This was a great book - very entertaining to read. The storyline moved well and it was easy to follow. This is the first books I’ve read by Ann Cleeves and I look forward to reading more.

Ann Cleeves is well known for her Vera Stanhope and Shetland series novels. With her new Matthew Venn series, she’s off to a gripping start with The Long Call. Engaging and complex characters work together to solve a complicated case. I can’t wait for the next one and I’m not going to be surprised to see a new TV series based on these characters. One can hope!

This is the first book in an anticipated series. This book was centered around coastal Devon. Inspector Matthew Venn is lead on a murder that has taken place in the area where he has grown up., and where he lives with his husband Jonathon. As the story evolves,, they find that the murder is just the tip of the iceberg in discovering some illegal activities involving a local day center and some of its clients. The story twists and turns and pulls in several of the local residents who are involved in the everyday running of the day center, including Matthew’s husband.. The book is well worth the read. Would like to see some further development of the main characters in future books. I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review, which this has been. #TheLongCall, #NetGalley

Ann Cleeves's The Long Call introduces Inspector Matthew Venn. Set in coastal Devon, the mystery involves the murder of a man found on the beach near where Venn and his husband Jonathan live, and centers around a community center run by Jonathan. Needless to say, things get a little sticky.

It's a good story. Like all of Cleeves's mysteries, it's a solid police procedural with a strong sense of place. Why am I not excited about this new series? No surprises. Everything is by the book. Venn is a fairly tame central character, not nearly as interesting or quirky as Vera. There are no laugh-out-loud moments. What is missing is the verve. It's a very enjoyable read, don't get me wrong. But Cleeves is holding the reins a bit too tight. Aside from Venn's traumatic back story, he's a very quiet man.

This ARC was provided by Minotaur Books via Netgalley. I am a huge fan of Ann Cleeves, and appreaciate the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Glad to find a new good inspector series. Also, I enjoyed reading this on the beach and having such a great book to drown myself in. I can't wait to read the second book from this series and see whats in store for the inspector.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in the Two Rivers series.

Inspector Matthew Venn leaves his father’s funeral to learn that a dead body has been found nearby, it is a day he cannot get away from the thoughts of death that are on his mind and the many unpleasant memories that plague him. And so begins the murder mystery that the reader expects will unfold as a formal investigation begins. Normally the opening of a story will grab this reader’s attention, this one had the exact opposite effect, after reading four chapters there was no investment in the storyline or characters so I am considering this book a Do Not Finish @ 11% in and not rating it.

The language phrasing was heavily English (UK) based, I found many references difficult to understand, the descriptions were hard to visualize without looking up numerous word definitions. The pacing was excruciatingly slow and instead of becoming engaged this reader was repelled. The style of writing was odd in comparison to the many other books read. The main protagonist was a rather depressing soul, a man with a husband who doesn’t have confidence in his relationship and has deep religious faith issues. I can’t say that I liked the character at all. The bottom line is that this reader was frustrated at the effort required to read this work (reading should never be a chore), bored with the content and just doesn’t want to read any further. This was the first time reading this author, I doubt I’ll read this author again.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

An interesting British police mystery. Excellently written, especially since I couldn't figure out who the culprit was until the end, which makes the story better in my opinion.

In Anne Cleeves latest atmospheric novel, The Long Call (Minotaur Books 2019), Book 1 of the Two Rivers Series, Detective Matthew Venn is called in when a homeless man who had been trying to turn his life around is found dead on the beach. The clues touch on the help center run by Matthew's husband where people in need are assisted in a variety of ways. Somehow, this homeless man, who used to be a productive member of society, is involved with a Downs Syndrome girl who also attends the Center. And then to another. As the case becomes more and more centered around Matthew's husband's center, Matthew considers removing himself from the case due to the potential conflict but is persuaded to stay. And then, a girl is involved who is tied closely to Matthew's estranged parents.

