The Heron's Cry: A Detective Matthew Venn Novel

Written by Ann Cleeves

Narrated by Jack Holden

New York Times bestseller Ann Cleeves returns with The Heron's Cry, the extraordinary follow-up to The Long Call, soon to be a major TV series, alongside her two hit TV shows Shetland and Vera.

“In Matthew Venn, Ann has created a complex, daring, subtle character.” —Louise Penny

"A complex mystery full of surprises . . . this character-driven exploration of people's darkest flaws is a sterling example of Cleeves' formidable talents." —Kirkus 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." —Audiofile

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 with a shard of one of his glassblower daughter's 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 soon finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home.

DI Matthew Venn returns in The Heron's Cry, in Ann Cleeves powerful next novel, proving once again that she is a master of her craft.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Sep 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781250818140

Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves is the author of more than thirty-five critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV’s Vera, BBC One’s Shetland and ITV's The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide. Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She is a member of ‘Murder Squad’, working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. Ann also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021 her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East. She lives in North Tyneside where the Vera books are set.

Reviews for The Heron's Cry

[Emily Lassiter Branch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I very much enjoyed the first book in Ann Cleeves' Two Rivers/Matthew Venn series, so was happy to see the next book come out. It did not disappoint. I love that the the primary recurring characters on the police force are all flawed characters with doubts and insecurities in both their professional and personal lives. They feel like real people rather than cardboard cutouts. The recurring supporting characters are also well-portrayed and it was nice to revisit them and see how their lives had progressed. Plotwise, once again the mystery was a good one and there were a number of interesting potential suspects. The narration of the audiobook by Jack Holden was excellent. Overall, very enjoyable and it's reminded me of what I thought when I finished the first one. I need to read more of Ann Cleeves!
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

[ladyanello · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent! Listened to it with hardly a break. Was iffy on the first of the series but not anymore.

[Amy Hagberg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ann Cleeves’ 30+ books have been translated into twenty languages. She is wildly popular in the UK and throughout Europe, and two of her book series have been made into multi-season television series, another into a movie. Somehow, I’d never heard of her.

I enjoyed The Heron’s Cry immensely. I wish I would have read the first book in the new Two Rivers series, The Long Call (now on my TBR list), but The Heron’s Cry was fine as a standalone. The characters were richly drawn, and the plot was twisty and suspenseful. 4 stars. For more reviews visit amyhagberg.com.