Publication order
Publication order is the preferred first reading order because it preserves the sequence in which Perez’s relationships and changing circumstances are introduced, avoids relying on uncertain chronological placements, and places Shetland after the six novels it discusses. The trade-off is that it does not create the smoothest fictional timeline: Too Good To Be True portrays an earlier stage of Perez’s life than its publication position suggests, while the nonfiction Shetland interrupts the run of fictional investigations. Readers who value narrative chronology may therefore prefer to read in chronological order.[1-11]
Although the Shetland books do not need to be read in order,[1-11] readers will get more context and continuity by reading them in publication order,[12-24] by following this sequence:
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Raven Black | 2006[12] | Introduces Perez and the relationships that connect the later novels. |
| 2 |  |
White Nights | 2008[13] | Develops Perez and Fran’s relationship through a separate midsummer mystery. |
| 3 |  |
Red Bones | 2009[14-15] | Expands Sandy Wilson’s role through a case involving his family and home island. |
| 4 |  |
Blue Lightning | 2010[16] | Provides personal context for later novels and an additional Perez story. |
| 5 |  |
Dead Water | 2013[17] | Introduces Willow Reeves while developing the consequences of the Fair Isle investigation. |
| 6 |  |
Thin Air | 2014[18] | Reunites Perez and Willow for an investigation on Unst. |
| 7 |  |
Shetland | 2015[21] | Nonfiction companion discussing the islands and the first six novels. |
| 8 |  |
Too Good To Be True | 2016[22] | Companion story set after Blue Lightning. |
| 9 |  |
Cold Earth | 2016[19] | Returns to Ravenswick while advancing Perez and Willow’s personal connection. |
| 10 |  |
Wild Fire | 2018[20] | Brings ongoing personal choices to a turning point before Missing in the Snow. |
| 11 |  |
Missing in the Snow | 2023[23-24] | Companion story revisiting Perez’s life after Wild Fire. |
Chronological order
The chronological order keeps the fictional investigations closer to the stages of Perez’s personal life they portray, most notably by moving Too Good To Be True nearer to Blue Lightning. This can provide a smoother sense of character continuity.[1-11]
The trade-off is that the placement of Too Good To Be True before Dead Water is only provisional, while the nonfiction Shetland does not occupy a single point on the fictional timeline. It is therefore placed last as supplementary reading rather than assigned an artificial chronological position. Chronological reading offers a more continuous fictional sequence at the cost of departing from the order in which the books were introduced to readers.[1-11]
Alternatively, the Shetland books may be read in chronological order,[1-11] by following this sequence:
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Raven Black | 2006[12] | Establishes Perez’s connection with Fran before their relationship develops. |
| 2 | |
White Nights | 2008[13] | Develops that relationship during a separate midsummer investigation. |
| 3 | |
Red Bones | 2009[14-15] | Follows White Nights and precedes the Fair Isle visit. |
| 4 | |
Blue Lightning | 2010[16] | Precedes the personal circumstances depicted in Too Good To Be True and Dead Water. |
| 5 | |
Too Good To Be True | 2016[22] | Takes place after Blue Lightning. |
| 6 | |
Dead Water | 2013[17] | Set six months after Blue Lightning, with Perez beginning to resume police work. |
| 7 | |
Thin Air | 2014[18] | Continues Perez and Willow’s work together after Dead Water. |
| 8 | |
Cold Earth | 2016[19] | Advances their personal relationship before the developments in Wild Fire. |
| 9 | |
Wild Fire | 2018[20] | Establishes circumstances later revisited in Missing in the Snow. |
| 10 | |
Missing in the Snow | 2023[23-24] | Follows Wild Fire at a later stage of Perez’s life. |
|
Shetland | 2015[21] | Nonfiction companion with no fixed fictional chronology. |
Works in sequence
The eight main novels, from Raven Black through Wild Fire, form the principal reading path. The three companion books serve different roles: Too Good To Be True and Missing in the Snow add separate investigations, while Shetland supplies nonfiction background. None is needed to understand the novels’ central cases, though the two fictional companions benefit from being read alongside the appropriate stage of Perez’s personal story.[1-11]
1. Raven Black
Raven Black (2006)[12] follows Jimmy Perez’s investigation after a teenager is found dead in a snowy Shetland field. Suspicion falls on an isolated crofter whose connection to an earlier disappearance complicates the case.[1]
This novel introduces Perez’s position within the island community and establishes relationships with Fran and Duncan Hunter that recur throughout the series.[1]
2. White Nights
