Series
Publication
Isis Publishing Ltd (2020)
Original publication date
2010
Collection
Genres
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML:Inspector Jimmy Perez takes his fiancé home to Fair Isle, the tiny island he comes from, to meet his parents. The island is a magnet for bird watchers, who congregate at the local inn and lighthouse. When a local married celebrity, who had an eye for the lads, is murdered, Perez discovers that the suspects are very close to him indeed. With a sensational ending destined to create much buzz in the mystery world, Blue Lightning will thrill suspense fans everywhere. 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 ai
User reviews
LibraryThing member Copperskye
This is the fourth and final book in Ann Cleeves' Shetland Quartet and it has been a great series. In Blue Lightning, Det. Jimmy Perez brings his fiancee, Fran, home to remote Fair Isle to meet his parents. Soon we have stormy weather and a murder, and no way on or off the island for the residents,
These are police procedurals with a wonderful sense of place and interesting, complex characters. I'm so sorry to see the series end. And what an ending. Highly recommended!!
I know, I know, another series - but there are only four!!
The first book in the series is Raven Black and they should absolutely be read in order.
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the birders staying at the bird observatory, the police, or the killer.These are police procedurals with a wonderful sense of place and interesting, complex characters. I'm so sorry to see the series end. And what an ending. Highly recommended!!
I know, I know, another series - but there are only four!!
The first book in the series is Raven Black and they should absolutely be read in order.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
Jimmy Perez brings home his fiancee to meet his parents but soon finds himself investigating the death of the bird center's most well-known scientist. She's found with a knife in her back. With bad weather which prevents bringing in additional help from Inverness, his fiancee assists him in
Fair Isle is the setting for this fourth installment of the Shetland Island series. It's well plotted with small clues that may bypass some readers throughout the novel. In fact, I found myself trying to remember which character was the one to do a certain thing as I got later in the novel. There are plenty of suspects with various motives. Perez even has to investigate members of his own family in the course of the case. There are some events that took place in the course of this novel that this reader would have preferred not have taken place, but they didn't mar my enjoyment of it. In fact, they were necessary to the plot. Although this was supposed to be a quartet, the ending leaves one wondering if the author may have left it open for additional installments in the future. I, for one, would definitely pick up a fifth in the series.
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photographing the crime scene although he tries to keep her as far removed from the investigation as possible. The murderer had to be one of the persons staying at the center. Which one was it?Fair Isle is the setting for this fourth installment of the Shetland Island series. It's well plotted with small clues that may bypass some readers throughout the novel. In fact, I found myself trying to remember which character was the one to do a certain thing as I got later in the novel. There are plenty of suspects with various motives. Perez even has to investigate members of his own family in the course of the case. There are some events that took place in the course of this novel that this reader would have preferred not have taken place, but they didn't mar my enjoyment of it. In fact, they were necessary to the plot. Although this was supposed to be a quartet, the ending leaves one wondering if the author may have left it open for additional installments in the future. I, for one, would definitely pick up a fifth in the series.
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LibraryThing member fordbarbara
GOod characters and love the unusual setting.
LibraryThing member MarianHaarlem
this murder mystery on Fair Isle, one of the Shetland Islands, is both clever and gripping. What makes it lose two stars is the very unhappy ending, which for me spoilt the enjoyment I'd had reading it up to that point. I know real life isn't fair, but somehow this ending doesn't feel right - the
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plot would have worked just as well with a less depressing ending. It's courageous that the author chose to end it the way she did, but for me it ruined everything that had gone before. A pity, because it really has an outstanding plot. Show Less
LibraryThing member cameling
The latest in the Shetland Island series, this one sees Jimmy Perez coming back to Fair Isles for a visit, and taking his fiancee, Fran, with him. His parents throw him an engagement party at the end of which, a woman, a famous twitcher at the research center, is found stabbed to death in the bird
But when another woman is found viciously stabbed to death as well, he has no choice but to call in his team for assistance.
