Mathew Venn is a detective in the beautiful township of North Devon, a coastal town on the southwest of England. He’s new to the job and sensitive to how he treats his employees and how he handles each and every decision through the day, often becoming his own worst enemy.
A dead body is found on the beach, and the more Matt and his vividly described investigators Jen and Ross learn, the more confusing the clues become. To add to the confusion, a handicapped adult disappears, and it seems she may have ties to the body on the beach. The plot thickens, but we’re not even on a roll yet. The Brethren, a cult-like religious sect that Mathew has horrible memories of, seem to be playing a vital role in so many of the events in North Devon.
What do all these aspects have in common? Are the nice people in the village really that nice?
This is a well-plotted and convincing story written in the beautiful scenery of the medieval countryside of Barnstaple. It’s another grand example of how reading allows you to travel without ever leaving the comfort of your favorite reading nook.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

2.5 moved too slow for me stars.

I have once again bucked the tide of wonderful reviews for this book and found that it was just too slow moving for me. I do appreciate the time and effort this author put into the story of a small town and a man who was murdered and her descriptions of the various characters, but for me there was not enough zest to the story to keep me totally involved.

So, sad to say I will not be continuing this new series, but I do encourage everyone to take a look at the other more positive reviews of this book.

Solid British Police Procedural. This was an excellent book for fans of any combination of mystery, British fiction, or police procedurals. And generally, I'm a fan of all three. But for some reason this book was a bit slower of a read than most books of its size, and I'm struggling to figure out why. MAYBE because it used *several* more British terms that I'm less familiar with, despite reading more and more British fiction these days? (Full disclosure: I'm an American who has lived nearly all of my days in its southeastern corner.) Regardless, truly a solid book and very much recommended, despite my personal difficulties with reading it.

I read to 28% before deciding to not finish. This is. case where it's not the book, it is me. By 28% I needed something to have happened. It was well-written, and while I do love a good character study as well as a slow burn, this story failed to capture my interest.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC. Perhaps I'll try again a different time.

It's been awhile since Ann Cleeves has started a new series and this one is fantastic. Set on the North Devon coast and the way she brings the setting to life - well I've spent time in Devon and her writing transported me. I could hear it, smell it, feel it, see it, the whole picture was with me again. ten she populated her mystery with multi-dimensional characters like Matthew Venn and his husband, Jon and the police officers he has on his team. Jen is a young woman with two children, making a new life for herself as she recovers from an abusive husband. Ross is an eager beaver brown nosing his way up the ladder. Then there are Maurice and his daughter, Lucy - she has Down's syndrome and spends time at the Woodyard, run by Jon.
As the story slowly progresses, as it needs to for the maximum impact, each character reveals snippets of their past. Matthew left his family, a very strict religious sect. This case has him straddling two worlds and, as the mystery unfolds, The Woodyard plays a major role. It seems that everybody has some connection to the converted lumber yard and warehouse complex and it all starts with who killed Simon Walden, stabbing him in the chest and leaving him on the beach.
I don't want to give any more details for fear of spoilers. All I will say is I'm very much looking forward to the next mystery in this series.

The Long Call is the first book in Ann Cleeves’ new series set in North Devon. Once again, the setting is near water; her new lead character is detective Matthew Venn, recently returned to the area with his partner, Jonathan. He lost his faith and broke with the evangelical church of his family as a teenager which also led to a break with his parents.

Now the body of a man has been found by the water. And Matthew feels the call to action which is why he joined the police. This call will open up a large can of worms, involving a disparate number of people and organizations in several towns in the area. Lives and reputations may be at risk.

I enjoyed this opportunity to visit Cleeves’ new characters and setting. I think they will become friends as have Jimmy Perez and Vera. I recommend it to others who have enjoyed books from Ann Cleeves in the past.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Long Call is my first Ann Cleeves book and the first in a new series. I admit the first 30% or so was so slow. Mainly because of the introduction of all the characters. Once I got that under my belt I flew through the book.

