This is the second book in the author's 2 Rivers series and after enjoying the first I was looking forward to this. It was an easy and enjoyable read. I love Ann Cleeves style of writing which draws you into the characters lives in the same way as Susan Hill's Serailler series, Ruth Rendell's Wexford or indeed Cleeves own Shetland series. I enjoyed the North Devon setting and the character of DI Matthew Venn as well as the supporting characters such as his colleague Jen and his partner Jonathan. It was a gripping mystery that I'd highly recommend to lovers of crime fiction.
Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC.

If you are looking for a crime series that combines great characters and real mystery as well as atmospheric and vividly imagined setting then the Two Rivers series from Ann Cleeves is definitely one you should think about picking up. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, The Long Call, and although this is. far from the fast paced and darker side of crime fiction that I love, the characters and storyline kept me completely engaged and I quickly found myself settling into the slightly unexpected world of Matthew Venn and his team, based around the North Devon town of Barnstaple. Now anyone who has been there on holidays will probably think that the town and its residents can't possibly be harbouring many dark secrets, but you'd be wrong as Ann Cleeves has proven once again in The Heron's Cry.

This time around the team are called to the scene of a bloody murder, a man who has been dispatched shortly after telling DS Jen Rafferty that he would like to speak to her on a potentially business related matter. Always an ominous sign right at the start of a story, especially if said conversation cannot happen straight away. Whilst that got my spidey senses tingling straight away, what I wasn't expecting was the complex and emotionally driven investigation that DI Matthew Venn and his team find themselves caught up in. Once again, there are blurred lines between the professional and the personal as friendships, and indeed marriages, are put to the test as the Detectives strive to get to the bottom of the murder. The body count does increase and the case does become very complicated with a whole host of potential motives and suspects brought to the fore over the course of the book. The guilty party is hidden in plain sight, the truth of the story far more surprising than anyone expected, me included.

I really do like the little world that Ann Cleeves has built up in and around Barnstaple. The characters are a very varied team, from the stoic and level headed but delicately scarred Matthew Venn, to slightly more straight talking, single mother of two Jen Rafferty. Alongside them is the super ambitious and rather impatient Ross May, and whilst they may be as diverse a bunch as you could find, and perhaps not always working in complete harmony, they do fit together well, each one offering something that one of the others lacks. Yes, there are times where Ross can be frustrating, and sometimes Venn's inner demons threaten to derail his logic and his anxiety may surface, but it serves to make them all feel real, human, and I really have grown to like them very quickly.

As for the setting, whilst the author may have taken some liberties with the landscape surrounding the town, she has captured the essence of the area perfectly, a magic of blend of coastal, rural and urban geography that is typical of this part of Devon. She has chosen each location carefully, allowing for a certain amount of mystery and suspense as the remote nature of some of the scenes make the possibilities endless. You get a real sense of place and I could picture the scene perfectly. Pacing is pitched perfectly for this kind of story, emphasising the frustrations of the Detectives as well as the occasional urgency, but also reflecting the very sensitive nature of the investigation - all questions and very few answers. Bit then this isn't a story that should be rushed, part of the story set in the world of mental illness and depression, subjects which are handled carefully by the author, but in which the darker side of the matter is still explored.

Another excellent addition to the series and I really looked forward to reading more about Venn and the team. Definitely recommended.

Having read a considerable number of her books, I looked forward to reading The Heron’s Cry and found it yet another excellent read from Ann Cleeves and one with a nice twist in the tale.

Heron’s Cry is the second of the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves set in North Devon featuring Detective Matthew Venn. Reading this excellent second instalment ( and there are crossover characters from the first book) A sense of nostalgia took over- this is not to say the book is dated in any manner. Certainly, the committed crimes are by no means easy. But reading this book and the Vera and. Shetland series Ann Cleeves weaves echoes of Ruth Rendell ( the English queen of crimes during the 70s-90s) within her books. It is the attention to the everyday in people’s lives ;their relationships; their frailties ; their routines; their desires…that make this story and others so relatable ( not that we encounter crime and murders).Everyone has secrets and without the they are fully exposed. (Reminiscent of Inspector Wexford) Ann Cleeves has created a new vulnerable and sometimes personally isolated lead Detective but also the strong but equally vulnerable Jen Rafferty as his “ sidekick” and the idealistic and often naive DC Ross Pritchard. This story involves murder at a farm/ art workshops and twisted revenge when lives are knocked off course by past tragedies. Another winner and a tv production is in the making!

I have read and enjoyed many other books by Ann Cleeves in her Vera and Shetland series, but Matthew Venn was new to me.
This is the second book in this series, and while it displays the author’s usual skill in creating a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end, I found these detectives to be somewhat unlikeable, at times almost boring. They are very modern - for example, Venn is married to a man, but in my eyes these factors don’t really add anything to the story and just seem to be a case of diversity for its own sake.
The supporting characters/suspects are mostly interesting; they all live in the same small community which makes for great conflict and tension, and the ending is surprising. It’s a well-written crime novel, as you’d expect, but is just let down by slightly flat and boring protagonists who are not as interesting as Cleeves’ other detectives. I probably won’t be reading other books in this series but I am interested in seeing what the upcoming television version makes of them.

Heron’s Cry is the second book in this new Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves.. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed every page. I hope it runs for as long as her Shetland and Vera books. Set in the beautiful surroundings of North Devon and with a Matthew Venn as the main character, a policeman with a interesting and complicated background. Sadly having devoured this I now have a long wait for the next book!

Sgt Jen Rafferty is at her friend Cynthia's party, when Cynthia introduces her to Dr Nigel Yeo, who wanted to discuss something important with her. Trouble is, Jen was a bit the worse for wear, so Nigel asks for permission to get her number from Cynthia.

Next morning, Nigel is found by his daughter, murdered.

What did he urgently want to talk to Jen about?

DI Matthew Venn needs to find out - urgently. And this need becomes more pressing with the discovery of another body....

Brilliant

An excellent well-written book, believable storyline, full of twists and turns, good ending. Will be looking at the back catalogue.

The second in the DI Matthew Venn series sees him and his team investigating the murder of a man who himself had been making enquiries into the suicide of a young man. Plenty of suspects abound in the tightly knit community and as usual Ann Cleeves has the reader considering each of them as the potential killer.
The plot is quite interesting but Venn and his colleagues are not very likeable . They all have flawed characters to make them more believable but I find them rather one dimensional and boring. I love the ‘Vera’ and ‘Shetland’ series because of the characters but sadly Venn is not in the same league. This book isn’t a page turner: more of a plodder.

Having read everything Ann has written I felt sure this new book wouldn't disappoint and it doesn't. This is the sequel to The Long Call and is another clever crime revolving around suicide websites and failing health systems where the reader doesn't see the ending coming. Also, some more wonderful character development to the main detective and his cohorts.

The fabulous Ann Cleeves has done it again and delivered yet another masterpiece, proving she really is the UK queen of crime.
Matthew Venn is back with his team solving first one and then a series of murders or are they or some of the suicides. Matthew's sidekick Jen Rafferty is back along with Lucy Braddick. As always with Ann's characters there are sub-plots and personal issues just as there is in everyday life. These draw you in and engage you to the last page.
I'm not going to give you the plot lines as I don't want to spoil the book for you.
Read and enjoy.