Series
Publication
Isis Publishing Ltd (2018)
Original publication date
2008-06
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Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML: The electrifying follow up to the award-winning Raven Black Raven Black received crime fiction's highest monetary honor, the Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award. Now Detective Jimmy Perez is back in an electrifying sequel. It's midsummer in the Shetland Islands, the time of the white nights, when birds sing at midnight and the sun never sets. Artist Bella Sinclair throws an elaborate party to launch an exhibition of her work at The Herring House, a gallery on the beach. The party ends in farce when one the guests, a mysterious Englishman, bursts into tears and claims not to know who he is or where he's come from. The following day the Englishman is found hanging from a rafter, and Detective Jimmy Perez is convinced that the man has been murdered. He is reinforced in this belief when Roddy, Bella's musician nephew, is murdered, too. But the detective's relationship with Fran Hunter may have clouded his judgment, for this is a crazy time of the year when night blurs into day and nothing is quite as it seems. A stunning second installment in the acclaimed Shetland Island Quartet, White Nights is sure to garner American raves for international sensation Ann Cleeves. This series is the basis for the hit BBC show Shetland,starring Douglas Henshall, which attracted over 12 million viewers in its first two nights on the air..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
This is the second Shetland Islands Quartet thriller, which marketing decision was a good one...calling these thrillers instead of mysteries sets up the expectation of a whacking good read though not necessarily the play-fair-with-the-reader puzzle-solver that modern mysteries are.
Cleeves writes
The stories she tells in this series, to date, are proof to me that she's looked deeply into human nature and seen what its outlines show to the astute...there but for the grace of God go I. Everyone in this book flees from their hurts. Their flight is, inevitably, unsuccessful. Jimmy Perez can't run from his flaming co-dependence. Fran Hunter can't run from her seething ambition. Bella Sinclair can't run from her self-created persona, an Iron Maiden as effective as any Inquistor's torture device. Inspector Taylor, back up from Inverness, can't escape his fear-driven energy. No one, not any one, escapes.
The white nights of the title are a phenomenon of the far north. The sun never *quite* sets enough for true, dark night to fall. It's unsettling to some, it's a biorhythm disturber of tremendous power to have the body's million-year-old clock disrupted by absence of night. It's used by vile people the world over as a form of torture to deprive a human of good rest. And yet, there are thousands whose entire lives are lived with this condition as backdrop, and they seem not to feel its downside too strongly.
But let's face it...this fact of nature is a thriller-writer's best birthday present. What better metaphor, and even a pretty subtle one, for bringing to light old wrongs, shining the pitiless lamp of the torturer on the consciences of those guilty of undiscovered crimes, than a sun that won't go down?
That's a very nice backdrop you've chosen, Mme Cleeves, and it works very, very well for your chosen story, right up to and including the resolution of the multiple crimes. It does not make up for the sense I got, throughout the book, that your focus wasn't on me, your reader.
I recommend the book, yes. I even think there are some things about it that are outstanding, including the character developments of Perez and Taylor. But as I careened from incident to incident, I didn't sense that you were laying out this tale for my delectation, but rather leading me like a museum docent from exhibit to exhibit, trying in a haphazard way to lead my somewhat dim brain to a conclusion you'd already reached and were now impatiently awaiting my "aha!" moment. I am already in possession of "Red Bones", and I am very much looking forward to seeing what you have planned for me next, but I am a little bit put out by this sense of magisterial disdain that I got from the resolution to "White Nights." I wish you'd let me get there with you, instead of running ahead and pointing and waving your arms.
Cleeves writes
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wonderfully clearly and carefully about flawed, real, lovable characters in bad emotional states because of violent, evil acts disrupting their very ordinary lives.The stories she tells in this series, to date, are proof to me that she's looked deeply into human nature and seen what its outlines show to the astute...there but for the grace of God go I. Everyone in this book flees from their hurts. Their flight is, inevitably, unsuccessful. Jimmy Perez can't run from his flaming co-dependence. Fran Hunter can't run from her seething ambition. Bella Sinclair can't run from her self-created persona, an Iron Maiden as effective as any Inquistor's torture device. Inspector Taylor, back up from Inverness, can't escape his fear-driven energy. No one, not any one, escapes.
The white nights of the title are a phenomenon of the far north. The sun never *quite* sets enough for true, dark night to fall. It's unsettling to some, it's a biorhythm disturber of tremendous power to have the body's million-year-old clock disrupted by absence of night. It's used by vile people the world over as a form of torture to deprive a human of good rest. And yet, there are thousands whose entire lives are lived with this condition as backdrop, and they seem not to feel its downside too strongly.
But let's face it...this fact of nature is a thriller-writer's best birthday present. What better metaphor, and even a pretty subtle one, for bringing to light old wrongs, shining the pitiless lamp of the torturer on the consciences of those guilty of undiscovered crimes, than a sun that won't go down?
That's a very nice backdrop you've chosen, Mme Cleeves, and it works very, very well for your chosen story, right up to and including the resolution of the multiple crimes. It does not make up for the sense I got, throughout the book, that your focus wasn't on me, your reader.
