Review coming soon. Fell behind due to illness, amd working on all of the old ones now.

This one will not be forgotten. This was my first Ann Cleeves! I was so excited to read it and I loved it.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.


Pub Date was September 3, 2019
#AnnCleeves #TheLongCall #NetGalley

Ann Cleeves is one of my absolute favorite writers of modern British mysteries, and The Long Call is the first in her new series introducing Matthew Venn. Like Cleeves’s other crime-solving detectives, Jimmy Perez and Vera Stanhope, Venn has a rich interior life and some childhood trauma that bubbles up at some inconvenient times. Also like Jimmy and Vera, Matthew is immensely likable. You want to see him solve the mystery and also give him a hug. Finding a new series like this one is a rare treat, and I’m excited to read more about Matthew Venn and the people in his Devon community. If you're up for more of Cleeves's beautiful descriptions of the natural world and complicated characters, read this book and then go binge-watch Shetland and Vera on BritBox.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free book. I have tried to pick this one up multiple times both in print and audio, and unfortunately, it's just too slow for me. I am much more a plot driven mystery person over a character driven one. I know that this author and series is well loved, and I hope the newest book gets great reviews.

I unfortunately did not get a chance to read this and write my review before it was archived. But I loved The Long Call, It was my introduction to Ann Cleeves, and I have since caught up on many of her other books. I will recommend her to all mystery lovers. The Long Call was great and included interesting characters and an intricate well-crafted plotline that left me unable to guess the ending right away.

I am not sure what I didn't like about this book but it felt like it was so long and there was nothing to grab my attention. The only character that I liked was Detective Matthew Venn and his husband Jonathan but the rest were just eh. I didn't care who or why or what was going on. There just felt like something was missing. I know this author is usually a good writer but this book just missed the mark for me for some reason.

A good start. Under the title, the cover indicates that this introduces the main character Matthew -- a detective in rural Cornwall. The mystery is not the best one I've read this year, but it does establish a great setting and potentially great characters. Matthew is estranged from his family who are deeply involved with a cult-like church and don't approve of his marriage to a man nor of his agnostic views. His husband runs a center that works with mentally disabled persons and his partner at work is a single mother of teenagers. All three are involved in solving the murder of a man found on the beach and the disappearance of two young women from the center.

I enjoyed reading this book, and the mystery unfolds slowly and with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I see great potential for a series based on Matthew and his family/friends.

Detective Matthew Venn is called out because a body was found on the beach. It becomes clear that this is a case of murder. Now the race is on, before anyone else gets hurt. The man is tangled up with a day center for people with learning disabilities. The very day center that Matthew's husband is employed by. Talk about a conflict of interest. Can Matthew solve the case, before that becomes an issue? This tale is filled with twists and turns that will have you guessing right up to the very end. Well done, Ann! I'll be looking for more of your books!

Ann Cleeves wrote the Shetland Series, which I have enjoyed watching on television. I decided to give her new Two Rivers Series a try when I received a free NetGalley of The Long Call, the first in the series. Matthew Venn, her new main character is in the same vein as DI Jimmy Perez. He is calm and introspective and doesn't let many people in, including his new husband who will become involved in his latest case. I was kept guessing in the Long Call, it had a lovely cast of characters. Fans of Shetland will recognize the methodical police work and the team dynamics in the police room.

OK I wasn't a 100% sure I would like this book, never heard of the author so I took a chance. AND I AM GLAD THAT I DID! AND come to find out the author as a lot of works that I am for sure going to go check out, not to mention this is a start (book one) of a new series!

I don't talk about the blurb, you can read that for yourself instead I will pay kudos on how Cleeves masterfully ties together everything and I loved the "voice" of the DI! This book to me was a bit of a slow burn but the thrills and chills end up being there near the last 25% of the book for sure!

Would I have picked this up on my own at a bookshop? Probably not, but would I recommend it now? YES! And I have! And I will continue this author. This is a case of falling in love with author after taking a chance! Thank you Net Galley, the author and publisher for the chance to broaden my horizons. My opinion is my own.....and it is: Check this out!

I actually read the second book in this new series before I read this one. I really enjoyed this one, but feel like the second one was a little better. I will definitely continue reading this series, though. Ann Cleeves is one of the best mystery writers in my opinion.

An excellent new character from the remarkable Ann Cleeves. Detective Matthew Venn of North Devon is a complex and interesting new character. Not only is the story line absorbing but the descriptions of the landscape really stand out. Looking forward to the next one.

A good read. The characters are complex and interesting to get to know. This story moves along and keeps you turning the pages with twists in all the right places!

Thank you. Minotaur Books, for allowing me to read The Long Call!

I requested this because I'm one of those people who can't watch series or movies transposed from literary works without first reading the source material. So, I needed to read this before watching the British TV show and I am happy I did. It was such an engaging reading experience and I cannot wait to see how the series fares in comparison!

Reminded me of two of my favorite writers - Jane Harper and Tana French - who both rely on the setting/atmosphere/environment to almost play a role of a character in their works. Excited to see that this is going to be a series and I'm a sucker for a main character with a dark and hidden past.

Everyone has secrets. DI Matthew Venn is new to the team and he knows that not everyone likes him but he is here to do a job. A body has been found on the marsh it is homicide and the police will need to find out what they can. The victim has a past that he has tried to move on so who wanted him dead? The more that Matthew & his team look into the victim and everyone around him do they realise that everything leads back to Woodyard. Matthew knows that this isn’t going to be good as his husband Jonathan is involved with Woodyard and this could destroy everything that he has worked so hard for.
But the truth needs to be found no matter the cost Matthew just hopes that it isn’t too high. Everyone at Woodyard has secrets and most will go to great lengths to keep them hidden. The team will find the answers before someone else dies. A good read. I like Matthew he just does his thing and he seems to be very good at getting results. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Took a while to finish due to other commitments but really liked this book.

Storyline was good and the characters were interesting.

I do believe I will enjoy this series every bit as much as Vera and Shetland. It’s wonderful to meet Matthew, who is every bit as interesting and complex as my favourite detective Jimmy and not-too-far-behind Vera. Ann Cleeves has a wonderful spare way with her prose - creating achingly atmospheric mysteries in wonderful places with such well drawn characters. 5 star all the way!

I loved this book! I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. I loved the mystery and following as they solved the case. I definitely plan on reading more from this author!

I have loved all of the episodes of Cleeves' Vera and Shetland - watching them several times over. But this is her first book I have read. And I loved it. She brings characters to life and makes the places they inhabit real. And most of the characters I found engaging as well.
In this book we meet Matthew Venn who has come back to his Devon home town as a detective inspector with his husband, Jonathan. Matthew left home as a teenager when he broke from the fundamentalist sect in which he had been raised, much to the displeasure of his parents and the rest of the members.
Now he is in charge of a murder investigation. Simon Walden was stabbed and left on the beach. He was seemingly homeless and was suffering from regret over an accident in which he had killed a child several years previously. He was connected to an activity centre in the town which provided services and sanctuary for all kinds of people from middle-aged wannabe artists to Lucy who has Downs' syndrome. Jonathan is the administrator of the Woodyard and has plans to expand the offerings it provides.
Matthew and his team find out who killed Simon but it's a heartbreaking story. In the meantime, two disabled girls are abducted and Matthew has to deal with his own demons in the form of his mother and the leader of the fundamentalist group who believe he is going to hell.
Cleeves is an excellent writer and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her books in this series. I also watched the beginning of the new TV series and I'm looking forward to the next episode.

An older book by Ann Cleeves. As always her books are wonderful. The characters are realistic and likeable. She is in a different part of England than in her other books.