Ann Cleeves is back with the second installment in her newest series set in North Devon, featuring Inspector Matthew Venn, Detective Sergeant Jen Rafferty, and their passive aggressive colleague, Ross May.

The first murder victim (of course there are multiple slayings) is Nigel Yeo, a doctor turned patient advocate with a watchdog nonprofit, North Devon Patients Together. Yeo was found stabbed with a piece of glass in his daughter’s glassblowing studio. Is the homicide connected to the case Yeo was working on – an investigation into whether a depressed young man was discharged prematurely, only to commit suicide a few days later?

Mental health issues are explored in this book as the detectives follow the clues: (1) the toll depression takes on family and friends as they try to keep a loved one safe; (2) creepy suicide chatrooms where vulnerable people find provocation rather than support. Along the way, we learn more of the police team’s individual back stories. As a bonus, a couple of characters from book 1, “The Long Call,” make cameo appearances. I look forward to spending more time solving crimes with the Devon detectives.

Ann Cleeve returns with the second installment of her Twin Rivers series featuring DI Matthew Venn whose complicated life story was first revealed in The Long Call. In that story we first meet Jonathan, Venn’s expansive artsy husband , single mother detective Jen and colleague Ross May who is zealous in demonstrating his talents as a detective sometimes to the detriment of personal relationships. North Devon with its sandy cliffs and the estuaries of the Taw and Torridge rivers empty into beaches that are home to many shore birds. In this windswept place DI Venn and his team are challenged to solve a bizarre string of murders involving members of a local arts colony. Cleeve successfully deepens the reader’s understanding about Matthew and Jonathan and we learn more in this novel about what seems to be driving Ross. Like her well loved Shetland novels , North Devon features as a character in the story. In the audio version of the story the excellent narrator uses subtle changes in dialect to represent a range of characters. The Heron’s Cry is as good or even better than the first book although it can be easily read on its own. Cleeve announced two years ago at a Sisters in Crime New England conference that the Twin Rivers stories had been optioned for television . This promises a long and happy life for future books in this sure to be popular series.

I have long loved the Vera series, and the Shetland TV series, so absolutely NO surprise that I love this new series from one of my fav authors! DI Venn is an interesting character- a man from a close knit religious community, whose adult live is the far opposite of how he was raised. In this book, his current case keeps coming too close to home, as it involves his husband's center, and the artists who work and congregate there. Add in a unexpected visit from his mother, and his character is any of us- trying to keep work and home life separate, while also needing all the help he can get to solve the case that blossoms from one murder to two. With red herrings and sleights of hand, Cleeves gives us an unexpected ending, that is perfect for the story, and that will win over new readers!

I do not even know how to write this review - I LOVE this series and Ann Cleeves is a genius. I am so glad I took a chance on the first book in this series and that that book led me to the Vera Stanhope and Shetland series'. I have had some of my best reading experiences at the hand of Ms. Cleeves and I am very grateful.

Matthew Venn is a really good MC - he is a good cop, who has to work against some pretty stupid [and money and power-hungry] upper-managment cops and that gets frustrating, but he handles it so well. He is flawed and so human that I almost wish he was a real person because he would have made a great friend BECAUSE of these qualities. He loves his job, even when it is tough and uncomfortable [and there is PLENTY of that in this book - WHOOSH] and does his job well. He treats his subordinates with respect [even when they annoy the crap out of him - I am looking at you Ross. WHAT a tool. Hmph], and demands respect back, but not in an in-you-face kind of way - people cannot help respect Matthew Venn because of who he just is. I love his relationship with his husband Jonathan and how real that relationship is as well - too often in books we get the "fairy-tale" of a relationship and it both isn't real or realistic and you are left feeling meh; that is not the case here. They have real life problems and I enjoy their dynamic as they work on their relationship all while doing their jobs to the best of their abilities.

This was a crazy story - one I cannot really review because SPOILERS. It is absolutely a story that you need to read and watch unfold with no preconceived notions. It absolutely needs to unfold organically and I am glad I didn't really read anything about the story. I can say that it deals with some serious mature matters and is at times, desperately sad, and there are points where you just want to weep for the people involved, including the primary characters. I have only twice figured out what was going on in an Ann Cleeves book [and one of them was a complete guess] and it didn't happen with this one. :-) I was going in a completely different direction and was GOBSMACKED at the reveal and ending. Even as I type this, I am shaking my head and taking deep breaths because I never, ever saw that coming. At. ALL. Which makes this an amazing read. Totally.

I cannot wait for the next one!!!

