Books Related To The The Two Rivers (Detective Matthew Venn) Series
The Two Rivers (Detective Matthew Venn) Books In Order
The Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves features Detective Matthew Venn and his team as they uncover crimes in their close-knit North Devon community. Cleeves introduces Venn as having grown up in the fictional town of Barnstaple, but becoming estranged from his deeply religious family. He is portrayed as a sensitive character who struggles to belong. Cleeves describes Venn as ‘by nature an outsider’ but seeking the same sense of justice and order he had growing up.
Anne, who grew up in North Devon, loves its complex locations, describing the region as having a mixture of cosiness and ruggedness that is reflected in the books. She writes the series as more of an ensemble piece, exploring themes of identity, belonging and community. Readers are already thoroughly absorbed with the residents of Barnstaple, and note that the new series has the author’s trademark attention to detail and multi-layered characters.
We recommend reading the Two Rivers series from the start to follow Venn’s personal growth and his relationships as they develop throughout the books. The series currently includes one short story, The Girls on the Shore (Book 2.5), which serves as a brief interlude between The Heron’s Cry (Book 2) and The Raging Storm (Book 3).
Anne, who grew up in North Devon, loves its complex locations, describing the region as having a mixture of cosiness and ruggedness that is reflected in the books. She writes the series as more of an ensemble piece, exploring themes of identity, belonging and community. Readers are already thoroughly absorbed with the residents of Barnstaple, and note that the new series has the author’s trademark attention to detail and multi-layered characters.
We recommend reading the Two Rivers series from the start to follow Venn’s personal growth and his relationships as they develop throughout the books. The series currently includes one short story, The Girls on the Shore (Book 2.5), which serves as a brief interlude between The Heron’s Cry (Book 2) and The Raging Storm (Book 3).