Th is English mystery wasn't quite my cup of tea. A young girl appears to have developed a friendship with a man who rides her bus and always gets off at her stop. Is he grooming her for an inappropriate relationship or just a kindly sort with her best interests at heart?

The young woman is upset when her friend isn't on the bus one day. The reason why is even more upsetting.

I will heartily recommend to everyone. I have always been a fan of Cleeves, bother books, and the series, and this new character and launch, is another winner. Clever story, nuanced human characters, and a great end. It’s a grand slam for me.

We all suspected that Ann Cleeves was a genius at creating compelling characters and building a vivid world, as evidenced by her Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez series. The addition of Matthew Venn to her canon just makes it official. Venn is a strong foil to traditional British detectives; he exhibits a depth, tenderness and compassion that will endear him to readers immediately. This novel explores entitlement, power, leadership, and the strengths and failings of families within a wonderfully crafted plot. This novel will have you counting the days until you get to spend time with Venn again.

I read about 30% of this before losing interest. The story just didn't hold my attention, although it had a strong start.

Cleeve’s leaves her popular Vera series, at least temporarily, to introduce detective Matthew Venn. Venn returns home to North Devon to attend his father’s funeral, never intending to stay in the place he couldn’t wait to leave. But he’s called into action when a man’s body is washed up on a local beach, and it’s obvious this was no accident or suicide. Venn, at least for the time being, isn’t going anywhere. Cleeves is well known for her highly detailed, character driven stories. Less violence and more story for those of us who appreciate a literate mystery

This was a decent mystery and it did keep me guessing. I wish the character development and relationships had been a bit stronger, but hopefully those will develop in later books.