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jo_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
You could say we have enough detectives to be reading about and there is no need for a new one. How wrong you can be as Ann Cleeves introduces us to Matthew Venn in this the first of a new series.
We have moved South and West from Vera and Jimmy Perez stomping ground, to North Devon with Matthew Venn, his Sergeant single mum Jen Rafferty who has escaped a violent marriage and golden boy Ross seems to have got himself caught in a trap of currying favour with a more senior policeman.
Of course we learn all of this as we go through the book. One might say it is conjecture a mere filling in of pages but actually the characters of these detectives show you how the case can be brought to a close.
A man is found dead on a beach.
The beach is near where Matthew lives with his husband, Jonstahon.
Turns out the man went to the Woodyard Centre where Jonathan is manager.
Then an attendee of the centre goes missing.
Can they all be linked together or is it just a coincidence that everything seems to come back to the Woodyard and the deaths and abductions are just a byproduct.
What is exactly going on?
If you have never read a detective story before (why not?) this would be an ideal place to start. The plot and the pace of the novel show you how it all works, the reasons behind the actions of the criminals but the detectives as well. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, this book shows you how it works when it goes right and obviously wrong.
You are absorbed in the place, the descriptions are so easy to visualise and you can feel yourself there amongst everyone. The choice of relationship for the main detective to have and the introduction of Down Syndrome characters brings another layer to this book. If you think you were getting the stereotypical characters and plot be prepared for something else.
A great start to a series of books which I hope will keep us all entertained and enthralled for many years to come.
We have moved South and West from Vera and Jimmy Perez stomping ground, to North Devon with Matthew Venn, his Sergeant single mum Jen Rafferty who has escaped a violent marriage and golden boy Ross seems to have got himself caught in a trap of currying favour with a more senior policeman.
Of course we learn all of this as we go through the book. One might say it is conjecture a mere filling in of pages but actually the characters of these detectives show you how the case can be brought to a close.
A man is found dead on a beach.
The beach is near where Matthew lives with his husband, Jonstahon.
Turns out the man went to the Woodyard Centre where Jonathan is manager.
Then an attendee of the centre goes missing.
Can they all be linked together or is it just a coincidence that everything seems to come back to the Woodyard and the deaths and abductions are just a byproduct.
What is exactly going on?
If you have never read a detective story before (why not?) this would be an ideal place to start. The plot and the pace of the novel show you how it all works, the reasons behind the actions of the criminals but the detectives as well. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, this book shows you how it works when it goes right and obviously wrong.
You are absorbed in the place, the descriptions are so easy to visualise and you can feel yourself there amongst everyone. The choice of relationship for the main detective to have and the introduction of Down Syndrome characters brings another layer to this book. If you think you were getting the stereotypical characters and plot be prepared for something else.
A great start to a series of books which I hope will keep us all entertained and enthralled for many years to come.
magpi3's review against another edition
5.0
I have been wanting to pick up an Ann Cleeves book for a while and was gifted this from my lovely Mam as it is the start of a new series. From the beginning, I was hooked. I read her author note and very much resonated with the start of a new series feeling like introducing a new partner and I'm so happy that Ann Cleeves has. Her descriptions of the characters are wonderfully written, creative, and are stuck to throughout the book. I was particularly fond of her description for Jen with her "leaning so far to the left that she'd only recently became reconciled with the Labour Party". I became instantly swept up in the case and was concerned with the fates of the characters at the same time. I really enjoyed the book and will definitely be picking up the next one!
ngalbani's review against another edition
5.0
I was happy to receive this ARC copy of the newest novel by Ann Cleeves. I read a few of her Shetland series and I loved the stories and their characters. This is the start of a new series set in North Devon and I loved it!
The plot is quite complex, the setting looks like a place to visit, with Ann Cleeves description I could see breathtaking panorama. Last but not least liked Matthew Venn the main investigator, he is a quite different character from Detective Perez but very human and likable. If you loved Shetland series I am sure you will love this book too!
