Great continuation of the Jimmy Perez story. He’s a great detective and this was a very hard case to solve, looking forward to more of Jimmy, Willow and James.

I was so happy to see another Shetland novel. DI Jimmy Perez is back as was his boss, Winnie. Their son is four years old and Winnie is pregnant. Christmas is fast approaching when Jimmy's best friend, Archie, is reported as missing. Jimmy and Winnie are living in Orkney, but Jimmy catches a a boat to the island of Westray to help look for him.

Archie is found murdered at an archeological dig site and he was murdered with an ancient stone. The investigation takes off and it all seems to revolve around the stones, there are two. One is missing. That stone is discovered, with another dead body.

The story is filled with some great new characters and a few not so great. It was a delight to read about the customs, the local life and the island settings make you wish you could go there and see them for yourself. As usual, I have no idea who did what until it is all wrapped up at the very end. Never did this ending ever occur to me. I love being surprised!

I would like to thank Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this early read.

So glad to see Detective Jimmy Perez happy and solving murder. What a great book. It kept me guessing right up to the end. Of course, the island setting is glorious and the history is enthralling. I would start reading this one again immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this DRC.
#TheKillingStones #NetGalley

If you are searching for a gripping story that is intelligently written and evenly paced in such a beautiful setting then The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves is the right choice.

Ann Cleeves is a masterful writer which is why I would recommend that college students read her books. The Killing Stones, the 9th in the Jimmy Perez series incorporates all the sterling aspects of excellent mystery writing, including a moving plot full of red herrings, complex characters who draw us in, and a splendid setting, When a good friend of Jimmy Perez is killed, the obvious strong connection between the two men sets up a conundrum for Perez who cannot imagine who would kill his friend Archie. Perez' partner, Willow Reeve, who is also actually his boss, is also drawn into the search for the murderer, and as two more people are killed, the plot becomes more complicated, and the possibilities for finding the perpetrator become more fraught with difficulty. In the end, the identification of the murderer is shocking indeed.

Cleeves establishes her characters and their relationships with incisive clarity, and at the same time, there are questions about personalities and motives that are anything but obvious. Suspicions about who is guilty and why are carefully and skillfully developed. Any reader who appreciates recondite characters rife with mystery will find it difficult to put down any book which Cleeves has written. All of her books are compelling and moving and almost impossible to put down. The Killing Stones is yet another astonishing book by this author.

Thanks to St. Martins/Minotaur Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read another incredible work by Ann Cleeves.

Ann Cleeves keeps getting better. I loved the latest Jimmy Perez. Getting to know a small island, the families, the history, the old grudges and the old and new gossip keep you guessing as to who done it and why.

I've read and enjoyed all of Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope series as well as the first three books of her new Matthew Venn series, so I was excited to see that in "The Killing Stones" she is bringing back another of her signature detectives, Jimmy Perez of the Shetland books, and moving him to a new home in Orkney. Based on this first book, Cleeves has another fan-pleasing winner on her hands: Jimmy Perez is an interesting main character, a principled detective building a new family in the shadow of grief after losing his wife Fran, and his new partner, Willow Reeves--the mother of his son James and their soon-to-be-born second child--also happens to be Jimmy's boss, which adds an interesting wrinkle to their relationship and to the investigation. Readers can expect Cleeves' signature mix of an atmospheric and finely-detailed setting with an absorbing and well-plotted mystery. I will definitely be reading future installments of this new series..

Thank you to NetGalley and to Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

Jimmy Perez is back! Several years have passed since we last saw Jimmy; he lives on Orkney with his pregnant girlfriend, Willow, a detective inspector, and their young son. While Willow and their son are away, Jimmy is called to a murder scene and discovers a childhood friend, apparently killed by an ancient Orkney artifact. What happened? Why? Who is responsible? Ann Cleeves masterfully mixes the personal stories of Jimmy, his wife/police boss, and their friends with a compelling who-done-it. Killing Stones is a great mystery and an excellent introduction to the Orkney Islands.

While this book is the latest in a long-running series, don't let that put you off. The character Jimmy is fully described here, and there are only minor references to backstory.

Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Absolutely love me a good thriller! And this cover is perfect. I love a good, quick read in the summer time that keeps me on the edge of my seat! Love ya, Ann!

Who doesn't love Ann Cleeves? She is a masterful writer, constantly taking you down twisty paths and then packing a great punch at the end. And with the return of Jimmy Perez, and the setting of the Orkneys, Cleeves has created another of her signature atmospheric and suspenseful tales.

This is a great read, featuring the character Jimmy Perez, his wife and young son. Perez has a murder to solve in the Orkney islands this time. We learn so much about the Orkney islands that we can picture ourselves there. And then he finds out the murder victim is his best friend. But how well do we really know our friends? Two more victims add to the murder headcount. I could not guess who had killed these 3 characters. Another great novel by Ann Cleeves. Highly recommended.

I was so excited to see the return of Jimmy Perez, and to see where life had taken him and Willow since we last saw them. I loved the moody atmosphere of Shetland, but getting to experience another island community through Jimmy's eyes was refreshing and kept it interesting. The story had all of the twists and turns you'd expect from an Ann Cleeves book, and the history and description of the Orkney islands makes the location the star of the show.

I know that my library patrons will be so excited to see the return of their favorite detective, making it a must purchase title, and obvious book club pick. I always feel that Ann Cleeve's books are the easiest to recommend- they offer so much for many different types of readers, including those who need a good mystery and those who want to travel by armchair. I have yet to suggest one during a reader's advisory that hasn't been a hit with the patrons.

It's a new island, but the same spectacular Jimmy Perez in the kind of tale Ann Cleeves tells so well. Now working as a police inspector on the isle of Orkney, Perez faces a murder case in which the victim and suspects are intertwined in a web of close personal relationships. Cleeves is a master at writing this kind of tightly plotted story which also registers on a deeper emotional level. So damn good.

Ann Cleeves’ The Killing Stones, the ninth novel in the Detective Jimmy Perez series, is a masterful blend of suspense, rich character development, and vivid cultural immersion. Set in the Orkney Islands, where Jimmy now resides with his pregnant partner and boss, DI Willow Reeves, and their young son, this installment thrusts Perez into a deeply personal investigation when his lifelong friend, Archie Stout, is found murdered at an ancient Neolithic site. The red herrings are plentiful, and will keep you guessing until the shocking conclusion. There are certainly no dull moments, and the escalating body count—each murder tied to significant archaeological sites—adds layers of intrigue, compounded by whispers of plagiarism and hidden agendas.

Cleeves is masterful at being able to transport readers to Orkney’s stark landscape; she has such a tremendous gift for atmosphere. The Neolithic sites—Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, and Maeshowe—are characters in their own right. I loved the cultural details, from island traditions to the weather.

Jimmy Perez is now like an old friend that I’m always happy to see. I love his combination of sensitivity and intenseness. It was also good to see that he’s moved past the depression that haunted him earlier.

I was, however, a bit puzzled by the reluctance of Glasgow authorities to prioritize the case given the mounting deaths, but this in no way detracted from my enjoyment. Fans of the Jimmy Perez series are going to love this latest installment. Those new to the series, I’m sure, will find this a real page turner that surprises until the very end.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read "The Killing Stones" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This new story in the Jimmy Perez series has brought the beloved detective back to the readers. Perez has left Shetland and now lives in Orkney with his 4 year old son James and his pregnant girlfriend Willow who is also DI Reeves - his boss.

When Jimmy finds out that his good friend Archie Stout is missing he races to go and help. When he finds Archie he sees that he was killed with a Westray Story Stone that is part of a pair kept at the Heritage Centre. There are several parallel stories and characters in this, all with motives to kill Archie and all possibly red herrings to the real culprit. The characters in this story are all interesting and well developed. The descriptions of the scenery make the reader feel that they are there with Jimmy.

DI Reeves manages all the Scottish Islands for Glasgow and they don't feel that it warrants their time - chalk it down to a little local incident. When another body appears, killed by the other Story Stone, they are still reluctant to send additional manpower, saying it's too close to Christmas and the islands are a wild and uncivilized place.

