The Killing Stones: The Return of Jimmy Perez by Ann Cleeves. Jimmy Perez and Willow Reeves #1. Pan Macmillan | Macmillan, 2025.

The Killing Stones begins just before Christmas on Orkney, four years after Wild Fire, the 8th and last of the Shetland series. Cassie is fourteen, away on Shetland for the holidays, Jimmy and Willow’s son James is four, their next child is due in six weeks. The two detectives work out of the same Police Scotland station in Kirkwall, Orkney, and because of weather preventing travel from Glasgow, for the first time, together on this case. Jimmy is a Detective Inspector overseeing a small team of uniformed police. Willow is Chief Inspector, responsible for policing in the Scottish Islands.

Archie, one of Jimmy’s lifelong best friends, is found on Westray with his head bashed in. The weapon is beside him, a square stone with carved spirals and Norse writing – one of a pair from the local heritage centre. As several of Archie’s peccadillos come to light, Jimmy realizes some are familiar, his preference has been to overlook and excuse rather than see how they might add up and influence.

Readers of Ann Cleeves’ books who – like me – like to read UK crime fiction will recognize the quality of her writing. It stands out among police procedurals, and does in this newest book. The plot is woven from the intercomplexities of setting and characters. We come to know the victims, their friends and families, the investigators in depth as details of both their current situations and past experiences emerge. Once a string of likely suspects has been investigated then ruled out, the culprit emerges, and it all makes sense without being contrived.

At points in the book, comparisons are drawn between Orkney and Shetland islands, with Orkney seen as less bleak, less macho, gentler and more rounded, the feminine of the two. I found this Orkney story somewhat similar, it is mellower. While there is pressure to find the murderer quickly, travel between the islands takes time, allowing for more explanation of feelings.

,Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Killing Stones free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheKillingStones #NetGalley.