I get the same feeling I do when reading The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. A dark, brooding detective that is quietly processing the crime and when he speaks you listen. He doesn’t waste words on unimportant things.

Perfect for fans of mystery and suspense. No detailed sex scenes but there are talks of rape. If you prefer not to read about LGBTQ characters this probably is not the book for you. The main character is gay.

I’m looking forward to continuing The Two Rivers series.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Matthew is a detective with an interesting background. While secretly attending his father’s funeral, the body of a man has been found and he is soon to be involved in the case. He has a few interesting coworkers that all seem to have their own baggage. The murdered man while known to many is very mysterious. Many of the people involved are also connected with a community arts center that is run by Matthew’s husband. The center has a program for some people with Down’s Syndrome, some of whom are somewhat involved with this mystery. As these women have different challenges, questioning them requires care and sensitivity. The complexity of all these characters makes a very good book that I highly recommend. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.


Also reviewed under the name IrishEyes430 at B&N and Kobo

What an amazing debut to the Two Rivers Series by new-to-me author, Ann Cleeves. I was completely captivated from the beginning and was hanging onto every word with twists and turns that are so intriguing and gripping, I couldn't put the book down until I read the last word. I enjoyed getting to know the complex characters, especially Detectives Matthew Venn and Jen Rafferty. "The Long Call" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys well crafted mysteries.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Reading this book was like revisiting the TV series Broadchurch starring David Tennant. By the third chapter or so, I was completely hooked and could not put it down. Throughout the well-written story, I was sure so many times that I knew who was guilty, but then another plot twist proved me wrong--again. The dialogue made the setting clear without using a lot of slang--it was perfectly written so I could hear the accents as I was reading. Each time I read the details of where a scene took place, or a character description, it was easy to picture it in my mind. I loved the characters and the locations and would love to read other books which included them.

I was so happy to receive this book. I have never read Ann Cleaves before but I had heard such great things about her writing. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Libro.fm for my copies of this book. There are so many things about this book that I loved. The book starts when Matthew Venn attends the funeral of his estranged father. When a murdered man is washed up on the beach, Matthew is brought back into the community that he left years before. The characters are rich, real, flawed, and likable. The story is driven by the characters who make the story compelling and unpredictable. I did not predict "who Dun it" which is always a huge bonus for me. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

Solid crime fiction, but a bit slower paced than I like most of my reads. Ann Cleeves certainly has no shortage of plot lines for her various mysteries and The Long Call debuts a new series with Detective Matthew Venn. If you're a fan of BBC crime shows you'll definitely want to check out Cleeve's latest, as well as most of her backlist titles! Big thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review!

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Ann Cleeves, and Minotaur Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this British crime mystery of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

As usual, Ann Cleeves (think 'Shetland' and 'Raven Black') brings us a puzzle deeply cast, one that is almost obvious but inherently impossible. Your mind can't really go there, on its own. I enjoyed the people involved in this story, the fully drawn Downs syndrome girls were given the proper respect and allowed character, and even the bad guys were understandable to a degree. Matthew and his husband Jonathan were presented in natural light and the crew at the cop shop were allowed to be human, as well. I love the work of Ann Cleeves. She brings us the world as it is, and that's ok.

This was my first story by Ann Cleeves. The storyline was good, but not surprising. I knew the plot twists before they were revealed. I was disappointed in the ending because an important part of it was just too implausible. I liked the characters, but there was too much emphasis on their thoughts of what might be happening in the case and at times the dialogue was strange. This and some of the included details caused the book so feel a little slow and and rambling at times. Overall, it ended up just being an ok read.

I'm embarrassed to admit I had never heard of Ann Cleeves before this book, but I'm glad I've discovered her now. This was a solid crime mystery that kept my attention throughout. It was well-organized and I enjoyed the interplay among Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, and Detective Seargeants Jen and Ross. Matthew came across as a very thoughtful introvert with good instincts and is also compassionate and caring; Jen seems a tough single mother who is more extroverted and has a gift of communicating with others; and Ross hit me as an ambitious brown-noser, but still does his part for the team. They worked well together in trying to solve a murder. There's other crime links besides murder in this story as well. An enjoyable read.

