The Long Call is the first I have read written by Ann Cleeves. Well-written is an understatement. It is remarkable in its ability to capture your interest right from the beginning, outside of a funeral. The event here has nothing to do with the murder reported soon afterwards but has everything to do with Detective Matthew Venn. A bit of a mystery as to how he has come to be outside.

Absorbing, thoughtful plot that has many threads running through it with many interesting characters. It is insightful and reflective story. To call it a murder mystery may miss the point of this book. It is character driven and a study of the many complexes of us humans that involves a murder case.

This was my first real introduction to Ann Cleeves and I must say it was a very nice one. I liked Matthew as the main character/investigator. He's a bit prim and formal and he's got a rather complicated backstory. He's considerate and not a walking broken ego like so many main characters in procedurals. He's very much a rule follower which I liked and I found that he really considered recusing himself when he discovered a witness and victim had a connection to the care facility his husband runs. It was nice to see someone concerned about conflict of interest and something I feel like I don't see very often even when the conflict of interest is incredibly obvious. I also liked Jen's more brash personality. She's a touch wild but that doesn't keep her from being a loving mother or a very good detective. I found both of these characters nicely complex and a bit unique in my reading experience.


The mystery was a good one. Why would someone who appears to know no one wind up murdered. What secrets are hiding in his empty present or broken past? And getting the POV shift between Matthew, Jen, and Maurice kept the pacing fresh without feeling rushed. That being said this isn't a thriller type mystery that you fly through with and disappear into for chapters at a time. Things come together and the world of North Devon come together deliberately and thoroughly. However, I didn't feel like this was a slow read or over detailed. I really enjoyed Cleeves style of mystery that is gritty without being gruesome and serious without being angsty. I'm looking forward to diving into the backlist and getting to know her other characters.

I was looking for something different to read and when I stumbled upon this book and was given the opportunity to read an early copy I snagged it. I have never read Ms. Cleeves before but I am currently working on a Ann Cleeves TBR list because I want to read more. I have been on a mystery TV binge so this story definitely spoke to the mystery lover in me. Absolutely a must read!

Well this was just a bizarre case. I do like Matthew and Jonathan and would have liked more of them in the book. I could take or leave Jen and Ross. I did like the case. I liked the what you think you know isn't all that it seems. The whole weird religious past for Matthew does make it more interesting to read how he handles life and his cases. I will be interested to see more stories that involve him.


*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This was good!! I THOUGHT it would be a Vera Stanhope mystery when I ordered it, but it was a GREAT surprise to meet a new character - and I hope discover a new series!!

When the story begins, Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is observing his Father's funeral from a distance, feeling not welcome at this family affair. He has been estranged from his family and their strict religion for several years, and now, a gay man married to another man, he KNOWS his Mother will never want to see him. So when he get a call about a body found on the beach, it is a welcome relief to leave.

The story is a little confusing at times, but the confusion mostly just adds to the mystery as we are finding out things along with Matthew. His world, his Mother's world, and the world of his husband, Jonathan have all collided and the result is a really good story!!

I hope there are more in this series!

Thrillers and mysteries seem to be my genre of late. They are what make me happy, they are what suck me in, they are what I give the highest ratings to.

And The Long Call, the first in a new series by Shetland author Ann Cleeves, is no exception.

This novel probably falls under the category of ‘detective focused’ mysteries because it is focused on Detective Matthew Venn as he solves the murder of a man found stabbed on a bleak beach in North Devon. The case is incredibly complex, incredibly human, and incredibly real. That makes the novel, to use the word in abundance, incredibly readable and incredibly good.

There are things that set this particular detective-focused murder mystery apart from others that I’ve read, namely that Detective Matthew Venn is married to a man named Jonathan (I finished the book a week ago and have forgotten his surname but it’s not important). I’m not the biggest reader of mysteries so I don’t know how novel a thing this is, but it was a first for me. Matthew grew up in an almost cult-ish sort of church wherein people debated the wearing of hats to services and definitely did not approve of lgbt+ lifestyles. Needless to say, the book beginning with Matthew lurking outside of his father’s funeral, where he is not welcome, is not surprising. Jonathan runs a community center that has absorbed a day center for adults with disabilities.

The center, called the Woodyard because it used to be a lumberyard, becomes the focus of the case. Ann Cleeves handles the implications of Matthew’s husband being in charge there very well, it should be pointed out, so there is no illusion of special treatment or impropriety.

