The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
norrieaga's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know...I enjoyed The Darkest Evening so much more. The characters in this series are not steeped in the same levels of soul as in Cleeves other two series. The land is not a character like it is in Shetland or Vera, it's not even much of a background compared to those series....however, I came to know both of those after multiple installations had been written and had already seen their respective Tv shows.
I can imagine that I will grow in fondness and familiarity with the places over time, but I really only liked one protagonist (Jen Rafterty).
I found some characters to be really flat, and I still don't quite see how one of the villains came to be villainous. Which is one of my least favorite ways to feel after reading the end of a mystery. It was decent, and I will read decent Ann Cleeves writing any day.
I can imagine that I will grow in fondness and familiarity with the places over time, but I really only liked one protagonist (Jen Rafterty).
I found some characters to be really flat, and I still don't quite see how one of the villains came to be villainous. Which is one of my least favorite ways to feel after reading the end of a mystery. It was decent, and I will read decent Ann Cleeves writing any day.
panamarenka's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition
5.0
“The Herons Cry" by Ann Cleeves the 2nd instalment in her Two Rivers Mystery Series. Which I’m super excited is being made into a tv series like her Shetland and Vera books.
I enjoyed going back to North Devon and the world of DI Mathew Venn, and his quirks but I liked how the author also let’s us see into the lives of the other characters just as much. We learned a lot more this time, and I liked how Lucy still played a part.
The story focused on mental illness, and the stress it can have on the NHS, family and the person suffering. The mystery had lots of sub plots that it kept me guessing till the very end.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have also pre-ordered hardcover copy for my home library
I enjoyed going back to North Devon and the world of DI Mathew Venn, and his quirks but I liked how the author also let’s us see into the lives of the other characters just as much. We learned a lot more this time, and I liked how Lucy still played a part.
The story focused on mental illness, and the stress it can have on the NHS, family and the person suffering. The mystery had lots of sub plots that it kept me guessing till the very end.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have also pre-ordered hardcover copy for my home library
and_britt's review against another edition
3.0
A constant change of events leads from one obstacle to the next. The way the characters intermingle and navigate their lives plays a vital role in the hopes of solving this complex mystery. The intricate details helps the reader better imagine themselves into the story to figure out what happened and who done it.
siobhanmcb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
musicalmuppet's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
annieb123's review against another edition
5.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Heron's Cry is the second Matthew Venn procedural murder mystery by Ann Cleeves. Due out 7th Sept 2021 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 384 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
This is another beautifully written mystery set in North Devon and featuring Detective Matthew Venn, a cerebral and solemnly intelligent investigator tasked with unraveling a bizarre and showy murder; a doctor administrator who turns up dead in his daughter's glassblowing studio stabbed with a piece of glass. The pacing of the investigation is unhurried and the characters built up so well and in such detail that they live and breathe. Even the secondary characters, Ross, the Mackenzie family, Lauren Miller and the others are carefully and completely delineated and distinct. I loved that one of my favourite characters from book 1 (Lucy Braddick) is included in this book as well. It really was a delight to read.
Although it's the second book in the series, it works very well as a standalone. This book is also quite intricately plotted, but there aren't any major spoilers if they're read out of order. The denouement and resolution were exciting and (for me at least) mostly unexpected. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out "whodunnit" and this time I missed almost completely. Well played, Ms. Cleeves.
The author does a good job of showing the frustrations and difficulties of dealing with acute mental illness and some of the constraints, both internal and external, of the NHS. Potentially triggering content includes suicide, suicide ideation, and failure of care. The language is rough in places (R-rated), and there are some blood/gore descriptions on page.
The audiobook is unabridged, has a run time of slightly over 10 hours, and is most expertly narrated by Jack Holden. He has a pleasantly nuanced voice and manages numerous characters with widely divergent accents (and ages, and both sexes) impressively well. One of the main characters is from Liverpool, the secondary characters are varied and have accents from Scotland to the Southwest and points in between, and he manages all of them with expertise and precision. Sound quality and production values are high.
Five stars for the book itself, five for the audiobook. Looking forward to what comes next.
The Heron's Cry is the second Matthew Venn procedural murder mystery by Ann Cleeves. Due out 7th Sept 2021 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 384 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
This is another beautifully written mystery set in North Devon and featuring Detective Matthew Venn, a cerebral and solemnly intelligent investigator tasked with unraveling a bizarre and showy murder; a doctor administrator who turns up dead in his daughter's glassblowing studio stabbed with a piece of glass. The pacing of the investigation is unhurried and the characters built up so well and in such detail that they live and breathe. Even the secondary characters, Ross, the Mackenzie family, Lauren Miller and the others are carefully and completely delineated and distinct. I loved that one of my favourite characters from book 1 (Lucy Braddick) is included in this book as well. It really was a delight to read.
Although it's the second book in the series, it works very well as a standalone. This book is also quite intricately plotted, but there aren't any major spoilers if they're read out of order. The denouement and resolution were exciting and (for me at least) mostly unexpected. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out "whodunnit" and this time I missed almost completely. Well played, Ms. Cleeves.
The author does a good job of showing the frustrations and difficulties of dealing with acute mental illness and some of the constraints, both internal and external, of the NHS. Potentially triggering content includes suicide, suicide ideation, and failure of care. The language is rough in places (R-rated), and there are some blood/gore descriptions on page.
The audiobook is unabridged, has a run time of slightly over 10 hours, and is most expertly narrated by Jack Holden. He has a pleasantly nuanced voice and manages numerous characters with widely divergent accents (and ages, and both sexes) impressively well. One of the main characters is from Liverpool, the secondary characters are varied and have accents from Scotland to the Southwest and points in between, and he manages all of them with expertise and precision. Sound quality and production values are high.
Five stars for the book itself, five for the audiobook. Looking forward to what comes next.
kellylayne's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
azwahine_reads's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25