Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves -- a review

 

4. Blue Lightning   Shetland Series Book 4 by Ann Cleeves

Jimmy Perez takes Fran Hunter to meet his family, James and Mary, on Fair Isle. Cassie stays with her father, Duncan Hunter, on the main island. At the same time as the family visit, a group of avid birdwatchers are at the Bird Observatory at the North Lighthouse. It isn’t long before a mostly unloved scientist is found murdered and left in an unusual pose befitting her specialty. As the storms rage, everyone is trapped on the island. And most of the guests are suspects. Another person becomes a victim. And there’s a race to stop the killer before it’s too late to save a third.

The severe storms not only add to the general mood of the characters but increase the tension and the psychological burden of the investigation, which rests on Jimmy Perez who must conduct interviews and think through options with limited help from his team on the main island.

I must avoid too much detail here because the stunning conclusion can evoke emotion for readers who engage with Cleeve’s carefully developed characters.

By the time I got to this novel, I was intrigued by Ann’s knowledge of birding so I looked up her bio. It turns out she met her husband when she worked as a cook at the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle (anncleeves.com).

I have a paperback version as part of a box set and recommend this volume to those who enjoy slow and thoughtful styles of British crime mysteries and appreciate learning new words that add to the texture of Shetland culture. I usually prefer digital books but found the paperback set less expensive.

Buy Blue Lightning Paperback or  Audiobook