Watching his father’s funeral from a vantage point near the rivers saddened Detective Matthew Venn, but after leaving The Brethren and marrying a man, he knew he would not be welcomed into the church. The call that a man’s body had been discovered on the beach near his home pulled Matthew away, and he and his team began their investigation. The dead man had had a connection to the Woodyard, a mixed-use space that included a day care for adults with disabilities that was overseen by Matthew’s husband Jonathan Church. As the investigation progressed, two young women, both with Down’s syndrome, were abducted, other members of the Woodyard’s staff are implicated, and to Matthew’s shock, some of the faithful are involved in the case.

I love mysteries, and this book certainly kept me guessing! Matthew’s drive and dedication, even as he is pulled in several directions at once, shows his caring spirit. I appreciated his willingness to hand over the case once it became clear that the Woodyard was involved, so there could be no conflict of interest. The characters were strong, the storyline was fascinating, and I will be waiting eagerly for the second book in this series.

The Long Call tells the story of Matthew Venn. He is a called to a murder scene as he is outside his father's funeral. While I found the synopsis on the story to be intriguing, the story in itself did drag. When Matthew left his old life behind, he also left his family. However, with this new crime will Matthew be able to keep his old life and his new life from colliding? I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

This is the opening of a new series by Ann Cleeves and here’s how it starts: “Can you get back here? Somebody’s found a body on the beach...And there’s a stab wound.” I really enjoyed this police procedural mostly because of the main characters. “Jen...red-haired and fiery. Fit and gorgeous and she liked her men the same way“ and Matthew a young man, former member of a strict fundamental Christian community, now a gay police detective. I’m guessing there won’t be romantic sparks between these two—which in itself is a nice departure from the norm.

For me Matthew is quite a puzzling character because he has none of the usual macho policeman attributes. He is kind-hearted, expresses a desire to go home to his husband rather than work late, supports his staff in unexpected ways, cares in a deeply personal way about his cases, dresses well, and carries family baggage as a result of leaving the church of his youth which he describes as “hard, cold, and inflexible”. I really liked him as a character and can’t wait to see where the author will take him next.

This is certainly not Cleeves first time around the block and she knows how to develop a story based on a crime. It’s a slow methodical process from beginning to end so settle in for the journey with this interesting new cast of characters.
Thanks to @stmartinspress
@minotaur_books and #NetGalley for this #advancereaderscopy.

Two Rivers, #1) 

Blurb:

For the first time in 20 years, Ann Cleeves—international bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—embarks on a gripping new series.


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.

My Take:

Ann Cleeves is a favorite of mine. I love the Vera and Shetland series! And I can tell this one is going to be good.

The story opens with Detective Matthew Venn standing outside of a chapel where his father's funeral is taking place. He doesn't go in. He would not be welcome. He left the Brethren and married his love, Jonothan.

As he is leaving he receives word of a body found on a nearby beach. A man no one knows has been stabbed. The only clue is a tattoo on his neck of an albatross.

The more Matthews team investigates, the more frustrated they become. Someone is lying and when girls from the Woodyard Day Centre for people with special needs start to go missing, Matthew is afraid he will have to hand over the case as his husband runs Woodyard.

He is also about to have his past return with a shocking twist!

I really enjoyed all of the little subplots in this story. The subject matter was handled so well. I look forward to more of this series!

NetGalley/September 3rd, 2019 by Minotaur Books

I received a digital ARC of The Long Call from the publisher through NetGalley.

The story starts as an unidentified body is found on the beach, We follow Matthew Venn as he conducts a swift inquiry.
The whole story takes place in North Devon, England, where a very conservative evangelical sect runs the city and where Matter Venn been turned out buy the church and the community as well as being estranged from his family for his personal choices, now he is drawn back in by this murder.
While well written it seems to me to run on at times and so very slow for most of the book. The story was a little too predictable for my taste.
On the positive side, the characters are believable and well developed, and likeable. Handles lots of touchy subject very well. .The cover is beautifully done.
While I didn't particularly love this book, I didn't hate it either.
Giving this one 3 stars.

