Not only is The Long Call the first installment of Ann Cleves new Two Rivers series it is also the first book by this author that I have read.
It appears to have all the elements that I've come to expect in a mystery; atmospheric English towns, sketchy characters, murder, missing persons and a police department with a few characters of its own.
Detective Matt Venn has returned to Devon, the town of his upbringing, yet he's estranged by almost everyone he once new including his family, friends and church. Yet, he's determined to try again, this time with his partner Jonathan who manages Woodyard an artsy establishment which helps out the community and those with mental or physical disabilities. Unfortunately, it is also the venue which employed murdered man.
The novel seemed a bit longer than it should have been but it was good enough to want me coming back to Devon for more.

If you are an author or publisher seeking a review/blurb from me, please note I only provide those on the books I thoroughly enjoy and read cover-to-cover. If I don't give you one (as is the case here), it doesn't mean there was a problem with the book, it simply means the book wasn't for me or it may not resonate with my fan-base. I will, however, give you five-stars because I know EXACTLY how much work went into getting this particular title here and I'm not about to drag down your overall score just because it didn't hit for me. I wish you nothing but the best.
jd

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series. It's a different book for Ann to write but I am going to like it. It is different from a lot of other crime books and that's a good thing. You are going to enjoy it. Thanks Ann for a great read!

Penning a great murder mystery seems like it would be particularly challenging. The story often fits into a standard template: there's a murder; someone investigates; clues and red herrings are introduced; and finally the person at fault is revealed. An author must find a way to fit his or her plot within that framework, however, while still managing to make it fresh. Ann Cleeves does this perfectly in her latest novel, The Long Call, pairing a memorable protagonist with a baffling crime that is complex yet believable.

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, the book's central character, is attending the funeral of his estranged father when he's called to the scene of a murder near where he grew up in North Devon, England. To his shock, Venn finds that the crime happened a stone's throw from the house that he owns with his husband, Jonathan, the director of a daycare center for individuals with learning disabilities. As Venn and his team investigate, they uncover perplexing clues, scandalous secrets and bizarre coincidences that ultimately allow them to identify the killer.

Cleeves' characters across her novels unvaryingly are well written (see Beyond the Book). The Long Call is no exception; the cast is large, but each character stands alone, fully formed. The star of the novel, though, is undeniably the quiet, introspective and incredibly perceptive D.I. Venn. He's the type of person who makes coffee for his staff because "he'd never wanted to be the kind of boss who demanded that his minions wait on him." When a junior detective mentions thinking their victim was seeking society, Venn gives her theory consideration. "He'd been viewing this from his own perspective," he thinks to himself, and comes to the realization that he personally "needed solitude far more than he needed company, but not everyone was like him." Grateful for the insight, he compliments the woman publicly on her point of view. He's complicated, scarred by being banished in his youth by his evangelical parents and community for both his beliefs and his lifestyle, but he's also sympathetic and sure to appeal to Cleeves' fans.

A character-driven murder mystery is all well and good, but unless the mystery itself works on all levels, the book will fail. Over her long writing career Cleeves has mastered the art of creating the impeccable crime novel, and The Long Call is a real stand-out. The plot feels like a jigsaw puzzle: you keep turning over random pieces but can't see how they can possibly fit together into a complete picture. Then, suddenly, one part of the puzzle fits into place, then another, and the rest combines at a breakneck pace into an unexpected yet not completely shocking whole. So too with this particular storyline. Throughout most of the novel readers aren't really sure where the narrative will end up – how the clues, events and characters' actions are related – but the conclusion is ultimately very satisfying.

While The Long Call has a somewhat old-fashioned feel to it – it reads very much like a classic Agatha Christie whodunnit, easy to read and full of suspense – it's still surprisingly relevant. In an interview Cleeves stated:

Today we're looking for more than a puzzle, I think, and crime fiction takes itself more seriously. We're exploring violence, grief, big subjects, even if we're doing it in an entertaining way.

