The Killing Stones

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The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves sees the return of Detective Jimmy Perez, now settled into his new home in Orkney. The first in a new series. 

When a violent storm descends upon Orkney, the body of Archie Stout is left in its wake. An unusual murder weapon, a Neolithic stone bearing ancient inscriptions, is found discarded nearby. Archie was a popular, larger-than-life character, and his death is a shocking blow to the community.

Detective Jimmy Perez, no stranger to the complexity of human nature and the darkness it can harbour, is soon on the scene. He counted Archie as a childhood friend, so this case is more personal than most. Now living in Orkney with his partner, Willow, and their son, Perez is soon drawn into the lives of the islanders, many of whom hold secrets. Dark secrets, which could have led to the man’s murder.

Here, in these ancient lands where history runs deep, Perez must discern the truth from legend before a desperate killer strikes again . . .

"Like Rendell and James before her, like McDermid and Rankin today, Ann Cleeves is one of our secret chroniclers, charting – under cover of a series of expertly plotted and mesmerizing crime novels – how we live now" Mick Herron, bestselling author of Slow Horses