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
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