Well paced mystery with complex characters within a tight-knit community - the body of a troubled man is found dead on the beach, and the investigation leads Inspector Matthew Venn back into a community he thought he left behind. The exposition of Venn's liberal lifestyle choices in the face of his upbringing in a religiously conservative household is handled subtlety, as is the presence of special needs people interwoven into the narrative.

Fantastic start to a new series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review, thanks NetGalley! Well, I am a big fan of the TV shows VERA and SHETLAND, but I had never read any of Ann Cleeves books, so I jumped at the opportunity to get the first book of her new Two Rivers series. I really enjoyed the book. I found the pacing to be consistent and unlike so many other books, this book held my interest during the middle part of the book - so many books remind me of sailing at the equator where there is little wind and the boats barely move, not so with this book. The plot moved along from the beginning with a new lead detective who is gay, but who also has personal religious demons in his past that caused a split with his parents. Here the author blends that background into the story of a police investigation of a murder, along with kidnappings, and along the way we are treated to a variety of interesting and varied characters. It is just the first novel of the series so I am sure there are a lot more of the characters back stories that will be fleshed out in future novels. I give this a hearty 4.5**** rating since a few of the plot devices seemed a bit much to believe, but really if you are a fan of good mystery writing and a fan of Ann Cleeves, then this is a book for you!

I received a copy of The Long Call from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Long Call is a slow burn of a murder mystery police procedural with strong characters and nicely layered plot that keeps you guessing until the end. While I enjoyed the story, there were spots through the first three quarters of the story where it moved slowly for me and I had to put the book aside more than once. While the character development is a strength, there were also spots where it slowed the flow of the storyline.

DI Matthew Venn is an interesting main character; he was raised in a strict evangelical community but Venn was ultimately banished from the community and from his family; he's now married to a man and has not had contact with his family at all for years. As the novel opens, Venn finds himself outside his father's funeral service. He's soon called to a murder scene of an unidentified man with an albatross tattoo who has been found stabbed to death on a nearby beach. As it turns out, the case will bring DI Venn full circle and back into a community he thought he'd left behind forever.

I recommend the Long Call for fans of murder mystery/suspense and police procedural genres.

I am so thankful to St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of The Long Call! I love character driven mysteries, and this was a great example — I never knew exactly what was happening, because the characters were real enough that it was possible to see both good and bad within them.
The book follows Detective Matthew Venn in his present life in North Devon, while letting us see into his past as he tries to solve a murder.
I haven’t read Ann Cleeves’ other series — Vera & Shetland, but I look forward to picking them up!

I am not really a mystery lover but I can honestly say this book suprised me in many different ways. I love the flow of the story and the pace of how everything unfolded. The characters had great depth and personality. I enjoy the writers writing style she keeps you entertained throughout. I will definitely read more of her books in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was completely sucked in by this book. First, the characters. The main character, Matthew Venn, is a good policeman. He's complicated - moody, is troubled by the loss of his family relationships because of his rejection of the faith community to which they belong - but not annoyingly so. He thinks about what's going on and the people involved to reach conclusions, but is not afraid to act when needed. He's even tempered and careful, but human, and explodes with anger a few times.

His subordinates, Ross and Jen, are both interesting characters as well - both less than perfect, but there's a lot of room for development. His husband is supportive and caring, but there are also indications that he's not perfect either. In other words - real people. And the 3 characters with Downs Syndrome are treated as individual humans, not as some sort of identical stereotypes.

The plot kept me interested, and I just didn't want to stop reading. This is my first book by Ann Cleves, but it won't be the last!

Summary: In North Devon, England, a man’s body is found dead on the shore. His most identifying mark is a tattoo of an albatross on his neck. No wallet or paperwork is found on the body. For the moment, his identity is a mystery as there were no direct witnesses to the crime.

Lucy, a Downs syndrome woman who goes to the local Woodyard Center, tells her father that her bus companion is missing. The man sat with her and gave her sweets. Alarmed, Lucy’s father questions her about the man’s behavior, but Lucy says he was nothing but a nice man.

The detective in charge of the case was born and raised in the area. He is also married to the head of the Woodyard Center. Concerned about some possible conflicts with his connections to the Center and people from his past, he considers excusing himself from the case.

When Lucy disappears near the Woodyard Center, the case takes on new dimensions. It becomes even more imperative to find out who murdered the man on the beach.

