The Heron's Cry: A Detective Matthew Venn Novel

Ann Cleeves

Sep 2021 · Matthew Venn series Book 2 · Sold by Minotaur Books

About this ebook

Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—returns with The Heron's Cry, the mesmerizing second book in the Matthew Venn series.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

“In Matthew Venn, Ann has created a complex, daring, subtle character.” —Louise Penny

"A complex mystery full of surprises . . . this character-driven exploration of people's darkest flaws is a sterling example of Cleeves' formidable talents." —Kirkus Reviews

North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder--Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed with a shard of one of his glassblower daughter's broken vases.

Dr. Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He's a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved, though, to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband.

Then another body is found--killed in a similar way. Matthew soon finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home.

DI Matthew Venn returns in The Heron's Cry, in Ann Cleeves powerful next novel, proving once again that she is a master of her craft.

Ratings and reviews

thriller, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, friendship, british-detective DI Matthew Venn is complex, often brooding and with a lot of personal baggage in a job that could break a less driven man. The diligence is good, the investigation is somewhat divergent, and there are more than enough twists and red herrings. All of the characters have depth and a sense of presence to them. Very well done. I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you

Second in this newest series and includes the familiar social instrospect of Ann Cleeves stories. As we move through the world of Inspector Matthew Venn, his foibles and expectations are addressed along with the lives and expectations of his team. Excellent read. Definite addition to your TBR list.

DI Venn Tackles Another Complex Case DS Jen Rafferty is asked to attend a party by a best friend. While there she talks to an older gentleman named Nigel Yeo. He asked if he could get her phone number from her friend and left. After that Jen figured that she had enough to drink, and decided to walk home. The next morning her sixteen-year-old daughter wakes her up and tells her that she left her phone down stairs and that Matthew Venn, her boss, has been calling her. Jen panics but realizes that it is Saturday, an off day. Matthew tells her that there is an unexplained death and needs her to join him and DC Ross May at the location. Upon her arrival she realizes that she was here the night before. The novel proceeds from here. As I implied in my review title, this investigation is complex. It starts with a murder. Two young men’s suicides are discovered that may or may not play a role in this investigation. The deaths do not stop there. The story is told primarily by three police characters, DI Venn, DS Rafferty, and PC Ross. Venn’s husband, Jonathan, narrates several chapters and a few by another character who seems to be in the middle of the action. Too many voices can lead to confusion, but in this novel for me was like when I starting to buy stereo vice mono records. These multiple views allowed me to have a broader and more detailed insight into the investigation that would have been possible by a single voice. Also, I, as the reader, was able to learn facts before DI Venn. Lastly, forensics was used, but didn’t contribute significantly. This investigation was solved with boots on the ground. For me, this main storyline is one of the richest and one of the most enjoyable that I have read. The B-storyline was most enjoyable for many of the same reasons that the main storyline was for me. Having the three main police characters plus Jonathan allowed the reader insight to these character’s family live and how they think and interact with the teammates. This is particularly true for Venn as Jonathan’s storyline thread gives a second view into Venn. Again, for me, this B-storyline as a whole is one of the richest and one of the most enjoyable that I have read. For me, there also is an observable C-storyline in this novel. The Venn character changes very fundamentally through his interactions with Jonathan and his mother. A little cherry on top in my enjoyment in reading this novel. For what some readers find objectionable, there are not any intimate scenes. All but one incident of violence is described in the less edgy after the fact. The one violent scene of is not very violent. There is some rude language, but at a very low level that it didn’t come near to raising a red flag for me. Most reader should be able to read this novel without any problems from these aspects. My main reason for liking this novel was despite the complexity and resulting slow progress, my interest was captured and maintained all the way to the end. I kept reading late into the night as this novel compelled me to continue reading. The worst thing I could find was that the use of British informal language. Since this is a British author writing a novel set in Britain, this should be expected and not a reason to affect my rating. Luckily, I was reading this novel on an e-reader with easy Internet access to find out the meaning of words that I did not know. Otherwise, this novel is an excellent read even if read before the first novel in the series. Based upon all of this, I rate this a very strong five stars. I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Minotaur Books. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

About the author

ANN CLEEVES is the multi-million copy bestselling author behind two hit television series—Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall, and Vera, starring Academy Award Nominee Brenda Blethyn—both of which are watched and loved in the United States.

Shetland and Vera are available on BritBox in the United States. An adaptation of The Long Call, the first book in her Matthew Venn series, premiered on BritBox in 2021.

The first Shetland novel, Raven Black, won the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel, and Ann was awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger in 2017. She lives in the United Kingdom.