I really enjoyed the first book in this new series. The characters were complex and likable, and the plot had several interesting twists. I look forward to more books in this series. This is my honest review of an ARC I received on netgalley.

Ann Cleeves ended her Jimmy Perez series with Wild Fire last year, and I was sorry to see it go. Hopefully, her Vera Stanhope series will continue, but in addition, she has begun a new series featuring Detective Inspector Matthew Venn.

Cleeves' first new series in twenty years promises to be just as good as her other long-running series. DI Matthew Venn emerges as a unique character, and like Jimmy and Vera, he is an excellent detective.

Raised in a strict evangelical church, Venn left the church and his family when his doubts became too much. His rejection of their beliefs resulted in rejection by his family, but he still feels the tentacles of the church and his past.

He never expected to return to North Devon, but his husband Jonathan is committed to the community center he manages. His marriage to another man is an added black mark against him to the fundamentalist community in which he was raised.

The book opens with Matthew outside the church where his father's funeral is taking place; he knows his presence would not be appreciated. As he is leaving, he receives a call about a body on the beach.

A full complement of interesting characters and a complex plot that illustrates the destructive path a cover-up to protect a reputation can take.

An excellent beginning to Cleeves' new series!

Read in April; blog review scheduled for Aug. 18.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Police Procedural. Sept. 3, 2019. Print length: 384 pages.

4 stars

This is a great start to a new series by Ann Cleeves, creator of the Shetland and Inspector Vera books.

We meet Inspector Matthew Venn and his team, as well as his husband and a host of unusual characters.

A man is found stabbed to death on a beach. The man is found to have a somewhat mysterious background. Some say he is mentally ill, some say it has to do with his vehicular homicide/accident when he was driving drunk years earlier. He moves in with two young women, one of whom dislikes him thinking that other is blind to his less attractive qualities.

Matthew and his team investigate the case. This book follows the investigation closely and takes the reader into the intricacies and procedures involved in such an undertaking. There are the usual bumps and bruises along the way. The investigation turns up some of the inevitable secrets that everyone has to hide and some unsavory information about the art-based “daycare” center for those with learning disabilities as well as the general public.

The reader is treated to much information regarding the individual backstories of the major characters. This is a treat and doesn't at all detract from the story.

This book is very well written as are all of Ms. Cleeves' novels. It is written in a linear style so thaone event logically follows another. There are several layers ad subplots to this book. It was really intriguing. I really enjoy Ms. Cleeves' character descriptions. The people in her stories are so well described and fleshed out that one could almost believe that they are truly alive. Matthew is a very interesting person. I liked him and found his history particularly interesting.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Overall I enjoyed this book although I found it a bit slow in the beginning since the author had to introduce a new set of characters and a new setting. I enjoyed the police investigation and there was an good mix of different personalities.

Captivating and mysterious! Will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat!!


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This novel is the first book I’ve read by Ann Cleeves. It is apparently the first of a new series and features detective Matthew Venn, who has his own interesting back story. I found it to be a well written, carefully plotted mystery, populated by a very diverse set of characters. There is a fair amount of suspense but very little violence. The story moves along quite quickly and there is quite a lot going on, but it it is all very well tied together. I found it difficult to put the book down, and read it all in just two days. Highly recommended!

The beginning of a great new series. If you love Vera and Shetland you will love this one. New location, New characters. You can see this becoming a great series. Love this book!!

Good story line, solid characters. Slow paced, and what i believe to be purposeful formatting errors in the first line of each chapter. Those I found to be distracting from the enjoyment of the story.

Th is English mystery wasn't quite my cup of tea. A young girl appears to have developed a friendship with a man who rides her bus and always gets off at her stop. Is he grooming her for an inappropriate relationship or just a kindly sort with her best interests at heart?

The young woman is upset when her friend isn't on the bus one day. The reason why is even more upsetting.

I will heartily recommend to everyone. I have always been a fan of Cleeves, bother books, and the series, and this new character and launch, is another winner. Clever story, nuanced human characters, and a great end. It’s a grand slam for me.

We all suspected that Ann Cleeves was a genius at creating compelling characters and building a vivid world, as evidenced by her Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez series. The addition of Matthew Venn to her canon just makes it official. Venn is a strong foil to traditional British detectives; he exhibits a depth, tenderness and compassion that will endear him to readers immediately. This novel explores entitlement, power, leadership, and the strengths and failings of families within a wonderfully crafted plot. This novel will have you counting the days until you get to spend time with Venn again.

I read about 30% of this before losing interest. The story just didn't hold my attention, although it had a strong start.

Cleeve’s leaves her popular Vera series, at least temporarily, to introduce detective Matthew Venn. Venn returns home to North Devon to attend his father’s funeral, never intending to stay in the place he couldn’t wait to leave. But he’s called into action when a man’s body is washed up on a local beach, and it’s obvious this was no accident or suicide. Venn, at least for the time being, isn’t going anywhere. Cleeves is well known for her highly detailed, character driven stories. Less violence and more story for those of us who appreciate a literate mystery

This was a decent mystery and it did keep me guessing. I wish the character development and relationships had been a bit stronger, but hopefully those will develop in later books.