Ann Cleeves captures the beauty of the Shetland Islands in her writing. The mysteries are always exciting and well paced. Those familiar with the Shetland TV show will not be disappointed.

In this latest entry, in the Jimmy Perez series, Willow springs a surprise on Jimmy at the beginning of case of a hanged nanny. But another murder happens during the investigation and they have to figure out if the two are related while dancing around their personal issues. Can the investigative team rise above the tension and find the murderer before a child is the next victim?

Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves is one of the best books I have read in a while. I got hooked on the Shetland Islands while watching the adaptation of this series on television. As is usually the case the book is so much greater than the show which by no means was bad.

Jimmy Perez along with his crew and his superior Willow Reece who is coming over from Aberdeen solve the murder of a young nanny whose dead body has been strung from the rafters in a barn.

There are plenty of suspects and a second murder does nothing to narrow them down. Of course all good things come to an end and so does this series of eight books. I sincerely thank Ann Cleeves for showing us the Shetland Islands and also thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

I will definitely recommend this book and the rest of the series and happily give it 5 stars.

There's good news and sad news about Wild Fire (St. Martin's Press, digital galley), Ann Cleeves' eighth entry in her stellar Shetland Island series. The sad news is that Cleeves says this is the last Shetland book, the good news being that police detective Jimmy Perez finishes strong. When the body of a nanny is found hanging in the Fleming family's barn, suspicion falls on the Flemings, outsiders with an autistic son. But then designer Helena Fleming reveals that she has found disturbing sketches of a gallows, and the dead girl turns out to have a complicated past and local romantic entanglements. Speaking of which, Perez's boss and occasional lover, Willow Reeves, arrives from Inverness to head the investigation. When another murder occurs, Cleeves crafts the village equivalent of an atmospheric locked-room mystery -- the closed-community puzzle. The few suspects all have means and motives, and your guess is as good as mine. Oh, I'm going to miss Shetland.

from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

Shetland island has certainly seen it's fair share of murder and mayhem. A relative newcomer to the island, Helene, begins to receive crpyptic drawings of hanging men, a thinky veiled reference to the previous owner of their house who was found hanged in their barn. Soon after she shows the drawings to Perez, another body is found hanged in their barn, this time a young woman who was the nanny for another found.

This murder will bring, Jimmy, Willow and Sandy together for one final outing. A case with many strings, threads leading to a hidden and past life, a young boy on the autism spectrum, a husband and father, and a woman with a secret who cannot forgive nor forget. Sometimes people are just not who you think they are. The clues are there, in retrospect, but admit to missing them. The case is suspenseful enough, but the atmosphere of the island, and the characters have for me, always been the draw for me. Although I admit I liked done of the books in this series, better than others, it has never disappointed me.

So as Jimmy, Willow and Sandy leave the pages of future books, may they ride off into the sunset, finding happiness wherever they land.
Smaltzy, I know but i couldn't resist and I'm really going to miss this series, characters that felt like friends.

ARC from Netgalley.

First Sentence: Emma sat on the shingle bank and watched the kids on the beach below build a bonfire.

DI Jimmy Perez is approached by a Helena, a woman whose family are new residents on the island. She has been receiving anonymous notes with images from the game "hangman," and asks for Jimmy's help. When Emma, the nanny to the children of the Island's Doctor Moncrieff, is found hanged in Helena's barn, where the previous owner hanged himself, by her autistic son Christopher, Jimmy calls together his team, including Willow Reeves, the Chief Inspector of the Serious Crime Squad and Jimmy's occasional lover. Complex relationships hide dark secrets.

Cleeves brings one into a community so small that everyone new is subject to speculation. There is a good reminder of how interconnected are people in such communities—"There are only twenty-three thousand people in the islands, and most have some connection with each other."

There is a shift in Jimmy and Willow's relationship. Willow is wonderfully done. She is very much an example of who many women have become; self-supporting, self-reliant, strong, not opposed to having a partner, but willing and able to get on alone if needs must while still feeling the hurt and uncertainty. Christopher and his autism is well handled. It feels just right, without being overdone.

What an interesting observation regarding the popularity and gentrification of what had been small communities—"Willow wondered if it caused resentment: these confident, educated incoming, buying up the nice houses, subtly changing the character of the place. …Wouldn't it feel like an invasion?" How also true is it that one never really knows what goes on within a family—"…the whole happy-family image seems to have been a bit of a sham."

Cleeves doesn't rely on twists, but when she does include one, it's very effective. She also does a very good job of increasing the level of mystery and suspense, keeping the killer's identity from the reader until the last possible moment.