I recommend the book, yes. I even think there are some things about it that are outstanding, including the character developments of Perez and Taylor. But as I careened from incident to incident, I didn't sense that you were laying out this tale for my delectation, but rather leading me like a museum docent from exhibit to exhibit, trying in a haphazard way to lead my somewhat dim brain to a conclusion you'd already reached and were now impatiently awaiting my "aha!" moment. I am already in possession of "Red Bones", and I am very much looking forward to seeing what you have planned for me next, but I am a little bit put out by this sense of magisterial disdain that I got from the resolution to "White Nights." I wish you'd let me get there with you, instead of running ahead and pointing and waving your arms.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
As the second book of Ann Cleeves Shetland Quartet opens, it is midsummer, the time of "White Nights", where the sun never sets and nights become a time of murky twilight. These books are full of wonderfully real, slightly flawed characters who often have secrets. Living in such close quarters on
When the body of an off-islander is found hanging in a fishing shack, the locals don’t seem too concerned. Learning that this man didn’t commit suicide but was murdered, gave everyone a pause, but when the violence escalates and one of their own turns up dead, it is a time for secrets long kept, to come to the surface. Once again Jimmy Perez, as the local lawman, is the one to delve into the past and put the pieces together.
Cleverly plotted, with strong characterizations, Anne Cleeves continues to produce an outstanding series. Set in the beautiful, but desolate Shetland Islands, this author knows how to make the most of both the seasonal changes and the landscape to deliver a atmospheric and interesting mystery.
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these small islands, one learns look the other way in an effort to protect everyone’s privacy.When the body of an off-islander is found hanging in a fishing shack, the locals don’t seem too concerned. Learning that this man didn’t commit suicide but was murdered, gave everyone a pause, but when the violence escalates and one of their own turns up dead, it is a time for secrets long kept, to come to the surface. Once again Jimmy Perez, as the local lawman, is the one to delve into the past and put the pieces together.
Cleverly plotted, with strong characterizations, Anne Cleeves continues to produce an outstanding series. Set in the beautiful, but desolate Shetland Islands, this author knows how to make the most of both the seasonal changes and the landscape to deliver a atmospheric and interesting mystery.
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LibraryThing member BallyMan
I read White Nights as an advance reader. That usually means it will be a chore for me to finish the book. Fortunately, that was not the case with White Nights. I had read the first of the “Shetland Quartet”, Raven Black, and was very impressed by it. White Nights, the second of the quartet,
Cleeves kept me interested and wanting to know what would be discovered next. She is adept at establishing doubt and suspicion. The laying of suspicion doesn’t seem contrived. This is partially due to her gift for developing characters. Key characters are intriguing and many-layered. They are complicated in the way that real humans are. She isn’t dependent on making her protagonist the all too often alcoholic, former drug addict, etc. She has the talent to make the life of ordinary people absorbing. Cleeves describes the Shetland Islands well, as she does life in a remote area. Those who have lived in small remote communities can identify with White Nights.
This is an excellent book. All the elements coalesce to make it work on many levels. There is a well-developed mystery, characters we want to know more about, and a feeling and understanding of life on the Shetland Islands.
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lives up to its predecessor. Cleeves kept me interested and wanting to know what would be discovered next. She is adept at establishing doubt and suspicion. The laying of suspicion doesn’t seem contrived. This is partially due to her gift for developing characters. Key characters are intriguing and many-layered. They are complicated in the way that real humans are. She isn’t dependent on making her protagonist the all too often alcoholic, former drug addict, etc. She has the talent to make the life of ordinary people absorbing. Cleeves describes the Shetland Islands well, as she does life in a remote area. Those who have lived in small remote communities can identify with White Nights.
This is an excellent book. All the elements coalesce to make it work on many levels. There is a well-developed mystery, characters we want to know more about, and a feeling and understanding of life on the Shetland Islands.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
I was looking forward to reading the second book in the Shetland Island series, and I wasn't disappointed! The book begins about six months after the first book, but in a different small community in Shetland. An emotionally disturbed man makes an appearance at an exhibition featuring the work of
Once again, Roy Taylor and his team from Inverness are called in to assist the Shetland police with the murder inquiry. The relationship between Taylor and Inspector Jimmy Perez is both competitive and respectful. Taylor has more seniority than Perez and thus heads the investigation, but Perez has the advantage of being a native of Shetland.
Shetland itself almost functions as a character in the novel. The "white nights" of midsummer have a psychological effect, since many people find it difficult to sleep when the sky is never completely dark. The combination of the white nights and the barren landscape also leave open the possibility for others to observe actions that one might want to keep secret.
The author does a good job of providing subtle clues to the murderer's identity while directing the reader's attention elsewhere. I did figure out who the murderer was about two-thirds of the way through the book, but I kept questioning my judgment right up to the moment of revelation.
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two local artists. The next day, the man's body is discovered near the gallery. He has no identification and he had claimed to have amnesia the previous night. None of the local residents recognize him. Or do they? Perhaps one or more of the local residents know more than they are telling.Once again, Roy Taylor and his team from Inverness are called in to assist the Shetland police with the murder inquiry. The relationship between Taylor and Inspector Jimmy Perez is both competitive and respectful. Taylor has more seniority than Perez and thus heads the investigation, but Perez has the advantage of being a native of Shetland.
Shetland itself almost functions as a character in the novel. The "white nights" of midsummer have a psychological effect, since many people find it difficult to sleep when the sky is never completely dark. The combination of the white nights and the barren landscape also leave open the possibility for others to observe actions that one might want to keep secret.