It's a story about secrets. Everyone has secrets, it seems, even his own father. And while Jimmy is on the verge of uncovering the identity of the murderer, a tragedy occurs.
I've been a fan of the Shetland series since I started with 'Raven Black' and this is as good as the first.
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house. The only suspects are the visitors staying at the research centre, which includes her teenage stepdaughter. Jimmy has to try and solve this murder on his own because the bad weather is preventing the boat and plane from their shuttle runs. But when another woman is found viciously stabbed to death as well, he has no choice but to call in his team for assistance.
It's a story about secrets. Everyone has secrets, it seems, even his own father. And while Jimmy is on the verge of uncovering the identity of the murderer, a tragedy occurs.
I've been a fan of the Shetland series since I started with 'Raven Black' and this is as good as the first.
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LibraryThing member smik
This is #4 in Cleeves' Shetland series
1. Raven Black (2006) my rating 4.6
2. White Nights (2008) my rating 4.5
3. Red Bones (2009) my rating 4.7
4. Blue Lightning (2010)
and it really is a case where you MUST read them in order to get the most out of the threads that run through them. But as you can
Even as Fran arrives on Fair Isle to meet Jimmy's family, the weather closes in. The island becomes isolated. Planes and helicopters can't get in, and neither is there access for boats. Those on the island must stay and no-one can come in. This gives Ann Cleeves the perfect "locked room" scenario, and the perfect setting for the inevitable murder. But no-one expected Angela, warden of the island's research centre, scientist, bird authority, and TV star to be murdered.
Cleeves intensifies the locks so to speak by ensuring that the lighthouse where Angela is murdered has also been locked so that the murderer has to be one of those inside at the time, not a member of the wider island community.
The cutting off of the island by the weather allows the author to explore how suitable Fran, essentially a city girl, will be as Jimmy Perez' wife. Fran gets a chance to see Jimmy work at first hand and to understand that his isn't a 9 to 5 job. The isolation of Fair Isle also puts pressure on Jimmy to complete his investigation before the weather improves and the island is again open to incomers and twitchers. Things are complicated by a second murder, that of the housekeeper/cook.
I thoroughly enjoyed BLUE LIGHTNING. Cleeves does an excellent job of depicting characters, building tension, laying red herrings. I found myself going over plot points and trying to work out what I had missed. To be caught up in a novel to that extent is quite unusual for me and a tribute to Ann Cleeves' skill.
1. Raven Black (2006) my rating 4.6
2. White Nights (2008) my rating 4.5
3. Red Bones (2009) my rating 4.7
4. Blue Lightning (2010)
and it really is a case where you MUST read them in order to get the most out of the threads that run through them. But as you can
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see I have given all of them a very high rating, so it really will be a pleasure rather than a chore.Even as Fran arrives on Fair Isle to meet Jimmy's family, the weather closes in. The island becomes isolated. Planes and helicopters can't get in, and neither is there access for boats. Those on the island must stay and no-one can come in. This gives Ann Cleeves the perfect "locked room" scenario, and the perfect setting for the inevitable murder. But no-one expected Angela, warden of the island's research centre, scientist, bird authority, and TV star to be murdered.
Cleeves intensifies the locks so to speak by ensuring that the lighthouse where Angela is murdered has also been locked so that the murderer has to be one of those inside at the time, not a member of the wider island community.
The cutting off of the island by the weather allows the author to explore how suitable Fran, essentially a city girl, will be as Jimmy Perez' wife. Fran gets a chance to see Jimmy work at first hand and to understand that his isn't a 9 to 5 job. The isolation of Fair Isle also puts pressure on Jimmy to complete his investigation before the weather improves and the island is again open to incomers and twitchers. Things are complicated by a second murder, that of the housekeeper/cook.