I will be putting some of Cleeves' earlier books on my list and may even watch some episodes of Shetland or Vera on BBC which series are both based on her books. I understand The Long Call has been optioned by Silverprint Pictures for the screen rights.

Thanks to Ann Cleeves and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

Detective Matthew Venn is investigating the murder of a man whose body is found on the beach one morning. As the investigation progresses, it seems that there is a larger mystery yet to uncover. A woman with Down’s syndrome goes missing. Then another one. Are these abductions related to the murder? Is there some bigger conspiracy going on?

This was a great mystery/thriller! It really kept me guessing until the final reveals at the end. It was fast paced, well written, and very suspenseful. I really came to care about the characters (main AND minor), and am eager to see if the author continues with them. I would LOVE to see more of Detective Venn (and his coworkers, Jenn and Ross!).

A very enthusiastic 4 stars - so glad to have found another great mystery writer!!

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves is the first book in her new series, the Two Rivers and if you like an engaging, suspenseful, complex murder mystery that's a classic police procedural then The Long Call is the perfect slow-burning read.

The main character, Matthew Venn is the DI in Barnstaple and has ties to the Barum Brethren, a small religious sect in the community that threw him out when was younger and expressed his disbelief in religion. That also meant losing all ties with his family. The story starts as he's watching his father's funeral from a distance then gets a call that a body's been found on the beach. Little does Matthew know but this murder investigation will reinvolve him with the community he thought he'd left behind decades ago.

The body is identified as a recovering alcoholic who volunteered as a chef at the Woodyard Centre, a place that provides counseling services, classes, arts, charity services, as well as day programs for people with developmental delays. The center is managed by Matthew's husband Jonathan and as more characters related to the case are also connected to the Woodyard Centre, it makes the case feel much too personal to Matthew because of his connection to Jonathan, and he feels maybe he should recuse himself even as he feels the search for the killer and the other ongoing events are on a collision course without time to spare. Although this was a slow burn, it speeds into high gear towards the end with an enthralling ending that left me wanting more.

The story is complex as I said, with a complex and very appealing cast of characters, both of which Cleeves takes her time to develop. The story is just as much about getting to know the characters as it is discovering the incredible setting in North Devon where Cleeves' descriptions provide an atmosphere that was menacing at times, setting the tone of the multilayered threads of the plot. Matthew is smart, conservative, and honest. DS Jen Rafferty is a great character―I can't wait to see more of her in the future! She's a single mom who escaped an abusive husband; she's insightful and smart.

It's no wonder that Cleeve's series have been developed so successfully into TV series because she writes character-driven stories that are quite distinctive, and the multiple threads come together brilliantly in the end. I was thrilled to hear that it's already been optioned for a TV series! I already can't wait to read book two in the series, and the direction it takes.

The Long Call is my first novel by Ann Cleeves and the writing is fantastic.

Long and mournful is the sound of the gull. The setting is North Devon, England, a city along a river that flows to the sea. Gray coastal skies set the tone. The beginning of this mystery starts with detective Matthew Venn attending his father's funeral standing on the outskirts of the burial observing the ceremony. Quickly the story shifts to a man lying dead on the beach. The man has no identification and there aren't any witnesses, so the tedious work begins.

Mattew Venn isn't your average detective, he's sensitive without a background of violence, drugs, or alcohol, but he does know about being raised in a conservative religious home. Soon it's apparent that there is a conflict of interest for Venn as he learns more about the victim. Venn's husband works at a care facility for disabled adults that has several ties to the investigation. Then Venn's estranged mother calls him out of the blue and asks for his help to find a missing woman. Confrontation about the past from that phone call is inevitable. Juggling personal affairs with the investigation is a delicate balance especially when the lines blur and overlap.

The mystery of the dead man on the beach, the abducted woman, and the reason why he didn't attend his father's funeral had me guessing until the end how all the loose ends would come together. The characters are so vibrant that I'm looking forward to continuing the journey with them.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy.

