Very readable, but the killer was who?!
This is my first Jimmy Perez book, so perhaps I would have liked him more if I'd met him earlier in the book series. He didn't seem to be very effective, and I much preferred his partner, Willow, who is basically storming the policing whilst very heavily pregnant.
There's a good sense of place and community, and the things I enjoyed most were the bits of island life and the multitude of characters. I knew who everyone was, despite there being so many of them to try to keep track of.
The plot winds along slowly, and I felt that Perez wasn't really detecting, but more stumbling over clues accidentally. The suspense did build, and I did enjoy the book, but I felt that the reveal was a curve-ball, and that left me nudging this down from a 4 star to a 3 star. It felt like a sudden leap towards social commentary (and it's something we should all be thinking about and talking about) but for me, it came out of nowhere.
I would read another in the series, but I would be secretly hoping for Willow to take the lead!

Great to have Jimmy Perez back again.
A great story, very atmospheric. Orkney is a character in itself. Willow and Perez are a good match
An intriguing cast of characters, well written and fully drawn as always.
The story was a bit slow going with lots of detail but somehow you just wallow.
As to the ending. I didn't guess (but then I try not to as the author has taken time to write a book I should respect that and let them tell their story). I did feel, that although it made a very salient and especially today relevent point, it was a bit rabbit out the hat. I know everyone craves the wildest twists or it's not a great book but Ann does write great books. I would almost have prefered that as a sub plot and have a different killer (not saying who)
It was great to reconnect with characters again. I've read everyone and didn't think I would get this ARC but thank you to the publishers for this pleasure

Jimmy Perez's friend and cousin Archie has been murdered on Westeray and Jimmy is the first on the scene.

This tight knit community is rocked by the revelation that there is a murderer in their midst.

This close to Christmas and bad weather on the mainland means no help is coming from investigators from Glasgow So Jimmy and his team are on their own.

Enlisting the help of his partner,DCI Willow Reeves,Jimmy must investigate his friends and neighbours to find the murderer.

A great mystery from the inestimable Ann Cleeves!

I would like to thank Pan McMillan Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

The Killing Stones sees the welcome return of Jimmy Perez - now settled in Orkney with his partner Willow & their young son.
After a violent storm the body of a well-liked local farmer Archie Stout is found on the island of Westray, with the murder weapon one of a pair of inscribed Neolithic stones discovered nearby.
Archie was a good friend of Perez and the case feels more personal than most. With Christmas fast approaching and a new baby on the way Jimmy and Willow (who is the senior officer) have their work cut out following numerous leads and interviewing possible suspects while trying to identify an increasingly desperate killer.
The tensions and suspicions within the small communities are very well portrayed as are the descriptions of the islands complex history and scenery.
As the investigations take place in different locations on the Orkney islands, with Willow mainly based in Westray, the story jumped about a bit and I didn’t find it quite as engrossing as the previous books, also the ending and identity of the culprit came as a surprise with a bit of a rush at the end.
However I did enjoy the book and trying to work out who the murderer was and do hope there will be more books featuring Jimmy & Willow in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for an ARC

Great to see Perez back!! I haven’t read all the books in the series but it didn’t matter for this book. Ann Cleeves is a master of mystery, and creating a sense of place. A great book!

3* Not what I expected, a bit long and repetitive, but a decent tale.

I picked the book based on the title and author's name - the title turned out to be literal, which was my first surprise. The next was that the author's British. The rest of the book was pretty much low-key surprise after surprise.

It's long and it's repetitive with Perez's past and history with the deceased and the setting. There's a lot of places, names and island life to take in, but the writing is solid and descriptive and drew me in with the multitude of flawed,-not-bad characters. People just thinking they're doing the right thing by alibiing a 'friend'. People not being untruthful but not out-and-out lying or obstructing. People thinking of perceptions and consequences rather than working with the police to solve the first death. Maybe that's what a close-knit island community trying to survive is like?

The bad guy wasn't unfortunately believable for me, though the last-minute infodump did well to try and make him so. It felt like too little detective work and too many lucky breaks - emails seen after someone's death, someone recalling seeing someone in the vicinity of a killing location and belatedly telling the police about it, allowing 2-and-makes-4 - solved the case. Still, it was readable.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my reading pleasure.

