The Heron's Cry: A Detective Matthew Venn Novel (Matthew Venn series Book 2)

The Heron's Cry: A Detective Matthew Venn Novel (Matthew Venn series Book 2)

by Ann Cleeves

4.4 (22,460)

4.4 stars from 22,460 reviews. One of the highest rated Mystery Thriller books we track.

402 pages~6.7 hr readPublished by St. Martin's PressPublished 2021-01-01

$2.9980% off peak

Last checked: May 16, 2026

Price history: $2.99 $14.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • Louise Penny
  • Tana French
  • Donna Tartt

Fans of these books will like this...

  • Still Life
  • In the Dream House
  • The Secret History

Perfect for you if...

  • You appreciate detective fiction where the investigator's personal life becomes dangerously entangled with the case itself.
  • You love methodical, character-driven mysteries where small-town secrets unravel layer by layer.
  • You've watched Vera or Shetland and want more of Ann Cleeves' ability to build tension through quiet, unsettling detail.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You prefer fast-paced plots over slow-burn investigation and psychological complexity.
  • You want your crime fiction to be clear-cut and morally straightforward.
  • You need to read the first Matthew Venn book before diving in, and you'd rather start a series from the beginning.

About this book

The Heron's Cry is the second novel in Ann Cleeves' Matthew Venn series. Detective Matthew Venn is called to a rural crime scene in North Devon during a hot summer when tourists fill the coastline. At the home of a group of artists, he discovers an elaborately staged murder: Dr. Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed with a shard from one of his glassblower daughter's broken vases. Dr. Yeo appears to be an unlikely victim—a respected public servant beloved by his daughter. Matthew is troubled to learn that his daughter is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband. When a second body is discovered, killed in a similar manner, Matthew must navigate the lies within his community while investigating a case that strikes uncomfortably close to home.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$7.50$14.99Jan '21Jan '23May '26May '26
$2.99$14.99

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 80% off peak. Price has dropped 5 times over the last 5 years. Goes on sale roughly every 391 days. Typically stays discounted for 13 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#285#58,595#116,905Jan '21Jun '22Oct '23Apr '26

Currently around #13K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Sales have softened 136% recently.

Rating & Reviews

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3.5★4.3★5.0★May '23Sep '23Apr '24May '25RatingReviews

Currently 4.4★ from 22,460 reviews

Gaining approximately 216 new reviews per month. Reader interest is accelerating. Rating has remained stable at 4.4 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$7.50$14.99Jan '21Jan '23May '26May '26PredictedMay '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $14.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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