits, luxury goods and hard currency.
We are also introduced to the Shetland Bus, a regular transport system developed during WW2 between the UK and Norway, also providing an escape life-line for refugees and fugitives.
Cleeves weaves this historical fiction into a modern day mystery with Lerwick based policeman and Whalsay local, Sandy Wilson, at the front and centre with Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez close behind.
While the historical elements of the location certainly feature, they could have been delved into more deeply in my opinion and certainly to my liking. I love nothing more than going between modern day and history, two narratives overlapping and making sense of one another. Red Bones is ripe for this but clearly that was not Cleeves purpose and intent in writing, which I completely understand having read the previous two books in the series.
I love that this series has introduced me to this remote part of Scotland. Yearning to visit now… 4 stars.
Red Bones is the the 3rd in the Shetland series and introduces us to the island of Whalsay, a small close knit island community just east of the main Shetland island. Apart from being a fishing community, we learn that Whalsay was a main trading port for the Hanseatic League. Ships from Hamburg, Bremen and Lubeck sailed here every summer, bringing seeds, cloth, iron tools, salt, spirits, luxury goods and hard currency.
We are also introduced to the Shetland Bus, a regular transport system developed during WW2 between the UK and Norway, also providing an escape life-line for refugees and fugitives.
Cleeves weaves this historical fiction into a modern day mystery with Lerwick based policeman and Whalsay local, Sandy Wilson, at the front and centre with Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez close behind.
While the historical elements of the location certainly feature, they could have been delved into more deeply in my opinion and certainly to my liking. I love nothing more than going between modern day and history, two narratives overlapping and making sense of one another. Red Bones is ripe for this but clearly that was not Cleeves purpose and intent in writing, which I completely understand having read the previous two books in the series.
I love that this series has introduced me to this remote part of Scotland. Yearning to visit now… 4 stars.
March 10, 2012
I didn't find it a real page turner like the other two, but it was good anyway.
May 18, 2015
The pace was a bit slow at the start & some of the police actions are a bit odd, but this book has some beautiful descriptions of the Shetlands & it builds to a genuinely surprising ending.
May 6, 2022
If I did not think the series could get better I would have been wrong. They keep getting better and better. This looks into two high profile wealthy families with many secrets to tell. Anna and Ronald being two of the leads in this one. Jimmy's team member of Sandy is also given more detail in this one regarding one of the deaths. A little more predictable to guess on who committed the crimes in this one but still an excellent story. I also enjoyed the development of Jimmy, Fran and Cassie in this one leading nicely into the next Shetland story. Easy five stars
June 29, 2011
Interesting setting on the Shetland islands, an archeological dig, past scandals and mysterious disappearances, an unexpected death--all very promising, but this book is like an oatmeal cookie with too few raisins. There was so much of the detectives' internal maunderings about their life issues that it distracted from the suspense.
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