While attending his father's funeral, Detective Matthew Venn receives a phone call; a body has been found on the beach near the home Matthew shares with his husband, Jonathan. What unfolds is a classic whodunit, procedural-type plot revolving around a murdered man who is not quite as he seemed.

The story is told using third-person point-of-view. I enjoyed the small details we received from each of the character's thoughts, as well as their backstory. Matthew is a complex character. As a teenager, he questioned his family's devotion to a religious sect known as the Brethren. It is interesting to watch Matthew navigate an investigation that leads him back to the same people who shunned him.

The first novel by Ann Cleeves I have read, I found it well-told and entertaining. There were points where the plot grew sluggish, but it was worth powering through. I had to know how it all tied together!

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur for the eARC. This is an honest review.

Also posted to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/colly_beau

One of the best written novels I have read in a long time. The storyline was was interesting and the narrative flowed seamlessly. This is the first book I have read by this author, and it will not be the last. I enjoy police procedural genre very much, and this was excellent. The characters were very well developed and the plot was captivating.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
#netgalley

This is a brand new series from the creator of Vera and The Shetland Island series featuring Jimmy Perez. I have read all the books to date from these two series and was very happy about The Two Rivers Series featuring Detective Matthew Venn. This series takes place in North Devon where two rivers converge and run into the sea.

While attending his father's funeral, Matthew receives a call which informs him that a body has been found on the beach. Matthew soon finds out that there are lots of secrets involved with this murder and soon even Matthew's past and present collide.

I like the character of Matthew and find him a bit flawed and it will be interesting to watch him grow with this series. Ann Cleeves is an excellent writer and I always find it very difficult to solve her mysteries. She is an author who keeps a lot of clues close to her chest and the reveals are always very surprising. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and I would highly recommend this book to those who love mystery thrillers.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

This is a British procedural that is one of the most interesting and well written novels I have come across in a long time. Matthew is the Senior Detective in Charge of a murder investigation. He was raised as a religious fundamentalist and left the sect when he was at university and discovered not only his lack of faith, but also that he was gay. He is presently married to Jonathan who is the head (reporting to a group of trustees) of a neighborhood center that among other things offers day care to developmentally disturbed individuals. A volunteer at the center is found stabbed to death near the beach and Matthew and his crew (who’s backgrounds are as interesting as his) are assigned to the case. I won’t go any further because of spoilers but will state again that I found this to be one of the most interesting and well written novels I have come across in a long time. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur for an ARC for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC.
This is the 1st book in a new series featuring Detecive Matthew Venn and set in Devon.
Matthew has just attended his father's funeral when he's called to the scene of a murder. The victim has been stabbed and proves to be a man whose past is a bit of a mystery. He was a drunk whose character is difficult for Matthew to figure out and the motive for his killing is impossible to grasp.
Matthew is not a character I took to right away but as his backstory became clearer I understood where he was coming from. The addition of the 2 abducted vulnerable adults adds more mystery to the murder because there's a definite connection...but how and why?
I particularly liked the female detective Jen; hopefully we'll see more of her in the future. The other detective, Ross, is a bit of a pain, but he's young and impatient, he'll surely calm down in the coming books. This is another excellent mystery by one of the best authors of this genre. I do hope we'll see more of Vera Stanhope though, especially after the final Jimmy Perez book; we don't want to lose them both! A definite must-read beginning to a new series which I hope will continue for a long time

Great start to a new police procedural series. I could see this being made into a TV show just like Vera or Shetland!

Great start to a new series! Ann Cleeves is so good providing just the right combination of procedural detail and character depth. The mystery was twisty, the characters are ones I am eager to spend more time with (particularly Matthew Venn and Jen Rafferty). The descriptions of the North Devon setting are so fine I could feel the mist in the air and sense the mold on the walls, all of which helped lay the foundations of this place in my mind. I can’t wait to go back!