The author does a good job of providing subtle clues to the murderer's identity while directing the reader's attention elsewhere. I did figure out who the murderer was about two-thirds of the way through the book, but I kept questioning my judgment right up to the moment of revelation.
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LibraryThing member KayeBarley
I was over the moon happy to win this as an early reviewers copy from LibraryThing.com. I loved the first in Ms. Cleeves Shetland Island quartet, and this one did not disappoint.
We met Inspector Perez in "Raven Black" and found him to be a cut above most police inspectors we're meeting in today's
Both books are complex, with a depth and texture I thoroughly enjoyed and savored every word.
Highly recommended!
We met Inspector Perez in "Raven Black" and found him to be a cut above most police inspectors we're meeting in today's
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thrillers.Both books are complex, with a depth and texture I thoroughly enjoyed and savored every word.
Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member pammykn
AUTHOR: Cleeves,Ann
TITLE: White Nights
DATE READ: 01/03/13
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Crime Fiction/2008/St. Martin's Press/392
SERIES/STAND ALONE: #2 Shetland Islands Quartet
TIME/PLACE: 2000's, Shetland Islands (Scotland)
CHARACTERS: Detective Jimmy Perez
FIRST LINES: Jimmy
COMMENTS: It is summertime in the Shetland Islands -- a period of almost endless daylight. The White Nights are causing insomnia for some and for others just throwing them off their daily rhythms. Local artist Bella plans for a huge gallery event featuring her works and the paintings of another local artist, Fran. Bella has had quite a following locally and afar, and expects a grand gathering. When there is a slim turnout followed by the murder of Englishman, Perez investigates the connection. I loved the 1st book Black Raven, and this is still a very good read but just didn't measure up to # 1 for me.
TITLE: White Nights
DATE READ: 01/03/13
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Crime Fiction/2008/St. Martin's Press/392
SERIES/STAND ALONE: #2 Shetland Islands Quartet
TIME/PLACE: 2000's, Shetland Islands (Scotland)
CHARACTERS: Detective Jimmy Perez
FIRST LINES: Jimmy
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Perez glimpsed the back of the street performer as he drove through the town, but it didn't register. He had other things on his mind.COMMENTS: It is summertime in the Shetland Islands -- a period of almost endless daylight. The White Nights are causing insomnia for some and for others just throwing them off their daily rhythms. Local artist Bella plans for a huge gallery event featuring her works and the paintings of another local artist, Fran. Bella has had quite a following locally and afar, and expects a grand gathering. When there is a slim turnout followed by the murder of Englishman, Perez investigates the connection. I loved the 1st book Black Raven, and this is still a very good read but just didn't measure up to # 1 for me.
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LibraryThing member ForeignCircus
I read Raven Black last year though I don't think I ever reviewed it. I love mysteries, especially ones set in the UK, and so I was delighted to find this series. The mystery here was intriguing and I admit I was guessing until the end- a sure sign of a successful thriller in my opinion. It is hard
What I like best about Cleeves' work is that the Shetland Islands play such a crucial role as a character, and also help to create the feeling of a locked room mystery because the list of characters and settings is so short and outsiders are so unlikely to wander into the story. Jimmy Perez is a truly interesting character, one with the kind of backstory that pulls the reader into his viewpoint. His relationship with the islands and their residents, as well as with the crime scene experts who come in from outside, is deftly drawn and highlights the insular nature of the entire community.
I highly recommend this series; I'm about to read the third and hope there are more to come!
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to share too many details of the story without spoiling it, but the writing and characters are excellent and truly make the novel.What I like best about Cleeves' work is that the Shetland Islands play such a crucial role as a character, and also help to create the feeling of a locked room mystery because the list of characters and settings is so short and outsiders are so unlikely to wander into the story. Jimmy Perez is a truly interesting character, one with the kind of backstory that pulls the reader into his viewpoint. His relationship with the islands and their residents, as well as with the crime scene experts who come in from outside, is deftly drawn and highlights the insular nature of the entire community.
I highly recommend this series; I'm about to read the third and hope there are more to come!
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LibraryThing member caitemaire
“White Nights” is the second in what the author calls her “Shetland Island Quartet” and that is a grand thing. Grand because now I know I can go back and read the first in the series, Raven Black, and still have two more to book forward to in the future. Excellent!
And while I understand
It is lovely to discover an 'new' author whose books you have not read and have a nice little bunch of books now to look forward to reading and enjoying as much as I enjoyed this book.
The story opens with a cruise ship arriving in the Shetland town of Lerwick.
“The sun was bouncing off the still water and the great white hull was so bright that you had to squint to look at it. In the car park, a fleet of buses waited: the tourists would be taken to the archaeological sites in the south, to see the seabird cliffs to photograph the puffins, and for a guided tour of the silverworks. At some point there would be a stop for a Shetland high tea.”
Now I don't know about you, but any books that has puffins in the first page...well, that portents great things ahead for me.
