Loved this book my first ever Ann Cleeves

A family move to a very insular island and this book portrays beautifully the difficulties that come with being outsiders

Lots of murder and bizarre hanging bodies this book has you keep turning the pages for more

Will definitely be buying Ann Cleeves books

Highly recommended

This is the eighth and final book in the Shetland series, and I enjoyed each and every moment of it! I love the Shetland tv series, so having the books as backup really made for some awesome reading. Recommended for anyone who loves a good read with lots of action and scenic views.

A very good read. Never tire of Ann Cleeves and the 'Shetland' stories. This was a book which keep me reading from beginning to end, what with dominating parents, an overbearing sibling, envy, lust and murders all to contend with . The twists kept coming and just when I thought I had worked the plot out things changed again. I believe that this is the end of the series and am sorry about that as I have enjoyed the realistic story lines and the ins and outs of island life.

I’ve read a couple of the Shetland series, but I don’t now know why I haven’t yet sought out all of them, because this (the eighth and final one!) was excellent. (I haven’t watched the TV series either, though I’m told by impeccable sources that it is also very good indeed.) Anyway if I had read them all I’d no doubt be devastated that this is the last, but as I’ve still got a number to go back to I don’t feel quite as bad, even if Wild Fire does end on a note which leaves you really wanting to know what’s going to happen next...

There’s plenty of character development here for the recurring characters - Shetland DI Jimmy Perez, his boss and occasional lover Willow Reeves, and to a lesser extent Jimmy’s colleague Sandy Wilson. They’re all great characters and far from your usual run of fictional detectives. (In fact I think Jimmy and Willow would come very high on any list of my favourite detectives which I might ever make.) Aside from their interesting personal lives there’s also an intriguing plot, largely surrounding two local families - the incoming Flemings, and local GP Robert Moncrieff and his wife Belle - plus their various children.

Not everyone welcomes the Flemings - or their autistic son Christopher - and creepy anonymous messages are one thing but murdering someone in their barn seems to be going a bit far. As Jimmy and Co. investigate, dark secrets will be uncovered, and ultimately cast light on the many ways in which man hands on misery to man, or indeed woman.

Ann Cleeves is of course excellent at depicting the Shetland setting and the characters therein. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It’s sad that this is the last in the series.... but at least there are still seven others to read or re-read.

"Hold your family close. Hold their secrets closer..."

'Wild Fire' is the eighth and final book in the international bestselling Shetland series featuring DI Jimmy Perez. Although it's preferable to have read the previous seven novels to understand the evolution of the characters and their lives, it does actually work as a standalone too. I am a huge Cleeves fan and love both her books and the TV series' that are adapted from said novels.

One of the aspects I absolutely adore here is the setting. Shetland is such a beautiful place, wild and sparse, green and remote, and Cleeves uses it as a character in itself. I certainly feel that if you know the landscapes of the islands off the coast of Scotland, you will love this series. Having holidayed on many of those islands, the descriptive prose took me back there. As an old school police procedural, the story features all of the elements I have come to expect from Ms Cleeves - well concealed killer(s), relationship/family dramas, exquisite prose and characterisation. The characters are relatable and realistic, but I was a little disappointed by the ending. There is little forensic evidence in the case, so the police have to work hard for little reward. Instead of the ubiquitous plot twists, the story relies on the slow unfurling of the case. Cleeves is an expert in crafting novels where the culprit is impossible to guess until the reveal arrives.

I am extremely sad that we will no longer be able to read about DI Jimmy Perez's adventures, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the journey towards the conclusion, I found myself deflated by the resolution. I feel it is very important to produce a spectacular climax to a novel, but especally when it is the last book in a fantastic series. I know I will miss Perez as will many other readers. I felt there was much more to come from him, and his story didn't feel like it had come to an end. All in all, exactly what we have to come to expect from Cleeves: a wonderful setting, a thrilling story, exceptionally drawn characters and atmosphere. No one evokes the landscape better! Goodbye Jimmy, you'll be a miss!