I was also able to receive the audiobook that goes with this book and all I can say is WOW! Jack Holden does an amazing job narrating this book and at no time was I ever irritated with his narration of the story or how he presented the characters [which if you know me and my pickiness with narrators know that this is the greatest praise I can give a narrator]. I will absolutely be looking for other things that he has narrated - very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Cleeves, Jack Holden, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Macmillian Audio for providing this ARC and Audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#2 in the series, Two Rivers
3.5 Stars
Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and Jenn Rafferty investigate a group of murders committed in an artsy community of North Devon. The community of Westacombe is owned by economist Frank Ley. His property has several tenants that are struggling artist, One of his tenants is a glassblower Eve Yoe and Wesley a furniture craftsman. Also a married couple Sarah and John, they manage a small dairy farm..
One evening Eve enters her studio and discovers her father Dr. Nigel Yoe has been murdered. The weapon is a shard of glass from a vase Eve had made.
Dr. Yoe worked for a patient advocacy group that was investigating a patient that had committed suicide. The family of this patient felt that their son was mentally ill and was let down by the health trust that oversees the North Devon hospital.
The police investigate the hospital employees, the health trust, the individuals living on the Westacombe property. When another person is found murdered by a shard of glass from a vase make by Eve Yoe. This is followed by a suicide. The investigation is difficult due to secrets and individuals withholding information.
The story pace was a bit slow, but we have several murders in the story and a interesting and surprising investigation. The list of possible suspect was a bit long, but it made the outcome unpredictable.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

It's June in North Devon and residents and vacationers are in the village visiting the shops and local artisan shops. Frank Ley is a local economist, who made a lot of money and wants to help others. He owns a large estate and rents rooms and cottages to local artists for a low rate. When one of the artists, glassblower, Eve Yeo finds her father, Dr. Nigel Yeo, dead in her studio she is stunned. To make matters worse, he was stabbed with a shard of glass from a vase she made. No one knows what could have happened, he had no enemies. This book showcases DS Jen Rafferty who was introduced to Dr. Nigel Yeo the previous evening. He was bothered by something, but they never met before he was found dead. DI Matthew Venn will be investigating, but it is complicated. When another craftsman is also killed in the same manner, it all points to Eve. Venn's husband, Jonathan, is the director of the community arts center and has connections to the dead men. The deaths are brutal and not at all in line with a community that treasures the arts. Can they solve these murders before anyone dies?

The Heron's Cry gives nothing away. As the investigation is conducted, Eve shares that her father works for an advocacy group that represents patients' interests. At the time of his death Nigel was helping a family whose teenage son had committed suicide. The Mackenzies feel their mentally ill boy was let down by the health trust that oversees North Devon hospitals, and Nigel was looking into the matter. Did this have anything to do with his murder? Ann Cleeves drops a few clues, but does not give away who the killer is. As the team investigates both of these mysteries, some disturbing information comes to light. Once again, I loved DS Rafferty's style and questioning techniques. She is once again able to get witnesses to share information that she puts together like a puzzle. As both storylines begin to converge upon one another, the suspense increases. This is not a fast paced crime read, it is more rooted in the characters, location and a community. The setting is perfect for a moody murder mystery. This is another well written, character driven, difficult to solve mystery. I had no idea who the murderer was, yet the ending tied up everything well. I am enjoying this series and am looking forward to seeing what is next for Matthew Venn and his team.

I was happy to receive this ARC copy of the newest novel by Ann Cleeves. This the second novel of the Two Rivers series and I was delighted to read a new adventure with Detective Venn.
The plot is quite complex like the first novel, and I really enjoyed reading it. It is not full of action novel, but I loved following the development of the investigation, how the different investigators contribute to solving the murders. And what a surprise ending!
I am looking forward to the next novel in this series. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARCin exchange for an honest review.

The Heron's Cry, the second book in the Two Rivers series, shines a spotlight on what Ann Cleeves does best: describe a landscape so well that we readers can place ourselves in it, create multi-faceted characters that feel like people we all know, and wrap it all up in a mystery that keeps us armchair sleuths guessing.

The mystery is centered on a group of craft workshops on the grounds of a big house called Westacombe which is owned by Frank Ley, a millionaire who likes to use his money to regenerate ailing villages and small businesses. Dr. Yeo, whose body was found in his daughter's workshop, was investigating allegations that the NHS was failing in its duty of care-- especially in regards to those suffering some form of mental illness. Cleeves shows us this heartbreaking situation through her characters. When budgets are cut, what can the NHS do? Should they continue to focus on those who are ill yet have family members who can support them? Or should they focus instead on those who have no support group at all? The money will only go so far.

