The Long Call: A Detective Matthew Venn Novel (Two Rivers, #1)

by Ann Cleeves

The Long Call is the captivating first novel in the Two Rivers series from Sunday Times bestseller and creator of Vera and Shetland, Ann Cleeves.

In North Devon, where the rivers Taw and Torridge converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father's funeral takes place. The day Matthew turned his back on the strict evangelical community in which he grew up, he lost his family too.

Now he's back, not just to mourn his father at a distance, but to take charge of his first major case in the Two Rivers region; a complex place not quite as idyllic as tourists suppose.

A body has been found on the beach near to Matthew's new home: a man with the tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

Finding the killer is Venn's only focus, and his team's investigation will take him straight back into the community he left behind, and the deadly secrets that lurk there.

• ISBN10: 1250204445
• ISBN13: 9781250204448
• Publish Date: 3 September 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Long Call is the first book in a new procedural series by Ann Cleeves. Set in North Devon, Detective Matthew Venn has returned to the area where he grew up and is involved in solving a murder which keeps threatening to become entangled in his difficult past as well as his present life.

Ms. Cleeves is a masterful storyteller and her characterizations are nuanced and deftly rendered. The dialogue is pitch perfect but never intrusive to my ears (and it could so easily have been over the top). The plotline revolves around a community centre for the county which hosts programs for people struggling with mental illness, depression, and developmental challenges as well as functioning as an arts instruction and social centre for the members of the community. The author's characterizations are sensitive and non-judgemental. The sense of place and atmosphere are so well done. It's a characteristic of her work that the setting actually becomes a significant character in the narrative and this series is no exception.

This was a joy to read, despite the potentially sad themes of mental illness and exploitation. The author is an exceedingly gifted craftsman and the plotting and pacing here are things of beauty. For non-UK readers, the slang and language are British idiom, but there's nothing undecipherable in context. The language is PG, there's no graphic sexual content.

Five stars. A strong start to a new series with an appealing procedural unit set in an interesting area of the English coastal countryside. I'm very much looking forward to more in this series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Long Call through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Long Call is the first novel in a new series by Ann Cleeves, called Two Rivers. It’s not connected with any of her other novels or series. Which means it’s a great starting point for new fans! (Such as myself).
Detective Matthew Venn knows what he wants in life – and he won’t exchange his happiness for the acceptance of his family. But that is a rough path to walk. His path in life is rocked when a recent murder brings it all too close to home for his liking.
The Long Call is a tale of secrets buried upon secrets. Of a world that Matthew thought he had left behind. And of the world, he and his new family had embraced. This is the moment when the two clash.
This will likely be Detective Venn’s first of many mysteries to solve (if Cleeves’ preference for writing series has anything to say about it). So get settled and ready for a long run.

“The day they found the body on the shore, Matthew Venn was already haunted by thoughts of death and dying.”

The Long Call was by far the most character driven novel I’ve read this year. Using the main characters to push the plot forward through their reactions and connections to each other was a brilliant move. And one that was handled with excellent precision.
The storytelling in this novel took what could have been an everyday mystery, and turned it into so much more. I can now see why people gush so much about Ann Cleeves’ writing. Now I just find myself wishing I had tried one of her novels earlier!
This novel introduces a new protagonist, Detective Matthew Venn. I’m sure the rest of the series will be from his perspective as well, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll end up solving next. Though I hope we’ll see more of his husband and coworkers as well.
Speaking of, Matthew Venn’s backstory ended up playing a major role in this mystery. It was an interesting choice, but I was happy to see Venn consciously be aware of that fact, and try to back away on more than one occasion. This is not the tale of an investigator trying to cover up for their family – and that fact is made quickly apparent (I don’t think I could have respected the story nearly so much, had that been the case).
There were a lot of other characters and elements woven into this novel. The end result was something rich and full of life – no pun intended. The entire telling felt organic, as it progressed along, telling us what we needed to know, while also fleshing out the world around it.
I’m happy that I had a chance to read The Long Call. Now I just need to decide on if I want to go through Ann Cleeves’ backlog or not! Though I think I’ll be sticking with this series regardless.

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Jeff Sexton]

Solid British Police Procedural. This was an excellent book for fans of any combination of mystery, British fiction, or police procedurals. And generally, I'm a fan of all three. But for some reason this book was a bit slower of a read than most books of its size, and I'm struggling to figure out why. MAYBE because it used *several* more British terms that I'm less familiar with, despite reading more and more British fiction these days? (Full disclosure: I'm an American who has lived nearly all of my days in its southeastern corner.) Regardless, truly a solid book and very much recommended, despite my personal difficulties with reading it.