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jigsawgirl's review against another edition
3.0
This would be 2.5 stars. It took forever to finish this book. It never takes me this long to read a book. I have never read anything by this author before, and based on this book, I am not sure I will read anything else.
I enjoy a good mystery. This moved so slowly and the characters seemed so wooden that I had a hard time connecting with any of them. I think Lucy was the most interesting. She had the most personality.
The other characters didn't illicit much emotion from me one way or another. They didn't have much personality, or were kind of creepy. When they mentioned one of the characters later in the book, I had to go back and find out who she was and what her role in the story had been.
I found it off putting that the person in charge of the investigation seemed unsure of his position, his relationship, and his ability to solve the case. I didn't care about Matthew and Jonathan being a couple, and thought their relationship seemed more like they were needy and desperate to hang on to each other than actually being in love.
There were so many characters in this book that trying to keep up with them and there connection to the other characters became almost unwieldy. I thought the mystery itself was decent.
At times, reading this book was like wading through a mud pit with heavy, wet clothes on. The best part of the book, which also had the best pacing, was toward the end, when the disjoint pieces were being pulled together. Had the rest of the book been paced the same, I'm sure I could give it a higher rating.
The Long Call was not terrible. I would recommend you read it and judge for yourself. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book received from the publisher via NetGalley.
I enjoy a good mystery. This moved so slowly and the characters seemed so wooden that I had a hard time connecting with any of them. I think Lucy was the most interesting. She had the most personality.
The other characters didn't illicit much emotion from me one way or another. They didn't have much personality, or were kind of creepy. When they mentioned one of the characters later in the book, I had to go back and find out who she was and what her role in the story had been.
I found it off putting that the person in charge of the investigation seemed unsure of his position, his relationship, and his ability to solve the case. I didn't care about Matthew and Jonathan being a couple, and thought their relationship seemed more like they were needy and desperate to hang on to each other than actually being in love.
There were so many characters in this book that trying to keep up with them and there connection to the other characters became almost unwieldy. I thought the mystery itself was decent.
At times, reading this book was like wading through a mud pit with heavy, wet clothes on. The best part of the book, which also had the best pacing, was toward the end, when the disjoint pieces were being pulled together. Had the rest of the book been paced the same, I'm sure I could give it a higher rating.
The Long Call was not terrible. I would recommend you read it and judge for yourself. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book received from the publisher via NetGalley.
rubyrobin's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
krobart's review against another edition
4.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2020/02/06/review-1469-the-long-call/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2020/02/06/review-1469-the-long-call/
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A drawn-out murder mystery that did a great job of building character details and weaving connections between them. But the story took a while to get off the ground and, ultimately, didn't compel me as much as I was expecting.
rebcamuse's review against another edition
3.0
As a long time fan of the series Vera, I was eager to read my first Ann Cleeves mystery! I deliberately chose this newer series (Two Rivers) with a new sleuth (Matthew Venn) because I didn't want to run into a story that I've already seen in the series Vera, and I wanted an untainted introduction to Cleeves's latest detective.
It took awhile to engage with it, although I recognize it is a difficult thing to introduce all new characters. Everything picks up speed in the last 15% of the book, but it is more procedural than thriller or suspense otherwise. Matthew is a troubled male detective with baggage and trauma and self-esteem issues, but is quietly competent. It is a shame that he has to get hit over the head for everything to become clear. Refreshing, on the other hand, is that he is a married gay man.
Some of the characters were a bit uneven and cloying. Cleeves offers some strong commentary on the power of abuse, and we even see how that abuse can be internalized. Some characters have an uneven presence--we meet Gaby early on, who seems so important as a flatmate of the victim, and then there's a big reveal, and then? Nothing. A final scene with Matthew and Gaby would have come full circle.
There are some interesting themes: parental relationships (Maurice and Lucy, Matthew and his dead father, Matthew and his mother, Jonathan and his folks, Caroline and her father), and bird imagery plays a significant role (the title of the book, for example).
There's an editing error wherein a character is given the wrong last name in one instance, which I'd have more tolerance for if it weren't such a procedural where one needs to keep track of all the various dramatis personae.
I'm intrigued enough to venture forth in the series, but I don't see myself following Matthew Venn for long unless he gets a bit more chutzpah, not just when confronting his own demons and traumas.
It took awhile to engage with it, although I recognize it is a difficult thing to introduce all new characters. Everything picks up speed in the last 15% of the book, but it is more procedural than thriller or suspense otherwise. Matthew is a troubled male detective with baggage and trauma and self-esteem issues, but is quietly competent. It is a shame that he has to get hit over the head for everything to become clear. Refreshing, on the other hand, is that he is a married gay man.
Some of the characters were a bit uneven and cloying. Cleeves offers some strong commentary on the power of abuse, and we even see how that abuse can be internalized. Some characters have an uneven presence--we meet Gaby early on, who seems so important as a flatmate of the victim, and then there's a big reveal, and then? Nothing. A final scene with Matthew and Gaby would have come full circle.
There are some interesting themes: parental relationships (Maurice and Lucy, Matthew and his dead father, Matthew and his mother, Jonathan and his folks, Caroline and her father), and bird imagery plays a significant role (the title of the book, for example).
There's an editing error wherein a character is given the wrong last name in one instance, which I'd have more tolerance for if it weren't such a procedural where one needs to keep track of all the various dramatis personae.
I'm intrigued enough to venture forth in the series, but I don't see myself following Matthew Venn for long unless he gets a bit more chutzpah, not just when confronting his own demons and traumas.
kathieboucher's review against another edition
4.0
Great series beginning with a new protagonist—a detective with lots of baggage and more than a touch of insecurity.
nattyd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
antiopelle's review against another edition
5.0
A great first read of the new series by Ann Cleeves.
After the Shetland series, it is a good move to start afresh with a new protagonist, and the fact that Matthew comes from a cult-like background is certainly interesting.
Was I the only one who thought that the character of Jonathan could be an older version of Christopher from the last Shetland book, Wild Fire? I think it is another nice touch!
I honestly can’t wait to get the next volume. Again great work by this author.
After the Shetland series, it is a good move to start afresh with a new protagonist, and the fact that Matthew comes from a cult-like background is certainly interesting.
Was I the only one who thought that the character of Jonathan could be an older version of Christopher from the last Shetland book, Wild Fire? I think it is another nice touch!
I honestly can’t wait to get the next volume. Again great work by this author.