I just finished The Long Call by Ann Cleeves and I loved it. This book has a whodunit at its core but there is so much more to it than that. This story leads us through relationships and how difficult family bonds can be. The story and the imagery makes me want to live in a Cottage along the British coast.
Matthew is in charge of a murder investigation that leads him back to people that he turned his back on years before, the Barum Brethren. Everyone has ghosts in their past that they would be happy to let go of but sometimes it makes us better people if we face what we most fear.
The greatest part of this story for me however is the portrayal of Developmental Challenged people. Ann Cleeves has shown us that these people are just as capable and sometimes more so than other people in society. Her description of the Woodyard and its services is amazing. I would love to see a place like this is my area.
This story is simple, complex and it is wonderful. Thank you so much for this lovely story.

THE LONG CALL - Ann Cleeves

The Two Rivers Series

September 2019

Mystery

Barnstaple, North Devon, England - Present Day

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn watched his father's funeral from a distance, knowing he'd not be welcomed by the Barum Brethren, the religious cult in which his parents belonged, and how he was raised. Discovering the "real world" when he went to college, Matthew left the restrictive Brethren, thus making him an outcast from both the cult and his family. Matthew hadn't planned on returning to his home town, but he was transferred to the Barnstable Police. From afar, he can hear the leader of the Brethren, Dennis Salter, droning on about Matthew's father, when he gets a call from his constable, Ross May, informing him that a body has been found on the beach near Matthew's house.

The body is that of a man, stab wound to his chest, no identification except for a scrap of paper with his grocery list on one side and an address on the other side. There is also a tattoo of a bird on the man's neck. Detective Sergeant Jen Rafferty was there with Ross. Matthew sent them to check out the address, as Matthew went to his house to let his husband, Jonathan, know that he would be late that night.

Jen and Ross meet one of the occupants of the address, Gaby, an artist who works for Woodyard, a day center that Jonathan manages. She informs the detectives that indeed there was a man who was living there with her and her landlady, Caroline, a social worker. His name is Simon Walden, and yes, he has a bird tattoo on his neck. Interviews with the couple living at the toll house near the beach proves less informative despite the fact that the husband, Colin Marston, is an avid bird watcher who is out on the dunes daily.

Meanwhile, in the tiny village of Lovacott, elderly Maurice worries about his daughter, Lucy. She has Down's Syndrome, and, although high functioning, her father knows she can be too trusting. Today she's come home from Woodyard on the bus, as usual, but is upset because a man who has sat with her recently and given her candy, was not on the ride today. Lucy tells him that the man tells her secrets and makes her laugh.

Matthew assigns his crew to follow up on various leads, most of which seem to be linked to Woodyard where Simon volunteered as a cook. Caroline is his landlady, and, according to Gaby, had allowed Simon to move in with them after he turned up at her work down and out. The daughter of the man who helped start and finance Woodyard, Caroline, known also as Caz, is dating the young cleric at the church nearby. Some of the people who daily attend Woodyard are, like Lucy, mentally challenged, others are students or locals learning art from Gaby, or attending counseling sessions held by Caz. Upon questioning by Matthew, most knew Simon as a cook, but no one seemed to be aware of where he came from or why he was there. He paid his rent to Caz, and had worked at a nearby restaurant at one point. The investigation seemed to be going nowhere.

It isn't until a young Down's Syndrome woman disappears that Matthew and his staff begin to gather more clues, although nothing seems to make sense. They have no suspect for either the murder or the possible kidnapping.

THE LONG CALL is the first in author Ann Cleeves' new Two Rivers series. Readers will be pleased to know that as her two previous detective series, The Vera Stanhope, and Shetland books, her new detective and his environment are equally entertaining. All of the characters are compelling, each with their own back story, the mystery is well developed, and the killer could be any of the people involved. The writing is so tight and beautifully scripted that it's impossible not to want to read this book in one sitting. Matthew is a man who has a poignant history, a man who has doubts in himself, and one who loves with all his heart, wondering all the time what Jonathan sees in him. I really liked Jonathan and his confidence, and how he deals with Matthew's inner turmoil.

