A superb mystery. It takes place on Fair Isle, the farthest-flung island that belongs to Scotland and the UK. In this remote setting, there are insiders and outsiders, with detective Jimmy Perez half of each: He grew up on Fair Isle, but hasn't lived there in quite a while. A birding center on the island provides a very interesting mix of outsiders many of whom are obsessed with being the first to find and record a rare species. The book opens with Jimmy's girlfriend white-knuckling it with him on the flight to the island, and various kinds of tensions never let up from there. Highly recommended.
Donna C. (darkcoffeeclouds) reviewed Blue Lightning (Shetland Island, Bk 4) on + 114 more book reviews
Another great book by Ann Cleeves. She never disappoints. I don´t know how she can keep coming up with great books.
Detective Jimmie Perez is taking his fiancé home to meet his parents on Fair Isle when a woman is found murdered. Jimmie is the only one there to investigate the murder and with a wild storm raging there is no way to get any help in. He has to do things the old fashioned way without his team and forensics. The woman murdered was a scientist working in the lighthouse that had been converted into a conservatory for studying birds. The door had been locked so the murdered had to be one of the people inside. Jimmie sets himself to the difficult task of interviewing everyone and gathering evidence on his own when he finds another woman murdered. Thankfully the weather lets up so he can get his team in to help with the case.
I have to say this one had a surprise ending. I felt it coming but I didn´t want to believe it. Now I can´t wait to see where Ann takes Jimmie Perez next.
Detective Jimmie Perez is taking his fiancé home to meet his parents on Fair Isle when a woman is found murdered. Jimmie is the only one there to investigate the murder and with a wild storm raging there is no way to get any help in. He has to do things the old fashioned way without his team and forensics. The woman murdered was a scientist working in the lighthouse that had been converted into a conservatory for studying birds. The door had been locked so the murdered had to be one of the people inside. Jimmie sets himself to the difficult task of interviewing everyone and gathering evidence on his own when he finds another woman murdered. Thankfully the weather lets up so he can get his team in to help with the case.
I have to say this one had a surprise ending. I felt it coming but I didn´t want to believe it. Now I can´t wait to see where Ann takes Jimmie Perez next.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
First Line: Fran sat with her eyes closed.
Fair Isle is a remote location in the Shetland Islands, in many ways better known to dedicated birdwatchers than any other group of people. When the weather closes in, landing an airplane there can be a very dicey affair. Fran learns this the hard way as she comes to visit her fiance's parents before she and Jimmy are married.
Her visit has barely begun when a celebrity scientist who ran the island's bird research center is murdered. Left with her soon-to-be in-laws while Jimmy Perez puts himself in Detective Inspector mode, Fran begins to look for ways she can help Jimmy with his investigation. The weather has socked in with a vengeance. No one can leave. No one can arrive. Perez has what is basically a locked room mystery to solve, and his careful interviews with the people at the research center show that the murdered scientist was very different from her television persona. There are many reasons why someone would want her dead, but can Perez choose the right reason and the right killer?
One thing I do want to mention before I forget it is that Cleeves uses several birdwatching terms that may be somewhat confusing if you've never been introduced to them. They are very easy to look up if need be, but it's simple to deduce their meaning within the context of the sentences.
I loved Cleeves' take on the locked room mystery. It is perfect for Perez's investigating style. He likes to take his time interviewing everyone, getting a feel for each person's mood, and listening to what they say... and what they don't say. Since communications are spotty and no one can land on the island due to the weather, Perez can actually do much of the investigation his own way without interference from his mainland superiors.
The weather makes for a very claustrophobic atmosphere, and as each person at the research center is spoken to again and again, their true feelings towards the victim are revealed, and it becomes very difficult to pinpoint just one of them as the killer. The dead woman herself becomes every bit as important as the characters who are alive and breathing.
With each book of the Shetland Island Quartet, my admiration for the character of Jimmy Perez grows. He's quiet and unassuming, but he has a strength that can provoke a response in anyone. His fiance, Fran, finds herself wanting to help him in any way she can, not only because she feels trapped on the tiny island, but because she wants to know more about this other area of his life that's so vital to him. Jane, the cook at the research center, watches Perez and sees his true character when most do not. Jane intuitively knows how intelligent this man is, how good he is at his job, and she decides to try to beat Jimmy at his own game. That's not always a wise thing to do. Fair Isle may be small, and there may not be many people in residence. But no one is safe. No one.
