“Dead Water”

by Ann Cleeves. This is #5 in the Shetland Island series. (#6 “Thin Air” is just being released). Another location, cozy mystery set in the Shetland Islands starring police detective Jimmy Perez. He has been on leave since the last novel, since his fiancee was killed and he has been entrusted to help raise the 7 year-old daughter she left behind.  “Dead Water” begins with the dead body of a journalist found in a boat. Soon after the body of John Henderson, to be married in 6 days, is discovered. Evie was the girlfriend and fiancee of both men. What is the connection to the deaths of the two men? Jimmy reluctantly comes out of his self-imposed leave to help track down the killers.  Under the watch of a new female detective, Willow, Jimmy knows the island ways and people and finds ways to get people to talk that noone else can.

Ann Cleeves’ novels have been made into a popular TV series in England (Vera Stanhope starring Brenda Blethyn). I hear a TV series of the Shetland books is in the makings, too. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith might enjoy Cleeves’ novels as well.