Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in Devon, England, this thoughtful series launch from bestseller Cleeves (the Vera Stanhope series) introduces Det. Insp. Matthew Venn, who spent his childhood among the Barum Brethren, a strict evangelical community led by the charismatic Dennis Salter. As a teenager, Matthew rejected the teachings of the community and was banished. Now in his late 30s, the tightly wound and reserved Matthew works in nearby Barnstable and is married to Jon, who runs a multi-use community arts center called Woodward. When a local man turns up stabbed to death on a beach near Matthew and Jon's house, the resulting investigation draws a few too many connections to Woodward--including that the victim volunteered there--and soon Matthew's past and present lives begin to collide. Cleeves makes good use of Devon local color and populates this subtle, expertly paced mystery with distinctive supporting characters. Hopefully, future installments will delve even further into the intriguing Barum Brethren. Agent: Sarah Menguc, Sarah Menguc Literary Agent (U.K.) (Sept.)
Booklist Review
The body on the beach in Devon was identified quickly as Simon Walden. He was staying rent-free at a home in the area, and he helped in the kitchen at the Woodyard Centre. Simple enough . . . just find out who blew his face away. But Detective Inspector Matthew Venn's investigation only reveals more mysteries. Turns out Walden wasn't a charity case but a respected chef who had run his own restaurant. And he'd just closed a real-estate deal that netted him a small fortune. He'd befriended a young woman with Down syndrome. He brought her candy. She perceived no threat. The case is personal for Venn, a gay man whose husband manages the Woodyard. Author Cleeves spends more than 200 pages setting this up, in prose as evocatively bleak as the Devon coast. Cleeves announces the plot's shift into high gear by revving the language: ""The clouds ripped apart to let through shafts of sunlight."" As usual with this talented author, the key is relationships, and the murder is an occasion to examine them and then, finally, to expose what rips them apart.--Don Crinklaw Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Cleeves's new series stars Matthew Venn, a British detective living near the sea in North Devon with his new husband and facing emotional demons from the past as well as physical ones in the present. When a dead man is found on the beach and two women with Down syndrome are kidnapped, Matthew is convinced there is a connection between the crimes and fears that it may come too close to home. He grew up in the area as part of a strict evangelical community, the Brethren, which he abandoned, and was disenfranchised when he married. His husband is the director of a newly opened community center with links to both the leader of the Brethren and the victims. In Matthew, Cleeves gives us a flawed character rife with insecurities. The events in the book begin the process of his healing, as broken family ties appear to be mending. Matthew's team is introduced, with tensions and backstories developed. The plotting is complex and intriguing, the location comes alive, and the resolution satisfies. VERDICT Fans of Cleeves lamenting the end of the "Shetland" series will find much to love in her new characters and setting. [See Prepub Alert, 3/4/19.]--Sharon Mensing, Phoenix, AZ