"Wild Fire" is yet another excellent read from Ann Cleeves. Almost as intriguing is the reference at the end to the young women on the ferry. Those who know her history can't help but suspect the character is Ann herself in an homage to a place so special to her. Most intriguing of all the is the subtle Easter egg at the end. We shall just have to wait to see.

WILD FIRE (PolProc-Jimmy Perez-Shetland Islands, Scotland-Contemp) – Ex
Cleeves, Ann – 8th in series
Minotaur Books – Sept 2018

Ann Cleeves, for those who don't know, has written two mystery series; both have been made into British TV shows and are available for streaming. One series features Vera Stanhope and is set in England; the other features Jimmy Perez and takes place in Shetland. I am very sad to say that Wild Fire brings the Shetland series of eight novels to a close. I will miss each and every regular in the books. The novels do not need to be read in order but I would recommend that you do so for maximum enjoyment.

In this last case, Jimmy, Willow and Sandy try to solve two murders; one, a nanny/mother's helper and the other a "busybody" of the town. The reader gets to know two families well; each has children and has, consciously or not, made decisions around their parenting. These choices very much influence the course of events. Of course, Jimmy is a father too as is Duncan, another recurring character. How do they make their decisions about their caring for Cassie? Magnie, too, has a mother who was a particular kind of parent. Reading this novel, one realizes that there is subtext on the importance of "good enough" parenting and what can happen when children do not get what they need.

As always, the author writes with a keen sense of place. The reader can feel the flames of the fire, the fog, the sea and the town.

Some loose ends are tied up in this last book. While I wish these fictional friends well, I hope that perhaps Ann Cleeves will change her mind and keep writing about them. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur and to Ann Cleeves.

I haven't had the opportunity to previously read an Ann Cleeve's book. However, I have recently been enjoying the Netflix series of "Shetland" based on her stories. In that respect, it was interesting to experience the author's description of her characters as compared to what has been re-created on t.v. That being said, I choose the more lively and impelling version as shown by actors on the screen.

This was a decent read, but if you're looking for creative turns of phrase or in depth character development, you won't find them here. It's pretty much a cut and dried police procedural. And, I was disappointed in the final resolution. I guess there were only so many suspects, so pick one and come up with a motive that makes sense.

All in all, an okay read if you like British murder mysteries.

“Wild fire” By Ann Cleeves, is part of the Shetland series and the inspiration for TV's crime drama of the same name. It is not necessary to have read the previous books, and new readers can jump right in without any problem. Each character is briefly introduced, and current scenarios easily reveal the previous books and relationships. Throughout the series, we have watched Jimmy Perez grow and change. He is now struggling with very big changes, as continuing characters should. We know the major characters well, and the story is about their personal and professional interaction as they solve this crime. As always, Shetland is the backdrop.

The opening foreshadows events to come as is Emma Shearer, aged twenty-four, employed as a childminder by a local family, sits with her friend Magnie watching the kids on the beach below build a bonfire. A young boy watches with his eyes shut and his hands over his ears to block out the sound.

The phone call.
“What’s happened there? Something terrible. There’s been another death. Another hanging. Emma Shearer. Our nanny.”

Jimmy Perez has a case, but he has to arrange childcare just like any other single parent. Nothing is “close” or “convenient. Assisting Perez is Willow Reeves, his senior officer, his boss. They had worked together previously, and very recently, they had a personal, intimate connection. Their relationship is complex and multifaceted, and while they make every effort to keep it secret, perhaps it is just too big to remain a secret forever.

Few people know much about Emma Shearer’s personal life, or at least nothing they admit, not even the Moncrieff family for whom she had worked for seven years. Outsiders are not readily welcomed in the almost closed society on the island. Perez searches for answers because it is impossible to have secrets when there are only twenty-three thousand people in the islands, and most of them have some connection with each other.

Vivid descriptions remind readers of the unique geographic setting.

“The land here was very low, separated from the shore by dunes and irregular fields where sheep grazed; there was a series of freshwater lochans, with iris and marsh marigolds at the fringes, everywhere the call of lapwings and oystercatchers. A breeze blew the flowers and nothing seemed fixed. Everything was moving: feather, reed, water.”


Conversation drives the story along, and the relationships make this a compelling novel. The characters are complex, well developed, and multi-faceted. Even the “minor” players are well defined with captivating personalities and intriguing pasts.

