Title:	The Herons Cry
	Author:	Ann Cleeves
	Published:	September 7, 2021, Minotaur Books
	No. of Pages:	400
	Cover Price:	$27.99 Hardcover, $14.99 Kindle

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The Detective Matthew Vann series is a fairly new series by bestselling author Ann Cleeves, and The Herons Cry is the second installment. Her novels are set in England, and this one in North Devonshire. Detective Matthew Venn is called to investigate a murder in a rural area where several artists, live in an artist community; Dr. Nigel Yeo’s body is discovered by his daughter, a glassblower, and he has been stabbed with a shard of glass from one of her pieces. No one can understand why Yeo is murdered: he is a well-liked upstanding citizen, with no known enemies. Then as the story continues, more murders are discovered, and new clues come to light. Matthew and the detectives who are assisting him, uncover a whole new set of people involved and new suspects that seem, at first, unconnected to these artists and Dr. Yeo.

Cleeves has become a favorite author over the last while due to her expert way of telling a story that keeps readers on the edge. The backdrop of the UK region is fascinating and adds some extra interest because it is so different from the US, especially to those who aren’t familiar with England. Cleeves is also a master of character development, and the characters in the novel are interesting and believable.

Venn is a new type of protagonist in that he is a gay man married to Jonathan who has ties to the artists and is able to assist with his husband’s investigation.

This is a series to watch; it will keep the interest of thriller aficionados and gain some new fans of Ann Cleeves. She is definitely an author that is becoming loved by everyone; her novels are excellent and a joy to read. The Herons Cry is definitely recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.