Police Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez and his friend, Fran Hunter are about to go to an art showing at a local gallery in the town of Biddista. For Perez, he hopes this will be the chance to find out if their relationship will move beyond friendship in the future, for Fran, the first gallery showing of her art. But things are not to go smoothly. Few people show up for the show, a bizarre stranger causes a scene, and the next morning, the same man is found dead, hanging in a storage building on the beach. Although there was an attempt to make it look otherwise, the death was certainly murder and all the people connected with the small seaside community are suspect in the investigation, carried on by Perez and later, the Inverness police team brought in, headed by Inspector Roy Taylor.
The atmosphere of the book is engaging. Summer in the islands, because of the latitude, has only a few hours of dusty night each day and the constant light is said to have a crazy effect on people. Combine that with the constant presence of the sea, the treeless windswept hills, dotted with sheep, the fog off shore, always threatening to roll in once again, and the Shetlands themselves are almost like another character in the story.
Not to say that the characters themselves are not very good, because they are. Yes, it is a small community where many people are related and, if not, have often known each others all their lives. They think that they know everything about their neighbors but it turns out everyone, the locals and the outsiders alike, have their secrets. And those secrets are yet to take another great toll on the townsfolk.
If I have any negative point about the book, it might be the ending. The conclusion seemed just a wee bit off. Yes, the clues were there, but when we find out the villain, instead of saying
“Of Course! Why didn't I see that?”, I found myself say “OK, yes, I guess that makes sense”. Not a perfectly fair ending from the information we were given perhaps.
But that is a small point overall. This was a fine book, an excellent setting, very good characters, large and small, a engaging story and a very good read. I would certainly recommend it to mystery fans and I know I will be searching out more of Ann Cleeves books.
And while I understand
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that some of the same characters that were in the first reappear in the book, it is certainly not necessary to have read the first to totally enjoy this one.It is lovely to discover an 'new' author whose books you have not read and have a nice little bunch of books now to look forward to reading and enjoying as much as I enjoyed this book.
The story opens with a cruise ship arriving in the Shetland town of Lerwick.
“The sun was bouncing off the still water and the great white hull was so bright that you had to squint to look at it. In the car park, a fleet of buses waited: the tourists would be taken to the archaeological sites in the south, to see the seabird cliffs to photograph the puffins, and for a guided tour of the silverworks. At some point there would be a stop for a Shetland high tea.”
Now I don't know about you, but any books that has puffins in the first page...well, that portents great things ahead for me.
Police Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez and his friend, Fran Hunter are about to go to an art showing at a local gallery in the town of Biddista. For Perez, he hopes this will be the chance to find out if their relationship will move beyond friendship in the future, for Fran, the first gallery showing of her art. But things are not to go smoothly. Few people show up for the show, a bizarre stranger causes a scene, and the next morning, the same man is found dead, hanging in a storage building on the beach. Although there was an attempt to make it look otherwise, the death was certainly murder and all the people connected with the small seaside community are suspect in the investigation, carried on by Perez and later, the Inverness police team brought in, headed by Inspector Roy Taylor.
The atmosphere of the book is engaging. Summer in the islands, because of the latitude, has only a few hours of dusty night each day and the constant light is said to have a crazy effect on people. Combine that with the constant presence of the sea, the treeless windswept hills, dotted with sheep, the fog off shore, always threatening to roll in once again, and the Shetlands themselves are almost like another character in the story.
Not to say that the characters themselves are not very good, because they are. Yes, it is a small community where many people are related and, if not, have often known each others all their lives. They think that they know everything about their neighbors but it turns out everyone, the locals and the outsiders alike, have their secrets. And those secrets are yet to take another great toll on the townsfolk.
If I have any negative point about the book, it might be the ending. The conclusion seemed just a wee bit off. Yes, the clues were there, but when we find out the villain, instead of saying
“Of Course! Why didn't I see that?”, I found myself say “OK, yes, I guess that makes sense”. Not a perfectly fair ending from the information we were given perhaps.
But that is a small point overall. This was a fine book, an excellent setting, very good characters, large and small, a engaging story and a very good read. I would certainly recommend it to mystery fans and I know I will be searching out more of Ann Cleeves books.
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LibraryThing member cameling
The 2nd book in the Shetland Island series is as good as the first.
Our calm Fair Isle police inspector, Jimmy Perez is attending an art exhibition when a man collapses in a crying heap. Nobody seems to recognize him and he appears to suffer from amnesia. He disappears when left alone for a few
As Jimmy Perez works through this mystery, we are taken through the village of Biddista and introduced to the people living there. Ann Cleeves does a great job of building characters. The individuals who first appear simple village folk eventually take on more complex personalities or have surprising pasts.
As a 2nd person is murdered, things start getting a little more complicated because there doesn't appear to be a link to the first murder and the possible motives are made even murkier.
The identity of the murderer is kept till the very end, and the very clever twists in the story are unraveled.
This is a wonderful thriller that keeps building through the story, keeping pace with island time.
Our calm Fair Isle police inspector, Jimmy Perez is attending an art exhibition when a man collapses in a crying heap. Nobody seems to recognize him and he appears to suffer from amnesia. He disappears when left alone for a few
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minutes and is next found hanging in a boathouse the next day.As Jimmy Perez works through this mystery, we are taken through the village of Biddista and introduced to the people living there. Ann Cleeves does a great job of building characters. The individuals who first appear simple village folk eventually take on more complex personalities or have surprising pasts.
As a 2nd person is murdered, things start getting a little more complicated because there doesn't appear to be a link to the first murder and the possible motives are made even murkier.
