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pjgal22's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I enjoyed the pace of this one more than the first Matthew Venn mystery, perhaps because I listened rather than read. I like all of the characters and will continue with the series.
minniepauline's review
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
pilchardsmimi's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
siani's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
crazygoangirl's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I enjoyed Cleese’s’ Vera Stanhope and Shetland series, but her new Two Rivers series with detective Matthew Venn is not a favourite.
I read the first book in the series a few years ago and found its protagonist Matthew Venn rather too formal, self-contained and introverted for my liking. Reading the second book in the series, The Heron’s Cry, did nothing to change my mind. Matthew is still formal, bland and hung up on trivial details of police procedure. We are told he’s a good detective time and time again but I saw no sparks of genius in his investigative methods. Jen Rafferty and Ross May, who both work for him, were flawed and felt more authentic.
I listened to this in parts on Storytel and didn’t like the narrator at all! His voice was alright but his narrative style especially for Venn was very flat and tedious. It made me like Venn less than I could have. The plot wasn’t bad. A series of deaths occur in Venn’s precinct that seem tied up to a couple of suicides in the past. Nigel Yeo, head of an organisation looking into the workings of the NHS, is brutally killed with a shard of glass from his daughter’s vase. Matthew and his team must work hard and fast to find the motive and stop the killer.
Surprisingly, I felt Cleeves’ writing lacked atmosphere. I’ve never had that complaint with her other two series, but I missed the sweeping descriptions of weather and geography of North Devon. The series could have been located anywhere in the UK, and it wouldn’t have made a difference to me. I felt it lacked local colour and flavour. The plot was alright but the writing and characters were so lacklustre that I wasn’t invested in the story or the fate of the characters. It felt like Cleeves’ heart wasn’t in the story or in Venn.
Disappointing read from an author I have liked before. I don’t think I’ll be continuing this series. I’d rather re-read her Vera and Perez books.
I read the first book in the series a few years ago and found its protagonist Matthew Venn rather too formal, self-contained and introverted for my liking. Reading the second book in the series, The Heron’s Cry, did nothing to change my mind. Matthew is still formal, bland and hung up on trivial details of police procedure. We are told he’s a good detective time and time again but I saw no sparks of genius in his investigative methods. Jen Rafferty and Ross May, who both work for him, were flawed and felt more authentic.
I listened to this in parts on Storytel and didn’t like the narrator at all! His voice was alright but his narrative style especially for Venn was very flat and tedious. It made me like Venn less than I could have. The plot wasn’t bad. A series of deaths occur in Venn’s precinct that seem tied up to a couple of suicides in the past. Nigel Yeo, head of an organisation looking into the workings of the NHS, is brutally killed with a shard of glass from his daughter’s vase. Matthew and his team must work hard and fast to find the motive and stop the killer.
Surprisingly, I felt Cleeves’ writing lacked atmosphere. I’ve never had that complaint with her other two series, but I missed the sweeping descriptions of weather and geography of North Devon. The series could have been located anywhere in the UK, and it wouldn’t have made a difference to me. I felt it lacked local colour and flavour. The plot was alright but the writing and characters were so lacklustre that I wasn’t invested in the story or the fate of the characters. It felt like Cleeves’ heart wasn’t in the story or in Venn.
Disappointing read from an author I have liked before. I don’t think I’ll be continuing this series. I’d rather re-read her Vera and Perez books.
emreads8's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
erista's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0