I thoroughly enjoyed BLUE LIGHTNING. Cleeves does an excellent job of depicting characters, building tension, laying red herrings. I found myself going over plot points and trying to work out what I had missed. To be caught up in a novel to that extent is quite unusual for me and a tribute to Ann Cleeves' skill.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
First Line: Fran sat with her eyes closed.
Fair Isle is a remote location in the Shetland Islands, in many ways better known to dedicated birdwatchers than any other group of people. When the weather closes in, landing an airplane there can be a very dicey affair. Fran learns this the hard way as
Her visit has barely begun when a celebrity scientist who ran the island's bird research center is murdered. Left with her soon-to-be in-laws while Jimmy Perez puts himself in Detective Inspector mode, Fran begins to look for ways she can help Jimmy with his investigation. The weather has socked in with a vengeance. No one can leave. No one can arrive. Perez has what is basically a locked room mystery to solve, and his careful interviews with the people at the research center show that the murdered scientist was very different from her television persona. There are many reasons why someone would want her dead, but can Perez choose the right reason and the right killer?
One thing I do want to mention before I forget it is that Cleeves uses several birdwatching terms that may be somewhat confusing if you've never been introduced to them. They are very easy to look up if need be, but it's simple to deduce their meaning within the context of the sentences.
I loved Cleeves' take on the locked room mystery. It is perfect for Perez's investigating style. He likes to take his time interviewing everyone, getting a feel for each person's mood, and listening to what they say... and what they don't say. Since communications are spotty and no one can land on the island due to the weather, Perez can actually do much of the investigation his own way without interference from his mainland superiors.
The weather makes for a very claustrophobic atmosphere, and as each person at the research center is spoken to again and again, their true feelings towards the victim are revealed, and it becomes very difficult to pinpoint just one of them as the killer. The dead woman herself becomes every bit as important as the characters who are alive and breathing.
With each book of the Shetland Island Quartet, my admiration for the character of Jimmy Perez grows. He's quiet and unassuming, but he has a strength that can provoke a response in anyone. His fiance, Fran, finds herself wanting to help him in any way she can, not only because she feels trapped on the tiny island, but because she wants to know more about this other area of his life that's so vital to him. Jane, the cook at the research center, watches Perez and sees his true character when most do not. Jane intuitively knows how intelligent this man is, how good he is at his job, and she decides to try to beat Jimmy at his own game. That's not always a wise thing to do. Fair Isle may be small, and there may not be many people in residence. But no one is safe. No one.
If you haven't read any of the books in the Shetland Island Quartet, I urge you to do so. You just might find yourself falling in love with a remote and beautiful corner of the world, with a quiet and quite canny police inspector, and with strong mysteries that grab you at the first page and won't let you go.
Fair Isle is a remote location in the Shetland Islands, in many ways better known to dedicated birdwatchers than any other group of people. When the weather closes in, landing an airplane there can be a very dicey affair. Fran learns this the hard way as
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she comes to visit her fiance's parents before she and Jimmy are married.Her visit has barely begun when a celebrity scientist who ran the island's bird research center is murdered. Left with her soon-to-be in-laws while Jimmy Perez puts himself in Detective Inspector mode, Fran begins to look for ways she can help Jimmy with his investigation. The weather has socked in with a vengeance. No one can leave. No one can arrive. Perez has what is basically a locked room mystery to solve, and his careful interviews with the people at the research center show that the murdered scientist was very different from her television persona. There are many reasons why someone would want her dead, but can Perez choose the right reason and the right killer?
One thing I do want to mention before I forget it is that Cleeves uses several birdwatching terms that may be somewhat confusing if you've never been introduced to them. They are very easy to look up if need be, but it's simple to deduce their meaning within the context of the sentences.
I loved Cleeves' take on the locked room mystery. It is perfect for Perez's investigating style. He likes to take his time interviewing everyone, getting a feel for each person's mood, and listening to what they say... and what they don't say. Since communications are spotty and no one can land on the island due to the weather, Perez can actually do much of the investigation his own way without interference from his mainland superiors.