Many thanks to Macmillan for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Wild Fire is the eighth and final book in the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves. We rejoin Jimmy Perez just as Daniel and Helena Fleming relocate to Shetland from London in the hope of their autistic son Christopher finding some sort of acceptance within the smaller community. There is an undercurrent of resentment towards them though after the previous owner of their house hung himself in their barn shortly after their arrival. This escalates when Emma Shearer, nanny to the local GP is also found hanging in the same barn. Closer examination quickly rules out suicide and soon the rumours and accusations start to fly. Jimmy Perez however is off his game. Not only is Helena an old friend of his late fiancée Fran, perhaps clouding his judgement when it comes to her involvement in the crime but when Willow Reeves arrives to head up the investigation she brings with her a bombshell that will rock Jimmy’s world and force him to confront the guilt he has carried since Fran’s death.

I love this author’s work. Her books are so well written and her love of Shetland shines through in her descriptions of the islands. They are so vivid I can visualise the scenes in my head as they play out. The development of her characters throughout the series has left them so well rounded and believable that they’ve almost become real to this reader. The plot develops slowly perhaps because no one really knew who the first victim was or anything about her to give a motive as to who would have wanted her dead but ultimately everything is explained and at the end, once the killer is exposed you can look back and see how this came about, unlike some crime novels where you have to suspend believe in the outcome especially when the killer is an eleventh hour addition to the plot.

The only slight issue I have with Wild Fire is the ending. Yes, the killer is denounced and the crime solved but the situation with Jimmy is left quite vague but then again perhaps that’s just my preference for having a line drawn under things especially when it’s the end of a series.

I really loved the main characters and the brilliant plot. I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

This is the 8th and last book in the series so, if you haven't already, to get the best from the characters and their backstories, I would recommend you go back to the beginning and read in order.
In this book, we meet the Flemings who have recently moved to Shetland for a fresh start. Daniel is an architect and Helen a designer specialising in Shetland based knitwear patterns. They also have two children Ellie and Christopher. There's a bit of resentment to their presence, especially the way they bought their property due to the plummet in circumstance of the previous owner who subsequently hanged himself in their barn. Helen goes to DI Jimmy Perez as she has been receiving strange hangman notes and is worried. She hopes he will be sympathetic as she knew his late wife. She is also worried about her son Christopher who is autistic and has a bit of a fire fixation which doesn't help their inclusion in the community. Their lives are further unsettled when Christopher discovers the hanged body of their neighbour's nanny in the barn, suspecting foul play, Perez calls upon Chief Inspector Willow Reeves to come over from the mainland to help assist him with the case. But along with her comes news that will shock Perez and force him to rethink their relationship. Can he put his personal issues to one side in order to figure out what really happened and who could have done this thing that has rocked the close knit community?
I love these books, I'm a bit of a fan of Perez, both in the books and on the screen; even with the differences between them. I especially love the setting and the way the author really does bring it alive. In fact, every time I watch a new series or read the latest book, I go off searching for holiday ideas in that area! The stories she weaves around the characters and setting is also always really well crafted and executed and usually keep me guessing right up until the end. This book was no exception with Ms Cleeves giving up just enough to keep me interested but not so much as to allow me to get ahead of the police investigation. One thing I really do love about her books, and I include her Vera series in this, is the way she doesn't resort to some of the cheap tricks that other authors include to dupe readers. Instead she just crafts a solid story where you learn things at or about the same time as the investigators, allowing you as a reader to try and piece it together along with them. I find this very refreshing indeed.
Another thing I love about the author is the way she creates her characters. They always come across as real and totally believable, especially in the way that they develop through the storyline. It's almost like all she needs to do is wind them up, start them off and let them get on with themselves; it's that seamless.
As already mentioned, this is the last of the series and I am really going to miss Perez and Shetland. I can't help but wonder though, with Sandy coming along great guns with his part in this latest case, whether the author will go down the same route that Graham Hurley (and others) have done and bring him into the limelight in his own series. I'd love it if that did happen; I'm not really to cut all ties just yet. If not, I think I might go back and re-read the series to get my fix.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

