Should have seen the warnings signs: THE DYING LIGHT.

The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves


I adore the Matthew Venn / Two Rivers series for many reasons. One is the fact that Ann Cleeves excels at writing characters, writing people. She delves into the why: what makes people tick and work. Her books may not always be driven by constant action, but you keep reading as each page reveals more about our characters and what and why led them to be killed (or to kill).

And, Matthew Venn is one of my favorite detectives. I love his steady nature that also comes with a quiet, lingering insecurity, making him relatable and human. I love that he's not all ego and brash anger, like so many crime solvers, but intelligence and thoughtfulness. And I love the relationship between him and his husband Jonathan, which is portrayed honestly and lovingly.

This is an excellent mystery, which kept me guessing the entire time. We get a multi-POV story, including Matthew, his colleague Jen, and Catherine, a wealthy woman who has just lost her teenage daughter, Hannah, to an apparent murder. Both Hannah and her friend Lottie are found dead at the family's country home, and it's up to Matthew and team to determine why--with added pressure as Hannah's father is high up in politics.

There's a small cast of characters, and each is well-drawn, often with a potential motive. Cleeves does a good job of playing up the small-town versus big city rift and how it's affected locals in Devon. As with every Venn tale, there's so much more going on than "just the mystery," making it a complex, nuanced tale that will keep you flipping the pages. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in return for an unbiased review. Look for the U.S. version in September 2026!


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