It is Christmastime and Detective Jimmy Perez’s friend Archie is missing from his home on the Orkney Isles. He is found dead, at an archaeological dig site. Archie has been murdered, hit with an important local historical artefact; an ancient Westray story stone. Jimmy discovers its twin stone is also missing from the heritage centre.

There are atmospheric and graphic descriptions of the islands, the weather and the local people. Local customs and folklore are described. The story explores island identity and how islanders see incomers visit, see the pretty places, buy property which inflates prices. The new residents are then faced with the harsh reality of life out of season when businesses are closed and fierce weather races in. These are tight knit small communities where the locals know each other, their secrets and histories. Even a resident of thirty years is still seen by the islanders as an incomer.

Rumours and gossip about the identity of the murderer is rife, with Jimmy is under pressure to find them, but with only very few colleagues to assist him. There are the added tensions of questioning old friends and local acquaintances, while grieving for the loss of his old school friend.

There are many characters in this book, but the beauty of Ann Cleeves writing is that you remember them and can recall their relationships to others, as they have distinct personalities or memorable quirks. I loved the patchwork coat, I could visualise the wearer striding through the crowds on Christmas Day.

However, I felt there was no real impetus to the book, the detection felt meandering and rather slow. With crime mysteries I tend to find myself racing to the end to find out who did it. This is not the case with The Killing Stones and when the killer was revealed I felt it was almost a waste of all the effort to find out the interplay between all the characters and explore complicated theories about who committed the crimes. There was really nothing leading up to the arrest that could give the slightest hint of who the murderer was going to be, although admittedly topical issues and concerns are at the heart of the crimes. I found the denouement fairly unsatisfying. Generally I was not gripped by this book; I found it rather dreary, there was a missing element of suspense.

I have read many of the author’s Vera series, but only one or two of the Shetland books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

SAgreat crime mystery set in the Orknies.
Perez investigates the death of one of his closet friends that seems to be linked to two Neolithic stones with Viking graffiti on them.
With his partner Willow he has to negotiate the relationships of the suspects involved set against the scenery of Westray one of the Orkney Isles.
Kept me guessing until close to the end, though I had a suspicion.
Fans of the Shetland series and Vera will definitely enjoy this.
Be interesting to see if this makes it to the TV screens as it would be great to see this drama play out in scenery that I am not familiar with.

The landscape has always played such an important role in all Ann Cleeves' mysteries and, indeed, doing so is something at which she excels effortlessly, bringing different corners of the country to life (albeit darkly) along with whichever characters take the lead. With The Killing Stones, an old favourite may return in the form of Jimmy Perez, but he's definitely somewhere new, now based in Orkney; eight fascinating cases set in Shetland went before, and it's rather wonderful to see what happens next.

A murder on a windswept beach opens this mid winter case for Perez, and it feels very personal for the detective when it's himself who finds what is initially just a missing man. However, beside the body is found an ancient engraved stone - one of two Killing Stones - and it falls to Perez and an exceedingly small team to explore motive and means amongst a tiny island population.

Angst, claustrophobia, the shortness of the December days - all these are portrayed beautifully, it's wonderful to have a familiar character back and equally a chance to see what new directions he's given.

I am a relatively new reader of Ann Cleaves and know the characters from Shetland. This new story is set in Orkney which is so wonderfully depicted, the way in which this author can draw you into her settings and the lyrical way she writes really sets her apart from others in the genre. The story is suitably complex and the ending very clever, all interwoven into the backdrop of the Scottish islands and while developing her characters. I loved this and look forward to more! Highly recommend.

Jimmy Perez has moved to Orkney with his partner and young son, so this feels like a new series, not a continuation of the Shetland books. The sense of place is fantastic, there is a lot of information about the history of Orkney and the stone age monuments. I also enjoyed the police procedural aspect of the book and the ending came as a complete surprise. Absolutely 5 stars from me, and I hope there are many more Orkney books to come.

The eagerly anticipated return of Jimmy Perez. Some years have elapsed and Perez now lives and works in the Orkneys. Anne Cleeves demonstrates her deep knowledge of the Scottish islands, the huge difference between Shetland and the Orkneys, the mythologies of the islands, as well as the challenges the residents face.

