The mystery novel universe holds many sub-genres, prominent among which is the police procedural. In these novels, the action unfolds with law enforcement officers identifying and then arresting the perpetrator(s) of a murder. Forensic experts will examine the crime scene, a pathologist will perform an autopsy, and a team of detectives will gather evidence and interrogate witnesses. I find that these novels can sometimes be dry reading as the case grinds on, with dead ends and incorrect investigative speculation. And the officers are restricted in their actions by the legal regulations governing their profession.
The best authors of police procedurals enliven their stories with (a) lush or (b) bleak settings, as well as with peeks into the private lives of the clever cops. Ann Cleeves excels at the police procedural, and two of her many British mystery series have become popular multi-episode television programs: The Shetland Series and The Vera Stanhope Series. A few months ago, I reviewed the first title in Cleeves’ Two River Series, starring Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. This series is set on the wild north coast of Devon, in southwest England, where two rivers flow into the Atlantic. Here’s a recap of my initial post, followed by additional reviews of the two subsequent titles in the series. To fully appreciate these mysteries, it’s helpful to read them in the order in which they were written.
The Long Call Ann Cleeves (2019) Matthew Venn has recently moved to Devon to take a new police job, but he’s conflicted about being back in the area where he grew up, in a strict fundamentalist Christian sect that he’s long been estranged from. When a man is found stabbed to death on a Devon beach, Matthew heads the investigation, following leads linked to an arts complex that also houses a day center for developmentally disabled adults. Complicating matters, Matthew’s husband founded and now runs this arts complex. The plot has plenty of twists, and all the detectives on the case come alive on the page. Matthew, in particular, will steal your heart with his sensitivity and kindness and inner brokenness. He’s also a damn fine investigator. (This is the only book in The Two River Series that has been brought to the screen so far, on BritBox.)
The Heron’s Cry Ann Cleeves (2021) The second entry in the Two Rivers Series takes readers once again to the coast of Devon, this time during an exceptionally hot summer. A respected physician is found dead, with a large shard of glass from a broken vase in his neck. The vase was made by his own daughter, who is a professional glassblower. Matthew Venn and his team follow the clues that, once again, swirl around the local artists’ community that Matthew’s husband, Jonathan, is part of. Cleeves excels in presenting her characters’ flaws in addition to their strengths, as they struggle with red herrings in the case. Themes here include revenge, depression, and childhood trauma.
The Raging Storm Ann Cleeves (2023) Jem Rosco is a local ne’er-do-well who made good in adulthood as a world-renowned sailor and explorer. He returns to the fictional rural town of Greystone, arousing much curiosity when he tells people at the pub that he’s waiting for a special visitor. A couple of weeks later, his body is found in a dinghy anchored off the Devon coast. The murder case has the investigating team interviewing dozens of residents, some of whom are members of the religious sect that Matthew Venn left decades previously. This novel gives readers further insights into the lives of detectives Jen Rafferty (divorced mother of two teens; sharp, intuitive) and Ross May (very devoted to his wife; smart but arrogant). Matthew’s husband, Jonathan, enters the narrative when he inadvertently helps the investigation. The blustery weather of autumn on the Devon coast features prominently in this third mystery of the Two Rivers Series, and the solution of the case really surprised me.