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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Moderate violence — a shooting; the investigation; some historical violence
Language
Barely any
Mild
Sexual Content
None
No sexual content
Substance Use
Barely any
Mild
Emotional Intensity
Some
The dual timeline — ancient bones and present murder; Whalsay's insular community; family secrets across generations
What this book is about
An archaeological dig on the Shetland island of Whalsay uncovers bones from the distant past. When Mima Wilson — an elderly local woman — is shot near the dig site, Jimmy Perez investigates two connected mysteries: the historical bones and Mima's murder. Red Bones is the third Shetland novel — Cleeves using the island's deep past to illuminate its present.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
A dual timeline — archaeological past and present murder
Whalsay island — even more remote than mainland Shetland
Family secrets across generations — the past has consequences
Third in the Shetland series
Reader Verification
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