Ann Cleeves' Two Rivers book series in order
Discover our guide to all of the books so far in the Two Rivers series, including The Long Call (adapted for television by ITV) and latest release The Raging Storm.
Two Rivers is a crime fiction series from Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope books which both inspired hugely popular television adaptations. The Long Call, the first book in Ann’s Two River series, followed in the same footsteps, with ITV releasing an acclaimed four-part crime drama series of the same name, starring Ben Aldridge as DI Matthew Venn. Here are all the Two Rivers books in order.
Looking for more gripping reads? Don't miss our edit of the best new thriller books.
Ann Cleeves' Two Rivers series
Why read this: Set in North Devon, where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, Two Rivers is another atmospheric detective series with a real sense of place from Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope books. Two Rivers features Detective Matthew Venn. When Venn turned his back on the strict religious community he grew up in, he lost his family too. Now he’s back, with a case to solve.
If you’re looking for: rural mystery, atmospheric crime, small-town secrets, detective series, LGBTQI+ detective, police procedural.
Great for fans of: Vera Stanhope and the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths
What the experts think: 'Clever, compassionate and atmospheric, with a great cast of new characters to love.' – Elly Griffiths, author of The Frozen People. 'Matthew Venn is my new favorite detective.' Deborah Crombie, bestselling author of Garden of Lamentations.
Ann Cleeves’ Two River series books in order
The Long Call
by Ann Cleeves
Book one of the Two Rivers series
Detective Matthew Venn has returned to the area of North Devon where he grew up, and he’s ready to take on his first big case in the region. A man with an albatross tattoo on his neck has been found murdered; stabbed to death on a beach near Matthew's home. The Two Rivers region isn’t as idyllic as tourists might think, and his investigations will lead him back into the strict evangelical community he once left behind.
The Heron's Cry
by Ann Cleeves
Book two of the Two Rivers series
North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline, when Detective Matthew Venn is called to an elaborately staged murder – Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed. His daughter Eve is a glassblower, and the murder weapon is a shard of one of her broken vases. Dr Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim and Matthew is unnerved to find that Eve is a close friend of his husband, Jonathan. Then another body is found – killed in a similar way. Matthew finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home.
The Raging Storm
by Ann Cleeves
Book three of the Two Rivers series
When enigmatic sailor Jem Rosco arrives in Greystone, Devon, the town celebrates are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. But when he disappears and is later found dead during a storm, DI Matthew Venn faces an uncomfortable case. Having left the Barum Brethren community in Greystone, Venn's judgment is clouded by superstitions and rumors as another body is discovered in Scully Cove. Isolated by the storm, Venn and his team embark on a perilous investigation, unaware that their own lives may be at risk. This gripping mystery unfolds amidst the winds of uncertainty and danger in a remote coastal village.
