This was such an enjoyable read. The writing style was the sort that pulls you in right from the beginning and completely immerses you in its world. The worldbuilding was truly incredible, and the plot was full of surprising twists. There were some really cool ideas in the story, like owning real animals being a sign of social status and controlling emotions by dialling a certain code into a device.

Atmospheric as all get out. Death on a small Shetland island: it's practically a locked-room mystery.

I really don't know what it is about Cleeves I like so much: the overthinking detective, the isolation but also the interdependence. There's just a mood to them that's quite pleasing. You know as the reader it's all going to come out in a big burst, and the tension is amazing.

Library copy