THis book was a breath of fresh air to the usual detective mystery novels. This main character is well rounded and nice, no hang ups to speak of. Nice

The Long Call
Ann Cleeves
September 3, 2019


Matthew Venn lost his family when he stopped going to their church. His parents felt that if he could not be within the circle of his spiritual family, he did not belong at home. He thought about that day as he stood outside the crematorium listening to his father’s memorial ceremony. He knew his mother would not allow him to go inside so he listened to familiar speakers comment on the man they put to rest. When the crowd stood to leave, Matthew walked down to the parking lot and returned to his car. He had no more than closed the door than his police scanner was paging him to come to come to the beach at Crow Point, a body had been found on the beach. Questions came back and forth. By the time Matthew saw the crowd at the beach he knew they had a murder on their hands.
Ann Cleeves wrote this English murder mystery in true form. The beginning starts with introductions to characters, employers, family, within the town. It forms a web around the crime, in this case murder. Facts are woven around the characters and what they were doing, thinking, living at the time. Many are the students and faculty who work and study at Woodyard, a school for adolescents and young adults with behavioral problems. Cleeves writing leads us through the school, police force, and the small residences near the beach to introduce us to its people. In doing so she draws the reader into the book slowly at first, letting us get to know the rhymes and the reasons behind the killing. I very much enjoyed her method of telling the story. I find that mysteries taking place in the British Islands fascinating in their dialects as well as the methodology behind solving the riddle of malfeasance. If you are a true mystery fan, The Long Call by Ann Cleeves is not one to miss. It is published by St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and will be out on September 3, 2019. It is Book 1 of The Two Rivers series.

Great read. A little slow learning all the characters but once it starts moving, the story moves quickly and holds your interest. Different sort of characters than the Vera series but effective and well done. Brings some attention to those with disabilities and has a special focus on Down's syndrome with a good representation of their personalities and capabilities. They are often disregarded as more mentally challenged than they are and she captures how many of them can function quite well with little assistance. The storyline of the mysterious man's death and all the people involved flows and you may have an inkling of the outcome but it would probably be wrong ! No spoilers, but when all the pieces fit it is surprising. I do wish there had been an epilogue of consequences and more on the re building of relationships.

*Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.*

DNF @ 10%

I know I'm not gonna grow to like any of the characters and I don't care who murdered the guy.
There's a bunch of English things mentioned (mainly accents and locations) that I don't know a thing about and it's a little annoying for them to be constantly brought up.
The incredibly bleak and depressing atmosphere was perfectly described, but it's not a place I want to spend hours reading about.
And the main detective guy described himself as "endlessly incompetent." Granted, he was comparing himself to his husband, but still, he should've added something to the effect of "At least I'm good at my job," instead of leading me to think he can't rub two clues together.

In the tradition of Louise Penny, The Long Call follows a case involving a flawed and haunted investigator. The shores and villages of contemporary Great Britain are characters in this mystery surrounding a nonprofit community center. Cleeves weaves together fundamentalist Christianity, marriage equality, adults with special needs, domestic abuse, mental illness, and romance. I look forward to this series continuing in the future and checking back in with Matthew, Jonathan, Jen, and Ross.

I thought that I was going to like book, it was a start to a new series and I have enjoyed Ann Cleeves other book, however I don't think hat this one was for me, about 1/3 of the way threw the book I just didn't care.. it was slow going and not really much happening but back stories of the characters. which is fine but I felt that it was drawn out just to fill pages..
I'm not saying that this isn't a good book, what I am saying is that it just want for me. plus it was hard getting past all the errors in the arc. I get that its not a finished copy but the formatting and all was not very good.
maybe at a later time I will try to pick it up again.

The Long Call is the first book I've read by Ann Cleeves, which may have been a disadvantage since I wasn't familiar with her style. While the book was well written, thoughtful, and intelligent, I really can't say I enjoyed reading it. Normally I love stories that are at least as much about the characters as the plot. Unfortunately, this one moved far too slowly for me and I didn't find the characters compelling enough to keep me interested. I actually had to MAKE myself read it every night. Once I got into the story, it didn't seem too bad, but it still felt like a chore. The storyline did speed up toward the end and the author kept me guessing about "who done it", but overall it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I do appreciate the ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A heart wrenching story featuring multi levels of a coverup. The detectives in this case struggle to bring a murderer to justice while fighting their own personal foibles. Matthew is the lead detective and he is doggedly determined to get justice for all the parties who have been wronged. This story looks at the life of those who have special needs and those who care for them. It looks at how religion, bias on sexual orientations and selfish intentions can push people to do abnormal things. It concludes beautifully by answering all the outstanding questions and redeeming the detectives and their work.

This is the first Ann Cleeves book I have read. She is a new author to me. The characters are well developed and I was engaged in the story. One of the things that drew me in to the story was Lucy and Christine, two young ladies with Down Syndrome. I did find the story slightly slow moving, but a good crime mystery.
This mystery centers around finding a dead body on a beach. Who is this man? Who killed him? Why?
Matthew Venn was not what I expected in a British Detective.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book. The first in a series that I can't wait for the next one.

Matthew Venn is a Detective looking into the murder of a man found on the beach. While the murder part is interesting, the characters are what makes this book.