If you haven't read any of the books in the Shetland Island Quartet, I urge you to do so. You just might find yourself falling in love with a remote and beautiful corner of the world, with a quiet and quite canny police inspector, and with strong mysteries that grab you at the first page and won't let you go.
Fair Isle is a remote location in the Shetland Islands, in many ways better known to dedicated birdwatchers than any other group of people. When the weather closes in, landing an airplane there can be a very dicey affair. Fran learns this the hard way as she comes to visit her fiance's parents before she and Jimmy are married.
Her visit has barely begun when a celebrity scientist who ran the island's bird research center is murdered. Left with her soon-to-be in-laws while Jimmy Perez puts himself in Detective Inspector mode, Fran begins to look for ways she can help Jimmy with his investigation. The weather has socked in with a vengeance. No one can leave. No one can arrive. Perez has what is basically a locked room mystery to solve, and his careful interviews with the people at the research center show that the murdered scientist was very different from her television persona. There are many reasons why someone would want her dead, but can Perez choose the right reason and the right killer?
One thing I do want to mention before I forget it is that Cleeves uses several birdwatching terms that may be somewhat confusing if you've never been introduced to them. They are very easy to look up if need be, but it's simple to deduce their meaning within the context of the sentences.
I loved Cleeves' take on the locked room mystery. It is perfect for Perez's investigating style. He likes to take his time interviewing everyone, getting a feel for each person's mood, and listening to what they say... and what they don't say. Since communications are spotty and no one can land on the island due to the weather, Perez can actually do much of the investigation his own way without interference from his mainland superiors.
The weather makes for a very claustrophobic atmosphere, and as each person at the research center is spoken to again and again, their true feelings towards the victim are revealed, and it becomes very difficult to pinpoint just one of them as the killer. The dead woman herself becomes every bit as important as the characters who are alive and breathing.
With each book of the Shetland Island Quartet, my admiration for the character of Jimmy Perez grows. He's quiet and unassuming, but he has a strength that can provoke a response in anyone. His fiance, Fran, finds herself wanting to help him in any way she can, not only because she feels trapped on the tiny island, but because she wants to know more about this other area of his life that's so vital to him. Jane, the cook at the research center, watches Perez and sees his true character when most do not. Jane intuitively knows how intelligent this man is, how good he is at his job, and she decides to try to beat Jimmy at his own game. That's not always a wise thing to do. Fair Isle may be small, and there may not be many people in residence. But no one is safe. No one.
If you haven't read any of the books in the Shetland Island Quartet, I urge you to do so. You just might find yourself falling in love with a remote and beautiful corner of the world, with a quiet and quite canny police inspector, and with strong mysteries that grab you at the first page and won't let you go.
Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
Book Description
In the fourth book of Ann Cleeves' critically acclaimed series set in the Shetland Islands, Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez brings his fiancée home to Fair Isle, a birder's paradise, where strangers are viewed with suspicions and distrust. When a woman's body is discovered at the island's bird observatory, the investigation is hampered by a raging storm that renders the island totally isolated. Jimmy has to find clues the old-fashioned way, and he has to do it quickly. There's a killer on the island just waiting for the chance to strike again.
My Review
This 4th installment of Ann Cleeves Shetland Island series takes place on Fair Isle home of the Perez family. I loved the smallness of the island and the dreary, rainy weather is the perfect atmosphere for murder. Cleeves plots out the murders with expertise without giving much away about who's doing the killings until the very end. The ending is so shocking, you have to go back and read it again to make sure you read it right. I love authors who take chances with their characters and do the unexpected. I'm now looking forward to reading the next book in the series just to see how this plays out in the future novels. Great job, Ann, for shocking us all!
In the fourth book of Ann Cleeves' critically acclaimed series set in the Shetland Islands, Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez brings his fiancée home to Fair Isle, a birder's paradise, where strangers are viewed with suspicions and distrust. When a woman's body is discovered at the island's bird observatory, the investigation is hampered by a raging storm that renders the island totally isolated. Jimmy has to find clues the old-fashioned way, and he has to do it quickly. There's a killer on the island just waiting for the chance to strike again.
My Review
This 4th installment of Ann Cleeves Shetland Island series takes place on Fair Isle home of the Perez family. I loved the smallness of the island and the dreary, rainy weather is the perfect atmosphere for murder. Cleeves plots out the murders with expertise without giving much away about who's doing the killings until the very end. The ending is so shocking, you have to go back and read it again to make sure you read it right. I love authors who take chances with their characters and do the unexpected. I'm now looking forward to reading the next book in the series just to see how this plays out in the future novels. Great job, Ann, for shocking us all!
