What a fabulous book! As a fan of the tv series Shetland, I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Of course, now I must go back and read the Shetland books to fill in some of the gaps about Jimmy Perez’s life. The book is very atmospheric and I was fascinated by the island locales. There were many red herrings that made the book very suspenseful and interesting. I loved the characters and their relationships, and I look forward to the next installment as well as a tv version. Highly recommended!

I was delighted to see how Jimmy Perez continued to investigate, despite the significant change in his circumstances and residence. I missed his former team, but he continues to be the same painstaking, diligent investigator he always was on Shetland. There's still a sense of the Scottish islands and lore in this novel, with plenty of history, small-town gossip, and territorial protectiveness, as Perez must look into the murder of someone he knows and cares about. He struggles with knowing how to work with his wife, who's also his boss, and with managing an investigation professionally when it's so personal. But it's Christmas time and resources are slim. He rises to the occasion in his usual form. The story has twists and secrets, with a sense of the inevitable until the final reveal shows that it's not. I loved being back in Perez's world.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have quickly become a huge Ann Cleeves fan. Her writing is reminiscent of some of my other favorites- Louise Penny, Elly Griffiths and Paul Doiron. Anytime I get to pick up one of her books is a good time and The Killing Stones did not disappoint. I had not read any of the previous Shetland books prior to reading this, but did not feel confused as to what was going on. I plan to pick up the first in the series soon!
This was a very intriguing story that kept me constantly guessing on who the killer could be. Everyone seemed to have some kind of motive and I loved that the story kept my mind whirling. The setting in Orkney added to the intrigue and atmosphere. I would recommend this for anyone interested in an atmospheric mystery that will keep you guessing!

A very good who done it mystery by Ann Cleeves! This is the first book in the series that I have read, but it wasn’t difficult to patch together what has happened previously for the main sleuths, Willow and Jimmy. Jimmy’s best friend, Archie, is found dead with a large story stone covered in blood next to his body. While grieving his best friend, Jimmy sets out to find Archie’s killer. Along the way a couple of more characters meet their demise and eventually, via a couple of twists I did not see coming, Jimmy and Willow solve the case. I liked the family dynamic in this series, and found it to be well written.

This is the first book in this particular series that I have read. I’ve enjoyed other Ann Cleeves books so I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed! This was a fantastic, suspenseful book. It easily worked as a standalone. The story was interesting and the sense of place was enveloping. I want to visit the Orkneys now. And wow, what a cast of character. I didn’t see “whodunnit” coming. Well worth your time.

Jimmy Perez is back, but no longer on Shetland. He is with Willow who is expecting their second child and is his almost boss. When his best friend is missing, Jimmy is sent to Orkney to help search for him. Jimmy finds his murdered body and now has to walk the fine line between investigating officer and devastated friend. The story is good, full of well-rounded characters and the emotions involved in the murder. There are plenty of suspects, many unlikable characters. The problem is the solution is very abrupt and unexpected, in fact, too much so. There were no signs, no hints, no suspicions, not even much attention paid to the guilty party. Because of that, I took off a star on the review.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to SMP & NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hmmm, is it still the "Shetland" series if Jimmy Perez is now living on ... Orkney? Apparently so, and for a geography dimwit like me, I guess it hardly matters. We are treated to Cleeves' usual smorgasbord of description of the beautiful landscape, which is great, but her delineations of what island is where in relation to ... kind of leaves me confused (I must not be a good visual thinker). Anyway, I was brought up a bit short, as I had thought this series was dunzo, but now Jimmy is not only living on Orkney, but he has a new (sort of) boss, who is also his babymama, with a 4 year old and a new baby on the way! Evidently Cassie is OK with it, so I guess I am too. It *was* a bit jarring, though. Maybe this was discussed in a previous book and I just don't recall (CRS is not for the weak, kids!).

On to the mystery. Cleeves opts for a slow burn plot, which is maybe a little more on the slow side than I would like. It feels like there's a lot of repetition, a lot of traipsing around on foot and on ferries. Lots of missed connections with folks who could've easily (we see later) explained just what the hell is going on - but it's the week before Christmas, and there's a rugby-adjacent sporting event specific to Orkney that holds everyone in thrall, so everyone is busy, or keeping shtum. The bodies start to pile up, and then it's days before Christmas, then everything kind of happens at once. Whodunnit came straight out of left field for me (but I never really try very hard to guess).

I really enjoyed the earlier books in this series, and Jimmy is a good character, but I wouldn't mind that much if it HAD ended in 2018. Same with the Matthew Venn series. The real powerhouse for me is VERA, of course, and though these series are quite good, they cannot match that one. Still, reading an Ann Cleeves book is never time misspent, and though this one wasn't my favorite, I will likely continue the series. 3.5 star rounded up

Another excellent outing for Jimmy Perez, now living in Orkney with his new wife and small son. The symbolic killing stones of the title play a big part in the carefully constructed plot.

I'm a big fan of the TV series, and I didn't know that Jimmy had moved on after Shetland, so I was a bit surprised at the way his wife co-led the investigation-- but it's great to see a character move and grow.

Overall, a great read.

Jimmy Perez has left Shetland for a new home in Orkney, with his partner, Willow Reeve, and their growing family. Jimmy's oldest friend, Archie Stout, is discovered murdered on an archeological site. While investigating, two more murders take place. Will Jimmy and Willow be able to crack the case?
This is the first book I have read by this author. It's part of a series, but also worked as a stand alone. It definitely held my interest, and I was way off in my guess of whodunnit. Highly recommended.