The mystery keeps readers moving between the people in the Westacombe craft shops, Frank Ley, and the Woodyard, a collection of shops, a restaurant, and an adult care center overseen by Matthew Venn's husband, Jonathan. This keeps us armchair sleuths hopping, but it also made me want to go there and spend money in all those places. Cleeves has to be doing more than her fair share to promote a UK tourism boom.

As good as the mystery is and as palpable as the setting is, The Heron's Cry wouldn't be a winner without its cast. Matthew Venn is not your typical detective inspector. He listens a lot more than he talks, having found that silence is both ally and weapon. He also likes to show up early to get the room ready for a meeting and to get the coffee machine ready. With his dark suits, grey hair, and quiet demeanor, he reminds his husband Jonathan of a heron. Jonathan himself is very much a people person, and one of the delights of this series is watching how the relationship between the two men matures. I haven't even mentioned Jen and Ross, the prime movers on Venn's team. They're like chalk and cheese, and I like watching how each of them approaches an investigation.

Any Ann Cleeves fan is going to need very little (if any) prodding to read these Two Rivers mysteries. The author has already shown what she can do with her Shetland and Vera series. Matthew Venn is proving to be every bit as interesting as Jimmy Perez and Vera Stanhope, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does next. As for those of you who have yet to read a mystery written by Ann Cleeves, all I can say is that if you love atmospheric, character-driven mysteries, you have a feast ready and waiting for you. Dive right in.

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

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/09/03/the-herons-cry-by-ann-cleeves/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
&nbsp;

<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I was so happy to continue <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/256896-two-rivers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Two Rivers</strong></em></a> to see the characters and meet new ones.   The foundation of the series is the characters in the police department along with their family and friends.  The head of the team in Matthew, and his husband, Jonathon runs an art centre.   There's Jem who is a single parent of two teens.  There's Ross who is a favorite of Matthew's boss, and is bucking to move up, but needs more skills; he thinks he's better than he is.  Vicky does a lot of computer research and camera review work.

I enjoy the British terminology and idiosyncrasies.  There is also the attitudes with the fun way they speak.  The team is smart and uses good strategies to solve the murders but the pace of murders is too many too fast   Of course, not everyone tells the truth.  I also enjoy the setting descriptions of the towns, farms and land.

The world and characters are well developed and described.  I didn't guess the culprit even when both Matthew and one of the civilians had figured it out.  I don't really try though. I kind of hoped it was someone else I didn't like very much.  The deaths were such a tragedy for the families.

I appreciated the pace and layers within the story.  I definitely want to keep reading this series and this author.  Matthew had some growth in his personal life and I want to see how that goes in the future, too.

When Detective Sergeant Jen goes to her best mate's home for a party, Jen doesn't expect to attend the murder scene of one of the guests the next morning. Now Jen wishes that she didn't have so much to drink and paid more attention to the conversations. This is the start of another terrific mystery featuring detectives Matt, Jen, and Ross. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love how the book is told from multiple points of view and that we get glimpses of the personal lives of Matt, Jen, and Ross. Even though I read a lot of mysteries, I love that I didn't realize who the murderer was until it was revealed. There are a lot of red herrings and alternate ways of looking at the data. Ann Cleeves is now one of my favorite mystery writers.

THE HERON'S CRY by Ann Cleeves (The Darkest Evening) is another intriguing mystery, this one features Detective Matthew Venn and is set in rural North Devon. It is a bit dark, with multiple suicides and murders, but the suspense is maintained throughout this complicated plot and readers will likely be surprised at the outcome. Shockingly, Dr. Nigel Yeo is found stabbed to death with a piece of glass from his own adult daughter's art. Subsequent events add to an intricate web of connections and Venn and his team, impulsive Jen Rafferty and young Ross May, work together to establish motive and opportunity. As Cleeves notes, Venn appreciated speculation: "Our job is all about What If? No harm creating a number of scenarios and seeing if the facts fit. The danger comes when you twist the facts to fit the theory." THE HERON'S CRY received a starred review from Kirkus ("character-driven exploration of people's darkest flaws is a sterling example of Cleeves' formidable talents") and is likely to become an ITV TV series soon.

