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9 must-read books for Shetland fans

9 must-read books for Shetland fans

18 September 2026

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If you can’t get enough of beloved crime drama Shetland, we have just the thing for you: nine books that feature similar themes to the show. The following thrillers are about missing persons in a small town, stubborn detectives on a mission, and murders that link back to cold cases. They might not be the BBC drama, but they’re the next best thing.

The Blackbird by Tim Weaver

Missing persons investigator David Raker is used to solving impossible cases, and in The Blackbird he is presented with another: a couple is seen driving a car on CCTV. Moments later, their car plunged into a ravine and exploded – but when fire crews arrived, the vehicle was empty. So where could they have gone? Like in Shetland, this missing persons case takes surprising twists and turns.

Read an extract from Tim Weaver's The Missing Family here.

Pine by Francine Toon

Lauren and her father live alone in a remote community in the Highlands. When a woman stumbles out into the road in front of them, they take her in. But by the morning, she is gone. In a community full of unsolved mysteries – including the disappearance of Lauren’s own mother – this is hardly out of the ordinary. But when a local teenager goes missing, Lauren no longer knows who to trust. This small-town thriller has all of the tension of Shetland.

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Where better to start than with the book that inspired the series? The first two seasons of Shetland were based on Ann Cleeves’ books, and Raven Black is where we first meet Inspector Jimmy Perez. In Cleeves’ tale, a local teenager is strangled in the remote community, and suspicion falls on the lonely outcast who lives near where she was murdered. As Inspector Perez looks to widen the search for suspects, he meets with resistance – and must uncover Shetland’s long-held secrets.

Final Cut by S J Watson

Much like in Shetland, S J Watson’s novel Final Cut focuses on a cold case in a small town. The novel follows Alex, an ambitious documentary-maker, who arrives in Blackwood Bay to investigate a case of two local girls who have gone missing. But instead of a quaint community, she finds a rundown village that is haunted by tragedy. As Alex pushes on with her work, long-held secrets rise to the surface.

Close to Home by Cara Hunter

Eight-year-old Daisy was last seen in the garden of her family home. Nobody noticed her leave, and nobody has seen her since. But DS Adam Dawley is convinced someone knows more than they’re letting on – because when a child goes missing, it’s the culprit is usually close to home. This police procedural follows a team of believable coppers you’ll really root for, and looks at the impact of crime on a small community, making it perfect for fans of Shetland.

We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin

Ten years ago, teenage homecoming queen Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind. Her brother, Wyatt, was officially cleared of the crime, but the small Texas town has remained suspicious of him ever since. So, when Wyatt finds a clue that could help solve the mystery of what happened to his sister – and finally clear his name – he jumps at it. But he’s not the only one invested in the case: Odette Tucker, the town’s youngest police officer, is trying to solve this cold case for her own reasons.

The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill

When heavy rainfall hits the small town of Lafferton, a shallow grave is exposed – and with it, the skeleton of local girl Harriet Lowther, who was last seen 16 years ago. Detective Inspector Simon Serrailler sets out to investigate this cold case – and then another body shows up. This is the sixth book in the Simon Serrailler series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone novel, and the surprising twists and turns and connections between crimes make it a perfect read for Shetland fans.

Little Boy Blue by M J Arlidge

When Detective Inspector Helen Grace is called to a murder scene at a nightclub, she finds that she knows the victim: a man from the double life she keeps concealed from her superiors. Now, she must solve his murder – while keeping her own relationship with him hidden. And when a new victim is found, she’s in a race against time to find the killer.

She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge

In 1983, six teenagers went camping in the forest – but only five came out. The investigation into Aurora’s disappearance went cold until 30 years later, when her body was found in a secret hideaway known only to the group of teenagers. Now, it falls to DCI Jonah Sheens to figure out who murdered Aurora. This is a classic police procedural, so perfect for fans of Shetland.

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