The identity of the murderer is kept till the very end, and the very clever twists in the story are unraveled.
This is a wonderful thriller that keeps building through the story, keeping pace with island time.
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LibraryThing member nancyewhite
When DI Jimmy Perez meets a man who is crying and claiming amnesia at his girlfriend’s art show, he only gives perfunctory chase before the man gets away. Perez and his girlfriend sleep together for the first time that night and the man without an identity gets murdered. Perez feels guilty for
Two things set this work apart from the majority of mysteries on the market today. It is set in a fascinating remote village on the Shetland Islands off the north coast of Scotland and the characters are extraordinarily well drawn. The village, Biddista, is one of those places where folks have lived for generations and hard work has helped them overcome hard times. Every person we encounter there and elsewhere through this novel springs to life on the page. The middle-aged man whose marriage to his wife is better than he thought it could be in his youth, the experienced but impatient detective sent over from the mainland to run the investigation, the schoolteacher who started as an outsider and married a Shetlander—each is alive on the page. I found myself nodding and thinking that this is exactly how a person in such a situation would think and act.
The mystery itself is pursued in dogged and quiet fashion by Perez and more frenetically by his more urban counterpart Roy Taylor. Perez uses his knowledge of Shetlanders, the way they think and the relationships between them to ultimately close the case. The ending is satisfying if not completely unexpected.
After reading this, I immediately ordered the first in the series as well as the first in another series Cleeves has written. I also felt grateful that I can count on two more explorations of the Shetlands before I have to give up on this quartet. I intend to savor every word.
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his grudging and incomplete attempt to catch the mystery man and sets out to solve his murder. Two things set this work apart from the majority of mysteries on the market today. It is set in a fascinating remote village on the Shetland Islands off the north coast of Scotland and the characters are extraordinarily well drawn. The village, Biddista, is one of those places where folks have lived for generations and hard work has helped them overcome hard times. Every person we encounter there and elsewhere through this novel springs to life on the page. The middle-aged man whose marriage to his wife is better than he thought it could be in his youth, the experienced but impatient detective sent over from the mainland to run the investigation, the schoolteacher who started as an outsider and married a Shetlander—each is alive on the page. I found myself nodding and thinking that this is exactly how a person in such a situation would think and act.
The mystery itself is pursued in dogged and quiet fashion by Perez and more frenetically by his more urban counterpart Roy Taylor. Perez uses his knowledge of Shetlanders, the way they think and the relationships between them to ultimately close the case. The ending is satisfying if not completely unexpected.
After reading this, I immediately ordered the first in the series as well as the first in another series Cleeves has written. I also felt grateful that I can count on two more explorations of the Shetlands before I have to give up on this quartet. I intend to savor every word.
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LibraryThing member BCCJillster
This was my first Ann Cleeves so I had no preconceptions to fight. The Shetlands provided a good background and certainly added to the character of the plot and the participants, with the extended 'white nights' adding dimension to the atmosphere.
The story kept me reading and anticipating--clown
Without spoiling the ending, I was disappointed in the eventual outcome. it just didn't feel like a natural evolution of the plot. However, that part of the book comes so late, it might be a small quibble since it was quite readable. I'm glad i got to read it, and I might try the next one. i feel like i learned too much about the previous book in the series to want to try that now.
For quirky characters in a small community mystery, I would highly recommend Louise Penney's Three Pines series, starting with [Still Life] An exceptional series for my money
The story kept me reading and anticipating--clown
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masks, magicians, art exhibits, sheep shearing, mysterious strangers--trying to follow the relationships and connections .Without spoiling the ending, I was disappointed in the eventual outcome. it just didn't feel like a natural evolution of the plot. However, that part of the book comes so late, it might be a small quibble since it was quite readable. I'm glad i got to read it, and I might try the next one. i feel like i learned too much about the previous book in the series to want to try that now.
For quirky characters in a small community mystery, I would highly recommend Louise Penney's Three Pines series, starting with [Still Life] An exceptional series for my money
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LibraryThing member smik
Shetland detective Jimmy Perez accompanies his friend Fran Hunter to an art exhibition when she and another local Bella are displaying their paintings. A tourist disrupts proceedings by collapsing to his knees and bursting into tears in front of one of Bella's paintings. The tourist appears to have
Once he has confirmed that this is murder then Jimmy has no alternative but to contact the police on the mainland, and then wait for their arrival. The dead man must have had some reason for coming to Lerwick but what is it? No one admits to recognising him.
This is #2 in Ann Cleeves promised Shetland "quartet". #1, RAVEN BLACK, won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger in 2006. Where RAVEN BLACK was set in mid winter, WHITE NIGHTS is set in mid summer. Again the murder mystery is a variant on the "locked room" scenario, taking place on Shetland where incomers are so noticeable, and memories are long.
I don't think WHITE NIGHTS is as good as RAVEN BLACK, but there is enough in the story to maintain interest, and Cleeves cleverly threads clues throughout the story, so that even at the end there are surprises.
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amnesia and is carrying no identification. He gives Jimmy the slip but on the next day he is discovered dead, hanging from the rafters of shed near the Biddista jetty.Once he has confirmed that this is murder then Jimmy has no alternative but to contact the police on the mainland, and then wait for their arrival. The dead man must have had some reason for coming to Lerwick but what is it? No one admits to recognising him.
