Monday, September 06, 2021

The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves

 
First Line: Jen had drunk too much.
 
Dr. Nigel Yeo is a good man, a public servant, and beloved by his daughter. Who in the world would want to kill him and stage his body in his daughter's glassblowing studio in Westacombe in North Devon? That's up to Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and his team to find out.
 
It's a rare hot summer in North Devon, and tourists are flocking to the area to spend money and enjoy themselves. The last thing the locals need is a killer on the loose. When a second body turns up murdered in a similar way, there's no time to delay. Venn and his team need to hurry to wade through all the lies they're uncovering before the killer strikes again.
 
~
 
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.  

The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves
eISBN: 9781250204493
Minotaur Books © 2021
eBook, 384 pages
 
Police Procedural, #2 Two Rivers mystery
Rating: A
Source: Net Galley

14 comments:

  1. Oh, trust Cleeves to depict a setting so well, Cathy! I'll admit, I've not read all of her books, but what I have read really places me right there. And, yes, I think she does characters well, too. This Two Rivers series promises to be a very good one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it does. Cleeves is a birder, and I think that writers who have a keen interest in wildlife and the outdoors tend to be better at depicting their settings.

      Delete
  2. I do like the setting and the characters as well. This goes on my TBR

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get a chance to read and enjoy it, Mystica.

      Delete
  3. So glad that this new book is now available for us to read. I really liked the first book in the series and I'm on the hold list at two different libraries for this one. We'll see how fast those lists move. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is another author I really need to try someday. Which of her series do you like best?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am an unabashed Ann Cleeves fangirl, so asking me that question is almost like asking a mother to name her favorite child. I honestly love both her Shetland and her Vera Stanhope series (and this newest Two Rivers one is rapidly joining them), but since I met Vera first, I'll recommend her.

      Delete
  5. Vera and Shetland are also great TV series if you can get hold of them. I love the main character in Shetland and the actor is just right.
    And Brenda Blythen is fantastic as Vera Stanhope.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Douglas Henshaw has gotten a lot of flack from fans because he doesn't fit the description of Jimmy Perez in the books. In the books, Perez has black hair. If faced with a rude fan now, he either ignores them or is rude right back. What a silly thing to complain about, people!

      Both TV series are excellent, and they're making these Matthew Venn books into a TV series as well. I'm looking forward to watching it.

      Delete
    2. Gosh, don't people have better things to do than criticize an actor who does a great job on Shetland? So he doesn't have dark hair? Does that matter?
      I really like the series and him in it.
      This reminds me I have missed a season, I think.

      Delete
    3. It says something about a person (and not very complimentary) if their world is shaken to its foundation because an actor doesn't look exactly like his character is described in a book. As someone once said, "Don't sweat the small stuff!"

      Delete
  6. Cleeves just keeps coming up with great characters! I really liked this one, too. Matthew and friends are growing on me, and I expect that to continue. :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!