book reviews , different studio guests each week. Join us every Thursday between 12 and 1pm on Radio Scilly 107.9fm or log on to radioscilly.com.

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Saturday 21 February 2015

Ann Cleeves - Blue Lightning



review written by Sue Major and reviewed by her on the bookshow on 26th Feb 2015

Detective Jimmy Perez takes his fiancee to Fair Isle to meet his parents , but when bad weather cuts the island off from Shetland and a body is found in the bird observatory , Jimmy takes charge of the investigation.

This novel concludes Ann Cleeves series of four novels set in Shetland, and her descriptions of the scenery and the tense, charged atmosphere on remote Fair Isles are superbly tackled.  She did after all live on Fair isles for a time , working at th Bird Observatory .
 The characters are well drawn.....I particularly liked the calm ,  reserved nature of Inspector Perez, and his methodical seemingly pointless observations and questions to  those who may or may not be suspects.  The plot was clever, and I didn't have an inkling of the villain until virtually everyone else had been eliminated
However, I didn't get the point of the final dramatic events.....and I thought it a bit unnecessary....it added nothing to the story.

I did enjoy the book, and will certainly read the others in her Shetland series. I've seen her  TV detective Vera.....but Jimmy Perez is a much more credible, engaging character.

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