Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

When I heard that Ann Cleeves was bringing back her Jimmy Perez character in a new series set in the Orkney Islands, I decided to reread the Shetland Islands series featuring him. It's been years since I've read the books, and I wasn't surprised to find I couldn't remember much of this first book. It's like discovering an old friend. 

When the body of a teenager is found strangled, Shetland detective Jimmy Perez, with the help of his colleagues from the mainland, sets about to find the killer. The island residents are convinced that the culprit is Magnus Tait, a man of low intelligence who has had recent contact with the victim. Preliminary evidence also points toward him, but Perez is determined not to be seduced by the easy solution. Complicating things, the disappearance of a young girl eight years earlier also pointed to Tait, with the islanders anxious for their safety, pressure mounts on Perez and the investigation.

I loved this series the first time I read it, so I'm looking forward to rediscovering it. I like the characters and the setting, and the writing is excellent. Cleeves always has interesting plots, and I never figure out the ending. Her books are suspenseful page-turners that never fail to entertain--even on a second reading. 

4/5 stars.

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