I loved “Wild Fire.” I received a review copy from Ann Cleeves, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley, and I highly recommend the entire series. Although the “official” description states that this is the last in the series, the end also hints that we might see more in the future, perhaps in a new series. I certainly hope so.

Wild Fire is the eighth installment to Ann Cleeves’ Shetland Island series. I liked this story. I am giving it four stars.

I have seen every episode of the Shetland series and absolutely love them. However, I'd not read one of the books until Netgalley made this one available. It turns out it will be the last. Having read and enjoyed this book, I am sad that there won't be any more of them.

The TV series shows off the beauty of the Shetland islands and the main characters talk slowly, thoughtfully. They seem how I would see island Scottish people to be. The book did absolutely the same thing. I felt the beauty and I felt the fierce protectiveness of the island people. They are suspicious of strangers which is true for every small town and island I've ever known. The tension between the newbies in town and the old-timers is as strong if not stronger than wondering who killed Emma.

Emma is a nanny and is found hanging from a rafter in the house of a family recently moved from London. She is found by the young son who is autistic. Slowly everyone's stories start to emerge. Jimmy Perez is inspector in charge of most that happens on Shetland. There is a side story, that was not in the series, of Jimmy's relationship with a Chief Inspector who had flown in to help with another case. The tension between the two of them mirrors the growing tension of who did what and why.

The book grew on me. I quite liked it though I couldn't help but picture the actor who played Jimmy as I was reading!! I recommend the series to all. The themes are timely and well-researched.
And if you aren't aware, Ann Cleeves also writes the Vera series. It also has been made into a BBC series. I think the books are better.

Happy reading!

The galley (at least) drops the bombshell that this is the last Shetland novel, and if you've been the long term fan I am, it's hard not to scream "Noooooo!" This novel is a fitting goodbye to the wonderful cast of characters we've got to see grow emotionally and evolve. All of our major characters get satisfying and character-appropriate endings, all while a really fascinating case is being investigated. The case at hand is truly intriguing--my only real "complaint' about this novel is just that I would have loved a deeper dive into the suspects and victim in the case. That's how great Ann Cleeves is! As sad as I am to see Shetland go, I'm excited to go with her on new adventures.

Another of my long-time favorite series, and I've eagerly been awaiting this novel. Wild Fire centers around a family who has moved to the Shetland Islands to start over. The mother is a knitwear designer who has recently begun to be successful; the father is an architect and is having difficulty dealing with his wife's success, as well as some stress-related issues after having found the previous owner of the property hanging in one of the outbuildings, a suicide. There are two children, one of whom is autistic, and drawn to fires. The mother approaches Jimmy Perez to tell him that she feels the family is unwelcome in the community, and she has been receiving anonymous drawings of a hanged man. Soon thereafter, the autistic child discovers the body of a young nanny hanging in the same shed where the previous body was found. Soon ruled a murder, the resulting investigation unsettles several families. The Shetland Islands location means there are a limited pool of suspects, and they won't be unknown to the people of the community....crimes committed here are not by random strangers. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Willow Reeves, Jimmy Perez's on-again-off-again relationship, brings unsettling news as well, and Jimmy initially reacts badly. The author indicates that Wild Fire is the last of her Shetland series, but the novel ends on a note of new beginnings, so who knows, perhaps we'll see Jimmy Perez again some day! Much gratitude to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me access to the eARC in return for an honest opinion.

"Wild Fire" by Ann Cleeves, Minotaur Books, 416 pages, Sept. 4, 2018.

Daniel and Helena Fleming and their two children move to Deltaness, a remote community in the Shetland Islands. Daniel is an architect and Helena is a well-known knit clothing designer.

Their son, Christopher, 11, has autism, but is high functioning. Their daughter, Emma, is 7. People are upset because Christopher set a fire in a wastebasket at school. Soon after their arrival, the previous owner of the property hanged himself in a barn on their land. Now someone is sending them small drawings of a gallows and a hanged man.

Helena goes to Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez for help because she knew his late fiancée, Fran Hunter, an artist who was murdered years ago.

Emma Shearer, 24, is the nanny for the Moncrieff children, although two of them are teenagers. She had a hard life; her father was abusive and after his arrest she took care of her mother, who had cancer, and her younger brothers. Emma is dating Magnie Riddel, but his overprotective mother hates her. Emma is found hanged in that barn.

Perez calls in a crime team from Inverness, which includes his occasional lover, Willow Reeves, who brings an emotional component to the story.

"Wild Fire" is very intricately plotted. I was surprised by the ending. It is an excellent novel. You are transported to the remote location and you feel that you know the characters.