Make sure you pre-order this book for its September publication. THE LONG CALL is excellent.

this was a very suspenseful and intriguing book by one of my favorite authors. thanks to netgalley for a chance to read it before publication. though i will continue to miss ann cleeve's shetland series and detective jimmy perez, i'm hopeful that the main character in 'the long call', devonshire police officer matthew venn will be back in future books. he is a well developed character with personal strengths and frailties that help and sometimes impede his pursuit of the truth. the plot centers around the murder of a man found on a devon beach. as the investigation gains speed, the author reveals him to be an increasingly complicated and mysterious figure. also playing important roles in the book are several women with down's syndrome who are well drawn and interesting people who i am happy to meet. the north devon landscape is described in great detail and the investigation is resolved in a very believable manner and left me quite satisfied.

Great start to a promised new series. The characters are well developed, real life, and with just a bit of a twist. The plot is intricate enough to introduce the setting and weave past and present in such a way as to cover the back story. A little social justice, a little murder, a dash of personal angst. It reads so smoothly I couldn't put it down.

A mystery suspense with some twists and mysteries.
Took me a while to get into the story was a little slow at beginning. but in all kept my interest until the end.
The characters were good the setting is different.
In all a good mystery.
Voluntarily reviewed.

I could not finish this book...I was hoping to have discovered a new (to me) favorite author. However, the graphic language was appalling and I had to give it up....

"The Long Call" is a new mystery/Thriller series by Ann Cleeves, who is well known her for mysteries.

The book begins with a new Detective, Michael Venn. Michael is attending the funeral of his father in his hometown of North Devon. Michael had more or less been shunned by his religious family after he left the church. His plans on leaving right after the service was changed, when a body was found on a near by beach. It appeared to be homicide, and so begins the mystery into the victim, and who did it.
The book was a little slow paced at first, but I feel it was to give the readers a chance to get to know the new character. The book had good characters, and we learn about them in backstories. The book was a well plotted mystery with many twists. I look forward to reading more of this series, and getting to know Michael!


Thanks @Netgalley for the chance to read this ebook.
I will also be leaving this review on my pages as well!
I will leave my review on Twitter @StefaniReads (Booked-up22)
Goodreads @ Booked-up22
Instagram @Booked-up22
Amazon @Bookedup22

I don't envy Ann Cleeves. Her new series will inevitably invite comparisons to the recently retired 'Shetland' series. And, while 'The Long Call' is a good book, it left me wishing for the return of Jimmy Perez. This new series features Matthew Venn but, to be honest, I liked the character of Jen Rafferty better. Cleeves does her usual fine job of presenting an interesting mystery. The book has a satisfying conclusion as the story moves forward rapidly once the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

The town has had two kidnappings and one murder in a short period of time. The investigators are using all their resources to solve the crimes. The two women kidnapped have downs syndrome. The kidnappings and murder have one thing in common. They are connected to The Woodyard Community Center. Simon Walden the man murdered volunteered in the kitchen. The two women were also involved with the center.
The investigators have to solve these crimes quickly before someone else gets hurt or killed. The reason, and the people involved will leave you flabbergasted. Riveting!!

this is a good mystery story, it took awhile to get into the story, I do not know if it was just the copy I got from net galley or not but there where a lot of typos.. there are a lot of twist to the story . I was given a copy by net galley but this is an honest review

This is a new series from Ann Cleeves and I'm already impatient for the next one! Cleeves' is a master of detective fiction, and has managed to craft three unique and different series--Detective Matthew Venn could easily hold his own with Vera and Jimmy Perez. I found Venn to be an intriguing protagonist with an interesting backstory. This is highly recommended for all Cleeves' fans and others who enjoy well-crafted stories.

Another hit from Ms. Cleeves! I didn't want to put this book down. Great characters, smooth writing that clipped right along, a twisty plot, and people who's public image has nothing to do with who they were really. You'll be shocked at the outcome. I can't wait for the next in this series!

I am a huge fan of mysteries written by Ann Cleeves. Although this newest protagonist is a bit of a departure from her usual DIs, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It feels like a more contemporary setting with the same skillful plotting, dialogue, character description and tight writing that Ms. Cleeves is famous for in her other mystery series. Can't wait to read more in this newest series.