Comments: This was the first book I’ve read by this author and will have to read more! The Long Call was well written, with well developed characters. There were enough clues along the way to make the ending believable. I particularly liked the inclusion of the Downs Syndrome characters. That added further dimension and believably to the plot.

Highly recommended for mystery readers. It is also a great starter book for those unfamiliar with Ann Cleeves work, as I was.

Ann Cleeves has started a new series with The Long Call. The book, named for the cry of a herring gull, “The cry which always sounded to him like an inarticulate howl of pain.”

Cleeves has developed a great set of characters here. Our main character, Matthew is a DI in Barnstaple. He’s smart, a complex thinker, a loving and loved man in a healthy relationship. The story starts with Matthew watching from afar the funeral of his father. He’s left the evangelical church he grew up in. It soon becomes apparent it’s because he’s gay. But Jen is probably my favorite character. She’s one of Matthew’s DS’s and she’s transferred to Barnstaple to escape her abusive husband. She’s got great instincts and I love her insights, not only into motherhood, but into the people she’s interviewing. Even Ross, the brown noser, is eventually shown as a complex person.

Cleeves also gives us a true sense of the area. It’s easily apparent why her books are turned into TV series as they’re accessible, smart and engaging. The same is true for this new series. It’s suspenseful and I had no idea how things were going to shake out until almost the end.

I can only hope that Cleeves writes enough of these books so that some wise tv producer can pick up this series as well.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Matthew Venn was raised in a strict evangelical community but after a year at university, left the community and lost his family. Years later, and now a Detective, Matthew receives a call that a man was stabbed to death on the beach nearby the village where he grew up. Matthew's past life converges with his present as he leads the investigation into what happened to the man on the beach.

The Long Call was a long book, but not in the boring sense. To the contrary, each chapter had relevant information that was unpacked over time. Ann Cleeves did a fantastic job of developing the characters and weaving Matthew's past life into his present. A great book with a great plot!

This was a great book and very well written! This author was new to me and I love being introduced to new authors. The story was easy to follow along with and made for a great late night read! I recommend this book to everyone!

"He'd left the window down and now he could hear the surf on the beach and the sound naturalists names the long call, the cry which always sounded to him like an inarticulate howl of pain. These were the noises of home." from The Long Call by Anne Cleeves

I was intrigued to read The Long Call reading the blurb about the main character: when Detective Matthew Venn left the community of the Brethren he lost his family, too. What a fascinating back story for a detective! Plus, I wanted to delve into something by Anne Cleeves since I have heard of the television series--Vera and Shetland--based on her other book series. The first book in a new series seemed the right place to begin.

The Long Call has a vivid sense of place--North Devon. "North Devon seems to attract the weirdos, don't you think?" one character accuses. Weirdos or not, the Barum Brethren may be dying out but the tight community still holds a lot of local power.

The novel opens with Matthew watching his father's funeral from afar, knowing he would not be welcome. He carries the bitterness of rejection, a remnant of hope of reconciliation. "Doubt was a cancer that grew unbidden," he knows.

Matthew went into police work because he sought the order and meaning lost when he left the Brethern. Isolated from the world while growing up, he was an outsider at university and dropped out. He is not a sociable man, he can be short and single-minded and stiff. But he is a good man.

Matthew is married to Jonathan, his opposite in many ways. Jonathan's dress is informal. He has a marvelous ability to connect to people. And he works for a community center, Woodyard, that includes a day center for special needs and offers classes to the public.

While at his father's funeral, Matthew was called when a dead body is found on the beach near his home. Simon Walden was new to the community and worked at the kitchen at Woodyard. Walden had a complicated life; he carried the burden of accidental homicide and had a history of alcoholism.

While Matthew and his team piece together the mystery of Walden's death, one of the day center women goes missing. The incidents may be related.

Matthew must reenter the Brethern community during his inquiry, which brings him face to face with the Brethern's spiritual leader. Then another day center woman goes missing. What Matthew discovers is a community cover-up of a hideous abuse of power.

I enjoyed Cleeve's story-telling and felt Matthew was remarkably sympathetic and well-drawn. I was propelled to continue reading the last half of the novel. I would read the next book in the series. And will soon be checking out Cleeve's television series!

I received access to a free book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

First in series, Detective Matthew Venn investigates a body found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

An okay story but it moved kind of slowly. I found myself having to flip back and forth to recall who belonged to whom and what was happening.

