Waiting on Wednesday - The Killing Stones

 

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I used to do this in the past and am making it a priority to do again.  Seriously, who among us doesn't have a book or two or twenty that we are excited about reading?  Plus, it lets us 'spread the word' about authors and series that we personally enjoy.

I love the cover on this week's book by Ann Cleeves.  I've mentioned before that I am a big fan of this author's Vera Stanhope series - both in print and TV adaptations.  I've also read her Matthew Venn series and watched the TV adaptation.  I think there are 3 books featuring Matthew and a single TV season.  I have also watched and loved the Shetland TV adaptation, but here's a little secret...I've yet to read a single Shetland book that features DI Jimmy Perez.  Not sure why, just hasn't happened yet.  There are 8 Shetland books and the last one was written in 2018.  It told of Jimmy leaving Shetland for another area and I'm sure he has been missed by readers of those books.  Well, apparently Ann Cleeves has missed Jimmy as well.  Her website says that this is a Jimmy Perez standalone, set in the islands of Orkney.  I'm excited about it and think I might have enough time to read the Shetland books before the end of September.  Have you read any books by Ann Cleeves or watched any of the TV shows?  Tell us if you have.  

The Killing Stones

by Ann Cleeves

Publication Date:  September 30th

The Killing Stones marks the eagerly awaited return of Ann Cleeves' beloved detectives from the Shetland series, and a gripping new investigation with a stunning new setting, from the New York Times bestselling author and creator of three iconic detectives beloved in TV and print: DI Jimmy Perez (the Shetland series), DI Vera Stanhope, and DI Matthew Venn (The Long Call).

It's been several years since Detective Jimmy Perez left Shetland. He has settled into his new home in Orkney, the group of islands, off the northern coast of Scotland, with his partner Willow Reeve and their growing family. One stormy winter night, his oldest and closest friend, Archie Stout, goes missing. Ever the detective, Perez catches a boat to the island of Westray, where Archie worked as a farmer and lived with his wife and children.

But when he arrives he finds a shocking scene: Archie's body, on an archaeological dig site and an ancient Westray story stone with precise spirals carved into it beside him, the clear murder weapon. The artifact, taken from a nearby museum, seems to suggest a premediated murder.

But Perez is so close to the case that he struggles to maintain an objective distance from the potential suspects. He finds it difficult to question Archie's wife, whom he's known for years. Rumors swirl about the dead man's relationship with a young woman new to the island, an artist. With each new lead, the case becomes more twisted and Perez wonders if he will ever find out what happened in his friend's final days.