This is #2 in Ann Cleeves promised Shetland "quartet". #1, RAVEN BLACK, won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger in 2006. Where RAVEN BLACK was set in mid winter, WHITE NIGHTS is set in mid summer. Again the murder mystery is a variant on the "locked room" scenario, taking place on Shetland where incomers are so noticeable, and memories are long.
I don't think WHITE NIGHTS is as good as RAVEN BLACK, but there is enough in the story to maintain interest, and Cleeves cleverly threads clues throughout the story, so that even at the end there are surprises.
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LibraryThing member yggdrasil
I don't like starting a series in the middle, so I ran out and bought Book 1 and read that first before turning back to Book 2. But in this case, White Nights stands on its own well - Book 1 adds some background to the events of Book 2, but I would have enjoyed it without that background. I won't
I like the setting of the series on the Shetland Islands, far off the North Scotland coast. The book evokes the windswept island's position in the North Sea, "halfway to the Arctic Circle" as one of the main characters terms it. Because they are so far north, the island is dominated by the extremes in daylight hours. In the summer, it never really gets dark (the white nights of the title) and it's interesting to see what effect that has on some of the characters.
The book is an enjoyable read, but not exactly riveting. The enjoyment comes much more out of the the tone and the setting of the story, not the non-stop action (because there is no non-stop action). The book is dominated by the small-town atmosphere, and everyone knows everybody's business and people try to hang onto what little privacy they have.
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give too many details away in this review. I like the setting of the series on the Shetland Islands, far off the North Scotland coast. The book evokes the windswept island's position in the North Sea, "halfway to the Arctic Circle" as one of the main characters terms it. Because they are so far north, the island is dominated by the extremes in daylight hours. In the summer, it never really gets dark (the white nights of the title) and it's interesting to see what effect that has on some of the characters.
The book is an enjoyable read, but not exactly riveting. The enjoyment comes much more out of the the tone and the setting of the story, not the non-stop action (because there is no non-stop action). The book is dominated by the small-town atmosphere, and everyone knows everybody's business and people try to hang onto what little privacy they have.
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LibraryThing member fordbarbara
very atmospheric- real places and real people included
LibraryThing member bookappeal
I have not read the first book in this series but I found the second to be a well-crafted mystery. Jimmy Perez is a distinctive character and the author reveals just enough about his past to keep him interesting. He solves the mystery by asking subtle questions and listening. The plot resolution
--An Early Reviewers selection
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was somewhat unexpected but well-explained. The story may move too slowly for some mystery readers but others will like the characterization and unique setting. --An Early Reviewers selection
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LibraryThing member adpaton
White Nights is the second in the Ann Cleeves Shetland Quartet, featuring island-reared detective Jimmy Perez, his troubled senior officer DI Taylor and his new girlfriend Fran, whose debut art exhibition is ruined by a stranger who is later murdered.
Shetland is far enough north to experience
The setting is exquisite, the characters rounded and sympathetic, and the story well-written, all of which more than makes up for the fact that, as thrillers go, white Nights is just slightly slow.
Shetland is far enough north to experience
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midnight sun – the simmer dim – during the summer, and everyone is tired and a little edgy, especially when a second murder and then evidence of a third is discovered. The setting is exquisite, the characters rounded and sympathetic, and the story well-written, all of which more than makes up for the fact that, as thrillers go, white Nights is just slightly slow.
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LibraryThing member FicusFan
This is the second book in the Shetland Island Quartet mystery series. It is set on the Shetland Islands in the modern day.
I got my RL mystery group to pick it for this month. I read the first book and then the second. We pick author/series and then read as many or as few in the series as we
I enjoyed the writing, the characters and the setting. This book was set in the summer with the almost constant daylight. Many of the same characters appear in both books and the second book allows them to develop more and have expanded personal stories.
Although the books are about a mystery they are also a look at the impact and results that a place can have on a person. The people are isolated, and confined together, and most know each other inside and out. They develop strange ways of coping with the weather, the isolation, the constant sun/dark and the others on the island.
The other interesting issue among the islanders is how they never, never forget who is a native and who is an outsider - called an incomer.
The mystery in this book is an outsider - a tourist has a public breakdown at an art show, and is later found dead. It is determined that he was killed and not a suicide as it was staged. The search is on to find his connection to anyone on the island. The investigation unearths current and past secrets and other murders.
Most of the action is centered on a small remote village and again involves the police team from Inverness.
I did suspect the murderer, though I had a whole cast of suspects. I also really didn't believe that the character who was the killer acted in a proper manner for how the character was developed and lived. Still it didn't really diminish my enjoyment, it was more of a' hmmm' moment. Maybe I just didn't want all the pain and difficulty that was caused by the guilt of that character.
Can't wait for book 3 - Red Bones to go into softcover in the US.
I got my RL mystery group to pick it for this month. I read the first book and then the second. We pick author/series and then read as many or as few in the series as we
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want. I enjoyed the writing, the characters and the setting. This book was set in the summer with the almost constant daylight. Many of the same characters appear in both books and the second book allows them to develop more and have expanded personal stories.
Although the books are about a mystery they are also a look at the impact and results that a place can have on a person. The people are isolated, and confined together, and most know each other inside and out. They develop strange ways of coping with the weather, the isolation, the constant sun/dark and the others on the island.