It was so much fun to reconnect with Jimmy Perez and his partner Willow. Once Ann Cleaves wrote a spell binding mystery that will especially thrill history/archeology fans as it takes place on many famous sites on Orkney. Cleaves does not disappoint!

Jimmy Perez is back but this time, he's not on Shetland. That’s not a flaw in the writing; it’s part of what makes The Killing Stones so compelling. Set on Orkney, the story follows Jimmy as he’s pulled into a case involving the disappearance of a childhood friend. The mystery is well-plotted and satisfyingly complex, full of layered characters, buried secrets, and the windswept atmosphere Cleeves is known for.

It’s fascinating to see Jimmy outside his usual landscape. He’s a little more hesitant, a little more internal—but there's a tenderness to him now, shaped by the quiet domesticity of life with his young son and his partner, Willow, who is expecting their second child. Seeing Jimmy in this new light, as a family man, as someone trying to reconnect with his past while building a future, adds emotional depth to the suspense.

Whether or not Orkney can become as iconic a setting as Shetland remains to be seen, but Cleeves has laid a strong foundation. I’ll be watching closely to see where she takes Jimmy next. There just might be room in my heart for another remote, storm-battered island.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Jimmy Perez is now living and working and working in Orkney with Willow Reeve, his supervisor, and their son James. Life is good but on a night leading up to Christmas, it all changes. Jimmy and Willow and their team have a murder to solve, and the weather won't allow Glasgow to come and take charge. Step by step, they work to find out who did it, and to someone well known in the islands.
Jimmy Perez is back and hasn't lost his edge!

It's been a number of years since the last Jimmy Perez novel and I truly thought the series was done, so I was delighted to see there's a forthcoming ninth book! In this latest installment, the action has moved from the Shetland Islands to the Orkney Islands, closer to mainland Scotland but remote enough that Jimmy and his team are largely on their own when it comes to investigations. This time, the first victim is Jimmy's longtime friend Archie Stout, and the discovery of his body at an archaeological site suggests a motive related to the island's history. The murder investigation keeps you guessing and keeps the list of suspects long, but the real focus of the novel is the changing nature of life in an island community where everyone knows each other and where outsiders are suspect. It's an entertaining and propulsive tour of Jimmy Perez's new home and also serves as a satisfying update on his personal life with his new family.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing me with a digital ARC in return for an honest review. This book will be published September 30, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an Advance Review Copy in exchange for my honest opinion. As a longtime fan of Ann Cleeves’ Shetland and Vera series, I was delighted to see the return of Jimmy Perez in a fresh setting. It's one that explores not only a compelling new mystery but also his evolving family life with Willow, young James, and a baby on the way. The novel delivers a tightly woven plot with richly drawn characters, authentic stakes, and a fascinating glimpse into the island’s ancient past. The Killing Stones is a standout addition to Cleeves’ body of work. I think it's one of her finest.

It was so cozy to spend some time with Perez again even if it's outside Shetland. I fell in love with the TV shows Shetland and Vera during COVID and after exhausting all the old episodes it eventually dawned on my that I could read the Ann Cleves books! This one did not disappoint. It took me.about 30% through to get back in the groove of the vibe but once I was there, I couldn't stop reading to find out what happened. The writing was engrossing and the plot twists were twisting, all in an atmospheric cozy Scottish island vibe. If you like Ann Cleeves and have never read Louis Penny's Gamache books set in Canada, you would love those, too! I love getting wrapped in a book that's set in a different culture.

The Killing Stones is flat out brilliant! An intriguing series of murders set in historic Orkney, it draws the reader into the life of the islands. Very well.done, I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchanged for an honest review.

The Killing Stones is a classic “whodunit”. Archie, an islander, is found dead by his best friend and inspector Perez. Beside the body is an important stone, history to the town, and one of the two missing from the towns history center. From there Perez struggles to piece together what happened to his friend while trying to stay the course.

The book was full of people that seemed guilty. I was back and forth on who it could have been the whole book. So many islanders with intertwining motives. The book was solid up until the last 15%. The real killer came out of no where and for me personally spoiled the ending. It didn’t make real sense and made it feel like the ending to a completely different book. I truly enjoyed the history of the island and everything else up to that point though.

3.75 rounded up to 4!

The Killing Stones — Ann Cleeves

Moving Jimmy Perez from Shetland to Orkney, Ann Cleeves has given a new life to her likeable sleuth — now partnered with Willow, their young son James, and a baby on the way. Jimmy and Willow find themselves entangled in thicket of lies, false alliances, and murder wrapped into the Orkney tradition of a Christmas game called the “Ba’”. Personal loyalties and family ties pull at the pair as they unwind their way to the solution of the Killing Stones, a pair of stone tablets carved with historical but untranslated information about Orkney. An interesting and satisfying journey around another of the remotes areas of Scotland. (I received a copy of the ARC from the publisher.)

A long awaited return to the Shetland series that does not disappoint! Detective Jimmy Perez has resettled in Orkney with his partner (and boss) Willow and their family. When an old friend of Jimmy's is murdered, he and Willow must untangle complicated relationships to find the perpetrator.

As always, one of my favorite parts of any Ann Cleeves book is the setting. She does an absolutely incredible job of describing the Orkney Islands--I want to go there immediately! She also does her usual stellar job of presenting the reader with complex characters , and it's wonderful to see Jimmy in action again. I hope there are more Jimmy Perez books to come!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ann Cleves does it again. Great mystery. I had trouble figuring out who did it. Surprise ending. I really enjoyed reading this book and always like Ann Cleves.