North Devon. Dr. Nigel Yeo is concerned, enough to want go to a party to speak to D.S. Jen Rafferty to arrange a meeting. But the next day he is found dead. But why and what connection is there to the next death.
D.I. Matthew Venn and his team investigate. References are made to the previous story but they do not interefere with the story.
An entertaining modern crime story, well-written with some interesting characters. A good addition to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm really enjoying this new series by Ann Cleeves (who can do no bad writing). Lovely part of UK, deals with some before now ignored aspects of life in mainstream lit. Thanks, looking forward to more!

The quiet ease of north Devon’s sultry summer is abruptly shattered one morning when Dr. Nigel Yeo is found dead in his daughter Eve’s art studio, stabbed to death with a shard from one of Eve’s blown glass works. Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is called in to investigate and finds few answers. Yeo was well-regarded by those who knew him, and he has no obvious enemies. But a not-so-chance encounter the night before his death and routine police work plunge Matthew and his team into a nest of deceit that threatens to unravel friendships and families. Matters only get worse when another body is found, killed in the same way with another one of Eve Yeo’s glass artworks. As the investigation grows ever closer to home, Venn must find the killer before they strike again.

The first novel of Ann Cleeves’s latest murder mystery series, The Long Call, introduced readers to DI Matthew Venn, a quiet, introspective, and anxious man whose recent marriage brought him home to North Devon where he’d grown up in a conservative religious community that cast him out at age nineteen after he declared that he’d lost his faith. Since then, Venn has laid some old ghosts to rest, while his mother has begun to accept that her only child is a gay man. Meanwhile, other characters’ live have continued with apparently little change, though this new investigation reveals cracks in the foundations. Jen worries that her son spends too much time online; Ross worries about a sudden distance between him and his wife. Venn’s husband Jonathan worries that his extroverted nature is driving a wedge between them. The other people in the story, be they witnesses or suspects, deal with the same issues. Issues that start small and then snowball into something that can destroy a life or a family.

With her straightforward prose and finely-honed observations of people under stress, Cleeves brings yet another community to life, filling it with a cast of characters who feel like they could live down the street, shop in the same shops, and have the same sorts of worries as any other person. It’s the quiet nature of these ordinary human dramas that makes Cleeves’s mysteries so compelling. While they lack the high drama of, say, a stylish Scandinavian noir or the high stakes of an American serial killer thriller, the Two Rivers novels serve to make our everyday encounters seem unnerving. Grand criminal conspiracies don’t often show up in the average person’s life, nor do sociopathic serial killers who employ intricate means of death. But who hasn’t imagined striking out at that aggravating person next door, or the one who’s always taking advantage of people in small ways, or a needy acquaintance who’s asked one favor too many? Who can say what circumstances will push an unassuming person to commit a horrible crime? Do we truly know our friends? Our families? What secrets do we keep from those closest to us?

The Heron’s Cry is a quiet novel that looks at what’s beneath the illusory calm people show the world. No one quite shows what they’re really feeling– to do so would break down the structure of their community. But what’s bubbling beneath that shiny surface leads to terrible things. It’s these little things, these subtle conflicts and anxieties that turn The Heron’s Cry into a page-turner. You want to find out what happens next, even if it doesn’t seem related to the investigation. Will Jonathan’s need to help people cause Matthew problems with the case? Why is Mel acting strangely around Ross? Will the summer heat cause tempers to fray, leading to even more violence?

The Long Call was a thoughtful and beautifully observed introduction to Matthew Venn and the community of characters Cleeves has built in her North Devon setting, and The Heron’s Cry is a worthy follow-up, building on the previous story while standing on its own, telling readers a compelling story that will leave them guessing until the final revelation, then make them wonder at their own lives and the secrets they keep.

-----

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this character-driven police procedural. The Heron's Cry introduced me to the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves. I now plan to read the Long Call ( book 1 in the series) to learn more about her engaging new characters. Set during the tourist season in the vividly described town of Noth Devon, we follow a complicated and perplexing murder mystery. The people who populate the story are multilayered with flaws and foibles but engage the readers' interest. Members of the local police department are so well-written that they come to life on the page.

Having enjoyed the author's Vera Stanhope and Shetland books and their TV adaptations, I was pleased to learn that Two Rivers will continue as a series with plans for television.

The conservative, introverted, introspective, and compassionate DI Matthew Venn has had a troubled history. He grew up in a strict fundamentalist religious family that conflicted with his sexual orientation and desire to work in law enforcement. He is now settling into a comfortable home life with his husband, the sociable, outgoing Jonathan, who gives him the emotional support he needs. This well-written, complicated, puzzling mystery moves at a slow pace as Venn, and his team, DS Jen Rafferty and DC Ross May must painstakingly unravel the connections and motivations of many suspects.

