The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves

A murder detective mystery set in Barnstaple, North Devon. A man (makes a change from a woman - good start) is found dead in an artists' community, killed by an unusual weapon. Already I like this. The victim is a popular doctor so the mystery is who would kill him and why.

The story opens from the perspective of one of the police detectives who ends up not being the central character. I found that to be a little odd. However, it is a well plotted book with interesting characters and I didn't guess which of these people was the killer.

It is a slowly paced read, in keeping with the rural feel of Devon, that makes the novel amble along in perfect harmony with the main character's staid personality. There are a number of current issues addressed so the book feels very modern in juxtaposition with the traditional farming lifestyle of the English county. Plenty of world-building for the new series, which I suspect will be very successful.

​The Heron's Cry is the second novel in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling series featuring detective Matthew Venn, from the creator of Vera and Shetland, Ann Cleeves.
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The Long Call and The Heron's Cry are part of Ann Cleeves' Two Rivers series and have been recently commissioned for ITV.

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Published by Pan Macmillan on 2 September 2021.
​Advance review copy supplied by the publisher.