The weather makes for a very claustrophobic atmosphere, and as each person at the research center is spoken to again and again, their true feelings towards the victim are revealed, and it becomes very difficult to pinpoint just one of them as the killer. The dead woman herself becomes every bit as important as the characters who are alive and breathing.
With each book of the Shetland Island Quartet, my admiration for the character of Jimmy Perez grows. He's quiet and unassuming, but he has a strength that can provoke a response in anyone. His fiance, Fran, finds herself wanting to help him in any way she can, not only because she feels trapped on the tiny island, but because she wants to know more about this other area of his life that's so vital to him. Jane, the cook at the research center, watches Perez and sees his true character when most do not. Jane intuitively knows how intelligent this man is, how good he is at his job, and she decides to try to beat Jimmy at his own game. That's not always a wise thing to do. Fair Isle may be small, and there may not be many people in residence. But no one is safe. No one.
If you haven't read any of the books in the Shetland Island Quartet, I urge you to do so. You just might find yourself falling in love with a remote and beautiful corner of the world, with a quiet and quite canny police inspector, and with strong mysteries that grab you at the first page and won't let you go.
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LibraryThing member nocto
** spoiler alert ** From the beginning I was pleased that this was a quartet of novels rather than a series. Although I've managed to read plenty of other series with an excessive number of murders for their location, four on on the Shetland Islands is really stretching credulity! I don't doubt I
The ending kind of overshadows the rest of the mystery though, which was a solid closed circle of suspects case, and is well worth reading in it's own right.
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would have carried on reading if there were more though. I have the impression that this set of books was conceived within it's limited structure and I was rather expecting something to happen to close the story arc that was begun in Raven Black. And although I would have liked a happy ending, I can't blame the author for choosing a Reichenbach Falls-ish ending.The ending kind of overshadows the rest of the mystery though, which was a solid closed circle of suspects case, and is well worth reading in it's own right.
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LibraryThing member nicx27
This is the final novel in Ann Cleeves's Shetland Quartet, and it's as good as, if not better than the other three. What I particularly liked about Blue Lightning is that the author has written about something she knows very well: working as the cook at the Fair Isle Bird Observatory. For me, it
The setting is so atmospheric. I could really feel the closed in environment of the small island, and the weather, which stopped people getting on and off the island, giving a real sense of claustrophobia. The usual characters are in there, but this time Inspector Jimmy Perez is on his home island of Fair Isle, investigating murders in his usual reserved, yet probing, fashion.
I am so sorry to have come to the end of this series. Like other reviewers, I would love it if we could have more of Jimmy Perez and the Shetlands, but if not then I feel Blue Lightning was a perfect final chapter. These books are highly recommended.
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made it special to know she was writing about something that she had experienced.The setting is so atmospheric. I could really feel the closed in environment of the small island, and the weather, which stopped people getting on and off the island, giving a real sense of claustrophobia. The usual characters are in there, but this time Inspector Jimmy Perez is on his home island of Fair Isle, investigating murders in his usual reserved, yet probing, fashion.
I am so sorry to have come to the end of this series. Like other reviewers, I would love it if we could have more of Jimmy Perez and the Shetlands, but if not then I feel Blue Lightning was a perfect final chapter. These books are highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
In Blue Lightning Jimmy Perez, now engaged to Fran, the woman he met in Cleeves's first book Raven Black, takes her home to meet his parents. He's not looking forward to the trip because he doesn't get along with his father and home is a smidgen of an island called Fair Isle. When Jimmy was younger
For the most part I enjoyed this fourth book in the Jimmy Perez series. It isn't necessary to read the other three to understand or enjoy Blue Lightning. My only complaint? After the second death I knew when the third victim would die.
