6th in Shetland series. Keeps you guessing until the very end. Publisher?s Weekly: In Cleeves?s exquisitely plotted sixth Shetland mystery (after 2013?s Dead Water), bridesmaid Eleanor Longstaff disappears during a wedding ceremony on the island. When she turns up dead in a shallow loch, Det. Insp. Willow Reeves and colleague Jimmy Perez investigate. The pair have difficulty establishing a motive for murder in the close-knit local community and among the university friends who make up the wedding party, but they soon discover that Eleanor was researching a ghost story for a TV show about Elizabeth Geldard, a young girl who died nearly a hundred years earlier but has been repeatedly spotted dancing on an island beach, in a white dress and ribbons. It becomes increasingly likely that Eleanor?s research led to her demise, and if Willow and Jimmy don?t find the killer, her death may not be the only one. Cleeves deftly explores the complicated personal relationships of the principal characters in this atmospheric installment. Agent: Sarah Menguc, Sarah Menguc Literary Agent (U.K.). (May)

(2015) Again, very good as Jimmy Perez teams up with Willow Reeves to solve the murder of an English TV producer who it turns out is killed by the mother of one of her cohorts. Publishers Weekly: In Cleeves's exquisitely plotted sixth Shetland mystery (after 2013's Dead Water), bridesmaid Eleanor Longstaff disappears during a wedding ceremony on the island. When she turns up dead in a shallow loch, Det. Insp. Willow Reeves and colleague Jimmy Perez investigate. The pair have difficulty establishing a motive for murder in the close-knit local community and among the university friends who make up the wedding party, but they soon discover that Eleanor was researching a ghost story for a TV show about Elizabeth Geldard, a young girl who died nearly a hundred years earlier but has been repeatedly spotted dancing on an island beach, in a white dress and ribbons. It becomes increasingly likely that Eleanor's research led to her demise, and if Willow and Jimmy don't find the killer, her death may not be the only one. Cleeves deftly explores the complicated personal relationships of the principal characters in this atmospheric installment.

The mystery plot was weaker than some others in this series, and I don't know how convincing I find the whodunnit, but it was a fun plot twist and I enjoyed the time spent getting to know the recurring characters as they evolved. I'm really cheering for Sandy as he matures and gains confidence.

Audiobook, borrowed from my public library. I'm still adjusting to the switch in narrators from the earlier books, but Kenny Blythe does a fine job with it. ( )

It's nice to know that Ann Cleeves can always be relied on for solid prose, fully realized characters, and beautifully evoked settings. This is the first installment in the series that didn't quite stick the landing for me -- learning the identity of the murderer didn't come with the satisfaction of tracing back through all the little breadcrumbs leading up to the big reveal because if they were any, they were sparse. However, the journey is as enjoyable as the destination with Cleeves, so I'd consider a small bump in what's otherwise been a lovely series. ( )

Shetland Book 6