Product Description

An island shrouded in mist and a community with secrets buried in the past . . .

When a young archaeologist studying on a site at Whalsay discovers a set of human remains, the island settlers are intrigued. Is it an ancient find – or a more contemporary mystery?

Then an elderly woman is shot in a tragic accident in the middle of the night. Shetland detective Jimmy Perez is called in by her grandson – his own colleague, Sandy Wilson.

The sparse landscape and the emptiness of the sea have bred a fierce and secretive people. Mima Wilson was a recluse. She had her land, her pride and her family. As Jimmy looks to the islanders for answers, he finds instead two feuding families whose envy, greed and bitterness have lasted generations.

Surrounded by people he doesn’t know and in unfamiliar territory, Jimmy finds himself out of his depth. Then there’s another death and, as the spring weather shrouds the island in claustrophobic mists, Jimmy must dig up old secrets to stop a new killer from striking again . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39231 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 340 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
When Ann Cleeves bagged the prestigious CWA Dagger Award for Raven Black, the first book in her Shetland series, attention was paid to a crime writer of no mean gifts. With a deft sense of place and plotting that demonstrated unshowy but authoritative skill, Cleeves proved that she was a novelist to reckon with. As Red Bones, the third book in her acclaimed series, once again shows. It’s perhaps not as immediately striking as Raven Black, but just as sure-footed.

At an archaeological dig at Whalsay, a grim discovery is made: a set of human remains. The discovery intrigues the islanders – is this a body from the distant past, or one of more recent provenance? Subsequently, a shooting accident takes the life of an elderly woman, and Ann Cleeves’s doughty copper, Jimmy Perez, is called in to investigate by the woman's grandson. As Jimmy begins to dig into the circumstances surrounding the death, he finds evidence of a massive, bitter dispute between two families: a dispute whose mean-spiritedness and greed has riven the whole community on Whalsay. Another death occurs, and Jimmy finds himself struggling -- both with recalcitrant islanders who offer him little help, and with his own deeper unfamiliarity with his surroundings. The answer, of course, lies in the past...

Ann Cleeves’ fellow crime fiction practitioners (from Colin Dexter to Peter Robinson) have been lining up to sing her praises, and it’s unlikely that there will be any blip in that chorus of praise on the evidence of Red Bones, which is quite as assured and entertaining as its predecessors. --Barry Forshaw

Review
'Atmospheric and interesting.'
--The Literary Review

Review
'Intensely satisfying and well-constructed story
with sympathetic and attractive characters.'

Customer Reviews

Brilliant!
I've just finished reading "Red bones". Once again I must congratulate Ann to another excellent crime story, and I couldn't but smile every time she mentions the name of the village "Lindby"! It really fits in. (She wrote five chapters of the book in our cottage in Lindby, Southern Öland, Sweden, May 2007).

The last 120 pages I just had to read non-stop and finished quite astonished by the solution. As always! Wonderful characterization of people with quite few words. Brilliantly written as usual, and I also love the birds mentioned by their species names, not just "diver", "thrush" etc, which gives even more authenticity to the scenery. I really have to go to Shetland some time!

Ann Cleeves also has a wonderful ability to let the reader leave the book in relief and with a big smile by the last sentence, so even here. I just love it!

Now waiting for the Swedish translation in May. And of course the fourth book!

Number three underated author
This is number three in a planned quartet of books. I'm suprised these haven't broken through in the best sellers list Once again Inspector Perez is called upon to gently quiz a tight knit community this time there is a body but it looks like a tragic accident an old lady shot whilst one of the locals is out shooting rabbits
the victim the grandmother of his sidekick Sandy
perez's gut feeling is nagging him was this just simply an accident just when it looks like he is willing to accept this conclusion another body is found this time it looks like suicide but the two deaths are linked and Perez not only has bone in his mouth but an archeologist dig has uncovered human bones that might not be as old as first thought

This is a real page turner and once again Ann Cleeves manages to pull the Shetland wool over your eyes right to the very last page
The location is key the islands of Scotland where secrets and lies are buried deep in this case quite literally
I for one hope that the author changes her mind and extends this series from a quartet
but will definately be Reading the 4th book and hopefully more people will have discovered the first three by that time

Shetland quartet
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, it gives a real flavour of Shetland as do the other books in the series - she is a good detective writer, and if you have ever visited Shetland this brings it all back. If you haven't made the trip to the land of the simmer dim yet it will enthuse you to go.