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he couldn't wait to move away and escape the trappings of parental expectations. True to form, murder follows Jimmy & Fran (she found the murder victims in Raven Black). Thanks to terrible storms prohibiting people from coming to or leaving the island they are forced, along with Jimmy's partner, Sandy, to solve the crime without help from the mainland. Things go from bad to worse when there is a second murder, and shockingly, a third. This time the murder centers around birds as the killer has woven bird feathers though the first victim's hair & strewn feathers over the second victim's body.For the most part I enjoyed this fourth book in the Jimmy Perez series. It isn't necessary to read the other three to understand or enjoy Blue Lightning. My only complaint? After the second death I knew when the third victim would die.
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LibraryThing member lexieconyngham
Anyone who's read my reviews of the last three won't need to read this one - loved it again. Dark, a 'country house' limited range of suspects plot, claustrophobic, with a shocking ending. I now have to resist the next one till it's out in paperback. It's going to be hard.
LibraryThing member CLStern
This was the fourth of the Shetland Island mysteries for me and by far my least favorite. Perhaps due to the subject matter -- I discovered I don't really care anything about birders. Not sure I'll read her next installment.
LibraryThing member diana.hauser
BLUE LIGHTNING by Ann Cleeves is the 4th title in her SHETLAND series.
Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez is visiting his home island of Fair Isle with his finance, Fran Hunter. When a murder occurs at the Field Center after Jimmy and Fran’s engagement party, Jimmy must take charge of the
Fair Isle seems to be a mecca for twitchers (bird-watchers) and the Field Center is where collecting, banding and identifying different bird species takes place. The Field Center also offers some accommodations for twitchers and the Center staff. Bird-watchers ‘flock’ here in the hopes of observing bird species and discovering a new species to add to their ‘lifelist’.
Two women from the Field Center wind up being murdered and Fran wants to help Jimmy with the investigation - with dire consequences.
Adjectives describing BLUE LIGHTNING include: atmospheric; subtle; intensely suspenseful; incredible domestic detail and many-layered characters.
I want to keep reading and dissecting the characters layer by layer in order to see the secrets being peeled away.
One of the more interesting details of the book was Jimmy confronting his father, James, about a suspected infidelity and how this tied in with one of the murders.
The plot, the writing, the mystery - superb. I had trouble taking a break from reading.
The human characters, however, are almost incidental to the Shetland Islands and the birds that live and visit there.
This is an extremely interesting and detailed book on all levels.
Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez is visiting his home island of Fair Isle with his finance, Fran Hunter. When a murder occurs at the Field Center after Jimmy and Fran’s engagement party, Jimmy must take charge of the
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investigation. Fair Isle seems to be a mecca for twitchers (bird-watchers) and the Field Center is where collecting, banding and identifying different bird species takes place. The Field Center also offers some accommodations for twitchers and the Center staff. Bird-watchers ‘flock’ here in the hopes of observing bird species and discovering a new species to add to their ‘lifelist’.
Two women from the Field Center wind up being murdered and Fran wants to help Jimmy with the investigation - with dire consequences.
Adjectives describing BLUE LIGHTNING include: atmospheric; subtle; intensely suspenseful; incredible domestic detail and many-layered characters.
I want to keep reading and dissecting the characters layer by layer in order to see the secrets being peeled away.
One of the more interesting details of the book was Jimmy confronting his father, James, about a suspected infidelity and how this tied in with one of the murders.
The plot, the writing, the mystery - superb. I had trouble taking a break from reading.
The human characters, however, are almost incidental to the Shetland Islands and the birds that live and visit there.
This is an extremely interesting and detailed book on all levels.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
I have been following the Shetland Series by Ann Cleeves more for the setting of the Shetland Islands than for the actual mysteries, but in Blue Lightning, the fourth book of the series, I found the murder mystery almost as compelling as the beautiful setting of Fair Isle.