The eighth in the Shetland Island series, it is also billed as the last one. Ann Cleeves is also the author of the Vera Stanhope series. I highly recommend both series to everyone who likes mysteries or police procedure novels.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the Advanced Readers Copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not her very best, but even at not her best, Ann Cleeves is so much better than most! I'm a fan of both the 'Vera' and the 'Shetland' series - books and tv--and was excited to see this newest release...then disappointed to hear that it will be the last in this series (I'm hoping it's not true).
This was a sad and unusual story, that was based less on island life, and more on modern life (and so maybe more relatable) than some of the other mysteries in this series.
If you haven't read any of the other Shetland books, I would not recommend starting with this one. I've read most of them, and still found the ongoing references to people and incidents in the past frustrating (especially when I couldn't remember exactly what had happened in the past), and distracting from the current story. Better to start at the beginning of the series, read them in order, and enjoy the way each of the wonderful characters, their relationships, and an understanding of the unusual life on the Shetland Islands develops over time

This book is the last in the Shetland Island series with Detective Jimmy Perez series. There are two murders, lots of characters, and lots of fog.

There are too many characters and the story is told from too many points of view. Thus, following who was who turned into a reading challenge. Cleeves plays games with the reader by dragging out the killer's identity as long as possible.

Rather than having a pushing beat and a moving pace, the book is a slog to read. Previous Jimmy Perez novels by Cleeves are much better. Maybe it is a good thing this is the last of the series.

This is the first book I read in this series and it's really wonderful. I never read the others but I saw the tv series so I already met some of the characters.
This novel is dark, atmospheric and enthralling. You cannot help being involved in the story and you cannot put it down.
I love everything: the plot, the characters and the setting.
I'm sorry that this's going to be the last book in the series, I'll surely read the previous ones.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC

"The betrayal of those closest burns most of all...

Hoping for a fresh start, an English family moves to the remote Shetland islands, eager to give their autistic son a better life.

But when a young nanny's body is found hanging in the barn beside their home, rumors of her affair with the husband spread like wildfire. As suspicion and resentment of the family blazes in the community, Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez is called in to investigate. He knows it will mean his boss, Willow Reeves, returning to run the investigation, and confronting their complex relationship.

With families fracturing and long-hidden lies emerging, Jimmy faces the most disturbing case of his career."

At first reading the description that first tagline and me all, WHO HURT JIMMY I WILL CUT THEM! So I might be a little invested in this series...

This is the eighth and last of Ann Cleeves’ Shetland books. I have always meant to read them, in fact, there are three of them in my to-be-read pile at this very moment. What a fool I have been not to have read them already! “Wild Fire” is a terrific book, atmospheric, evocative, and mysterious. It is everything a modern mystery should be.

I don’t like spoilers so I am not going to give any. A murder occurs, and the forces of the police are put into motion. Jimmy Perez is the main investigator, along with the rest of the team, a Chief Inspector from mainland Scotland, and Jimmy’s assistant Sandy Wilson. The secondary characters are all well-drawn, and the sights and sounds of the Shetland Islands (where I have always wanted to visit) are omnipresent.

Ann Cleeves dedicated her book to her late husband; I don’t know if that is why this is the last of the series, or whether she had always planned it this way. It is a pity that the series is ending if this excellent book is anything to go by, but we must be grateful for what we have. For my part, I am going to dig out the other books from my figurative teetering pile, and get them read. If you like mysteries, you will like this book, think of the glimpses of Shetland life as a bonus.

Another outstanding tale of the Shetland Island series. Jimmy Perez solves a case of two people found hanging in a barn. The interaction between the neighbors keeps you on your feet until the final pages. This book has a great since of place and has you walking the island with the inhabitants. Sad that it is the last in the series but leaves an opening for the start of a new one. We can only hope.

Newcomers, especially to very small communities, often have a difficult time but the Flemings really face problems when they move to the Shetland Islands. This is very much a procedural, featuring the able Jimmy Perez and Willow Reeves, who untangle not one but two murders. I am oddly more or less new to this series, having read but one of them. That wasn't a problem although I do wish I'd read it in order so I could more fully appreciate what we're losing with this close to the run. Perez has some personal issues to deal with, Willow's smart as a whip, and the Flemings, while they are only a few of the characters and suspects, are interesting. Nicely twisty and the identity of the murderer was a surprise to me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Read this as a standalone and you'll be perfectly happy; read it as the last and you'll be sad.