In this the eighth and final book in the Shetland series we find DI Jimmy Perez once again looking into a case of murder.
Daniel Fleming , architect and Helena , knitwear designer together with their two children autistic son Christopher and daughter Ellie have recently moved to the island to start a new life in Deltaness.
Farmer Dennis Gears property became available following forclosure by the bank.The Flemings buy and Daniel sets about remodelling it. Shortly after completion of the main house Daniel discovers Dennis Gear hanging from a beam in one of the outbuildings.
Helena feeling shut out of the islanders community starts to receive small drawings of a hanged man.
What with Daniel suffering depression after his discovery and Christopher causing problems at school Helena turns to Jimmy Perez for help.
He promises to look into the matter but when the local Doctors nanny, Emma, is found hanging in the same spot as the farmer the investigation becomes more intense.
The crime team from Inverness are called in, enter Willow Reeves, Jimmy`s one time lover who on a personal level brings more complications.
This is a tale of petty jealousies obsessions and secrets. With very few clues and no forensic evidence to go on Jimmy and his team have their work cut out.
Eventually several suspects emerge in this well plotted police procedural.
A great cast of characters and a satisfying outcome to complete the tale, easy to recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

Ms Cleeves does it again! Another great story line, had no idea who committed the murders and why, totally baffled. Shame that this appears to be the last in the Shetland series, maybe Jimmy Perez will appear in a new series called ‘Orkney’

I loved this book. The setting is beautifully described and I could imagine all the characters both old and new. I have read all of this series and enjoyed them all. I hope that there is more Perez to come. I am sad to see the end of this series. I have considered it a pleasure to read every book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Welcome back to wild and wonderful Shetland. It's a place where you come for a change of pace, a change of life. It won't suit everybody. Knitwear designer Helena Fleming has moved there with her autistic son and heavily depressed husband. Not everyone has greeted them with open arms. They have made friends with the entitled Moncrieff family.
One day, the Moncrieff family nanny is found hanged in the Fleming's barn. It is not an accident, so enter the laconic detective Jimmy Perez. He must solve the murder whilst parenting six year old Cassie, and deal with the arrival of his erstwhile lover and superior officer Willow Reeves. Willow has come from the mainland with news for Jimmy.
This is a vividly realised world with a murder in a small traditional community. Ann Cleeves draws you in, and wrong foots you. I didn't see the killer coming at all. Wild Fire is sadly the last Shetland book, but there is always the equally good television version to make do with.

The last in Ann Cleeves fabulous Shetland series and I will definitely miss Jimmy Perez, I have loved these books and this one is no exception.
The Island setting is evocative and atmospheric, the characterisation is wonderful. The plot is tense and well thought out and the unfolding drama had me gripped from start to finish.
I really feel that Jimmy Perez has a lot more to give and can only hope that the author changes her mind and will continue his story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Th e final Shetland adventure for Jimmy Perez. As ever, nothing is straightforward on the islands.

Nanny Emma Shearer is found hanging at the scene of another hanging by an autistic child. The investigation uncover.s long-held resentment and abuse. And Jimmy has enough emotional baggage of his own to contend with

This is the last in the Ann Cleeves wonderful Shetland set series featuring DI Jimmy Perez. This is a shame because I have loved this series and this latest addition is brilliant. Helen, knitwear designer and her architect husband, Daniel, with their children, autistic Christopher, and Ellie, are recent incomers to the island, hoping for a fresh start from their busy London lives. However, in Deltaness, they have had the previous owner of Hesti, their home, hang himself in the barn and been greeted by hate, resentment and jealousy by the locals. Upon receiving anonymous notes with a hangman, Helen is unsettled, finding Deltaness claustrophobic and gossipy, while Christopher, who is mesmerised by fire, is shunned by fellow pupils and lives a largely solitary existence. It is Christopher who discovers the hanged body of the Moncrieff's nanny, Emma Shearer in the barn.

Chief Inspector Willow Reeves returns to Shetland with personal news for Perez which he handles rather badly, and despite the tensions that arise between them, they need to find a way of working together on the case. Emma had a traumatic history of family domestic violence that resulted in her father being imprisoned. At 17 years old, Emma is recommended to Dr Robert Moncrieff as a nanny, and ever since, she has helped in their home and looked after their four children through the years. With her retro 1950s elegant hand made dresses, she has caught the eyes of a number of men. The Moncrieffs and the Flemings are the main suspects in the wide ranging inquiry. The malicious and vindictive Margaret Riddell is one of the main sources of gossip and rumours in the community, a woman bursting with resentment and jealousy, antagonistic to the Flemings and the Moncrieffs, with a son, Magnie, who had been seeing Emma. The death of Emma is a tragedy that affects everyone who knew her, ensuring that they all become victims too.

