Ann Cleeves is the author of over thirty critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez, who can now be found on television in ITVs Vera and BBC Ones Shetland. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide. The Heron’s Cry is book two in her Two Rivers series featuring Devonian Matthew Venn. The first book in the series, The Long Call was published to critical acclaim. It is currently being adapted for television. Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She is a member of Murder Squad, working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. She lives in North Tyneside near where the Vera books are set.