Thin Air (Shetland)

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Sandy kind of came into his own in this one I thought. We get to see an old love of his, but he is also wondering about the death of a young girl from about 70 years ago and how it can tie into this case now. I did like the writing in this one a lot and the clues that Cleeves leaves for us to find. This one felt more intricated and at times reminded me of a Vera Stanhope novel. Just with a lot less loathing of colleagues that Vera has going on most of the time. Perez is still feeling his way about gingerly through this murder investigation, but with less second-guessing of himself. He's become more comfortable as the guardian of Cassie, his fiancee's daughter. Of course, Perez is still feeling the pangs of grief but doesn't seem totally overwhelmed with them. Her last Shetland book Wild Fire was published in September 2018. Ann has a long association with Shetland and confesses to being in love with the place. Eleanor Longstaff was found murdered on Unst in Shetland which is the furtherst north a person can go in the United Kingdom. She was in Unst to celebrate the hamefarin (wedding reception) of Caroline Lawson and Lowrie Malcomson, friends from college. Upon her death, people start to talk about the ghost of Peerie Lizzie, a ten year old girl, who drowned in 1930 on the island. Polly Gilmour, a college and long-time friend of Eleanor's, starts to actually see the little girl.

Of course the ending was a surprise. At least this time around. Common sense could have pinched me on the nose and I would have gotten the culprit, but I was just not in the mood for it. Okay that's my excuse. Joanne Butcher (8 July 2014). "Vera writer Ann Cleeves gains honour from University of Sunderland - The Journal". journallive. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019 . Retrieved 24 May 2016. Cleeves excels at creating a sense of place and painting visual pictures which employ all the senses. Even though few will be able to visit these rather remote islands, you have a true sense of being there, with the long days and weather contributing to the plot. To this, she adds just a touch of the supernatural still leaving you to question whether it truly is.Unfortunately after the party, one of the English girls is found murdered. Who could have murdered the outsider is the question of the novel. The local myth of Perrie Lizzie, a young girl found drowned many years ago plays a part in the mystery. Has the young girl appeared as a ghost and a participant in the murder? Jimmy also has the opportunity to visit the family of the dead woman in London. It is fascinating to see how he interacts with the urban community and the sophisticated people with whom he feels such an outsider. He takes his adopted daughter with him and there is some exploration of the strained relationships between him and her family. I liked these interludes and the contrast between the urban life and the island life. As always in this series, Cleeves transports the reader to Shetland. Both the setting and characterization are very strong, and they only add to an intricately developed plot. In addition to the ongoing characters in the series who are further developed in THIN AIR, the main characters of this story, as well as those who play more peripheral roles, are all brought to life. There are no cardboard cutouts in Cleeves' writing. Because of the number of characters and the complexity in their motivations, the swirling and obfuscation of the fog mimics the constantly circling and unclear investigation. Cleeves does an outstanding job of providing clues while nonetheless keeping the reader in the dark. In the end, the pieces all fall tightly into place. Attempting to win Polly’s confidence, Jimmy and Sandy become concerned that Polly, Marcus, and Ian are in danger, especially when another death is linked to Eleanor. At Springfield House, the epicenter of the investigation, new owners Charles and David have their own problems, desperately trying to keep their relationship intact by ignoring any unpleasantness, anything

Cleeves was born in Herefordshire and brought up in north Devon where she attended Barnstaple Grammar School; [2] she studied English at the University of Sussex but dropped out and then took up various jobs, including cook at the Fair Isle bird observatory, auxiliary coastguard, probation officer, library outreach worker and child care officer. [3] Personal life [ edit ] The flow of the book works from beginning to end and I honestly didn't put this one down until the murderer was revealed. Ann Cleeves confirms that she is the best living evoker of landscape with Cold Earth."— The Guardian, Best Crime Books and Thrillers of 2016In July 2022, Cleeves was awarded an honorary D.Litt. from Newcastle University for services to reading and libraries. [11] Bibliography [ edit ] Palmer-Jones [ edit ] Four friends -- two couples -- have come to Unst, the most northern of the Shetland Islands, to help a friend celebrate her wedding to a native of the island. The same night as the celebration, one of the four vanishes, leaving behind a text message that reads like a suicide note. The body is found the next day, with Inspector Perez and Chief Inspector Willow Reeves called to handle the investigation. Like the previous novels, there’s a nice connection between Jimmy and Willow, the pair clearly attracted to each other but uncomfortable about taking it further. Jimmy is a dynamic and good man with a hard job navigating through an even harder time in his personal life. Smart, shrewd, intuitive, moral, and fair, Jimmy must deal with the survivors and family members of the dead along with witnesses and suspects, and he does it all with kindness, sensitivity, and respect. Jimmy welcomes Willow’s willingness to assist him whenever possible even when she becomes more than a little desperate, often clutching at straws with only Sandy, Jimmy’s loyal subordinate, to guide her. Where, as usual, the author distinguishes herself and makes this book outstanding is in the description of the island, its people and the island life. The author has no illusions and doesn’t assume that everyone living on the island is simple or innocent in any way. She does, however, maker us understand that it is a slower and different way of life from that outside the islands. The lifestyle of the islanders is very much wrapped up in the landscape and environment in which they live. I really got a feeling of the isolation of the islands and also of the traditions which are so important to the people who live there. There is a slight element of a ghost story here connected with the legend of a dead child – this is nicely interwoven with the story and adds an interesting, eerie note from time to time. In fact, the tension and atmosphere is extremely well done in this book and there is a developing feeling of menace all the way through the story.