Ann Cleeves’s new police procedural, "The Long Call," set in North Devon, is brooding and suspenseful. I raced through it on Labor Day, and found it nearly unputdownable. Cleeves is a quiet but compelling writer:  plotting is her main strength, but I also believed in her characters. The gay hero, Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, is tough and brooding, not at ease with his past: his parents, members of a fundamentalist quasi-cult, disowned him when he lost his faith and rejected him doubly when he married the love of his life, Jonathan. The novel starts at Matthew”s father’s funeral, at which Matthew is not welcome. A phone call about a murder on the beach draws him away, into a sinister present.

Though there are no identification papers on the corpse, there is an albatross tattoo on the man’s neck. Soon Matthew and Jen, his sergeant, a wild divorcee and guilt-ridden single mother, discover the man was Simon Walden, a homeless alcoholic who volunteered at The Woodyard, a day center which offers services to the disabled, adult education, counseling, and a cafe.  And he was living with Caroline, a social worker at The Woodyard, and Gaby, the artist in residence.  To complicate matters, Matthew’s husband is the director of The Woodyard.

Simon’s past is complicated (he fell out of the middle class after he ran over and killed a child), and it takes a long time to unravel his secrets. Somehow he was involved  with Lucy, a young woman with Downs’ syndrome who attends the Centre and works at the cafe.  Was he altruistic, or a predator?

Since I don’t read many police procedurals, I can only say Cleeves reminds me a bit of Elizabeth George, though she is less complex and perhaps not quite as insightful psychologically.   Near the end, "The Long Call" gets a little busy:  so many villains! Ann Cleeves’s new police procedural, "The Long Call," set in North Devon, is brooding and suspenseful. I raced through it on Labor Day, and found it nearly unputdownable. Cleeves is a quiet but compelling writer:  plotting is her main strength, but I also believed in her characters. The gay hero, Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, is tough and brooding, not at ease with his past: his parents, members of a fundamentalist quasi-cult, disowned him when he lost his faith and rejected him doubly when he married the love of his life, Jonathan. The novel starts at Matthew”s father’s funeral, at which Matthew is not welcome. A phone call about a murder on the beach draws him away, into a sinister present.

Though there are no identification papers on the corpse, there is an albatross tattoo on the man’s neck. Soon Matthew and Jen, his sergeant, a wild divorcee and guilt-ridden single mother, discover the man was Simon Walden, a homeless alcoholic who volunteered at The Woodyard, a day center which offers services to the disabled, adult education, counseling, and a cafe.  And he was living with Caroline, a social worker at The Woodyard, and Gaby, the artist in residence.  To complicate matters, Matthew’s husband is the director of The Woodyard.

Simon’s past is complicated (he fell out of the middle class after he ran over and killed a child), and it takes a long time to unravel his secrets. Somehow he was involved  with Lucy, a young woman with Downs’ syndrome who attends the Centre and works at the cafe.  Was he altruistic, or a predator?

Since I don’t read many police procedurals, I can only say Cleeves reminds me a bit of Elizabeth George, though she is less complex and perhaps not quite as insightful psychologically.  She introduces the missing girl trope, which, from what I've heard, is too much done in contemporary mystery.  Near the end, "The Long Call" gets a little busy:  so many villains! But she manages to tie everything neatly together.  A thoroughly suspenseful read. But she manages to tie everything neatly together.  A thoroughly suspenseful read.

What an amazing mystery read, my first book by Ann Cleeves and already I'm a fan.
I love a good mystery book and I definitely love this one. A murder of a man in the beach in a small town, a case where everyone has a connection. Oh yeah this is a complicated story.
It might a bit slow at the beginning, but when the mystery kicks in, when suspects are thrown here and there, when victim's personal life getting more complicated and when all the questions start to pouring in, there's no stopping until I found out who's the culprit.
Reading this book is like watching those mystery TV shows, great detectives work with the personal life of each detective mixed in to the story that makes everything more personal and tricky. So yes I really love this book.

If you love mystery read or mystery TV shows, I think you'll love this one too.