Red Bones: A Thriller (Shetland Island Mysteries, 3) Paperback – Illustrated, September 28, 2010

Every page of Ann Cleeves' Shetland Island thrillers is a vision. I feel as if I am there, on Fair Isle or Lerwick, in the home of Mima, or Jackie, or looking at the landscape as Sandy Wilson walks to Setter. All of this is what makes me feel I've been there, when I haven't, and makes me want to visit and see the crofts and the sheep--and the people. More perfect than all of this is the mystery that unfolds as Jimmy Perez, in his inimitable style, peels away the layers of the characters, the suspects, the families, His curiosity is the reader's. Again and again I believe I know who the murderer is. Ann Cleeves is clever and expert at casting doubts and weaving a tale that points to first one and then another. In the end, I am always wrong. That doesn't reflect badly on me! Ann Cleeves is a master, and I recommend ALL of this series. I am finishing the fourth, and last, but I am looking forward to other books she has written.

I really liked this book. Ann Cleeves is a terrific writer who has so much skill at evoking a sense of place and its living breathing atmosphere."Red Bones" is part of the Inspector Jimmy Perez series set in the Shetland Islands, where "insular" takes on definitive meaning. "Red..." opens with the shooting of a feisty old woman, the owner of a archeological site that is being excavated by a PhD student and her assistant. The killing appears to be accidental, although how it could have occurred is unclear, even to the man who has confessed to the shooting. The incident is laid to rest by the authorities despite some misgivings by Inspector Perez. Shortly thereafter, a second death occurs and Perez isn't buying the theory that it is a suicide. The mystery is slowly revealed and concluded with an intelligent spin that the author has kept up her sleeve throughout the story.So, excellent mystery story and clever ending. But better--much better--is the finely crafted evocation of this small northern place and how it feels to live there. The author must be more than a little bit of a naturalist as she describes with real feeling how the sea, fields, sky, etc. look, feel and smell. She includes details like the specific names of local birds and how they relate to the weather, season or even the foretelling of events. Also enjoyable in "Red..." is the wonderful collection of characters included and how they think, react and interact as families and individuals. Cleeves convincingly argues that the islands' social history dictates the dynamics of relationships in the present and that past tragedies always carry forward in those small places. So, if your grandmother did my grandmother wrong, you share responsibility for the alleged deed.A totally enjoyable read and recommended.

I love the Shetland series with Douglas Henshall and now with the same folks in the police station and Jensen (Ashley? maybe?) coming on to take over for Jimmy Perez, the character. But now that I'm reading the books -- the books are always better, and more understanding of Jimmy and everybody else. Wonderful books, wonderful but more truncated as TV series need to be. Love them both. Just bought Blue Lightning, the next one and am reading that now.

This is the third novel in the Shetland Islands quartet. The first (and best) is Raven Black. While I devoured all three books, the first stands above the other two in its atmospheric qualities and overall creepiness. White Nights was also good, but it started off much more slowly. Red Bones plods a bit more, but was quite satisfying nonetheless. Cleeves is an excellent writer, and she keeps the book under her firm control until the end. Her descriptions of the scenery and island culture are vivid and intriguing -- I would not be surprised if these books cause a spike in tourist visits to Lerwick, Fair Isle, etc. In each book, the reader is kept guessing (or second guessing) until the final twenty pages.

Met Jimmy Perez through the TV Shetland Series, which I love, i know the stories from book are better in the books and started reading the books. Found Vera, and Matthew on TV too, so I have the pleasure of reading some more.I am so glad I started reading the books they are indeed better and have quite some peripheral changes from the TV series. I got to see Shetland, Jimmy and the crew from the actual author’s perspective and story, it add so much character and depth to the story. I am hooked, and already ordered the next books.In the TV Series this was episode one, love Douglas Henshall as Jimmy.

Enjoyed the beginning of the book. The characters, the locale, island life , customs and intrigues were well depicted and elaborated. Pity that the map was at the end of the book, would have been better in the beginning so to allow for a clearer sense of places. The unravelling of the mystery was very disappointing, left me with a sense of Is that it? There was more going on in the storyline but it all fizzled out.

The description of the Shetland Islands and the capturing of lifestyles and culture there are really the stars of Ann Cleeves’ novels.Red Bones is amazing on this level. The mystery is as interesting as ever, if just a bit “off” from the main story, but a good one nonetheless. This is a tremendously well written, entertaining and engaging book. I am so looking forward to finishing this series!

I have been a fan of ITV’s “Vera” and BBC’s “Shetland” for some time, but it never occurred to me that different stories could unfold in Shetland.This is the third book in the Shetland series and although well written, invoking strong images of these islands, the pace was far slower than that of the first two. I found myself thinking it was over long and meandering, like she did not have a fixed ending when she began writing. When will she get to the point?” Popped into my head about half way.She has an interesting way of sitting inside the heads of those in the narrative, but for some reason, I thought narrowing down those whose thoughts were revealed would be okay.