White Nights (2008)[13] begins with a stranger’s disruptive appearance at an art exhibition and the discovery of a body wearing a clown mask. Biddista’s artists, performers, and longstanding residents become the focus of a midsummer investigation.[2]
Alongside its separate mystery, this novel develops Perez and Fran’s relationship beyond their tentative connection in Raven Black.[2]
3. Red Bones
Red Bones (2009)[14-15] takes Perez to Whalsay after Sandy Wilson’s grandmother dies near an archaeological excavation. The inquiry draws together ancient remains, fishing wealth, and stories connected with the wartime Shetland Bus.[3]
By placing Sandy’s family at the center of the investigation, this novel expands his role and explores the pressures of policing his home community.[3]
4. Blue Lightning
Blue Lightning (2010)[16] brings Perez and Fran to Fair Isle, where a naturalist’s murder interrupts their visit. A storm isolates the island and forces Perez to investigate without his usual access to outside specialists.[4]
The Fair Isle case changes the direction of Perez’s personal story and provides context for his circumstances in later books.[4]
5. Dead Water
Dead Water (2013)[17] begins when a journalist’s body is discovered in a rowing boat, prompting questions about his return to Shetland. Willow Reeves leads the inquiry as Perez starts returning to work, with the islands’ changing energy industry among the leads.[5]
It develops the consequences of Blue Lightning and introduces Willow as a recurring character in Perez’s working and personal life.[5]
6. Thin Air
Thin Air (2014)[18] centers on a woman’s disappearance after a wedding celebration on Unst. A drowned child’s ghost, a documentary project, and tensions among visiting friends complicate the investigation.[6]
This case reunites Perez and Willow while continuing to explore how his police work fits around his responsibilities to Cassie.[6]
7. Shetland
Shetland (2015)[21] explores a year in the islands through landscape, wildlife, festivals, crafts, and personal recollections. The seasonal journey connects real places and local experiences with the first six novels and their television adaptations.[9]
This nonfiction companion adds context rather than advancing Perez’s story, with its discussion extending through Thin Air.[9]
8. Too Good To Be True
Too Good To Be True (2016)[22] sends Perez to the Scottish Borders after his former wife asks him to investigate a teacher’s apparent overdose. Rumors involving his former wife’s husband draw Perez into a village’s concealed relationships.[10]
This story expands Perez’s family history and takes place after Blue Lightning.[10]
9. Cold Earth
Cold Earth (2016)[19] begins when a landslide exposes a woman’s body beside a ruined croft. Establishing her identity leads Perez and Willow into hidden relationships and competing accounts of the past.[7]
The investigation returns to Ravenswick and advances their personal connection, carrying forward developments that shape Wild Fire.[7]
10. Wild Fire
Wild Fire (2018)[20] follows the discovery of a nanny’s body in a barn associated with an earlier death. Hostility toward a family of newcomers complicates an investigation involving bullying, secrecy, and failures of care.[8]
It brings Perez and Willow’s personal and professional choices to a turning point, establishing circumstances revisited in Missing in the Snow.[8]
11. Missing in the Snow
Missing in the Snow (2023)[23-24] returns Perez to Shetland to help Tosh investigate a writer’s disappearance shortly before Christmas. The missing man’s research into an old drowning gives the case a connection to Perez’s family.[11]
Set after Wild Fire, this additional investigation offers a later glimpse of Perez’s home and working life without continuing that novel’s murder case.[11]
References
- Raven Black. Minotaur Books. ISBN: 9780312359676.
- White Nights. Minotaur Books. ISBN: 9780312384425.
- Red Bones. Minotaur Books. ISBN: 9780312384432.
- Blue Lightning. Minotaur Books. ISBN: 9780312384449.
- Dead Water. Minotaur Books. ISBN: 9781250060952.
- Thin Air. Minotaur Books. ISBN: 9781250091079.
- Cold Earth. Minotaur Books. ISBN: 9781250182135.
- Wild Fire. Minotaur Books. ISBN: 9781250226235.
- Shetland. Macmillan UK. ISBN: 9781509809790.
- Too Good To Be True. J. Albert & Son. ISBN: 9781509806119.
- Missing in the Snow. Macmillan. ISBN: 9781761269455.
- Raven Black: The Shetland Series 1. Pan Macmillan Australia.
- White Nights: The Shetland Series 2. Pan Macmillan Australia.
- Red Bones, the third book in the Shetland Quartet. Ann Cleeves.
- Red bones. British Library.
- Blue Lightning: The Shetland Series 4. Pan Macmillan Australia.
- Dead Water by Ann Cleeves. Pan Macmillan.
- Thin Air by Ann Cleeves. Pan Macmillan.
- Cold Earth: The Shetland Series 7. Pan Macmillan Australia.
- Wild Fire: The Shetland Series 8. Pan Macmillan Australia.
- Shetland by Ann Cleeves. Pan Macmillan.
- Too Good To Be True by Ann Cleeves. Pan Macmillan.
- Missing in the Snow. Minotaur Books. Copyright page.
- Missing in the Snow: A Short Story. Pan Macmillan Australia.