The heron's cry by Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves is well known for her Vera and Shetland series and TV shows. Her Two Rivers series featuring Matthew Venn and set in Devon, is also slated for a TV series, which is sure to make this series a best seller. Following The Long Call, Cleeves brings another absorbing and well written mystery for fans to enjoy. Matthew Venn is called out to a murder – Dr Nigel Yeo has been stabbed through the neck with a piece of his daughter’s glass artwork, in her studio. Then another murder follows, with a similar murder weapon, and the team must do some meticulous detective work to get to the totally unexpected (for me) name of the murderer.

It is easy to relate to all the characters who are fully developed. Venn is becoming more comfortable in his skin and is trying to give his best to his marriage, although keeping work and home life apart is proving difficult as Jonathan is friendly with the murder victim’s daughter, and the second murder takes place at the community centre that he runs. Venn’s offsiders, DS Jen Rafferty and the ambitious DC Ross May appear again as do some other characters from the first book, and each bring skills and insights to the story.

With themes of medical malpractice and suicide, atmospheric Devon countryside and interesting characters, this tense police procedural is sure to gain followers.

Themes: Murder, Suicide, Detectives.

Pat Pledger