The victim is an old friend of Perez and he faces a suspect pool of familiar faces. Further bodies follow and Perez must establish a link between the killings.

An excellent and thought-provoking addition to the Jimmy Perez series. I hope more will follow.

Good to see Perez back. This is an enjoyable read and gives a feel of living in the islands . I didn’t see the ending coming but somehow it didn’t seem credible. However for fans of Shetland it is a must read.

Another dark and moody offering from Ann Cleeves. Jimmy Perez is back, needing to solve 3 murders just as Christmas is approaching. Ann Cleeves is just so good at setting the scene in Shetland - wild and seemingly so cut off and different from mainland Scotland. As I read the book, I could picture myself being there as she makes it all so real. I love the characters as they are flawed and realistic. Definitely worth reading and I don't want this series to ever come to an end.

A welcome return to the world of Jimmy Perez, remote Scottish islands and a unsettling case of murder. I loved it! Jimmy is now living in Orkney with Willow ,his official police superior ,his son James and another baby due.. When a murder is committed on a smaller Orcadian island Jimmy and Willow divide their time and their responsibilities between work and family life. This new family set-up, with step-daughter Cassie neatly kept away on Shetland with her biological father, adds a slightly different dimension to a familiar storyline. Does it work? Yes just about. There were times when I wasn't convinced ,especially by little James whose voice seemed not quite in line with his age but this is a minor detail. The plot itself was as I would expect from an author of such high calibre. Familiar, skilled plot development with recognisable tropes. The folklore of Orkney was interesting in its own right. I did find the ending slightly uncomfortable and perhaps not quite credible for the character (no spoilers!) but overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Mu thanks to Net galley and the Publisher for this ARC

Ann Cleeves has crafted a masterpiece with the return of DI Jimmy Perez. It's an excellent read and a pleasure to review.

Story snapshot
Perez is back, but this time it's personal. When a childhood friend is killed in cold blood, Jimmy has to solve the murder and manage his emotions.

A Shetland fan?
For fans of the Shetland series, which includes me, this is a welcome return for DI Jimmy Perez.

The Killing Stones has all the crucial elements that make these stories compelling - an empathetic detective, a small community of well-rounded characters, a riveting plot and a unique setting.

It has a familiar feel to earlier tales of island life. Only this time, it's the Orkney Islands rather than Shetland.

A Perez first-timer?
For first-time readers, the story is a great introduction to DI Jimmy Perez, the way he works and his relationships with his team and the islanders.

Even without knowing Jimmy's history, you'll still be absorbed by the Killing Stones and want to read more of these stories.

What's the writing like?
You're immersed in the Orkney setting as the remote communities are brought to life.

The story introduces you to the islands, their history and the people living there. You also learn about the differences between Orcadians and Shetlanders, from traditions to local foods.

Alongside the investigation, we experience the latest chapter in Jimmy's life with his family. It's carefully woven into the story with enough context for first-time readers.

Each scene is so vivid that you feel you're there - listening to the conversations, watching what happens, noticing the silences and remembering the questions the suspects didn't answer.

The pressure builds on Jimmy to solve the case as Christmas approaches, from his bosses, colleagues and the victim's family. But the story remains tense right to the end, with some final edge-of-your-seat moments.

In a nutshell
Ultimately, it's a story about people and their secrets. It's more than crime fiction though - it's also a history lesson, an insight into human behaviour and a reflection of the darker side of life today.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely brilliant, kept me guessing till the end! Such great characters and story telling. I’m going to go back to the start of the Shetland series and enjoy the books all over again! Masterful

I love Ann Cleeves books and a new Shetland novel was very welcome.

Jimmy and Willow are settled in to their new life on Orkney but are soon faced with several murders to solve in the tight knit community.

An engrossing exploration of island inhabitants and how they are affected by tragedies that relate back to secrets old and new.

A must read for fans of crime fiction.

Hello again, Jimmy Perez...

But he's living on Orkney, not Shetland.

After a nasty storm, the body of one of Jimmy's childhood friends is found with a very unusual murder weapon nearby.

Here he goes again...

Excellent

It had been a while waiting on Jimmy Perez to return to the reading matter, but it was well worth the wait. Ann Cleeves never disappoints and this was as good a read as any had gone before.it actually makes you want to visit the islands if you had never been before.