Rött Stoft (2009)

Book Info

Author

Ann Cleeves

Genre

Mystery & Thriller

Series

Shetland

Rating

3.94 of 5 Votes: 4

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ISBN

9100122750 (ISBN13: 9789100122751)

Language

English

Publisher

Albert Bonniers Förlag

Shops

Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

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About book Rött Stoft (2009)

This is the first book by Ann Cleeves that I have read - it won't be the last. Although I am not a huge fan of crime fiction I enjoyed the almost claustrophobic atmosphere created by the setting: a tiny, damp, foggy island where a tiny community of haves and have-nots try to do the best they can to make a living whilst maintaining a certain status in the eyes of their all-seeing neighbours. When something happens to upset the delicate balance of the community (in this case two deaths) the façade slips and the secrets trickle out. For some odd reason this didn't work for me as much as the first two, perhaps its the fact that so much of it is spent dealing with the people and talking about the personalities of the people involved and their internal lives so at times it feels less like a crime novel and more like a novel about living on the Shetland Isles.Mind you once the detective aspects of the novel kicks in t improves dramatically and the reveal of the killer happens it is a genuine surprise while still making sense, while there are some plot strands left standing they don't get in the way of a satisfying ending.