Thin Air

A Shetland Mystery

By: Ann Cleeves

Narrated by: Kenny Blyth

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

Ann Cleeves is back with the sixth book in her Shetland series featuring Inspector Jimmy Perez, whom listeners will remember from Raven Black, White Nights, Red Bones, Blue Lightning, and Dead Water.

A group of old university friends leave the bright lights of London and travel to Shetland to celebrate the marriage of one of their friends. But one of them, Eleanor, disappears - apparently into thin air. It's midsummer, a time of light nights and unexpected mists. And then Eleanor's body is discovered lying in a small loch close to the cliff edge.

Detectives Jimmy Perez and Willow Reeves are dispatched to investigate. Before she went missing, Eleanor claimed to have seen the ghost of a local child who drowned in the 1920s. Her interest in the ghost had seemed unhealthy - obsessive, even - to her friends: an indication of a troubled mind. But Jimmy and Willow are convinced that there is more to Eleanor's death than they first thought. Is there a secret that lies behind the myth? One so shocking that someone would kill - many years later - to protect it?

Ann Cleeves' striking new novel is a quintessential whodunit with surprises at every turn.

©2014 Ann Cleeves (P)2014 Isis Publishing Ltd

Best in the series.

What did you love best about Thin Air?

The descriptions of life on the Shetland Islands and the wonderful voice of the narrator.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was engaging, but to be honest, I listened more for the back stories than the plot.

Which character – as performed by Kenny Blyth – was your favorite?

Probably Jimmy Perez, but I also found Willow very interesting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, absolutely. It ended too quickly for me, again, in part because of the great narrator.

Any additional comments?

I can't praise Kenny Blyth enough!

TECH ALERT!

IF YOU LIKE YOUR AUDIO BOOKS TO BE WITHOUT MAJOR FLAWS, SKIP THIS TITLE UNTIL IT IS REDONE.

WHERE OH WHERE ARE THE QUALITY ASSURANCE STAFF? WHO IS THE PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING AN AUDIO BOOK SO THAT IT IS A PLEASANT WAY TO "READ" AN AUTHOR'S WORK?

THE FIRST TIME I LISTENED TO THIS BOOK AND HIT ON THE LONG WEIRD GAPS--LIKE SOMEONE WENT OUT FOR A POTTY BREAK OR HAM SANDWICH AND LEFT THE "TAPE" RUNNING SO ALL THIS DEAD SILENCE FILLS THE AIR, I THOUGHT, "WELL, I'VE HAD WORSE BOOKS. AT LEAST THE NARRATOR IS GOOD ENOUGH EVEN THOUGH HE TENDS TO SWALLOW WORDS . AND THEN I WONDERED IF THAT ASPECT WAS BECAUSE HE WAS TRYING TO IMITATE THE PARTICULAR ACCENT OF THE SHETLAND ISLANDS OR WAS IT PART OF THE TECHNICAL RECORING.

SINCE IT HAPPENS WITH THE BRITS WHO ARE ON HOLIDAY, TOO, I SHALL LAY THE BLAME AT BOTH.

SOMEONE NEEDS TO POST A SIGN AT THE RECORDING STUDIO THAT READS: REMEMBER, THE LISTENER HAS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. NO SUBTITLES IN AN AUDIO BOOK. TOSS OUT THE ACCENT AND SPEAK THE WORDS OF THE WRITER.

CREDIT YOUR LISTENER WITH THE SENSE TO KNOW WHO AND WHAT A SCOTS SOUNDS LIKE. ATER ALL, IF YOU WERE READING DONNA LEON'S BOOKS YOU WOULDN'T READ THEM IN VENITIAN OR ITALIAN. THIS "OH I MUST DO AN ACCENT" HAS RUINED MANY A GREAT WORK. I THINK OF JULIA SPENCER FLEMING AS JUST ONE. AND AS SOME REVIEWERS HAVE STATED---LEARN THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION OF THE TOWN. IF THE NAME HAS A LOCAL RENDERING VS WHAT OUT-OF-TOWNERS THINK THE TOWN'S NAME SOUNDS LIKE GUESS WHICH ONE YOU AS NARRATOR SOULD USE?

I LISTEN TO FLO GIBSON READING JANE AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND HEAR ONLY ONE MISTAKE WHEREAS A SHORTER CONTEMPORARY NOVEL IS JUST LOADED WITH ERRORS---I WANT TO SCREAM --- IT IS THE EQUIVELENT OF CHALK SQUEEKING ON A BLACKBOARD OVER AND OVER. ----DO YOUNGUNS UNDERSTAND THAT METAPHOR? OK, TRY THIS. YOU WANT YOUR CAR TO RUN SMOOTHLY. WELL, I WANT MY AUDIO BOOKS TO RUN SMOOTHLY, TOO. THEN I COULD REVIEW THE BOOK AND NOT FOCUS ON THE INEPT PRODUCTION OF IT.

