I have read, and loved, several books by Ann Cleeves. This book was a pleasure to read. This story drew me in right away with an interesting setting, an engaging cast of characters, a religious sect, and, of course, a murder. We were quickly filled in about each of their backstories. This book introduces Matthew Venn, homicide investigator. Jonathan is his husband, who runs a work center for developmentally disabled adults, around which this story is based. Jen and Ross, detectives with whom Matthew works, are also interesting main characters in this compelling story. I enjoy that the writer is very adept at depicting the setting and atmosphere in a few simple words. I am very excited to follow this new series by the wonderful Ann Cleeves.

I found this new title hugely disappointing. Although I liked the characters, and the plot, there were places it seemed to drag. I really had to work to get through the first third of the book, but I thought perhaps that was due to the need to create a new fictional environment and introduce the new characters. I read Ann Cleeves' books before they became popular television series, so I don't think I was overly biased due to this being something different (although, I do ❤ the Vera and Shetlands series!).

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the wonderful opportunity to read and review this title.

In this most recent offering, Ann Cleeves introduces a new main character, police detective Matthew Venn, and a new location, the southwest coast of England near the Cornwall region. As has been the case with earlier series, Cleeves has created characters that are real and interesting folks with lives that reflect our contemporary society. The story is compelling and holds the readers interest while also providing the reader with an opportunity to "visit" a new region and learn more about the English way of life in all its variety.

Fans of the earlier works will be delighted to meet new characters and enjoy new stories. This book doesn't disappoint.

This is a really good book. The characters are very interesting and the story line holds your interest. It also keeps you guessing. Very enjoyable.

Ann Cleeves is known for her two previous series, Shetland and Vera, both of which have been made into TV series. Now she's added a third series to her canon. The Long Call is the first novel in her Two Rivers series. In the opening scene, we meet Detective Matthew Venn standing outside the church at his funeral's father. Detective Venn was raised by a fundamentalist Christian family, and he fell out of their favor when he lost his faith and fell in love with a man. He's now married to his long-term partner, Jonathan, and has had little contact with his parents.

Now Detective Venn is called back to his home community to deal with the fatal stabbing of a man whose body was found on the beach. Soon Venn connects the dead body to a center for developmentally handicapped people, which happens to be where his husband Jonathan works.

I'm curious to see how this series progresses. Matthew Venn is one of the more interesting detective protagonists to hit the scene in recent years. He's a three-dimensional character who never feels like a stereotype.

This is a book for fans of British procedurals. Like many of the best British mysteries, the story focuses more on the characters' psychology, less on violent actions.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great start to a new series with Inspector Michael Venn and his team. Quintessential British mystery with Solid characterization, detailed descriptions and a twisty plot. Enjoyed Ms. Cleeves mysteries with Vera and Jimmy Perez and am looking forward to more of the Two Rivers Series. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This English mystery with lots of characters was a bit draggy in the beginning. I stayed with It and found myself much more interested about a third of the way into the story.

If I was ever in trouble I'd want Detective Matthew Venn to handle my case. He is compassionate with the victims and relentless in his pursuit to bring the criminals to justice. No one seems to know why Simon Walden was the victim of a homicide. He was found on the beach, stabbed in the back. What follows is surprising in the depth of disregard for the young women who were taken from their families. The conclusion was more complex and satisfying than I expected.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy from Minotaur Books through NetGalley.The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#TheLongCall #NetGalley

I was so very pleased to see that Ann Cleeves was beginning a new series, and The Long Call certainly lived up to my expectations. Ms. Cleeves has a gift for making her characters real to me, skillfully giving details about them and their lives bit by bit, just as we learn about most new acquaintances. There also is a rich sense of place, the isolation of a small village on the Devon coast. If you loved the Shetland series, definitely read The Long Call.

I received a digital ARC of this title from NetGalley and Minotaur Books in return for an honest review.

Dullsville

The Long Call is yet another British based who-dunnit suspense novel. I read so many and perhaps I’m a little jaded but this one fell flat for me. It is filled with underwhelming characters who are anything but memorable. I believe this is the first book in a related series.

The story opens with Detective Matthew Venn standing on the outskirts of his father’s burial in North Devon, an unwelcome guest due to his renouncing his parent’s puritanical religion years ago and for being a gay man. Matthew has unresolved issues with his mother and as is the nature of these issues, follows him wherever he goes. While at his father’s funeral, he gets a call that a body has been found on the beach near where he lives. The victim is a seemingly homeless, alcoholic young man with a mysterious past. As Matthew and his team investigate this death by stabbing, they learn that this man was not at all who he appears to be.

Much of the small community, including the seemingly most upstanding citizens, are involved since the victim is associated with a day center serving the both the disabled and most of the surrounding area. Matthew’s husband runs the center and Matthew himself believes that he should be removed as lead detective due to conflict. However, when two young women with Down’s syndrome go missing, Matthew realizes that the abductions and the man’s death are somehow related. In order to find the women and the killer, Matthew must put his life on the line and confront his past.