After a third murder, there is talk of plagiarism as it seems everyone is writing some sort of a book on the island. All the deaths have occurred at important archeological sites that have been featured on the program of one of the suspects.

When Perez finally puts all the pieces together the resolution of the case is shocking and totally unexpected. A wonderful new story to add to the series!

This was pretty good...but so very different of a Jimmy Perez from the show! I miss him in Shetland and thought this could bridge the gap, but too much is different. I rarely watch TV shows that are based off of books but I made a case with this one. Ann Cleeves is a great writer though!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I miss Jimmy Perez! When his friend goes missing on a small Scottish island, he quickly stops in to investigate. A mysterious archeological dig and a puzzling murder make this a five star read. Not to be missed.

I love Ann Cleeves novels, whether Vera, Jimmy Perez, Ramsey, or the Matthew Venn series. All of her novels are well-written, character driven, and with a complexity of plot that pulls readers into the novels. The Killing Stones is the ninth novel in the Jimmy Perez series. Jimmy has moved away from Shetland and is now living and working on Orkney, where the Neolithic sites of early inhabitants will become the setting for multiple murders. I visited these same sites--Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, the Standing Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe--while visiting the Scottish Isles 19 months ago. Revisiting them in The Killing Stones added a personal connection to this Jimmy Perez novel and made this crime mystery even more dynamic.

In The Killing Stones, Cleeves pulls readers into the story immediately, with the murder of Jimmy's best friend. As Jimmy and his wife and boss, Willow, begin working to solve this murder, readers get to know more about Orkney and other nearby islands in this chain, where the wind blows and the cold rain helps to set a vivid landscape. Cleeves' writing has a depth of plot that makes it easy to draw readers into the story. Her descriptions of the settings transports readers into these ancient Neolithic sites. and readers become characters, rather than simply observers in Cleeves' novels. The many red herrings provide readers with enough suspects and motives that when the crimes are solved, readers will be surprised at the final dénouement.

I absolutely do recommend The Killing Stones. This is a novel that does not disappoint. Thank you to Minotaur / St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read and review in exchange for my honest review. Readers should take the time to explore the photos and locations in The Killing Stones. Doing so will add even more enjoyment while reading this ninth novel in the Jimmy Perez series. The comments above reflect my honest appreciation for this new Jimmy Perez novel.

5 stars

I love Ann Cleeves. I love her various series, especially the Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez (formerly known as Shetland--but Jimmy has moved to the Orkney islands with his growing family. Followers of this series will remember that Willow is also Jimmy's supervisor.

Jimmy is still sensitive and intense but finally seems to have left his depression behind. That is, other than his devastation when a very dear, very old friend, Archie, is murdered, struck down with an ancient rune. Jimmy has to track down the killer from a limited pool of suspect in the midst of freezing weather isolating the island as Christmas approaches.

Despite her pregnancy (she's already on maternity leave and close to her delivery date) Willow jumps in to help Jimmy who is too close to the people involved to remain objective. He grow up with Archie, a wild, mercurial character who was like a brother to Jimmy.

Like any good mystery, there are a good number of suspects. His wife--who suspects Archie's fidelity? The island artist, a stranger to the community rumored to have a less-than-platonic relationship with Archie? Someone involved with the archeology center who had access to the stones?

Cleeves is expert at pacing and I didn't experience a dull moment. This a stellar entry in the Cleeves' œuvre--great characters (all of whom I found interesting), interesting plot, The Killing Stones is suspenseful -- at the same time, Cleeves creates a place I wanted to be in and people I wanted to be with.

Ann Cleeves continues to deliver. The Killing Stones is a wonderful book which made me want to reread all the Jimmy Perez books. And I've already started her Inspector Ramsey series.

Thanks to Minotour Books at St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for providing me with this advance copy of the book.

The Killing Stones is scheduled to be released on September 30, 2025.

Ann Cleeves is my all time favorite authors and I was so excited when I received this book. As usual, she did not disappoint. Her books are atmospheric and moody, and the mystery is always so well planned out. I enjoy coming back and spending time with her characters time and again.