I picked this book up on Independent Bookstore Day intending to give it to my brother-in-law who is recuperating in hospital from an accident. But, since I was between books, and it is a novella I dipped into it last night and finished it this morning. Nice to get a glimpse of Cleeves' Shetland detective, Jimmy Perez, again. In this book Jimmy has come to the south of Scotland at the request of his ex-wife. She tells him that a young woman teacher has recently died and the village gossip is that her husband killed her. She wants Jimmy to investigate as the local police have declared the death a suicide. Jimmy agrees to devote 2 days to it and then he will return to his beloved Shetland Islands whether he has solved the case or not. Of course, he does but the path is not straightforward. ( )

Honestly, this book is not worth reading if you're not an absolute fan of Ann Cleeves and/or the Shetland series. It's a quick read story and it sure felt like it. I read it in Swedish and it really felt like one of those books you read when you're trying to learn a new language. Not much substance to the story and lacking descriptions. ( )

Honestly, this book is not worth reading if you're not an absolute fan of Ann Cleeves and/or the Shetland series. It's a quick read story and it sure felt like it. I read it in Swedish and it really felt like one of those books you read when you're trying to learn a new language. Not much substance to the story and lacking descriptions. ( )

This is a short little book, starring Jimmy Perez. It seems to go back to a time when he had just lost Fran, and he had not yet met Willow Reeves. In this book, he responds to a call from his ex-wife and rushes off to help her. A young teacher seems to have committed suicide, and Sarah (his ex-wife) and her husband are blamed.
Sarah lives in a village full of toxic, gossipy women and he committed two days to her request.

You cannot get into the depths of a story, or a character in a quick read, but once again Ann Cleeves pulled off a good job in creating an atmospheric little story.

Jimmy Perez is a fine character she created ( )

Jimmy Perez responds to his ex-wife's request for assistance, traveling to the Scottish Borders to examine the death of a young teacher. The death was ruled a suicide, but village gossip accuses Jimmy's ex and her physician husband of the death. Jimmy agrees to spend two days on the case before returning home. He talks to the local officer who was an old friend. He makes inquiries in the village. It becomes clear the doctor knew the teacher before she came to the village, and Jimmy must finally confront him about his secret and the damage it is causing in his relationship. This is a "Quick Read" and as such characters are not as fully developed as in the main series. It's a pleasant venture with Jimmy Perez, but I confess that I prefer the Shetland Islands setting where the islands are as much a character as the people. I never got the feel for the Scottish Borders in this short installment. ( )