As a reader, I couldn't see the connections between all of these threads, so masterful was Cleeves' storytelling. I read eagerly, trying to unravel how one clue fit with the bigger picture, but I confess, I didn't see the ending coming. As is usual in Cleeves' books, the story is awash in the atmosphere of small town Scotland, from the settings t

"Then he parked up and climbed the narrow line of dunes until he was looking down at the shore. Here, the river was wide and it was hard to tell where the Taw ended and the Atlantic began. Ahead of him the other North Devon river, the Torridge, fed into the sea at Instow. Crow Point jutted into the water from his side of the estuary, fragile now, eaten away by weather and water, and only accessible on foot.The sun was low, turning the sea to gold, throwing long shadows..."

"...was a semi at the end of a row of eight, curved around a patch of grass, where kids sometimes kicked a ball about. There was a long garden at the back looking out on a valley, with a view of Exmoor in the distance. These days, Maurice spent most of his time in the garden; he grew all their own veg and they had a run with half a dozen hens."

...to the rich background details of the characters:

"There was something of the indulged schoolboy about Ross. It was the gelled hair and designer shirts, the inability to understand a different world view. He seemed a man of certainty. His marriage to Melanie, whom Jen had once described as the perfect fashion accessory, hadn’t changed him."

It is impossible to make any decisions about who is guilty and who a victim. Cleeves is endlessly clever and creative in creating backstories that end up critical to the plot. And Matthew is a fascinating and unique detective. Rather than a super detective with Sherlockian skills, he is personable, human, and what we commoners might be if we were trained in this job.

Overall, a good read and well worth the investment of time.

--review to be published on my blog, WordDreams, 9-2019

"The Long Call," the first in a new series by Ann Cleeves, features Matthew Venn, an inspector in the North Devon police force. Venn is married to Jonathan Church, who manages the Woodyard, a multipurpose community center that offers daytime activities for developmentally disabled adults; classes in various subjects; and studio space for an artist-in-residence, Gaby Henry. Venn, DS Jen Rafferty, and DC Ross May look into the murder of Simon Walden, a hard-drinking and depressed army veteran who had been carrying a heavy burden of guilt. The victim was also an accomplished chef who volunteered at the Woodyard. Simon's killer stabbed him and left his corpse on a beach not far from Matthew and Jonathan's home.

The dense plot involves a number of people who had a connection with Walden. Among them are Chrisopher Preece, the Woodyard's wealthy chair of trustees and a generous donor to charitable causes; Preece's daughter, Caroline, a psychiatric social worker who treated Simon and later became his landlady; thirty-year-old Lucy Braddick, a woman with Down Syndrome who knew and liked Walden; Lucy's doting dad, Maurice; and Darren Salter, the head of a cult-like religious group that Matthew once belonged to, but abandoned many years earlier. Matthew, Jen, and Ross track down and interrogate a variety of witnesses, but before the police are able to make much progress, a woman is abducted. Finding her before it is too late becomes a top priority.

Alas, "The Long Call" is not a particularly compelling mystery. The book is sluggishly paced and, aside from the lively and independent Lucy, few members of the large cast engage our emotions. Venn is a bland individual who lives a quiet life with his husband. At work, he is an honest, competent, and caring detective whom his subordinates like and respect. A source of sadness for Venn has been his estrangement from his mother and father (the latter died before Matthew managed to reconcile with him). The long-awaited conclusion is convoluted, messy, and unsatisfying. In her best novels, Cleeves's storytelling skills and character development have been first-rate, but this time around, it was difficult to stick with this talky and tedious whodunit.

This is a remarkable book. A tour de force. A multi-layered story full of interesting turns. An additional plus is that the main detective is an interest character in its own right without falling into the typical stereotypes.

If you enjoy reading mysteries that do not sacrifice beautifully written prose for the sake of a thrill, then you are going to enjoy delving into The Long Call by best-selling British author Ann Cleeves.

In The Long Call – Book 1 in the Long River Series – we are introduced to Detective Matthew Venn – a guy who’s a far cry from your stereotypical British detective. Shunned by his family for rejecting his faith and further estranged from them when he marries his partner, Jon, life takes a turn for complicated when, on the day his father dies, a body of a mysterious stranger washes up on the beach in the sleepy little town of North Devon.

