I read a lot of these types of mysteries and I found this one to be better than most. I enjoyed the setting and the characters. I thought the plot was well paced. Excited to see where the series goes. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

A slow moving story about a detective in a small community. An uninteresting mystery that doesn’t have twists and turns that make you want to turn pages. This book took me a few weeks to read, when I typically read a great thriller in two days. I couldn’t get invested in the characters and the ending didn’t shock me. Just an ok read.

Detective Matthew Venn is called to a beach in North Devon, England where a man has been stabbed to death. The detective soon realizes that the victim (Simon Walden) had connections to The Woodyard (an arts center, café, and day center for adults with learning disabilities). Matthew isn’t sure he should stay on the case because his husband works at the Woodyard and he’s worried that there might be a conflict in interests. Nonetheless, he continues to investigate. Further conflict ensues when multiple women from the day center disappear. It is highly likely that their disappearances are linked to Simon’s murder. Will Detective Venn be able to untangle all the secrets that surround the Woodyard before even more lives are sacrificed?

I found this book to be a little slow moving at times but by the end it had picked up in action and I was thoroughly engrossed. I was amazed at how the author cleverly and intricately intertwined characters’ secrets and lives into the final solution of the murder and abductions. In the end, there really were no unimportant characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts expressed in this review are my honest opinions of the book.

Matthew Venn and his colleagues Ross May and Jen Rafferty have to investigate the murder of a man who had volunteered at Woodyard. Woodyard is a community center that includes an arts center, cafe and a program for people with learning disabilities. During the course of the book, in addition to the murder there are other crimes involving people connected with Woodyard. Coincidentally, Matthew’s husband runs Woodyard. Although there were several conversations about whether Matthew should recuse himself from the case, he never did so. I would have thought such recusal would be mandatory, not optional, but then there wouldn’t have been a book, or any excuse for all the backstory about Matthew, Jonathan, Ross and Jen.


I’m not a huge fan of police procedurals, and the only other book that I’ve read by this author is “Raven Black”. Although I didn’t like that book very much I thought I would try her most recent book, which is the start of a new series. I thought this book was an average representative of the genre. The police go from place to place questioning people who lie to them. Forensic evidence does not play a role here. The plot (but not the characters) held my interest but the pace was too slow for me until the last quarter of the book. People seem to love this author, so if you liked her other books you’ll probably like this one too.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Ann Cleeves' new book, The Long Call is absolutely fantastic. For fans of the Shetland series, you won't be disappointed. it's the first of a series featuring detective Matthew Venn of the North Devon The characters are well developed and by the novels end seem like new friends to the reader.
The plot revolves around a murder that is eventually tied to the Woodyard a multipurpose community center. It also involves several people from Matthew's child and young adulthood who are members of the Brethren, a strange religious sect that Matthew abandoned years ago. Other characters make this book a good read, DS Jenn Rafferty and DC Ross May.
For anyone who loves the Shetland series, you won't be disappointed. I hope this new series continues and eventually becomes a TV series, just like Shetland.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish this one. It was too slow and it wasn't holding my attention. When I read murder mysteries, I'm used to things moving at a faster pace and this just didn't have that excitement. While I know many have enjoyed this book, it just wasn't for me.

Summary from Goodreads:

"In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father’s funeral takes place. Once loved and cherished, the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.

Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

The case calls Matthew back into the community he thought he had left behind, as deadly secrets hidden at its heart are revealed, and his past and present collide.

An astonishing new novel told with compassion and searing insight, The Long Call will captivate fans of Vera and Shetland, as well as new readers."

My Thoughts:

Don't you just love when you find the perfect book at just the right time that fits your reading mood? This book was exactly the type of read that I needed without even knowing it. This isn't a book to be rushed through in my opinion. Instead, I took my time with this one and just enjoyed the ride that the author was taking me on. And what a ride this was! One of the things that I enjoyed most about this book was that the author really took the time to give the reader a sense of place with this book. I felt like I was really there in North Devon investigating right alongside Matthew. I also have to say how much I appreciated Matthew's character. He's a quiet character but the strength in his character really shines through the pages even as he struggles with self doubt at times. I really, really enjoyed him as a main character which makes me so happy that this is just the beginning to this new series. I liked the conflicts that he had at times because of his upbringing and the experiences he had after leaving the community he grew up in. The mystery portion of this book was also really enjoyable for me as it kept me guessing until the end. I really liked that there were ties not only to Matthew's past with the case he was investigating but also ties to his husband's work. It made the case more personal for Matthew which made the stakes for him figuring everything out that much more important. The other characters in this book were also really enjoyable which has me so excited about this series. I couldn't help but appreciate how everything came together at the end of this book. I didn't see it coming and honestly I kind of thought that I had it figured out at one point while I was reading. How wrong I was though! That was probably the only part of this book that I rushed through and that was because I just had to see how it would all end.

