This is the third book in the Shetland series by author Ann Cleeves. It was recommended to me due to my fondness for the Paul Doiron Maine Gamewarden series. Shetland is set in a very different place than that series. The Shetland Islands are remote islands in the north of Scotland. Life there is very hard, as well as being isolated. The Scottish mainland is a ferry ride away.

DI Jimmy Perez is a product of these islands. He’s a thinker and listens more than he talks. He’s not one of these smart-aleck detectives prevalent in so many novels like this. In the middle of an investigation, he sometimes frets more about his own life than anything else and often wonders if he should pack it all in and leave.

An archaeology team is working at a site on Whalsay Island when they discover bones. The question is, are they ancient bones from a site they believe was once the location of a wealthy merchant’s house, or is it a more recent burial? Mima Wilson is something of a recluse and lives near the site. When she is shot in the middle of the night, her grandson, Sandy Wilson, who works for Perez, calls him in to investigate. Is it a tragic accident, or was she murdered? When one of the university students working at the dig apparently commits suicide, it raises more red flags about Mima’s shooting. Two unintentional deaths in such a short time could hardly be a coincidence.

Like so many of her mysteries, this one is fraught with suspects. Even on a small island, there are secrets and lies, along with families who are fighting and bitter. Jimmy talks to people, or rather, he allows them to talk to him. As I said, he’s a listener. He lets the clues come to him. He’s pulled in different directions, along with the reader. All of the red herrings are reasonable throughout the story. It takes the reader in different directions, as it does Jimmy. Although I had an idea what had happened about halfway through, I wasn’t sure and it really kept me guessing until the end.

Red Bones shines a light on Sandy Wilson, which is nice for a change. Usually, it’s been Jimmy working a case in the field by himself while others are working behind the scenes or assisting him. Although Jimmy is the primary detective here, Sandy grows a great deal while having to deal with the inner relationships in his own family. He knows Whalsay better than Jimmy and in some ways handles the investigation better.

I really enjoy Ann Cleeves’ writing. The way the story is written lets me get to know the characters in a very thorough way. I learned why the families have the infighting and how it is intertwined with the island itself. The society that has been built in this remote place is one that has a slow pace as an alternative to the way things are in the cities. It influences everything around it, including the people who inhabit it. This contrast is also seen when Jimmy frets that his love interest, Fran, is off in London with her daughter. The barrenness of the islands with no trees to break the wind creates a sense of isolation, while at the same time, the people who live there are a hearty bunch. It’s a study of contrasts that create this very unusual society.

I recommend this series to read, and I found Red Bones to be one of the best so far. There’s a mystery here, and when it all comes together it works very well.

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