Another excellent book from Ann Cleeves. The island setting is perfect for this book. Archie Stout is an Islander and old friend of Jimmy Perez. When he is found dead just before Christmas the weather is too bad for the Glasgow police to fly in so it’s down to Perez to solve the crime. Friendship and family drive the story: people want to blame the outsiders, but even islanders can become outsiders.
This is a complex and fast moving plot as more deaths take place and there pressure is on to resolve everything before Christmas Day and the Ba’, a Freeform rugby match through the town of Kirkwall.
Well worth reading.

As a fan of the TV series Shetland I was keen to read this novel continuing the adventures of Jimmy Perez, the rather dour detective from Fair Isle. I hadn’t read any of Ann Cleeves’s Shetland series and they’re obviously quite different from the TV version but the central character is much the same and here he is investigating the murder of a friend of his who lives on Westray, an island in the Orcadian archipelago. Along with his partner Willow, a DCI, they untangle a web of relationships centred on the murder victim.
It’s very atmospheric, making good use of the archeology of Orkney, somewhere I’ve visited and used as a location in my own crime novel, Deception. It’s a fabulous place to set a detective novel and I guess this marks the start of a new Orkney series by the author. I enjoyed the story which kept me guessing right to the end and the characters and setting held my interest. I look forward to reading more about Jimmy Perez on Orkney.
Thanks to the publisher MacMillan and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

What can you say about an Ann Cleeves novel that hasn’t been said before? Another fabulous story, thrilling, heart rendering, unputdownable and simply totally engrossing all the way through. You know exactly what you’re getting and this didn’t disappoint - amazing!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

There is something about finding a new novel that adds a coda to a much loved series like the reliable DI Perez in the Shetland novels. At the risk of resorting to cliché, at its best it’s a bit like putting on an old comfortable pullover on a winter’s evening. So, yes, I was very much looking forward to the Killing Stones and, in many ways, it didn’t disappoint. It made a perfectly satisfying police procedural with some well known characters and enough potential suspects to keep a latter day Sherlock Holmes well satisfied. So why not a five star review seems a fair question; in part this may be that it takes Perez away from the Shetland context where we have grown used to find him and his team and, somehow, we find at times a rather diminished Perez, with a substantial part of the action involving (somewhat implausibly?) his pregnant partner Willow.

In fairness, some rebalancing of the overall judgment implied here may be needed; Perez is the same old solid Perez who steers the investigation to a successful conclusion, and the weaving together of the evidence that the reader sees at the same time as the investigators is, as you would expect from Ms Cleves sound and feels right.

Overall, then, a solid effort from this reliable author; it may not reach the heights of the best from the ‘Shetland’ series, but it’s unlikely to disappoint.

So happy to have Jimmy Perez back. Hopefully this will lead to further adventures in Orkney. As always atmospheric and full of historical anecdotes, the book is hard to put down. Richly described characters, some irritating and others easy to like, made the read enjoyable. I was quite shocked by the ending, did not see that coming.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I highly recommend this book. Thanks again.

Just what you come to expect from Ann Cleeve and this book does not disappoint. A really good detective story with Perez looking into the death of a friend.

Willow heavily pregnant is still working the case with Perez.

The book leads you on a journey with lots of twists and turns

A good page turner

The book is the latest in the Shetland series and features DI Jimmy Perez who is now on Orkney with his partner Willow, and their son. Willow is Jimmy’s boss and pregnant with their second child, due any day. It’s shortly before Christmas when Jimmy is alerted that one of his oldest friends, Archie Stout has gone missing on Westray. Although on maternity leave and heavily pregnant Willow decides to help out Jimmy with the complex case after Archie is discovered dead. A Neolithic stone next to the body. It’s so close to,Christmas that no Police want to come over from the mainland to help out. Jimmy and Willow are left with their small team to conduct interviews and whittle who out of the suspects is the murderer. Without wanting to give any spoilers it’s a great read and it’s not until right at the end of the book that it becomes clear who has committed murder and why.

7 years after the “final” Shetland novel, The Killing Stones features the return of Detective Jimmy Perez, now living on Orkney (so I suppose technically this isn’t a Shetland novel after all).

The plotting is as tight as always with Ann Cleeves (although I personally really dislike the trope of ‘’so and so wants to talk to the police but before they can share what they know, they’re also murdered’). But for me, one of the most appealing things about the Perez books was the multiple viewpoints: the reader often got to follow along with key characters, sometimes even victims or murderers, along with the police characters. Narrowing the narrative perspective to just Jimmy and his partner/boss Willow made for a less engaging reading experience, not least because Jimmy can be quite a dour person to spend time with in POV chapters.

The solution and ending were really well done though, with the motive feeling unfortunately relevant and relatable in the modern world.

I love Anne Cleeves' books, and a new Jimmy Perez story is always a joy. This book definitely doesn't disappoint. An excellent story, with unexpected twists. As always the writing is superb, and I was completely absorbed. I can't wait for the writer's next book.

Wonderful to have another Ann Cleeves book. This novel features the return of Jimmy Perez, happy in a relationship and with children. The murder of his friend Archie starts a new personal investigation by Perez, supported by his partner Willow who is officially on maternity leave. With only a few days until Christmas and fog making flying impossible, the pressure is on Perez' small team to catch the killer.
This book is not only a great read, but is so interesting. Cleeves includes details about Neolithic sites and rituals which I had not known of. Also, some Orkney Christmas traditions which was really interesting.
And as always, the ending was a total surprise and quite shocking.
Great to have Cleeves back.