2.75 stars

Ann Cleeves introduces a new series featuring Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. In The Long Call, Matthew Venn was raised in strict Evangelical family. When he turns his back on the Brethren and he leaves his family behind as well. In The Long Call, the death of the stranger leads Matthew on a tangled trail of secrets, lies, abuse and power. An excellent beginning to a new series.

The Long Call is the first of an exciting new series from Ann Cleeves who brought us the unforgettable Vera Stanhope series. A man is found stabbed to death on the beach by our new series character Matthew Venn. The man is new to town, a volunteer at the Woodyard, a community center managed by Venn’s husband Jonathan. Complicating matters, a young women who is part of a program for developmentally disabled adults is abducted.

The story ranges through the community, including a fundamentalist sect Venn grew up in before being exiled for non-belief as a young man bringing him back in contact with his estranged mother. Venn finds this mystery comes too close to home in more than one way.



I loved The Long Call for many reasons. Cleeves excels at creating a community and environment that come to life. Venn is a complex character leading a staff of investigators. These characters are also fleshed out and interesting. The mystery is fair with readers getting the information needed for us to make the leaps needed to guess who is involved in what comes to seem more than a murder, but a murder conspiracy.

I admire authors of successful series who challenge themselves by creating a new series. Some authors write their series to death, but Cleeves is determined to keep it fresh, even when it means creating an entirely new series.

The Long Call will be released on September 3rd. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Long Call at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan

Ann Cleeves author site

I thought The Long Call by Ann Cleeves was well-written, but the plot moved a bit slow. Overall, I enjoyed this book and it was a good mystery.

Ann Cleeves is one of those authors I'd heard of but never read. I've only been reading suspense for about the last two years, but have fallen fast for this genre, and specifically women writers in this genre like Sue Grafton, Nevada Barr, Jane Harper, Rachel Caine, and more. So, when I saw an e-arc for the first book in Ann Cleeve's latest series, I jumped at the chance to read it (thanks, NetGalley!).

The Long Call is book one in The Two Rivers series. "In North Devon, where two rivers converge into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his estranged father's funeral takes place," so begins the book's synopsis. Ok, who wouldn't be hooked by that opening?! Main character Matthew was raised in a strict evangelical community and when he came out as gay, his father and whole community turned their backs on him. That was years ago and Matthew has gone on to become a successful detective with a loving husband, and a beautiful home on the beach, just a stone's throw from the close-knit community that rejected him.

The book opens with Matthew observing his father's funeral from a distance, with all those people who hurt him in attendance while he stands outside the church by himself unnoticed. Just as he turns to leave, he gets a call. A body has been found on the beach, and as the case unfolds it will force him to confront his painful past and the people who abandoned him. It will also cause him to ask: "Is one of them the killer?"

This was a leisurely-paced suspense that I very much enjoyed. Perhaps because I'd never read Cleeves before, I'd gone into the book expecting it to be high action and nail-biting suspense, but it is more a rainy day, hot cup of tea in hand, type of book, and once I realized that, I was able to settle in, relax, and appreciate Cleeves' characters and mastery of mystery.

I found Detective Matthew Venn to be wonderfully likeable and complex. I related to his struggle with a judgmental religious community and his push-pull relationship with it. Though he's tried to completely separate himself from his upbringing, that's easier said than done and it created a heart-aching and wholly believable tension that the character wrestles with, and will undoubtedly continue to wrestle with in subsequent books.

I adored Matthew's relationship with his husband, Jonathan, who as an artist and free spirit, provides a great contrast to Matthew's buttoned-up and serious demeanor.

The plot was interesting and well-executed, the characters were all well-rounded and believable (seriously, it felt like I was reading about people I know and interact with in real life), and the pace while slow, kept my attention.

My one nit-picky issue was with a particular writing tic that I noticed early on and then could not un-notice. I don't know if this is an issue in Cleeves' other books, but she had an annoying habit in this book of having all of the characters say things like, "as I've said," "as I've told you," "as you know," etc. which made the dialogue feel false and repetitive every time it occurred (which was A LOT, like every other page).