The other interesting issue among the islanders is how they never, never forget who is a native and who is an outsider - called an incomer.
The mystery in this book is an outsider - a tourist has a public breakdown at an art show, and is later found dead. It is determined that he was killed and not a suicide as it was staged. The search is on to find his connection to anyone on the island. The investigation unearths current and past secrets and other murders.
Most of the action is centered on a small remote village and again involves the police team from Inverness.
I did suspect the murderer, though I had a whole cast of suspects. I also really didn't believe that the character who was the killer acted in a proper manner for how the character was developed and lived. Still it didn't really diminish my enjoyment, it was more of a' hmmm' moment. Maybe I just didn't want all the pain and difficulty that was caused by the guilt of that character.
Can't wait for book 3 - Red Bones to go into softcover in the US.
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LibraryThing member andsoitgoes
Another great mystery in the Jimmy Perez/Shetland series. Read the first book, Raven Black, and was hooked on the characters and especially the setting.
This recent books was not disappointing as some series can be. Once again a death has prompted the secluded island to reveal it's secrets. Keeps
This recent books was not disappointing as some series can be. Once again a death has prompted the secluded island to reveal it's secrets. Keeps
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you guessing to the end. I truly enjoyed this and can't wait for the next one! Show Less
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
White Nights is the second book to feature Shetland Island detective, Jimmy Perez. As the book opens, Fran Hunter and a local celebrity artist, Bella Sinclair, are about to hold a joint exhibition of their work at the Herring House, a gallery/cafe in the tiny town of Biddista. Suddenly, a man
The lives of the people who live in Biddista are entwined: they knew each other as children, being at school together whatever their social class, and there isn't much about each others past that they don't know. The atmosphere is remarkable, catching the remoteness and isolation of the islands as well as that small town claustrophobia of a place where it's very difficult to have secrets.
This is shaping up to be a good solid series, filled with lively, fully fleshed characters and complex and well-handled plots. It kept me guessing right to the end. Quiet and gentle Jimmy Perez is a memorable and attractive character; one strongly identifies with him, his concerns and his love for the lonely but beautiful Shetlands and quite possibly, Fran Hunter. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
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bursts into tears in front of one of Fran's pictures. Jimmy takes him into the kitchen to calm down, but the man claims to have no idea of who he is, nor does he carry any identification. While Jimmy is seeing if any of the visitors know the man, he vanishes. The next morning, the crying man's dead body is found hanging in the boat shed on the beach. The lives of the people who live in Biddista are entwined: they knew each other as children, being at school together whatever their social class, and there isn't much about each others past that they don't know. The atmosphere is remarkable, catching the remoteness and isolation of the islands as well as that small town claustrophobia of a place where it's very difficult to have secrets.
This is shaping up to be a good solid series, filled with lively, fully fleshed characters and complex and well-handled plots. It kept me guessing right to the end. Quiet and gentle Jimmy Perez is a memorable and attractive character; one strongly identifies with him, his concerns and his love for the lonely but beautiful Shetlands and quite possibly, Fran Hunter. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
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LibraryThing member nicx27
I loved Raven Black, but I loved White Nights, the second in the Shetland quartet by Ann Cleeves, even more. This author has a knack of drawing you into a story and throwing in lots of twists and turns, which means that the reader has no idea who the murderer is - I certainly didn't, and it was a
I am now going to get hold of the next in the series, Red Bones. The Shetland Isles are a wonderful backdrop, with the stark but beautiful landscape, and the small community feel, and the reader can really get a sense of what living there might be like. Inspector Jimmy Perez is a great main character too, a silent but strong man. I enjoyed the development of his relationship with Fran Hunter in this novel and look forward to seeing how it features in the last two books of the series.
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great surprise when I found out.I am now going to get hold of the next in the series, Red Bones. The Shetland Isles are a wonderful backdrop, with the stark but beautiful landscape, and the small community feel, and the reader can really get a sense of what living there might be like. Inspector Jimmy Perez is a great main character too, a silent but strong man. I enjoyed the development of his relationship with Fran Hunter in this novel and look forward to seeing how it features in the last two books of the series.
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LibraryThing member SheilaDeeth
I never realized how depressing long summer nights might be, having grown up with that darkening mood descending only in winter. But author Ann Cleeves creates a clear impression of endlessly oppressive days in her second Shetland novel, White Nights. The story can be read alone of course, but it
Disclosure: It was a birthday present.
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follows pleasingly on from an unmissable first book in the series. Characters and relationships grow in depth and relevance, and for someone who has seen the television series, it’s satisfying to note how the past in these novels grows into the present on screen. There’s a pleasing balance between love and need, beauty and integrity, romance and harmony, and image and truth. Mysteries are hidden in the mists, and the everyday is as real as the crime to be solved in a story that moves with the languidly deceptive calm of secrets, art and life. Ann Cleeves' Shetland feels vividly real, and starkly lit in this haunting tale.Disclosure: It was a birthday present.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
A local artist Bella Sinclair is hosting a joint exhibition at her home, the Manse, in Biddista, Shetland Islands. A mysterious man shows up at the Manse and when Jimmy Perez, the local policeman, speaks to him, the man is acting rather confused, claiming a case of amnesia. The next morning Jimmy
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is called to investigate a body that has been found. It turns out to be the man no one claims to know, holding a mask in his hand. Roy Turner from Inverness comes in to help with the investigation. They must determine who the man is and why someone in Biddista would want the man dead. It's an interesting case. There were plenty of options as to whom the murderer might be. I had not completely settled on a suspect in my own mind when the outcome was revealed. I did enjoy this second installment, although I believe I enjoyed the first one slightly more. This review is based on an Advance Readers Copy loaned to me by a friend. Show Less
LibraryThing member tymfos
If you are looking for mile-a-minute action and constant edge-of-your seat suspense, this isn't the book for you. This is subtler stuff. But if you like a more slowly-unfolding mystery with interesting characters in an unusual setting, you're likely to enjoy this book.