Matthew was raised in a strict religious society called The Brethren. After leaving for college he falls out with his church and is shunned by its members including his parents. Matthew and his husband settle in the community where he was raised so there is a lot of background of the characters in this book. The investigation brings him into contact with members of his old church and the secrets they are hiding. This is the best part of the book.

Since The Long Call is the first book I've read by Ann Cleeves, I didn't know what to expect. It took me a little while to get used to her writing style, but once I did, I couldn't stop reading. I love that this is the first book in a new series. The characters are new; therefore, you're not missing anything. 

Detective Matthew Venn is a complex character. His upbringing was extremely rigid. Though he left the religious sect he was raised in, it still affects his character. It's hard to escape things that are ingrained in us from a young age. We move on and grow, but it's still a part of us. And it's still a part of Matthew whether he wants to admit it or not. The other characters are very well written, and I am looking forward to getting to know the recurring characters more.

The mystery in The Long Call is really complex. There are many times when you think you know who committed the murder, and then you're completely thrown off. There are mysteries within the mystery too which make it an even more enjoyable read. I definitely will be reading more of this series, and I highly recommend it!

This story begins with Detective Matthew Venn standing outside the venue where his father's funeral is being conducted. He has long been estranged from his parents who belong to a restrictive religious sect. While there, he receives a phone call telling him of a body found on a nearby beach.

The man is discovered to be Simon Walden. As they trace back his life, they find many connections to the Woodyard which is the brainchild of Matthew's husband Jonathan. The Woodyard is a sort of community center with space for classes, a cafe where Simon worked, and a facility for the care of adults with learning difficulties. Walden has a troubled past; he was driving just under the alcohol limit and had an accident that killed a child. He chose to try to drown himself in alcohol and leave his old life behind.

Walden was taken in by Caroline Preece, who is a social worker involved with a charity for the homeless and whose father is on the board of the Woodyard, and her roommate Gaby Henry who is the artist-in-residence at the Woodyard. Other trustees include a man who is big in the church his parents belong to and a man Matthew has known since he was a child.

The story also involves some of the adults with learning disabilities. Luce Braddick who has Down's and who is friendly and happy knew Simon as the man who rode the bus home with her frequently and fed her sweets. Christine Shapland also has Down's but is much quieter. She is kidnapped shortly after Simon's death but found alive and confused.

The story shifts through a lot of viewpoints as the clues to the murderer are slowly revealed. All of the characters are well-rounded and complex. This was a promising start to a new series.

I LOVED Shetland, so i was thrilled to be able to read the start of this new series! Venn is an interesting character- he had a very strict upbringing so very different from the world he now finds himself working in. Yet when the 2 worlds collide, he feels like an outsider in both worlds, and makes him wonder how much he REALLY knew about the sphere he was in growing up. As the secrets start to unwind, he finds himself at odds with his own family, and only his search for a killer will see him through the web of deceit. This is a book you can't put down, and one that leaves you eager for book 2 in the series, so don't miss it!

Just after his father's funeral, Matthew Venn must report to the scene of a murder. As lead detective on the case, he finds that pieces of his past and present will come together to help him solve the man's murder. He has been ostracized from his parents and their church community after leaving the church, and later also because he marries a man. His husband's job is at the local community center, and while it does good for the town in many ways, Matthew discovers that it has some questionable people connected to it as well. I recommend this to fans of Tana French's detective fiction and those who like twisty murder mysteries.

When a favorite author begins a new series, there is both apprehension (will it be as good as the other series I love) and excitement (new characters, new locations). I have to admit that on the first attempt to start this book, I barely got 20 pages in and was just not able to move forward. So, initially I was disappointed. HOWEVER, a couple of weeks later I picked it up again and raced through it. If anyone else feels the same initial disappointment, I say read on!

For those who have read other series, this takes place in the North Devon coastal area, which, to me, has a lighter feel than either the Shetland or Vera series. While I have never been to the North Devon coast, the author paints the landscape so well, I feel as though I have.

More importantly, the characters are very well drawn but it is clear that there are things yet to be found out about them, hopefully in a future book. Matthew and his partner, in particular, have depth and the feeling of more to be revealed. In addition, Matthew’s form of policing is of the thoughtful, persistent breed rather than the self-destructive, addicted, out of control characters found in so many current generation novels. Not to say he hasn’t got unresolved “issues”, which is why I truly hope the next in the series is in the works.

The plot is nicely intricate without being dauntingly complex, and I can say I didn’t see the end coming until JUST before it was revealed.

For any current fans of Ann Cleeves, I say, READ this! For those who are not yet fans, this is an excellent place to start.