As Matthew begins to investigate this murder, he begins to uncover a tangled web of lies, secrets, and deceit amid unusual characters with complex relationships.

What seemingly starts out as a simple investigation turns into a complex, masterfully woven story that builds and builds until it reaches its surprising crescendo of an ending.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by netgalley in return for a review.

This book follows the investigation into a murder and a couple of kidnappings that seem to center on a day care facility for developmentally delayed adults. As we see the investigation proceed we learn more and more about the occasionally worrisome history of the facility.

The story is an interesting read and shows good character depth and development and kept my interest throughout.

I enjoyed Book 1 of this new series by Ann Cleeves. Lots of characters that will play out in the next books, and most are quirky but likable so I'm anxious to read the entire series. Matthew and Jen are police detectives investigating the stabbing of a man discovered on the beach. Because he's not a local, there are no leads initially and many secrets to be discovered. Add to it the disappearances of two young women with Down Syndrome, and the plot thickens. It's a multi-layered plot with lots of twists and turns--just what I like in a police procedural! I await the next book in the series!

This book is the first in a new series by Ann Cleaves. The story started off a bit slow, but then really picked up steam. It had enough suspense and twists and turns to keep my interest. I think that fans of police procedurals will enjoy this story. Overall, a good mystery read — 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book takes place in Devon, a small English town at the confluence of two rivers and the sea. Matthew Venn was raised here and is now a police detective. Matthew has issues that go back to his university days, when he realized that he did not believe the dictates of the small evangelical sect where his family worshiped. When Matthew denied the church, his family ostracized him. Later Matthew further shocks his family when his wedding announcement is in the local paper. His husband, Jonathan, runs a local community center for the mentally and physically disabled.
A body has been discovered on the beach, and it is soon determined that this is not a drowning but a murder. Matthew and his team are called in to investigate. As this novel progresses, a myriad of characters slowly come forward: the rich and powerful; the pious and conflicted; the recovering alcoholic who was murdered; young women suffering from Down’s Syndrome; aging parents who live with those women and fret over their future; an enabler; artists—all having ties to the Woodyard, the community center. As Venn and his team work to unravel this mystery, we see the interesting dynamics in the police force as they deal with their internal conflicts. Cleeves has masterfully created these rich characters. The plot is just as meticulously crafted with red herrings, minor characters, and personality insights that keep you interested without giving a clue to the ending.
This was my first Anne Cleeves book. I thank Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this wonderful mystery in exchange for an honest review. Cleeves has a new follower!

The start of a new series always brings special challenges. You must introduce the characters, their problems, the setting and the main problem of the novel. This is a delicate balancing act and Ann Cleves handles it well in the start of her new detective series.

Matthew Venn has returned home to North Devon. He has a new husband, Jonathan, a new job at a different police station and he and Jonathan are restoring a house. The novel starts with the discovery of a body that is too close to Matthew, both literally (it was found near his home) and figuratively (the murdered man has connections to the center where Jonathan is the director). Matthew is walking a fine line with this murder. Should he hand it over to the soon-to-be-retired DCI, or keep investigating?

I loved Matthew! His insecurities could turn some readers off but I was there with him. From the moment we meet him standing outside his father's funeral before leaving and heading to the corpse to the point where it all 'falls into place' and he catches the person responsible for the death, he was a real person to me. From trying to settle in with a new team and a boss who's spending more time in the pub as his retirement date approaches, to figuring out how to handle his fundamentalist mother (who of COURSE blames him for his dad's heart attack, how could he marry a MAN!!!) and trying to find out who is preying on the vulnerable women at the center, his dedication to his job and helping people overrode his insecurities.Special shout-out to Jen, one of the members of his team. She's funny! She's a stressed out single mother, who's a little desperate trying to balance it all and find the right guy, and just as dedicated as Matthew to helping people through detective work. And she's one of the few who didn't make a subtle crack about Matthew having a husband. Yay for open-mindedness!

** Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the ARC in exchange for an honest review **

ANN CLEEVES NEW SERIES OF CRIME MYSTERIES

The Long Call is my first Ann Cleeves book. It is also a first for these characters as she is starting a new series of crime mysteries (The 2 Rivers Series).

But I did see Shetland, a TV series based on a series of her books. I liked the TV series do I decided I’d try one of her books.

As it happened NetGalley was offering an advance reading copy (ARC) of her new book The Long Call which is the start of a new series. The Two River series is named for the location in North Devon where two rivers enter the sea. The new characters are quite interesting as was the crime mystery. The story is well written and well told.

In The Long Call DI Matthew Venn leads a small team of detectives including Jen Rafferty and Ross May. The author immediately grabs your attention with a body found on the beach and Matthew being unwelcome at his father’s funeral. As we move along the characters are well developed and the mystery becomes complex.

I enjoyed the book and expect most who have enjoyed the books of Ann Cleeves or a TV series based on her books will enjoy this new series of books.

The Long Call is not coming out until early September. It can be pre-ordered on Amazon. Or if you prefer, check with your local bookstore or library to see if you can put your name on a wait list. This new series is something for Ann Cleeves fans to look forward to.

Set in North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn returns to his roots and stands outside the church as his estranged father’s funeral takes place. Matthew is not welcome since the day he stood up in his family's strict evangelical service and announced that "none of this is true. I'm sorry, but I don't believe any of it. You must be mad if you think it's true." When he left the university, took a job and fled the community he grew up in, he lost his family too. Returning and buying a house does not redeem him in the eyes of the community especially since he is now married to a man. He gets a call from his team that a body has been found on the beach close to his house. Discovering the identity and the kiler of the victim, leads Matthew into a world he thought he had left behind--- a world of greed, religious fervor, and intolerance. When two special needs girls go missing, community secrets are exposed!

I am a huge fan of Vera, the television series, so I am already a Cleeves fan. Her writing transports me to whatever village or town the story is set in and her characters come to life there. Cleeve has a unique writing style and reading her work is like listening to a friend tell a story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read Book 2. Well-done!

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves is an excellent book. The author also wrote the Vera and Shetland series but with this book, she begins a new series and goes off in a different direction. Her new detective Matthew Venn is found at the beginning of the book observing but not attending his father's funeral. He soon becomes embroiled in a murder that seems to have more questions than answers. Matthew and his team go about solving it methodically and with skill. The lead character is a wonderful person, kind, understanding, fair, hard-working, and caring.
As the mystery unravels and other secrets are unearthed the reader is drawn into the novel as if mesmerized.
An excellent book with well developed, very real, characters.
Highly recommended and I hope that Ann Cleeves brings him back for many more sequels.

Detective Matthew Venn is outside the church where a funeral is taking place for his estranged father, who is part of a strict religious community which Matthew left long ago. As he turns to leave he receives a call about a death in his area. A body has been found on the beach, a man with the tattoo of an albatross on his neck.

The body is close to the place where Matthew lives with his husband, Jonathan. As Matthew and his team work to unravel the events surrounding the murder, things bring them to the Woodyard Centre, where Jonathan serves as manager. And as the investigation moves even further, Matthew finds himself facing people from the community he left behind, as secrets are revealed and his past and present collide.

Beautifully written and expertly crafted, The Long Call is the first in a new series by expert mystery writer Ann Cleeves.

Matthew is an expert lead in this intriguing series. His relationship with his husband is perfectly drawn, and the fact that the two of them are so different, yet make such a beautiful couple, adds to the depth of this story.

The two investigators who work with Matthew, Jen and Ross, add a great deal to the flavor of this story. Both of them have great backstories and were perfect additions.

In all, I loved this book. It is one of those books that you are totally enthralled with while you are reading it, and wondering when you can get back to it when real life gets in the way of reading time. It is the best book I've read so far this year, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment.

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