Fair Isle is DI Jimmy
Towards the end of the book, there is a twist that is both unexpected and disconcerting. This twist didn’t help advance the plot at all so I was left wondering if this was the author’s way of handling an increasingly unsuitable character. At this point there are at least two more books in the series so I shall be interested in reading on and seeing what develops from this incident.
Fair Isle is DI Jimmy
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Perez’s home island and while he and his fiancée Fran are there visiting his parents a murder occurs at the Bird Observatory. As the island is cut off from the world due to the weather, Jimmy must abandon his holiday and take on the investigation. With no forensic backup he must rely strictly on his interviews and his observations of the likely suspects. When a second murder occurs he knows that this case is going to be anything but straight forward.Towards the end of the book, there is a twist that is both unexpected and disconcerting. This twist didn’t help advance the plot at all so I was left wondering if this was the author’s way of handling an increasingly unsuitable character. At this point there are at least two more books in the series so I shall be interested in reading on and seeing what develops from this incident.
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LibraryThing member Tonstant.Weader
This ends the four mysteries that make up Ann Cleves Shetland Isles Quartet. I have to salute Cleves for taking a rare step for mystery writers, one that will make sequels difficult, though not impossible.
There are several reasons to like her books. They have a strong sense of place. The desolate
This final book in the series left me stunned. I was as angry with Cleeves as I was admiring. It's rare for a mystery series writer to take such risks.
I recommend the entire series, but they must be read in order.
There are several reasons to like her books. They have a strong sense of place. The desolate
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isolation and storms add to the menace. The cast of characters and pool of suspects are always quite small, but masterfully, the solutions are not obvious. This final book in the series left me stunned. I was as angry with Cleeves as I was admiring. It's rare for a mystery series writer to take such risks.
I recommend the entire series, but they must be read in order.
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LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Blue Lightning is the fourth book in Ann Cleeves' series of crime novels set in the Shetland Islands. Detective Jimmy Perez arrives on Fair Isle, where he was born, to introduce Fran Hunter, his English fiancee, to his parents. After their engagement party at a local bird observatory, Angela Moore
Meanwhile, Jimmy is discovering his parents' past and Fran, wanting to become involved in the community for Jimmy's sake, becomes deeply involved. Jimmy starts to wonder if Angela's sexual game- playing is the motive for her murder. If so, why was the second person killed? Jimmy Perez is a much deeper character than the usual detective, struggling with the puritanism of his upbringing as he also tries to work out the logistics of murder without any police back-up, and seems tormented by doubts.
This is the darkest of Ann Cleeves' absorbing and atmospheric series. Cleeves is excellent, not just on the mystery, but on the atmosphere of Fair Isle. She does provide a couple of brutal twists that will have deep emotional impact and leave the reader surprised she had the nerve to perform them. I can't wait to see what the author has for us in Dead Water, the fifth book of the series.
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is found murdered, with feathers entwined in her hair. The victim was at the center of a tangle of lust and jealousy among a small group staying there for the bird migration season. Suspects include an angry teenage step-daughter, a jilted lover, and a cook whose has just been fired from her job. Soon there is another murder. Meanwhile, Jimmy is discovering his parents' past and Fran, wanting to become involved in the community for Jimmy's sake, becomes deeply involved. Jimmy starts to wonder if Angela's sexual game- playing is the motive for her murder. If so, why was the second person killed? Jimmy Perez is a much deeper character than the usual detective, struggling with the puritanism of his upbringing as he also tries to work out the logistics of murder without any police back-up, and seems tormented by doubts.
This is the darkest of Ann Cleeves' absorbing and atmospheric series. Cleeves is excellent, not just on the mystery, but on the atmosphere of Fair Isle. She does provide a couple of brutal twists that will have deep emotional impact and leave the reader surprised she had the nerve to perform them. I can't wait to see what the author has for us in Dead Water, the fifth book of the series.
