Raven Black

I had never heard of this author until I won a book giveaway for the 7th book in this series. I wanted to start at the beginning and I was very intrigued by the different setting. I learned some things about Shetland as I read to help me visualize the setting and have a better understanding of the people, language, and culture. I looked up several terms that I was unfamiliar with too, like dram and churlish. I really enjoyed the book and the writing. I never was sure who murdered the girls and was surprised by the ending.

I picked this book up because I started watching the show Shetland on Netflix and discovered it was based on this series. I only watched the first episode, but from what I remember the only things that were the same as the book were Jimmy Perez and the island.

Nonetheless, this was certainly worth the read! The murders were mysterious and mind-boggling and the suspects never seem to narrow. I loved the way she wrote and I was extremely satisfied with the ending!

I really wanted to like these books. I finished this one and even tried to read #2. The setting is wonderful - a perfect place to set a murder mystery: cozy, intimate, but also a little off. But somehow, I never connected with the characters. Jimmy Perez just didn't have a personality.

What's even more funny is that I tried to watch the shows that are based off these books, because I wanted to see more of the Shetland Islands - they changed many things in the TV show from the books, but even so, it's also impossible to connect with the characters!