Overall, I just really enjoyed my time with this book! I'm so glad that I have finally given this author a try as I've had her books on my TBR list for years. This new series was the perfect push to finally read her - now I have lots of other books to look forward to which will make the wait for the second book in this series not seem so long! This isn't a book to rush through in my opinion. Instead, I would recommend doing exactly like I did and just immersing yourself in this book. Reading this book slowly allowed for me to appreciate everything that the author did with not only setting up the mystery but also the sense of place that she created. I honestly am really looking forward to reading more of these characters because they were all so great! I would recommend this book to fans of both mystery and suspense. I also have to say that those readers who enjoy Deborah Crombie or Louise Penny should give this book a shot. Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: A lovely beginning to this new series that has me so excited to have found this author and all of her books!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.

I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. I like English crime writing, especially when there is a certain level of complexity to the story and I appreciate the main character's point of view. I watched the series Shetland on Britbox before reading this book, and that got me hooked. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

As with every new series the reader needs to get used to the characters and often the need for background can be overwhelming and slowing the story down.
First if you are negative towards homosexual relationships do not read this book. This book is clean language and no visual sexual scenes but the caring relationship between two men is accurately portrayed.
Detective Matthew the main character comes with a lot of emotional baggage from the past which has only intensified by the dead of his father. The breakup with his parents went together with his separation of the religious sect they belonged to leaving him with permanent scars.
Besides the husband the other two main characters which hopefully we will see getting developed more in the next books in the series. Both work for Matthew. One is a woman having relocated in order to separate herself from a dominating and abusive husband the other is a bit overambitious young married male. All of it and the ongoing actions come to a satisfaction explanation as you are finishing the book.
A clearer view of people with Down syndrome is been established. Clearly many of them are intelligent in their own way. Their emotional needs are not so different from all of us. This book might not be for everybody but I think Ann did a great job and it certainly stays in your mind for a while after having finished the story

The Long Call was my dive back into the mystery genre after having read a ton of thrillers. I'm not sure why I expected them to be similar, because they're not, but regardless, I really enjoyed this read. It has a lot of characters intertwining and really keeps you guessing about what is happening and the secrets that everyone is hiding. If this detective will be the center of this new series, I'm definitely interested in reading more.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I’ve been wanting a murder mystery and I got one! Cleeves sets up the story and characters impeccably and I was riveted from the get go. As a fan of British detective shows I could picture clearly this story playing out in my mind. It’s moody, character-driven and suspenseful. Things started taking on urgency by the time I reached about the 70% mark of the book and I knew I couldn’t go another day without knowing the ending.

I didn’t realize until I started reading that Cleeves is the author of the Shetland book series that the TV show, Shetland is based on. Even though I've only seen a couple of episodes I was excited to find that out. I happen to be a sucker for good mysteries and I especially love it when they're set in small towns or villages, and the story is about exploring the characters and their narratives. It's riveting to me how a suspect's behaviour changes the more they feel scrutinized under the microscope. It's that gradual increase in tension in The Long Call that had me hanging on every page eager to get to the truth. Detective Venn, whose backstory is intertwined with the murder mystery, comes across as methodical, introspective and a bit mysterious in his own way. He's a quiet, unassuming man who when he says something, has purpose behind it. Despite his own reservation about staying on the case because he feels too personally involved with certain aspects of it, he remains professional which demonstrates why he's good at what he does. He's the calm in the storm through the chaos of solving the crimes even if it brings him uncomfortably close to his own unhappy past. I also liked how the story unfolded seamlessly through the other characters' POV.

The Long Call is filled with all the things I love in a mystery and was exactly what I needed. Of course, now I want to read more so and I’m definitely going to look through Cleeves' impressive catalog of books for more mysteries to satisfy my appetite.

~ Bel

Book Review: The Long Call (Two Rivers #1) by Anne Cleeves

Wonderfully written but hard to connect.

While some of my favorite writers are British, this mystery thriller set in a quaint English West Country seaside village seems to be specifically aimed at an insular audience, presumably English television watchers, the forte of the author who has ostensibly popular UK TV series credentials.

Simon Walden, ex-Army, itinerant cook, ill from remorse and PTSD, is found murdered on a beach in North Devon.

DI (Detective Inspector) Matthew Venn, the man in charge of the investigation is the protagonist, a man who is insecure, an introvert and a pessimist, and who is intimidated by his own team of detective constables.

"Optimism was never his default setting..."

His husband Jonathan is an insouciant bohemian-activist ("...who could wander off anytime"), whose signature attire is a t-shirt and shorts. He runs a small community center for the disabled.