The case, in summary and without spoiling anything, is that Simon, the man murdered on the beach, appeared to all as a broken man, struggling with alcoholism and guilt, who rented a room from the chairman of the Woodyard’s board’s daughter, and who volunteered as a cook at the center. No one knew him well, no one aside from Lucy. The thirty year old daughter of an eighty year old man, Lucy has Down Syndrome and attends the day center in the hopes that she can be aided in living on her own after her father’s death. Simon befriended Lucy and shared his secrets with her, secrets that later affect her. But Lucy is brave and strong.

Lucy is the key to solving the mystery, and Matthew treats her with a dignity and respect that are powerful and moving.

It’s an incredible story, the perfect start to a new series which I will continue with, so I don’t want to say too much that could be just spoiler-y enough to drive you away from trying this book.

In a nutshell, if you like England based mysteries and thrillers, murder mysteries, detective focused novels, excellent representation on many fronts, and a story that will keep you guessing until the very last chapter…


…read this book.

I received a copy of The Long Call through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed this mystery from Ann Cleese’s. Matthew Venn is a compelling character heading up a team to investigate the murder of a man found near his home. Turns out, the center his husband works for is in the middle of the mystery.

Great characters and a story that keeps you engaged and guessing until the end. This was a great introduction to a series and I look forward to future books featuring Venn.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

This was a strange book for me. I really liked it but at the same time, it took me over a week to read it. I was interested in it, but found myself drifting while trying to read it. I know that sounds like it wasn't gripping enough but that wasn't true. It's a good story. All I can say is if you have the same issue, stick with it because I enjoyed getting to know the characters. The wonderful and the horrible people. I'm looking forward to the next book.

This book was a bit slow paced and didn’t peak my interest. I didn’t find it very entertaining and not much mystery. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

This is a mystery series set in North Devon, England. The lead detective is Detective Matthew Venn.

The book opens with the discovery of a murder near the home of Detective Venn and his husband. There are no witnesses; however, once the body was discovered, it is only a short time before the identity of the murder victim is uncovered.

That is really just the beginning and as clues unfold, Venn’s husband and his workplace become an integral part of the investigation.

There are so many pieces of the whodunnit and they are juggled so well by the author. Characters are introduced with backstories but it doesn’t slow down the pace of the plot.

It is a great introduction to a new series by this author and I have looking forward to more in the future. I have enjoyed two of her series in the past (Vera and Shetlands) which have both been made into UK television series.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Until I started writing this review I did not know that Ann Cleeves' books are the basis for the 2013 TV series "Shetland" that I enjoyed so much. This new "Two Rivers" series promises to be as satisfying.

Matthew Venn, now a police detective, is making a life with his husband in his home village. Being near to home is an advantage and a distraction to him. He knows the territory well but his personal history of the place and the people sometimes intrudes on his objectivity. But he is a good copper and knows the limits of his conflict of interest.

A mentally distressed man is murdered. A handicapped woman is kidnapped and released unharmed. There seems, at first, to be no reason for the killing or the kidnapping, but as Detective Venn pushes forward with the investigation and discovers the links between the murdered man and the kidnapped woman, he uncovers more and more unsavory hints of abuse and cover-up. I found the ending a bit improbable but no so strange as to disrupt my enjoyment of the story. Other reviewers complain about the slow pacing, but I didn't mind.

“The Long Call,” by Ann Cleeves, Minotaur Books, 384 pages, Sept. 3, 2019.

Ann Cleeves is the author of the Vera Stanhope series and the Jimmy Perez Shetland Island series. The Shetland series has ended. This is the first book in her new Two Rivers series.

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is a police officer in North Devon, England, where the rivers Taw and Torridge converge. Venn was brought up by parents who were members of the Barum Brethren, a small radical religious sect. When he renounced his religion, he was shunned by his parents and the sect members.

Venn is standing outside of his father’s funeral when he receives a call from Detective Constable Ross May that a body has been found on the beach near Venn’s home.

The body has been stripped of all Identification, but in the man’s pocket there is an envelope bearing an address in a nearby town. Detective Sergeant Jen Rafferty and May find that the address is a house owned by Caroline Preece, daughter of Woodyard trustee Christopher Preece. Woodyard is a center with programs for adults and for people with mental illness and mental disabilities.

