The Heron's Cry

Two Rivers, Book 2

By: Ann Cleeves

Narrated by: Jack Holden

Now a major ITV series, The Long Call, adapted for television by screenwriter Kelly Jones and starring Ben Aldridge.

The number one Sunday Times best-selling series featuring Detective Matthew Venn, from author and creator of the Vera and Shetland series, Ann Cleeves.

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. His daughter, Eve, is a glassblower, and the murder weapon is a shard of one of her 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 finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home....

The Heron's Cry is the second novel in Ann Cleeves’ Two Rivers crime series, following her Sunday Times best seller The Long Call.

©2021 Ann Cleeves (P)2021 Macmillan Publishers International Limited

Critic reviews

"Jack Holden demonstrates his full talents in this mystery, bringing the extensive cast of characters in this small and close-knit community in Devon to life with his strong narration. This is particularly apparent as he seamlessly moves between a variety of British regional accents in many of the dialogue scenes. Holden's characterisations of both the male and female characters are strong and he creates a likeable and believable pair in the DI and his husband. His spot-on timing helps keep the story moving towards its surprising end, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable listen." (AudioFile)

"Matthew Venn is a keeper...stunning." (David Baldacci)

Finely crafted story

Having heard An. c,elves talk about her latest book at a recent Literacy Festival , I was keen to learn more about her new detective Matthew Venn based in North Devon.
As always Ann describes the scene & setting so well that you can picture all the protagonists in the story & by using real places it is an added bonus if you know the area.
The story follows the characters introduced in The Long Call , also set in N Devon, they develop & the reader gets to know more about them.
The story itself was quite complicated with lots of peripheral characters &, as always with Ann Cleeves the final dénouement comes as a surprise but then, on reflection , the reader can see how the ground has been subtly laid to bring about this conclusion.
An excellent story which Ann told the festival participants had already been bought by a TV company , something to look forward to.