She completely succeeds in achieving this goal; in this novel, for example, she addresses social issues such as same-sex marriage, religious fundamentalism, and society's treatment of people with mental disabilities.

Readers should be aware that this isn't a book in which heart-stopping revelations come every other page. The author instead takes her time carefully constructing the stage for the final revelation and meticulously developing her characters into believable actors. (Unsurprisingly, Silverprint Pictures has optioned this new series for a TV drama. Silverprint has also produced five seasons of TV shows based on Cleeves' Shetland Island series, and their production of her Vera Stanhope series has just been renewed for a 10th season.) The Long Call is one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good whodunnit; its examination of many topical issues also makes it a great novel for book group discussion.

This is a book that is just as much about the characters as the investigation. Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is in charge of the murder investigation. He is a local boy and a gay man who grew up as part of a strict evangelical church which he renounced. I loved the undercurrents here of the discord between his family, the church and his true self. Cleeves weaves in societal prejudices towards gays and disabled and mentally impaired people so well into this story.

The main mystery revolves around a murder connected to the Day Centre at The Woodyard - a center for disabled and impaired people that is managed by Jonathan, Mathhew's husband. Running alongside this investigation is the story of an elderly man who is living with his daughter with downs syndrome. The stories, are connected and Cleeves weaves them together effortlessly at the end.

My favorite character, by far, is Jen one of Matthew Venn’s DS’s. She has escaped an abusive husband and has such an interesting back story. She is also a perfect pair for him, balancing him in all the ways that count in an investigation. I hope we see more of her in this series.

If you enjoy character driven police procedurals this is definitely one to add to your list.

A well-written police procedural. There are a couple of mysteries happening simultaneously - without spoiling anything, the main one is a dead man is found on the beach near DI Matthew Venn's home. This is a slow-paced, well-plotted mystery with a lot of character development and insight throughout.

The Long Call is dark and over entangled. The story is bogged down by the variety of levels the author adds. It loses some clarity and some emotion. It's not something I would reread nor would I read more in this series. I'd rather read my own voices book about Down Syndrome women instead of them being target yet again.

This book was good enough, it kept my interest. I did borrow the audiobook from the library and listened to about half of it, switching back to reading at the end. The language was a bit to get used to, but that's to be expected being set in England, where I am in the States. This sure did keep me guessing right to the end. I didn't see that coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This was my first Ann Cleeves novel. It started off a little slow for me, but that was fine because later I could see it was setting the scene, but be forewarned if you don't like a slow built up. Took about 25% of the book for it to become unputdownable. This is book one in the new Two River series and I could see how this would expand. There were so many characters to find out more about. Detective Matthew Venn was a great character and he leads the team on an investigation into the murder of a man found by the beach. This ends up being connected to the adult day center for people with disabilities that his husband is managing. You end up finding out this town is filled with secrets and people willing to do anything to cover them up. I would read more from this series. Recommend to those that enjoy Ruth Ware, British mysteries and police procedural mysteries.

I started this book and realized that it is not a genre that I am interested in reading more of. Thank you for this opportunity- the book seemed like a good one for people who are interested in this type of story.

The Long Call is one of those mysteries that pulls you in from the first page. The characters have depth and are likable in every sense. The plot is intricate and twisty with a storyline that sneaks up on you out of the blue. The author also deals with interesting subjects such as Down’s syndrome and the challenges that gay people have to deal with. It was refreshing to see this author tackle such delicate topics in today's complex world. Well done..

The Long Call earns 5/5 Tattoos...Compelling Page Turner!