My impression was that this was a way for the author to reintroduce important information to the reader, but wow there could have been a better and more subtle way to do that! If it had just been one character doing it, and Cleeves was trying to show that they were an impatient person or uncomfortable in the situation, that would make sense, but it was ALL the characters ALL the time in EVERY conversation and it grated on my nerves so bad throughout the book, and really jolted me out of the story because it happened so often. Plus, it weighed the whole book down and added needlessly to the word count.

That caveat aside, the book was absolutely worth the read and I'll be eagerly anticipating book two in this series. In the meantime, I've already picked up another of Cleeves' books from my local library sale and will be diving into that soon!

Matthew Venn goes to his father's funeral but he doesn't go in. He's been banned from this church because he dared speak against it as a teen. Even his parents kicked him out of the house. He's a detective now and has married but it's to a man and that's another piece of damning evidence against him. He can't worry about that now. He's just been called about a murder down at the beach.

Minotaur Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).It will be published September 3rd.

The man has been stabbed to death. Little does Matthew know just how deep this murder will take him into his past. There are ties to the church he left, to the business his husband runs, and to the moneyed people of the village. Many of the questions asked are met with answers that don't sound right but it takes him a bit to put it all together.

This is a good mystery with a lot of players. I was surprised at the actual killer. An interesting touch was that two women with Down's Syndrome ended up being kidnapped and he's looking for them, too. The first one he finds says the man asked her a lot of questions but she didn't know what he was talking about. When you find out, it's disgusting.

There's much to learn about life in these pages. This story will stick with you for a while.

If you are in the mood for an intriguing mystery/police procedural, British author Ann Cleeves’ “The Long Call” fits that bill! This is the first in a new series, Two Rivers, by the author in some time and it introduces Detective Matthew Venn.

Detective Venn has already had a rough day when he is called to a murder not far from the North Devon beach home he shares with his husband, Johnathan. Earlier, he viewed estranged father’s funeral from distance. He was not welcome because his parents belonged the Bretheren, a religious cult from which he was cast out several years prior.

As the investigation begins, a young lady from the Woodyard Centre goes missing. Everyone in the area wonders if the two events are related as this area has a very low crime rate. As Venn and his colleagues investigate the murder and kidnapping and grow closer to finding the culprit, several suspects emerge. It seems that the murdered man, the Woodyard, the Bretheren, and perhaps even Johnathan are tangled in the scheme.

This is the first book of Ann Cleeves I have had the pleasure to read, but it won’t be the last. Excited to find a new author with so many books from which to choose!

Publication Date: September 3, 2019
Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense, police procedural, crime, international mystery, detective
Cover: Perfect
Rating: 5 stars
Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#TheLongCall #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Ann Cleeves for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.
I found this book to be interesting and Ann has great qualities of excellent writing skills. However, I found it to drag and I lost interest at times. I am used to books that move fast and have constant action so it is my difficulty not the authors work.

Detective Matthew Venn is called when a body has been found just a short way from his home. The man killed has no identification on him, nothing but an address from junk mail, and a grocery list.
Lucy, a girl with Downs Syndrome, is learning skills at the Day Center at Woodyard, that will help her be independent and a functional person in the world. Learning to take the bus to her classes at the center by herself is a big accomplishment that she is excited about. Her father Maurice, is very protective of her and not sure he likes her independence he has a hard time letting her go on her own.
Lucy comes home late one day and says her "friend" who rides the bus home with her everyday has not shown up. That's why she is late and she is upset. Then she tells her father about the nice man who rides the bus with her everyday and how he makes her laugh, tells her secrets and gives her sweets. Maurice is concerned. He doesn't know what to think of a man who befriends a vulnerable girl with sweets. When Lucy turns on the television excitedly she tells her father that the photo they are showing is her missing friend! Her father is shocked as the pictures of a man found dead on the beach.
Detective Matthew finds out the murdered man has connections to Woodyard and so does the women he lives with. To complicate things there is a girl missing from the Woodyard day center a friend of Lucy's and she has Downs. Time is of the essence to find her and solve a murder.
So much centers around Woodyard, Matthew wonders if he should resign from head detective as his husband Jonathan is the founder of Woodyard.
Finding a missing girl, solving a murder and figuring out why the murdered man Simon befriended Lucy are top priority.
Then Lucy disappears. Detective Venn and his staff especially his number one detective Jen must move to make sure Lucy is found. Serious lies and secrets surround Woodyard and Simon seems to have gotten caught in the web and paid with his life. The clock is ticking they must save Lucy. But there are very few leads.