The Dying Light is book 4 in the Two Rivers mystery series by Anne Cleeves, but it can easily be read as a standalone novel.
Two teenage girls head to the holiday home of one of their families, and when the family arrives a few days later they find one of the girls has drowned in the pool and the other has disappeared.
I have to admit that in the beginning of the book, I wasn’t sure I really liked the main character, Matthew Venn. He comes across as very insecure, but his character is aware of his insecurities, and tries to fight them, which made his internal thoughts more bearable.
The mystery itself is interesting and kept me guessing as to what really happened, and what the motivation was. There were a number of suspects with various motives, so the author kept me guessing right to the very end.
Other than my short lived impatience with the main character, I really liked the characters in the novel, especially the other members of the police that Matthew worked with. They seemed to really work well as a team, and for the most part, liked and cared about each other.
Although I’ve been a big fan of several shows based on her books, this may be my first Anne Cleeves novel but after reading it, I’m determined that it won’t be my last.
If you’re a lover of traditional procedural mysteries, then I think you will enjoy this The Dying Light.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Dying Light will be published on September 29 2026.
Life, Tea, and Everything 