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In THE HERON'S CRY, Ann Cleeves' second novel featuring Detective Matthew Venn, the detective is called to the scene of a violent murder. The victim, Dr. Nigel Yeo, is the father of Eva, a glass artist. Eva's work involves creating beautiful objects from blown, colored glass and, quite horribly, the murder weapon is a shard of her glass.
Eva has a studio in a compound that has been given over to artists by Frank Ley, a wealthy landowner. Besides Eva, an eclectic artist named Wesley Curnow also resides there. Frank's house and the building where the artists live and work, as well as a farm, are all on Frank's property. The farmer and his wife, John and Sarah Grieve, live there too. Although Sarah is a relative of Frank's, all is not quite peaceful, as we learn there are issues with their work and the use of the land.
Matthew Venn, a former cleric who struggles with his own demons and is uneasy with everyday relationships, lives with his husband Jonathan. In attempting to solve this murder, Venn must question many people in the area and try to untangle webs of family relationships--although he is awkward in dealing with people. Jonathan, who is much more easy-going, is involved with the arts through a center he runs. He also knows many of the local people through this center.
Another detective, Jen Rafferty, works with Venn, and she is less shy in her dealings with people, unafraid to be brusque. Coincidentally, she had met Yeo at a party the night before he was murdered. He had sought her out for a particular reason, but this adds to the mystery as Jen was a little tipsy and he had put off the conversation.
We are introduced to a couple, George and Martha, who own a local pub, and had lost a son, Mack, to suicide. They had sued the health trust because they felt not enough had been done to address their son's mental issues before he killed himself. Perhaps a connection exists here with Dr. Yeo, the murder victim. Rather than continuing with his medical career in a big city, Dr. Yeo had taken a job as an advocate for patients at a local group called North Devon Patients Together. Was Yeo investigating something related to this suicide? Did someone encourage Mack to take his own life? Then more murders ensue, also with shards of the artist's glass.
As she has done in her other works, Ann Cleeves creates characters with depth and complexity. There are no obvious suspects in the murders, nor do the victims seem to have anything in common. Cleeves is brilliant, also, at describing the natural surroundings of her tale. The beauty of the countryside, its flora and fauna, creates atmosphere which sometimes works to enhance the action, as when Venn notices his surroundings. Sometimes the beauty of rural Devon is in sharp contrast to the difficult people and the horrific crimes.
THE HERON'S CRY is a welcome follow-up to Cleeves' previous Matthew Venn novel. We can look forward to further books about Venn's investigations as this new series has all the hallmarks of becoming a fan favorite.
§ Anne Corey is a writer, poet, teacher and botanical artist in New York's Hudson Valley.
Reviewed by Anne Corey, January 2022
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