Caroline shares the house with Gaby Henry. Caroline had a boarder, Simon Walden, who is identified as the body on the beach. Walden was a recovering alcoholic who killed a child while driving drunk. Walden worked part-time at Woodyard as a cook.

Venn is gay and is married to Jonathan, who is director of Woodyard. Two of the main characters in the novel are Lucy Braddick and Chrissie Shapland, women who have Down syndrome.

Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite authors. While I didn’t enjoy this as much as the Vera or Shetland series, I think that may be because the characters are new.

I am delighted that Lucy and Chrissie are featured. They are very believable as they test parental restrictions. Their parents try to protect them, but also to prepare them for life after their parents are gone. The plot is a mystery, but it is also a story about people and families. This is a good start to a new series.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The Long Call

This book I found to be very charming. If you like a well plotted, slow burn police procedural then you have found the perfect book for you. I found it to be rather slow but was entranced by the setting and the mentions of the Scottish coast line. I wish the book had been a little faster in terms of pacing. I will say I was overjoyed to have Matthew married to a man. I think this is a very important step towards the crime genre writing more diversely and I hope that with a best selling author like Ann Cleese’s doing it we will see it more!

I received an ARC from the publisher and chose to write a review of my opinions.

The Long Call is the first book of this series, Two Rivers. I found this well-written and engaging.

Senior Detective Matthew Venn from North Devon, England is strong and flawed. He left the strict evangelical religious group called The Brethren. In the process, he became estranged from his family.
I liked learning the book title refers to the cry of the herring gull. To Matthew it sounds more like someone howling in pain.

Our story begins with Matthew attending his father’s funeral after reading the announcement in the paper. As he is leaving, he receives a call. A body has been found on the beach at Crow Point. His investigation will bring him full circle in his life.
We meet many interesting characters as Matthew tries to solve the case. Lots of secrets and reveals. I enjoyed the writing and twists.

Take a chance and enjoy the ride.

A British police procedural where a number of the main characters have a fractured relationship with a parent that has greatly effected who they are as adults. The main character, police detective Matthew Venn, grew up in the barum brethren, a strict religious sect that he was able to break away from as a young man but that also meant he was disowned by family and church. Matthew becomes involved in a case that not only pulls him back to deal with the brethren again but it also involves people at the Woodyard disability service center whose lead person is his husband Jonathan.

The plot keeps growing though out the story and adds interest with each new plot twist. A few times I felt like there were unnecessary details added that did nothing but stretch out the story. This first book in a new series leaves me wanting to learn more about these new characters.

I enjoyed The Long Call. It isn't one of my favorites, but worth the time. I thought I had read something by Cleeves before, but looking back now I don't think so.

The Long Call is the beginning of a new series about Detective Matthew Venn called The Two Rivers Series. The series takes place in North Devon, somewhere in the UK where two rivers meet.

A body is found on the beach. A man has been stabbed to death. As Matthew and his team get to work interviewing and investigating, we learn about Matthew's past. His estrangement from a strict evangelical community, which has also caused an estrangement from his parents. His father has just passed away, so Matthew is dealing with his grief. And this investigation will include his old pastor as well as his mother. Matthew is also married to Jonathan and they live near the beach where the body was found. Jonathan manages the Woodyard, a sort of community center that includes programming for disabled people as well as other programs. The Woodyard also becomes part of the investigation.

So Matthew's life gets deeply involved in the case, as he struggles with personal issues and tries to keep a separation between those issues and his case. There are many characters who play a part, and I had a bit of trouble remembering who everyone was. The Long Call is a police procedural that doesn't contain any nifty Sherlock Holmes deductions, but we get a straight-forward unfolding of the case as the police do.

I didn't have a clue who the "bad guy" was until it was revealed, which is always a positive. The officers are effective at their jobs, and we get a glimpse of their personal lives as well. I enjoyed seeing what made them tick.

I didn't get bored; the plot moved at an acceptable pace. I wanted to figure out what happened and enjoyed the revelations as they kept my attention. An interesting case with interesting characters which I recommend.

Great start to this new police/detective series! I enjoyed the diverse characters and the tactful treatment of an extremely delicate subject matter.

