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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Raven Black in Books

Mar 18, 2021

Raven Black

Ann Cleeves | 2015 | Contemporary, Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

An atmospheric and intriguing mystery

This is the eighteenth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!

Magnus Tait, a longtime resident of Shetland, was suspected a while ago in the disappearance of an eleven-year-old girl. Magnus lives alone now and is seen as "different." When his neighbor Fran Hunter stumbles across the body of another girl, teenager Catherine Ross, Magnus is the immediate suspect again. But DI Jimmy Perez isn't so sure. Working with a team from "the outside," he must try to solve Catherine's killing in this tiny and sheltered place.

I read Cleeves' book The Long Call a bit ago and really enjoyed it, so figured reading Raven Black was a great idea for my "R" book. I'm glad I did. This seems like the start of a great series, and I've already nabbed the next book. Raven features an intriguing story that kept me guessing the entire time--something that's rare and always appreciated. The setting is atmospheric, making you feel as if you're part of the Shetland countryside. I quite liked Jimmy Perez and the cast of Shetland folks.

Overall, I can see this shaping up to be a series I'll quite enjoy. I'm a sucker for an interesting mysteries with a strong lead. 4 stars.

Kudos

Sarah Thompson (2 KP) rated The Great Alone in Books

Feb 1, 2018

The Great Alone

Kristin Hannah | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance

8.5

(13 Ratings)

Book Rating

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this book for a test read campaign. The storyline built slowly and steadily, with atmospheric descriptions of the harshness of life in Alaska but I found it was slightly repetitive in the first half of the book. The descriptions of the wilderness of Alaska and the light nights and the dark were wonderfully evocative. The storyline then suddenly snowballed in the second half and I was unable to put it down but I felt that the author was rushing to The End as if she had a deadline to meet. It could perhaps have benefited from having a longer page count!