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LibraryThing member missizicks
Blue Lightning is a fairly standard locked room mystery, set on Fair Isle during and after a storm that cuts the island off from the nearest major city. It's the fourth book in the Shetland/Jimmy Perez series. I wonder whether I should have started with book 1, because I couldn't get a handle on
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who Jimmy is as a person or detective, and maybe the previous three books would have helped with that. It was okay, as crime novels go. I was expecting more. I like the tv adaptation, which included this book in the second series. The tv version has many differences, though, which also affected the way I read the book. The writing is good, the progression of the story makes sense, but there was nothing in it that really grabbed me. I might borrow another in the series from the library, see if I warm to it a bit more, I might not. Show Less
LibraryThing member julie10reads
Shetland Detective Jimmy Perez knows it will be a difficult homecoming when he returns to the Fair Isles to introduce his fiancée, Fran, to his parents. When a woman's body is discovered at the renowned Fair Isles bird observatory, Jimmy must investigate the old-fashioned way. Summary BPL
I'm not
7.5 out of 10. For the usual suspects: fans of crime fiction, rural lifestyles, Scotland....
I'm not
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sure where this belongs in the Shetland Island Quartet; obviously you don't need to read the others to enjoy this story. Blue Lightning has a lighthouse, birdwatchers, north-north Scotland scenery and an unsolved crime: sound good? Ruling out the option of forensic technology makes for a different, more human inquiry.7.5 out of 10. For the usual suspects: fans of crime fiction, rural lifestyles, Scotland....
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Shetland Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez and his fiancee, Fran, are spending a few days on the remote island of Fair Isle. Before their marriage, Fran needs to meet his family and friends and see where Jimmy was raised. Even though he no longer lives on Fair Isle, it's still a part of him. The
This is a locked room mystery on a couple of levels. The first murder takes place inside a locked building, and this limits the number of suspects. The murderer is also trapped on the island, as neither boats nor the small plane that services the island can get in or out until the storm passes. If this sounds like an Agatha Christie novel to readers, it felt like one to the characters, as at least one acknowledged! The crime plot isn't executed as well as the plots of the previous books in the series. Perez's parents and fiancee distract him from giving his full attention to crime solving, and the consequences are disastrous. The vivid Shetland Island setting is still the most appealing feature of this series, and I'll continue to read it just for that experience.
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morning after their engagement party at the island's bird observatory, Jimmy receives a call from the observatory. There's been a murder. As the only police officer present on the island, and with stormy weather cutting the island off from outside access, Perez must investigate this one on his own. The suspects are limited to the small observatory staff and the few guests at the facility. He's unable to solve the case quickly enough to prevent another murder.This is a locked room mystery on a couple of levels. The first murder takes place inside a locked building, and this limits the number of suspects. The murderer is also trapped on the island, as neither boats nor the small plane that services the island can get in or out until the storm passes. If this sounds like an Agatha Christie novel to readers, it felt like one to the characters, as at least one acknowledged! The crime plot isn't executed as well as the plots of the previous books in the series. Perez's parents and fiancee distract him from giving his full attention to crime solving, and the consequences are disastrous. The vivid Shetland Island setting is still the most appealing feature of this series, and I'll continue to read it just for that experience.
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LibraryThing member adpaton
Fair Isle may not have a pub but something this small Shetland island does not lack is corpses – as Detective Jimmy Perez discovers to his dismay when he brings his fiancé Fran Hunter home to meet his parents.
When the island [cliché alert!] is isolated by a storm, the warden of the local bird
The last in the excellent Shetland Quartet – remarkable for their excellent sense of locale – Blue Lightning was up to standard in everything but the unsatisfactory and disappointing climax.
When the island [cliché alert!] is isolated by a storm, the warden of the local bird
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observatory is murdered, and her death is soon followed by another, leaving Perez alone to investigate an eccentric group of twitchers, one of whom must be the killer.The last in the excellent Shetland Quartet – remarkable for their excellent sense of locale – Blue Lightning was up to standard in everything but the unsatisfactory and disappointing climax.