Ann Cleeves’s Vera and Shetland series are my top favorite British television detective shows, so taking advantage of the opportunity to read her own words introducing a new detective patrolling a different district was a no-brainer. It’s North Devon in the Southwest tail of England, the opposite of both the Shetland Islands and Vera’s Northumberland. Detective Mathew Venn is new to the Barnstaple team. He recently lost his father, long estranged to him, bringing to the surface the pain of his past and his family rooted in a strict evangelical community called the Barum Brethren. But, Venn and his partners (the perfectly coiffed Ross May and energetic Jen Rafferty) are confronted with the murder of a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck. The investigation begins on the surface as ordinary, straightforward, but soon secrets and lies, past and present, are revealed slowly, deliberately, deepening the complexity of the drama. Add contemporary prejudices, a kidnapping, personal connections, and characters with their own challenges, flaws, and demons, and one has a compelling page turner that’s almost impossible to put down. The end? Brilliant! Satisfying! In retrospect I should have seen it coming since I feel the essence of Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez lurking in Cleeves’s style. Although her writing is filled with a descriptive narrative realistically creating the diverse setting from rivers to marsh land, small towns to urban areas, and depicting an edgy tone, it is the characters that drive this story with dialogue to heighten the emotions and illustrate various personalities. I highly recommend this book!

The Long Call was great! I couldn’t put it down once I started. Ann Cleeves’ descriptive writing helped me feel as if I was in the story too. I truly like how atmospheric this was and I look forward to reading more in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC.

A murder has been committed, in North Devon by the sea. Detective Matthew Venn is charged with solving the crime. Although most people know one another in this little town, the man's identity is a mystery. Even after learning who he is, the mystery continues to deepen. What is the motive? Who is responsible? The deeper Venn's investigation goes, the more questions are raised. Venn uncovers more despicable acts and more and more people are involved.

This story was a compelling read which became increasingly complex as the book progressed. I can't tell you the number of times I said, "just one more page," and that became at least several more.

I could visualize the countryside, thanks to Ann Cleeves' vivid descriptions. This added significantly to my enjoyment of her book..

I enjoyed the setting and the characters. The backstory of all the main characters is quite interesting. I want to know more. I am looking forward to more of this series.

This was my first Ann Cleeves book, but it won't be my last. I knew her name and reputation, and that a couple of her series had been made into television series, so was interested to give this first book in a new series a try. Dark and atmospheric, with a flawed hero and an interesting mystery at the heart of it, it was right up my alley. It's definitely left me interested in reading more of her writing.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I absolutely adore the TV series Vera and Shetland but have not had the chance to read any of Ann Cleeves books yet. This was a wonderful first read and I adore mysteries. This was well written and paced. The characters captured me from the start and I couldn't wait to finish. It's past time I read more of her books. Thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Senior Investigative Officer Matthew Venn is a relatively new addition to the Devon Police Force but he's not new to the area. He grew up in these parts and is only recently back, having married and moved back so his husband can open and direct his dream project. Matthew is back among the familiar roads and landscapes of his youth before he was disowned by his family for walking away from the faith they raised him in. We meet Matthew as he is a bystander to his own Father's funeral. A call comes from one of his team, a body has been found, he's needed.

As SIO Matthew Venn and his team work to discover identities and motives surrounding the death of this man, Venn finds himself hovering near being too personally attached to the case and exposing the secrets of people he knew long ago. He and his team just need one break to push the case forward toward a solution. But will that break come at a personal expense to Matthew?

Ann Cleeves has been on my TBR for a long time. I love/d the BBC shows Vera and Shetland and have had those books on my list for far too long. I'm pleased to have started this newest series by Cleeves with book 1. I thoroughly enjoyed this title and Cleeves has a way of keeping the reader guessing until the right moment when everything falls into place.

I'm prepared to live this series just as much as the Vera or Jimmy Perez series. The Long Call also appealed to me with its very natural sense of diversity-- particularly several adult characters who have Down Syndrome and are full participants in the story.

My first Ann Cleeves book and I am genuinely impressed! I also didn't realize it's a series and now I'll have to continue! A terrific police procedural. So well written, fast paced and great characters!