LibraryThing member bsquaredinoz
It’s summer in Shetland and well-known artist Bella Sinclair is hosting an exhibition of her work alongside that of new artist Fran Hunter. Although there are not as many guests at the opening as Bella expected, one unknown Englishman does make an impression when he breaks down in tears at the
I’m a sucker for books set in remote locations. They are as different from my inner-city life as it gets (and not somewhere I’d willingly spend more than about 5 days) but I love reading about them. Cleeves does a superb job of immersing readers in the isolated world populated by familiar faces who, although they share much, all seem to work incredibly hard at keeping a little piece of themselves private. I quickly developed an image of Biddista, the village of half a dozen houses where most of the action takes place, and its inhabitants thanks to Cleeves’ imagery and her depictions of how the locals interact with the various ‘incomers’ in the story.
Cleeves takes time too to develop a range of characters. Jimmy Perez is engaging as he pursues both personal and professional interests despite the fact he is unsure of himself in both spheres. I thought his mixture of introspection and decisiveness quite realistic although I was a bit bored by his somewhat laboured relationship with Fran. Several of the island ‘old-timers’ were utterly absorbing including Kenny who has the misfortune to discover more than one body and who seemed to represent the Islands’ struggle to have its traditions coexist with modern ways. The Inverness Inspector in charge of the case, Roy Taylor, was a different type of character all together but equally well depicted and a good source of conflict for the novel.
For me the book fell down a bit in its story. The establishment portion was quite good but after that I found the plot fairly predictable and I actually thought the ending a bit too melodramatic (and not terribly credible) which was out of keeping with the earlier events. As all the suspects were highlighted then rejected during the final scenes I got the sense that the culprit had been chosen for shock value more than continuity.
I haven’t read the first book in this quartet but I didn’t feel that I was at any disadvantage. There were mentions of earlier events but I wasn’t troubled by not knowing the details which scores bonus points from me as books which can be read independently seem to be a rare commodity in crime fiction these days. Although the story wasn’t the most gripping I’ve read there is much else to recommend this book, especially when narrated by the delightful Gordon Griffin who managed to portray an entire range of people without really changing his voice at all.
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sight of one of the paintings. Local Detective Jimmy Perez, attending the exhibition on a date with Fran Hunter, takes the man aside and discovers he has amnesia. When the man disappears from the gallery Jimmy doesn’t make much effort to find him but wishes he had done when the man is discovered dead the next morning. This presumed suicide and subsequent events all seem to be affected by the endless daylight of the far northern summer and the isolation of the islands.I’m a sucker for books set in remote locations. They are as different from my inner-city life as it gets (and not somewhere I’d willingly spend more than about 5 days) but I love reading about them. Cleeves does a superb job of immersing readers in the isolated world populated by familiar faces who, although they share much, all seem to work incredibly hard at keeping a little piece of themselves private. I quickly developed an image of Biddista, the village of half a dozen houses where most of the action takes place, and its inhabitants thanks to Cleeves’ imagery and her depictions of how the locals interact with the various ‘incomers’ in the story.
Cleeves takes time too to develop a range of characters. Jimmy Perez is engaging as he pursues both personal and professional interests despite the fact he is unsure of himself in both spheres. I thought his mixture of introspection and decisiveness quite realistic although I was a bit bored by his somewhat laboured relationship with Fran. Several of the island ‘old-timers’ were utterly absorbing including Kenny who has the misfortune to discover more than one body and who seemed to represent the Islands’ struggle to have its traditions coexist with modern ways. The Inverness Inspector in charge of the case, Roy Taylor, was a different type of character all together but equally well depicted and a good source of conflict for the novel.
For me the book fell down a bit in its story. The establishment portion was quite good but after that I found the plot fairly predictable and I actually thought the ending a bit too melodramatic (and not terribly credible) which was out of keeping with the earlier events. As all the suspects were highlighted then rejected during the final scenes I got the sense that the culprit had been chosen for shock value more than continuity.
I haven’t read the first book in this quartet but I didn’t feel that I was at any disadvantage. There were mentions of earlier events but I wasn’t troubled by not knowing the details which scores bonus points from me as books which can be read independently seem to be a rare commodity in crime fiction these days. Although the story wasn’t the most gripping I’ve read there is much else to recommend this book, especially when narrated by the delightful Gordon Griffin who managed to portray an entire range of people without really changing his voice at all.
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LibraryThing member sianpr
Tight plotting & great read in the 2nd outing for Jimmy Perez.
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White Nights by Ann Cleeves (Paperback)