Book #59 Wild Fire

Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, there it is then. The publishers in their wisdom decided to put the Acknowledgements at the very beginning of the book. First sentence: "This is the last Shetland novel..." There were some of us who still held on to a glimmer of hope, trying to ignore the fact that Ann Cleeves had intimated that Wild Fire would be it...

Shetland. Welcoming. Wild. Remote. It is all of these. I have been there. I love the place and I have loved this series. All good things must come to an end I suppose. So, how does Cleeves handle this swan song? What will happen to DI Jimmy Perez? No spoilers from me! This is writing of the highest calibre. A slow burner that ignites the pages, when a young nanny's body is found hanging in the barn of incomers - the Flemings. An English family who have moved to the area to give their autistic son a better life. The girl was the nanny to the children of Dr and Mrs Moncrieff.

Two families, four parents, six children. Include Magnie Ridell, besotted with the nanny, Emma. His mother and his aunt. A previous suicide. Duncan Hunter is here, natural father of Cassie, DC Sandy Wilson, DCI Willow Reeves - on-off lover of Jimmy Perez. A Perez here who seems constantly preoccupied...

Not many possible suspects then but the conclusion still managed to evade me! And what of Perez? Did Cleeves...? Didn't she...? You will have to read it to find out!

Me? I have to swallow my disappointment. This is the last Shetland...

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Book #70 Cold Earth

Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, there it is. I managed to make it last for four days. Had to finish it, disappointed that it's over. I love Shetland - these wild, Northern Isles where I followed in Jimmy Perez's footsteps in May this year. Ann Cleeves has made them her own. She understands the Shetlanders and their way of life. And how they will react to a murder in their community. This number 7 in the series is another gem - a beautifully crafted slow-burner that sees DI Jimmy Perez and DCI Willow Reeves together once again, investigating the crime. Is romance in the air or is it too soon following the murder of Fran? How is Cassie coping? Why is there no mention of Sergeant 'Tosh'? Will there be another murder? If you are a Shetland fan you will have to read it and find out.

I loved it.

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Shetland Series 3 on BBC

I am just one of many fans of the Shetland series of books written by the author Ann Cleeves. Of the six books that so far comprise this series, four have been adapted for television by BBC scriptwriters. These episodes that made up series 1 and 2 loosely followed the plots in Ann's books, although on one occasion they decided to change the identity of the murderer. Only scriptwriters in their infinite wisdom get away with this. For all that the first two series were enjoyable; the main characters known to all readers were there: DI Jimmy Perez, DS Alison McIntosh, DC Sandy Wilson, Sgt Billy McBride and Fiscal Rhona Kelly. Two books have not been adapted for TV and Ann is in the throes of writing book #7 entitled 'Earth to Earth'. She herself has said: "The TV adaptations are very often very different from the books - the scriptwriters cut some characters and add others, cut big chunks of plot and sometimes they even change the murderer!" 

So, I have watched Shetland series 3 to its conclusion with both dismay and anger. This series is only based on characters created by Ann Cleeves. It is not remotely based on any book. It created plot lines that are irreversible and clearly pay no heed to the fact that Ann is writing a 7th book. The programme includes the gratuitous and totally unnecessary rape of DS Tosh McIntosh, who come the end hands in a transfer request, to leave Lerwick (Shetland). This single act will have a cataclysmic affect on the 7th book that Cleeves is writing. You cannot undo something that has appeared on TV and will remain in the minds of all her fans who have read her books and await the next with great anticipation. Did the scriptwriters consult with Cleeves over the outcome of TV series 3? Would she have agreed to this horrible development? I think not. How can any reader now look forward to book #7 with great anticipation having watched this travesty of television? Can Cleeves' 7th book in the series adopt the happenings of this latest TV series or will she just ignore them?

I can only wait now until October when book #7 is expected to be published. But this latest TV airing has left a bad taste....

  

Book #15 Too Good To Be True

Too Good To Be True by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is what it is. A quick read. One of a series of short books written by bestselling writers. It is still a fast and satisfying read for regular readers and is intended to encourage more adults to discover the pleasure of reading.

Having read the entire Shetland series by Ann Cleeves I had to see how she would cope with a short story composed around her detective inspector Jimmy Perez who arrives in the Scottish Borders at the request of his ex-wife Sarah to investigate the death of Anna Blackwell, a local teacher. The police believe her death was either suicide or a tragic accident. Being a short read there is little time to develop a meaty plot and Perez solves the mystery with scant clues to go on, perhaps stretching credulity somewhat.

For all that, I enjoyed it - read in a couple of hours. I am a big fan of Ann Cleeves and Jimmy Perez. What's not to like....

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Book #54 Offshore

Offshore by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A collection of short stories, all set on islands off the coast of the UK. This set of mysteries features new cases for DI Jimmy Perez on Shetland and DI Willow Reeves on Uist in the Outer Hebrides. In 'Hector's Other Woman' set on Holy Island, we meet a young Vera, before she became DI Vera Stanhope, and the story of how she decided to enter the police force. One of the stories, 'Postcard from Skokholm', is written by Lynne Chitty, winner of Pan Macmillan's Bello imprint's short story competition. But overall this new collection of mysteries left me rather disappointed. Maybe they are too short, too few words to develop convincing plots and characters. Anyway, at just 73 pages it won't take you long to read and make up your own mind...

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