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LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Blue Lightning is the fourth book in Ann Cleeves' series of crime novels set in the Shetland Islands. Detective Jimmy Perez arrives on Fair Isle, where he was born, to introduce Fran Hunter, his English fiancee, to his parents. After their engagement party at a local bird observatory, Angela Moore
Meanwhile, Jimmy is discovering his parents' past and Fran, wanting to become involved in the community for Jimmy's sake, becomes deeply involved. Jimmy starts to wonder if Angela's sexual game- playing is the motive for her murder. If so, why was the second person killed? Jimmy Perez is a much deeper character than the usual detective, struggling with the puritanism of his upbringing as he also tries to work out the logistics of murder without any police back-up, and seems tormented by doubts.
This is the darkest of Ann Cleeves' absorbing and atmospheric series. Cleeves is excellent, not just on the mystery, but on the atmosphere of Fair Isle. She does provide a couple of brutal twists that will have deep emotional impact and leave the reader surprised she had the nerve to perform them. I can't wait to see what the author has for us in Dead Water, the fifth book of the series.
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is found murdered, with feathers entwined in her hair. The victim was at the center of a tangle of lust and jealousy among a small group staying there for the bird migration season. Suspects include an angry teenage step-daughter, a jilted lover, and a cook whose has just been fired from her job. Soon there is another murder. Meanwhile, Jimmy is discovering his parents' past and Fran, wanting to become involved in the community for Jimmy's sake, becomes deeply involved. Jimmy starts to wonder if Angela's sexual game- playing is the motive for her murder. If so, why was the second person killed? Jimmy Perez is a much deeper character than the usual detective, struggling with the puritanism of his upbringing as he also tries to work out the logistics of murder without any police back-up, and seems tormented by doubts.
This is the darkest of Ann Cleeves' absorbing and atmospheric series. Cleeves is excellent, not just on the mystery, but on the atmosphere of Fair Isle. She does provide a couple of brutal twists that will have deep emotional impact and leave the reader surprised she had the nerve to perform them. I can't wait to see what the author has for us in Dead Water, the fifth book of the series.
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LibraryThing member RajivC
In this book, the action moved to Fair Isle, Jimmy's childhood home. After their engagement party, a famous birder - Angela - is murdered, and now Jimmy is called in to investigate.
The action moves slowly, and you see more of Jimmy's mind - thinking of the case, of Fran - and his family on the
As in all her books, the action proceeds slowly, with a final intuitive leap.
I felt that the ending was a shame, and I wish she had never gone that way.
The action moves slowly, and you see more of Jimmy's mind - thinking of the case, of Fran - and his family on the
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island. You also get a peek into Fran's brain, as she contemplates life with Jimmy. As in all her books, the action proceeds slowly, with a final intuitive leap.
I felt that the ending was a shame, and I wish she had never gone that way.
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LibraryThing member charlie68
How to evaluate a mystery novel. Presentation of place, Shetland islands specifically the Fair isle, good. Plot good, the person who did it isn't obvious and the resolution is satisfying. The believability fair, I thought most birdwatchers were benign perhaps a little eccentric not the prickly
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bunch portrayed in the book. A good book nevertheless. Show Less
LibraryThing member edwardsgt
Brilliant, moving story, clearly based on the author's experience as a cook in a Shetland bird reserve and using her local knowledge and that of obsessive birders to create a complex plot. Jimmy Perez has taken his fiancée Fran to Fair Isle to stay with his parents for a few days break when he
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finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation as the only local policeman when the weather prevents reinforcements arriving. Show Less
LibraryThing member pennykaplan
Another intense horrifying case for empathetic Jimmy Perez. He’s brought his fiancé ho e to Fair Isle to meet the family., but they get involved with murders involving the birding community. All does not end well.
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Original language
English