‘Dead Water’ by Ann Cleeves

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

When a journalist is found lying dead in a Shetland boat, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted in to lead the investigation. With Jimmy Perez taking time off to deal with personal issues, Sergeant Sandy Wilson finds himself out of his depth as his new boss gets to work. But Perez can’t stay away for long and soon he’s using his local knowledge to follow up leads. With rumours of blackmail, infidelity, and political machinations, it’s difficult for the team to focus on the motive for the murder – especially when the dead man turns out to have unexpected reasons for coming back to the island. With even the Procurator Fiscal Rhona Laing appearing to be hiding something, the team have more than enough to deal with. Then they discover another body…

This is book 5 in the Shetland series and as always, the author’s skill is not just in her ability to tell a good tale, but in her beautiful descriptions of the landscape, as well as the continuing development of her characters. While our hero Jimmy Perez initially takes a bit of a back seat in this one, the action soon gets going with lots of possible suspects and motives for murder. The final section of the book barrels along like an out-of-control rollercoaster as the truth dawns on Perez and he races to unmask the killer.  

Another impressive and thrilling read from this highly talented writer.  

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