The story is slow-moving and the suspense is never heightened enough to hold interest. Within a saturated genre, this one just measure up.

BRB Rating: Skip It.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC. I have been a long standing fan of Ann Cleves, especially the Shetland mysteries. This new series features a new detective named Mathew Venn who has had his own troubles with his hometown. When a body is found near the lake and several learning disabled girls go missing, Mathew and his partner find out a couple of secrets about his Devon home.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When the body of a man with a stab wound is found on a beach, An investigation is started and DI Matthew Venn must lead his team in finding out what happened. When the investigation leads them to the Woodyard, a neighborhood center for many types of activities, the team finds too many links that force them deeper into investigating the staff and what is happening behind the scenes. When more vulnerable adults are threatened, the team kicks in to high gear to find those responsible.

This is a new detective series by Ann Cleeves, who has written the Vera and Shetland series, some of my favorites. This was another of her outstanding police procedurals, with a detective and team that struggles balancing their personal lives while making every effort to solving the mystery.

I received an advance copy of this book from net galley in exchange for my opinion.

This is a mystery plot with a murder to solve, and it does try to keep the reader guessing until the end. Because of that I wanted to finish the book.
The author introduces so many characters that don’t seem to have anything to do with the storyline or don’t tie into what is happening in the book.
The idea of the storyline will draw the reader in, but then they might have a hard time wanting to finish this book.

Ann Cleeves has crafted a completing and complex suspense novel with a timely, contemporary theme. The reader can choose to read it as a psychological drama, a murder mystery, or a sophisticated British novel with a very strong sense of place.

I have not read this author before and very much enjoyed this first encounter with her work.

I am thoroughly hooked on this series and can not wait for the next one. What a perfect setting and a perfect cast of characters for future novels. I don’t want to give away too much but just trust it’s as good as other better reviews say! I’ll be reading her Shetland series while I await book number two.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was not able to connect with this book at all. I was able to get to chapter 3 and was not able to follow. I do know that it starts with a funeral then a murder and a gay detective in England.

I really enjoyed this book by Ann Cleeves. I hope it’s the first of a new series with detective Matthew Venn. He’s an interesting character and I’d love to see how he develops over time.

Having finished and loved the Shetland series, I was very excited to learn about this new series!

I really enjoyed “meeting” the new police crew and I’m intrigued by some of the backstory and interested in learning more.

The story starts off at a quick pace and you have to play a bit of catch up, which is great. You’re learning at the same time as the detectives. There are a couple of parallel stories, which give you the opportunity to spend a little time with each of the crew individually. The story gets a little convoluted but it all comes together nicely, and dove tails perfectly!

I really enjoyed this and look forward to more in this series!

I received an e-book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

This first book in the new police procedural series by Anne Cleeves, easily draws you in and keeps you enthralled. This well-crafted mystery set in Britain, has a great range of interesting, fully developed characters, a captivating plot of deceit, secrets and intrigue, and sub-plots that weave expertly into the story. Detective Matthew Venn is a complex, captivating character. He is compassionate, somewhat strait-laced, introverted and a deep thinker. Jonathan, his husband, is his polar opposite; relaxed, outgoing and loves to socialize. The two compliment each other well and you can’t help but become attached to both. Matthew’s past and present life entwines in the case, creating additional problems and tension as the connections grow. I loved the complexity of the characters and how the investigation unfolded. It is a terrific thriller with murder, estranged family, kidnapping, abuse, personal struggles and people who are not what they seem. The twists, suspense and wonderfully crafted plot will keep you reading to the end and leave you wanting more stories in this world.

In this intriguing new series from Ann Cleeves, she introduces another quirky lead detective, Matthew Venn., and his small staff. Early on, we learn that Matthew is recently married to a younger man, Jonathan, and is still insecure about his relationship. Raised in a strict evangelical Christian sect, Matthew was shunned by his recently deceased father and his still living mother.

When a virtual stranger to Matthew's village, Simon Walden, is found stabbed on a deserted stretch of beach, Matthew and his two detectives, Jen and Ross, begin to interview those who might have knowledge of Simon, of which little is known.

The plot revolves around a Community center which has various functions, one of which is to provide supervision for adults with learning disabilities, more particularly Down's Syndrome. Matthew's husband is the director of the Community Center and its board of directors are the usual mix of clergy, local businessmen and others who have interest, some of the innocent variety but, of course, some not.

There are some instances where the action was interrupted by untimely ventures into the personal lives of the secondary characters but as the copy was unedited at the time of this reading, it is expected that these minior issues will be sorted out in the final draft. All in all, a promising start to a new series.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This British police procedural introduces a number of interesting characters. We meet Matthew as he eavesdrops on his father's funeral. All of the characters are well-developed and believable. The mysteries, as they unfold, keep the reader guessing. The ending is satisfying. I want to read other books in this series.