An avid watcher of the Shetland series I hadn’t read any of the Shetland and Perez books. I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Perez again. The mystery is in a well-crafted and cleverly plotted. A well written story I didn’t want to put down.

What a great addition to the Perez cannon. I’ve read most in the series and settling in to this was like picking up with an ol,d friend, one who has moved to Orkney and is settled with partner Willow and a child. I love Perez as a character; he’s charismatic yet practical, intelligent and compassionate. In this outing he’s investigating the murder of an old friend, Archie, slaughtered with a Neolithic stone.
This is where Ann Cleeves excels. Despite the move from Shetland to Orkney, she captures that landscape and community so well. It’s stark, introspective, steeped in history and old traditions die hard. The murder is just before Christmas and there’s a strong sense of pre Christian worships and practices when other things were celebrated by different festivities. There’s a sense of foreboding as other deaths follow and a community is united in fear. This is Cleeves at the top of her game, still. Atmospheric, tense, twisty and an all round cracking read. Works very well as a stand alone if you haven’t followed the series.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

If there's one image that will stay with me, it's the description of a Neolithic chamber which, if the sun shines on the day of the winter Solstice, is flooded with golden light through a tiny window. The ingenuity of our ancestors took my breath away,
I haven't read all the books in the Jimmy Perez Shetland series but it didn't matter as they work as standalones.
Cleeves imbues this thriller with a strong grounding in history, cultural traditions and the sense of a close knit community. It creates an increasing feeling of tension and doom which comes to a head as the stage is set for the Ba', a brutish competition held at Christmas time for men and boys on the Orkney islands. It's very true that "nobody does unsettling undercurrents better than Ann Cleeves."

Jimmy Perez in back - now living on Orkney with his partner Willow and young son James.
Jimmy's friend, Archie Stout, is found murdered. The weapon is a neolithic stone from the local Heritage Centre.
Further murders follow as the detectives race against time to catch the killer.
Ann Cleeves excels at creating the atmosphere of a small community. It is just before Christmas and you can feel the dark, harsh winter making travel between the islands difficult. I also loved the references to local folklore, traditions and customs.
Another great read from one of our most talented authors.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

It’s lovely to read a new Perez novel, in Orkney and with his family. I like that he’s still so involved with everything, but still - just about - has time for Willow and James. I’m glad I’ve read most of these books and not just relied on the TV series for learning about his character and methods.

The story is a good one, bringing in the rugged countryside of the islands like extra characters. It also feels very real with all the logistics of getting support from the mainland & the way the outlying country areas take a back seat to the cities for backup. A very atmospheric and enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Perez is back but in a new setting, which I think has reinvigorated the character. Hopefully this is the start of a rebooted series for him, now in Orkney and in a new phase of his life. I really enjoyed this one - although the plot was as good as ever, Ann Cleeves really made it atmospheric too. Look forward to a follow up!

After the disappointment of Wild Fire, this is very much a return to form in the Jimmy Perez series. New readers will be confused by characters from the excellent TV show not being here. The television version went on a different tangent or, as they say nowadays, a different timeline.

Having been with the novels since Raven Black, I love the relocation to Orkney and it still works. It has been 46 years since I visited Orkney, as part of a Highland tour, and vividly recall the historical locations featured in the storyline, thanks to the descriptive powers of Ann Cleeves.

Perez, as usual, gets there in the end and the journey is worth it for the reader.

Hope there are more to come.

I chose to read an ARC of this work, which I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed. All opinions are my own. My thanks to the author, publishers, and NetGalley.

I really enjoyed being back with Jimmy Perez for this new novel from Ann Cleves and it kept me gripped until the very end, although I found the denouement quite disappointing. Orkney was the star of the show for me - I felt like I was walking the streets with them and, murders aside (!), I'm so keen to visit! An enjoyable read for fans of the Jimmy Perez series. Hoping for more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

love a good police procedural and this is certainly one of those. They you sprinkle it with some interesting characters, the Orkney Islands and a master writer and you have a very absorbing and enjoyable novel.

For me what was very interesting were the characters involved. The way you followed Perez as he doggedly tracked down and went through everything pertinent to the case. I liked the way people remembered things later on which made a real difference to the case.

If you are not a fan of police procedurals you might find it rather slow at times. There were also a massive host of characters. Most of the time I could keep track.

Thank you lovely publishers for giving me the chance to read a proof copy

‘The Killing Stones’,by Ann Cleeves,is the ninth book in the highly rated ‘Shetland’ series.
As someone who has enjoyed the Shetland television series yet never read any of the the books, I was interested to read one of these novels and intrigued to find out what else might have happened in the story of Detective Jimmy Perez.
This latest case involves Jimmy and Willow,his partner and senior officer investigating the murder of his close childhood friend,Archie.There appears to be links to the crime in the ancient history of the islands, with a Neolithic stone used in the killing,thus adding to the complexity of the search for the truth.
This is an absorbing tale that reveals a real sense of living on an island,with its own particular traditions,landscape ,and relationships that are intensified in its smallness through people knowing well many of those around them,if not them all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan ,for an Advance Readers Copy.