Amidst the fabulous island location providing atmosphere and and an evocative background, Ann Cleeves writes a story of murders, dysfunctional families, abuse and the difficulties of being outsiders in closed and insular island communities riddled with rumour and gossip. Jimmy Perez is forced to question who he is as he is confronted by personal challenges that push him to reflect on what he wants out of life. It is the intelligent Willow who begins to put the picture together as to what happened to Emma. This is a great police procedural inhabited by a wonderful set of characters which I thoroughly enjoyed reading, albeit with some sadness that this is the last time I will encounter Jimmy Perez and the beauty of Shetland. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Panmacmillan for an ARC.

Loved this book. So atmospheric with the description of island life. Rugged beauty of the setting along with the difficulties faced by living in such a close knit community.
This is the last in the Shetland series however like many I feel Perez’ story could continue...
4.5 stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of Wild Fire, the eighth and final novel in the Shetland series featuring DI Jimmy Perez.

When Helena Fleming finds the body of her friend's nanny, Emma Shearer, hanging in her barn she wonders if her status as incomer has something to do with it because this is not the first hanging in her barn but when she learns of her husband Danny's obsession with Emma she wonders again. Jimmy Perez is certain Emma's been murdered so he calls in his boss, Willow Reeves, who flies over from Invernesx to take charge.

I thoroughly enjoyed Wild Fire which is a tense, claustrophobic read with a well concealed perpetrator and motive. With few clues and no forensics the investigation moves slowly but still makes for a fascinating read. I was hooked from start to finish on the hard won discoveries the team make and mesmerised by the unfolding human dramas it contains.

The murder takes place in the small community of Deltaness where there are few secrets and gossip is the chief occupation. I loved the contrast between the claustrophobia of the village and the wild, untamed landscape that Ms Cleeves describes so well. It seems like a metaphor for the wider novel. As a successful outsider Helena Fleming is the ideal character to expound on this insularity. Her uneasiness and frequent discomfort at not fitting in are palpable and I was very impressed at Ms Cleeves' ability to convey it. Of course she is not the only character to be explored and all of the characters are not only well drawn but easily recognisable as someone you might know. There is further drama in the on/off relationship between Jimmy and Willow and I have to say that she displays far more maturity than he does but both their reactions are nuanced and very understandable. It's great stuff.

I was marginally disappointed in the solution which is the least credible point in the novel but the journey to get there is excellent so I have no hesitation in recommending Wild Fire as a good read.

#WildFire #NetGalley I came to this book having not read the previous 7 books although I have watched Shetland the series which I loved. It is clear from this book that this author was part of the TV series because the quality of the content is superb. As I read the book I could see Jimmy Perez in my mind and although in the series he is not dark and Cassie is much older this did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying this book. Lots of action, plenty of twists and turns, a bit of relationship issues and a killer which I did not guess until it was actually revealed. A brilliant read, I am only sorry that this is supposedly the last in the series - I feel there is much more to come from Jimmy and to see how his relationship with Willow and Cassie plays out

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
I have always enjoyed reading Ann Cleeves books, whether the Shetland Island stories or Vera Stanhope series. This is book 8 in the Shetland Island stories and the last in the series. I was totally engrossed in the story of Wild Fire and appreciated the characters and the evocative scenery.
Highly recommended.

I read the first two Shetland novels but then stopped as I saw in a review that Fran, Jimmy Perez’s new partner, had died in a subsequent one and I didn’t want to read about this. But when I saw that this was the last in the series I decided to give it a go (many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copyJ. It showed me what I’d been missing.
The plot is engaging, the police procedure sound, and although there is only a small pool of suspects I didn’t get close to guessing the perpetrator. We get an insight into the pressures of living in a close, tiny community as well as some of the pleasures The personal relationships develop nicely too and I was left wanting to know more - perhaps we should start a campaign for Anne Cleves to write more. This has certainly inspired me to go back and read the novels I missed.