Our main detective, Matthew showed strong morals and deep compassion for all the victims he encountered, especially those with diminished mental capacities. The plot unfolded at a non-hurried pace but was still fast enough to keep me interested. I felt if the conclusion were more concise, it would have been a five star read for me.

I recommend this book for mystery readers and I look forward to visiting these characters again! *Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Religious Cult, a Quiet Detective, and Murder

Detective Matthew Venn, standing outside the church at his father’s funeral, feels estranged from his past. His musing is interrupted by a call that a body has been found on the beach. The body is that of Simon Walden, an alcoholic homeless man who is a talented chef. He also volunteered at the Woodyard, a center for the care of disabled adults.

As the investigation proceeds, Mathew is drawn to the connection between the Woodyard and the murdered man. The director at the Woodyard is Jonathan Church, Mathew’s husband, which makes Mathew concerned about his objectivity in the case. Lucy Braddick, a young woman with Down’s Syndrome, was a special friend of Simon’s. Matthew thinks she may have critical information but he must tread carefully because of Jonathan and Lucy’s protective father.

I enjoyed the characters in this novel. Matthew is quite different from the typical hard driving detective. He has a quiet domestic life with Jonathan, which is delightfully described. The setting in Devon where two rivers come together, adds atmosphere to the story.

The plot is convoluted with many characters, all with possible connections to the murder. Altogether the book was a bit slow. Lucy was an engaging character, and I enjoyed Matthew and Jonathan, but felt the pace could have been better. In the end, the unraveling of the mystery is rather messy and left me feeling unsatisfied.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

This book was a well written police procedural, but I found it rather dull. It moved along at an unhurried pace and took far too long to get to the gist of the story. I did appreciate that there was no bad language to wade through and found it to be much more of a cozy mystery than suspense ridden. There was a host of different characters, but no one really stood out. Since this was book 1, I’m sure things will probably change as the series progresses and the reader comes to know the characters on a more personal basis, but this one was just a little too slow for me.

I have a hard time making myself watch some of the things in my Netflix queue until it shows up as expiring soon. The mystery drama, Shetland, was one of those shows. I finally marathoned through it and learned it was based on a series of books by Ann Cleeves. After finishing the show, I put myself on the wait list at my library for the first of those books, but while waiting, I saw that she had the first book of a new mystery series what was going to be released soon and managed to snag a preview copy of that book instead. The Long Call releases today, September 3, 2019.

A body is discovered on the beach the same day Detective Inspector Matthew Venn watches his father’s funeral from a distance. Estranged from his parents for years after leaving their strict church, the case of the murdered man ends up bringing together people from both Matthew’s past and present. The murdered man volunteered at the Woodyard, a community center Matthew’s husband runs. It’s a center where locals can take art classes or listen to lectures about ornithology; a center that was built to include the local adult day care facilities to bring those with special needs together, to help empower them and foster their independence. But it isn’t until a woman with Down’s syndrome vanishes that the investigation begins to focus more and more on the Woodyard.

Power structures and those most vulnerable to them are at the heart of The Long Call. On the investigative team, the two that are followed most directly are Matthew and Detective Sergeant Jen Rafferty. Matthew’s personal history involves the breaking away from (and being shunned by) the religious sect of his youth, before coming to terms with his sexuality and then living openly as a gay man in the force. Jen married and became a mother young but her husband was abusive. After leaving him and taking the kids with her, she’s highly attuned to the prejudices and privileges of others—though she can be impulsive and quick to snap to a judgmental opinion too. They quietly challenge some of the structures and favoritism of their squad but the case at hand addresses the issues of power, influence, and how it’s wielded more directly.

The portrayal of the adults with learning disabilities and how they impact the case in the novel over flows with nuance. There is no real attempt to convey the first-hand perspective of Lucy Braddick, Christine Shapland, or any of the other characters with learning disabilities, which I think is a good thing. Instead, Cleeves chooses to have the reader see them largely through the eyes of the people who love them (like Lucy’s doting father, Maurice). This shows both how capable and lively they are and also how vulnerable. Maurice, in particular, struggles with the independence that Lucy learns through the day center at Woodyard. The urge to protect and shelter competes with the need for her to be happy (which, being more independent makes her) and the logic of what will happen as he ages and can care for her less and less on his own.

Without giving too much away, it is the ways in which those who wield the most power underestimate those who have had to fight for everything in life that helps to crack the case. For better or worse, all people are capable of incredible things.