There has been a murder in a rural artist community. A wealthy finance expert, Frank Ley, provided inexpensive accommodation to artists and craftspeople on his estate. The victim, Dr. Nigel Yeo, was a well-liked advocate for patients' rights and was investigating the NHS. He had been troubled by suicide within health care facilities. Detective Rafferty met Dr. Yeo the night before at a party on the night before his death. He approached her to discuss a problem, but she had been drinking too much to pay close attention and postponed the conversation. He has been found murdered in his daughter's artist loft. His daughter, Eve, produced glass-blown crafts, and he was stabbed with a piece of glass from one of her vases. Eve was a friend of Venn's husband, Jonathan, who runs an artist cooperative and is also involved in Woodyard, a workplace for disabled people. There has been a second murder by the same method. The author builds suspense and invests the reader in their effort to solve the case, full of twists, red herrings, and dead ends.

Recommended for readers who enjoy and admire Ann Cleeve's past books and those who like to follow a slow-burn intricate investigation and mystery with well-developed, intriguing characters.

Terrific! DS Jen Rafferty doesn't know exactly why Dr. Nigel Yeo wanted to talk to her at the cocktail party but she's had a bit too much and never finds out. And then he's found murdered in his daughter Eve's glass blowing studio- with a shard of glass made by Eve in his neck. DI Matthew Venn has a twisty one on his hands here, especially when there's...wait- no spoilers! Cleeves excels at writing characters who you can see and relate to and this new series is no exception. Venn is rigid but thoughtful, his husband Jonathan emotional and intuitive. Frank Ley, who sold his holdings on the market before the crash, owns the property where Eve and Wesley have their studios and John and Sarah farm, is intriguing, Then there's the Mackenzie family, who lost a son to suicide, Those who read the first book will be pleased to see that Lucy is back and once again helpful. Don't worry if you didn't read that one. Although you missed a great read, this second in the series is entirely enjoyable as a standalone. Thanks to Nergalley for the ARC. I know she left clues along the way but I didn't see this one coming. I very much enjoyed it and am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

*4-4.5 stars.

This is book two in Ann Cleeves Two Rivers mystery series, a police procedural set in North Devon, England. The story kept me riveted and I devoured the book. It even interrupted my sleep as I tried to figure out whodunit! As one of the characters says: 'It's muddled. Too much going on. Too many connections. Too many motives.' It certainly keeps the reader guessing.

I enjoy Cleeves' writing, not only for the mystery itself, but how she gets into the heads of her characters. Very satisfying conclusion as the team wraps up the case. I'll look forward to reading more in this series to come.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity. Beautiful cover artwork!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The first book I read by Ann Cleeves was the first book in this series, The Lon Call I enjoyed that book tremendously - so much so that I immediately moved on to read all the books in the Vera Stanhope series. After that, I began reading the Shetland Island series.. Yep, in case you hadn't noticed, I've become a huge Ann Cleeves fan!

Imagine my delight when The Heron's Cry became available on Netgalley, and I was lucky enough to score a copy! And, it did not disappoint!

Once again, we have a mystery that's interesting, but even more significant for me, a group of interesting and well drawn characters. Cleeves has a gift for describing characters who win me over. Even the most sympathetic characters - particularly Matthew Venn and his husband Jonathan - have their flaws. In other words, they're human! We learn more about the other police officers, Ross and Jen - again, they have their flaws, but they are real people and we're learning a lot more about them.

The mystery itself is intriguing, but for me, the biggest attraction of the book is that it's a solid, character driven, story, and I couldn't put it down!

The Heron’s Cry is the second book in the Two Rivers series. I loved the first book and was excited to read this follow up book. I can say I wasn’t disappointed by this well-written book. Inspector Matthew Venn leads the investigation into an unexplained death of a man found by his daughter in a crafts workshop. The workshop is on the grounds of a large home owned by successful economist Frank Ley. As Venn and his team investigate, they find several unexpected connections between the characters.

In addition to the interesting plot, I enjoy the main characters a lot. I like reading about Matthew both on the job and at home with his husband Jonathan. Mathew’s team includes the likable Jen Rafferty, the unconventional mother of two teenagers, and Ross May who is efficient but often irritating. The story is told from several points of view including Matthew, Jonathan, Jen, and Ross which works well in getting to know the characters and following along with the investigation. I was surprised by the complex resolution to the murder and saddened by the bittersweet nature of much of the story. I am a fairly new reader of Ann Cleeves, but she has become one of my favorite writers. I would rate this book 4.5 stars.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Minotaur Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.