IF THIS BOOK DIDN'T HAVE TECH FLAWS I WOULD HAVE GIVEN IT 4 STARS OVERALL. 3 STARS PERFORMANCE. & 4 1/2 STARS FOR STORY. THIS IS WHY TECH KILLS BEFORE HARD OR PAPERBACK.EVER WILL.

LET'S THANK ALL THOSE TECHS WHO DO A FANTASTIC JOB.

SLOPPY TECHS---FIND ANOTHER PROFESSION OR GO BACK TO SCHOOL. DON'T RUIN A BOOK'S PROFIT AND AUTHOR'S CAREER WITH ANY MORE LOUSY GAPS, GLITCHES, SWALLOWS, INCOMPREHENSIBLE WORDS AND SENTENCES OR OTHER WEIRDNESS.

I HAVE BEEN THRU THIS BOOK IN STAGES, A COUPLE OF TIMES. THIS IS A WONDERFUL PLOT, I LIKE JIMMY PEREZ AND SANDY. WILLOW IS MEDIOCRE---PROBABLY BECAUSE HER SECTIONS WERE MANGLED MORE OFTEN THAN THE OTHER CHARACTERS. BUT HER RUMINATIONS AS RENDERED BY BLYTH COME OUT WEIRDLY. NOT BABYISH EXACTLY, BUT PRE-TEEN WITHOUT THE WHINE. ON THE CUSP OF FALLING INTO CARDBOARD-CHARACTER AND NOT THE BOSS.

SO, BIG QUESTION: IS THIS A PROBLEM THAT RESTS WITH THE ORIGIONAL RECORDING FOLK. OR IS THIS A PROBLEM WITH "THE CLOUD" TRANSMISSION? I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO FIND OUT. MAYBE IT IS TIME TO TOSS OUT PERFORMANCE AND COME UP WITH NARRATION AND PRODUCTION QUALITY BECAUSE I DO NOT LIKE INVESTING IN A BOOK ONLY TO HAVE IT BE FLAWED BY A BAD NARRATOR OR BY GAPS, LONG PAUSES, ETC.

NO ONE WOULD BUY A BOOK THAT HAD REDACTED SENTENCES COURSING THROUGHOUT.

IF YOU ARE A FAN OF ANN CLEEVES AND CAN OVERLOOK THE POOR QUALITY OF THE AUDIO, YOU WILL PROBABLY ENJOY THIS BOOK. OR, YOU MIGHT BEHAPPIER WITH THE HARDBACK/PAPERBACK VERSION

Good story- poor editing

Gaps and pauses. Unusual as it was happening in the middle of chapters. Very irritating.

weird pauses throughout

weird pauses throughout book...production could have been much improved. the book content was awesome but the pauses kinda ruined it for me

Best Shetland Mystery Yet

Ann Cleeves kept me guessing 'til the end. Jimmy is appealing, dark, quiet, brooding, yet vulnerable and kind. All characters were interesting. Narration was great.

Worst in the series

Didn’t care for this one. I get the impression the first four books were supposed to comprise the full series, and maybe Cleeves had to extend it because of the TV series? The plot is overly tortured and convoluted, and the ending goes on and on trying to explain how the murderer could be the person it was, given the motive was flimsy and the killings out of character. Even the interesting new detective, Willow Reeves, was given nothing to do but stare longingly and kick herself for not being a stronger woman. Blech. Bechdel test: Pass. Grade: B-

I thought I didn't like the new narrator as much as the one for the first four books, but he's grown on me. He's just as good and maybe better. Totally seamless to the narrative.

Suspenseful novel that gains power

When I started this book I enjoyed the exotic setting but found the story slow going. Before too long the characters took on lives, particularly the detectives. By them I was committed to the book and had to find out what happened...who did it! I was surprised at the ending!

Shetland Island Intrigue!

Another great Shetland Island mystery. Great characters and good plot. Ann Cleeves never disappoints! Anxiously waiting for next book!

Perfection

This book is absolutely fantastic. A creepy and atmospheric mystery, literally each and every single character is well developed and interesting. The mystery is truly a mystery until the very end and is not even a little predictable. I am in awe of such writing. The woman is gifted. The narrator is also wonderful, the perfect amount of accent, enunciates clearly, never mispronounces anything, and emotes well. This is a classic and beautiful mystery. I wish more authors wrote like this. The characters and location should always be so thoroughly developed. This is a brilliant combo of contemporary mystery with a sprinkle of ghost story/folklore as well as a beautiful location and character study. Perfection. Thank you Anne Cleeves.

Odd long pauses

Enjoyed this episode in the Shetland series but be aware there are frequent weirdly long pauses that don’t seem rooted in the text. Not enough to make un-listenable but enough to be somewhat annoying.

A good listen

Really enjoy this book , Kenny Blyth is a great reader for this series.
Although the I saw the series on t.v. The book is much better read

Great Listening

This story kept you guessing to the end. The description of both the island and people were really good but not overdone so as to loose the thread of the story. A good murder mystery.