The DI had run afoul of his family who are members of the "Brethren" a religious sect with fundamentalist strictures.

Though predictable with few thrills and devoid of innovative investigation techniques or in-depth intellectual or scientific content to challenge the reader, this mystery thriller is not without its merits.

Review based on a complimentary Advance Reading Copy from St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books through NetGalley.

The main character is DI Matthew Venn who has many issues--broken relationship with his parents, feelings of insecurity, anger issues. There is a body found on the beach and then there is a missing Donw's syndrome woman. Is there a connection? Ann Cleeve keeps you guessing about who murdered the man and why; who kidnapped the woman and why. It seems like a lot of secrets. Matthew and his team of Jan and Ross work diligently hearing and seeing things but not putting the facts together at the proper time. A different style of British detective mystery.

This was an interesting book, I have never read a book by this author before. It is a well developed, yet slow moving mystery. It has a bit of a complex story line, but not one to take notes to follow. There are excellent descriptions of the surroundings that make you feel like you are there. The main character, Matthew, is a bit one dimensional and stuck in his past. I liked the character of Jen. I hope the next story in the series is more about her. I would recommend this book.

Cleeves has given readers the start of an excellent and exciting series featuring Detective Matthew Venn. The lovingly described North Devon setting is certainly part of the attraction here. Cleeves is an expert in placing stories in evocative landscapes. Detective Venn is a well developed character with an intriguingly tortured backstory, as he is from a strict religious cult-like background, as well as being gay and happily married. Not surprisingly, the past and the present collide in this story.

I grew up on British mysteries and was excited to read this first novel in a new series by Cleeves. I was a bit surprised to find Inspector Venn was a gay fellow, although the relationship to his husband was handled well. Venn was not a character who captured my interest. He did his investigative job but almost in a slowly methodical and uninteresting way. I pay attention when an author has the main character of the opposite sex. In this case, I think it made a difference in the development of Venn.

The plot was complex. There were lots of characters and I am not sure all of them were essential to the plot. I sometimes felt Cleeves was trying to convey comments on too many social issues, making the plot drag.

This is the first of Cleeves' novels I have read. I doubt I will seek out others by her.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This is my first Ann Cleeves book and I happy that it is the 1st in a new series. This was a slow burn for me however, for a good reason. The author does an excellent job of building the characters, relationships and building the plot. The story begins as Detective Matthew is not quite "attending" his dads funeral as he is standing outside of the church. He left his hometown and his family years ago over the families strict religious beliefs. His visit becomes more than he anticipated when a strangers body is found on the beach and he is drawn into a murder case. The case becomes very complicated as there are multiple layers and suspects. One suspect being his husband Jonathan. The relationship between Mathew and Jonathan was explored and I could feel the love and struggles between the two. Two key characters where Chrissie and Lucy both of whom had Down Syndrome. Although it started slow for me, it did build and peak at the end.

I've heard good things about author Ann Cleeves so I was super excited to read this book. Sadly, I just couldn't get into out. The characters were ok but the story just seemed to plod along. I may give the author another try, I just haven't decided yet.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 since I liked the location and characters.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.

The characters are the strong point of this first book in a new mystery series by Ann Cleeves. They are complicated, realistic, and sometimes unlikeable but still sympathetic. The first half of the book moved too slowly to satisfy my taste in mysteries; I need more urgency and suspense throughout. The detectives missed some pretty obvious clues, which I found frustrating. I don't know if mystery authors do this purposely, so that the reader feels smart figuring things out before the detectives, but I always find it annoying. I might continue the series, because I enjoyed the characters, but it probably won't be at the top of my list.

Ann Cleeves famous for her Shetland and Vera Stanhope series begins a new series following Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. Venn had an unusual childhood growing up in a strict religious sect. One day as a young man he had a crisis of faith and left the group and his family disowned him. Alone in the world and unused to society he tried college but felt a calling to the rules and laws of the police force.

Matthew followed his husband back to Barnstaple near where he, Matthew, grew up. Matthew's husband, Johnathan runs the Woodyard Center, a community center for adult learning, art and nature classes and a special area for learning disabled adults. A volunteer at the center has been found murdered on the beach near Matthew's home. Then a woman with Down Syndrome who visits the center is kidnapped, are the two connected and if so why and how. What was the volunteer planning and who was he really? Simon the volunteer seems to be a man of many secrets and great woe. Once they find the missing woman another woman with Down Syndrome goes missing, what secret does the woman know and who is killing to protect it.

Can Matthew find out who is behind the murder and find the poor woman before it is too late?
Ann Cleeves talent really shines in this new series. Mystery fans are going to love Matthew and his team.