The Dying Light
Will be published approx. on 8. October 2026
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-1-5290-7779-7 (ISBN)
Description
The deadliest truths are those in the shadows . . .
The deadliest truths are those in the shadows . . .
Detective Matthew Venn is called to investigate when the body of a young woman is found in the swimming pool of Tide House, a luxurious holiday home in North Devon. The girl's best friend has disappeared and the property belongs to rising political star Paul Armstrong, leading to intense media scrutiny.
As a scorching heatwave rages and further tragedy strikes, Venn and his team question a community brimming with secrets. The dead girl and her friend had been spotted at a music festival the previous day, an event which brought locals and outsiders together - some of whom may have been more connected with the Armstrongs than first thought.
Caught between a powerful family's secrets and a powder keg of local tensions, Venn must navigate a treacherous path - knowing that the real answers lie not in what people say, but in the silence that they keep . . .
Praise for Ann Cleeves:
'Everything Ann Cleeves writes is incredible' Richard Osman, author of The Thursday Murder Club
'Ann Cleeves is a stone-cold genius' Marian Keyes, author of My Favourite Mistake
'The Queen of the detective novel, thrilling millions of readers' Daily Express
The deadliest truths are those in the shadows . . .
Detective Matthew Venn is called to investigate when the body of a young woman is found in the swimming pool of Tide House, a luxurious holiday home in North Devon. The girl's best friend has disappeared and the property belongs to rising political star Paul Armstrong, leading to intense media scrutiny.
As a scorching heatwave rages and further tragedy strikes, Venn and his team question a community brimming with secrets. The dead girl and her friend had been spotted at a music festival the previous day, an event which brought locals and outsiders together - some of whom may have been more connected with the Armstrongs than first thought.
Caught between a powerful family's secrets and a powder keg of local tensions, Venn must navigate a treacherous path - knowing that the real answers lie not in what people say, but in the silence that they keep . . .
Praise for Ann Cleeves:
'Everything Ann Cleeves writes is incredible' Richard Osman, author of The Thursday Murder Club
'Ann Cleeves is a stone-cold genius' Marian Keyes, author of My Favourite Mistake
'The Queen of the detective novel, thrilling millions of readers' Daily Express
Reviews / Votes
Everything Ann Cleeves writes is incredible -- Richard Osman Ann Cleeves is a stone-cold genius -- Marian Keyes Ann Cleeves's elegance as a wordsmith, the ingenuity of her plots, and the depth of her characters can be matched by few writers -- David Baldacci The Queen of the detective novel, thrilling millions of readers * Daily Express * One of the best natural writers of detective fiction * Sunday Express *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-5290-7779-7 (9781529077797)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Ann Cleeves
The Dying Light
The new page-turning Matthew Venn mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Vera and Shetland series
E-Book
approx. 10/2026
Macmillan
€21.99
Not yet available
Person
Ann Cleeves is the author of forty 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, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV's Vera, BBC One's Shetland and ITV's The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide.
Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021, her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East. In 2022, she was awarded an OBE for her services to reading and libraries. She lives in Northumberland.
Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021, her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East. In 2022, she was awarded an OBE for her services to reading and libraries. She lives in Northumberland.