Finally I am looking forward for the next novel in this series!
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot is quite complex, the setting looks like a place to visit, with Ann Cleeves description I could see breathtaking panorama. Last but not least liked Matthew Venn the main investigator, he is a quite different character from Detective Perez but very human and likable. If you loved Shetland series I am sure you will love this book too!
Finally I am looking forward for the next novel in this series!
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
marilynw's review against another edition
4.0
After I watched the British version of Broadchurch, and read the book, I have been interested in watching the series, Shetland, written by Ann Cleeves. I haven't gotten around to it yet but I did just read her book The Long Call, the first of two books that deal with the career and homelife of Detective Matthew Venn. Venn is an angry, troubled, sad man, having been brought up in a very strict religious community. In his late teens, when he stood up in church and stated he didn't believe what he had been taught, he was kicked out of the church and disowned by his parents. Venn has never gotten over his parents rejection and had to recently watch his father's funeral from afar.
Another black mark for Venn, with the church and his parents, is that he is gay and married to Jonathan. Matthew and Jonathan couldn't be more different but they complete each other and his marriage is a bright spot in his life. Now his job and home life are mixing, with the murder of a man who volunteered at the Woodyard, a community where Jonathan is the administrator. This story unfolds slowly, with the tediousness of a crime with many potential suspects but no hard evidence. Matthew and his colleagues must dig deep, canvas the streets and the area for witnesses. Not only is there a tie to Matthew's husband to this crime, there is also a tie to a prominent member of Matthew's former church. Too many memories, too close to home, are stirring up Matthew's anger and sadness concerning his past and he considers recusing himself from the case.
Involved in the case are two adult Down Syndrome women and they were favorites of mine, in this book. Sweet, trusting, women, with love for their routine, TV shows, clothes, food, and friends. One of the woman has an 80 year old father who despairs of how he can be sure his daughter is able to live after he is gone. What I liked about Matthew is his deep compassion for the good people he meets. He cares about this aged father, for both girls, for their families and friends and wants to do right by them and that is one of the reasons he stays on the case.
I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to the next one. Things move slowly, which worked well for me. I could feel the climate, the atmosphere, the claustrophobia of the community and look forward to returning to Matthew's story.
Pub September 3, 2019
Thank you to St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
Another black mark for Venn, with the church and his parents, is that he is gay and married to Jonathan. Matthew and Jonathan couldn't be more different but they complete each other and his marriage is a bright spot in his life. Now his job and home life are mixing, with the murder of a man who volunteered at the Woodyard, a community where Jonathan is the administrator. This story unfolds slowly, with the tediousness of a crime with many potential suspects but no hard evidence. Matthew and his colleagues must dig deep, canvas the streets and the area for witnesses. Not only is there a tie to Matthew's husband to this crime, there is also a tie to a prominent member of Matthew's former church. Too many memories, too close to home, are stirring up Matthew's anger and sadness concerning his past and he considers recusing himself from the case.
Involved in the case are two adult Down Syndrome women and they were favorites of mine, in this book. Sweet, trusting, women, with love for their routine, TV shows, clothes, food, and friends. One of the woman has an 80 year old father who despairs of how he can be sure his daughter is able to live after he is gone. What I liked about Matthew is his deep compassion for the good people he meets. He cares about this aged father, for both girls, for their families and friends and wants to do right by them and that is one of the reasons he stays on the case.
I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to the next one. Things move slowly, which worked well for me. I could feel the climate, the atmosphere, the claustrophobia of the community and look forward to returning to Matthew's story.
Pub September 3, 2019
Thank you to St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
caveatlectors's review against another edition
2.0
I tried to read this, but I just can’t seem to get interested in it. I gave up at 20%, it feels dry, and bland.
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I received a copy from netgalley and everything above is my own opinion.
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I received a copy from netgalley and everything above is my own opinion.
knitter22's review against another edition
4.0
The Long Call is an interesting new mystery series from Anne Cleeves, featuring Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. He's moody, thoughtful, compassionate, and introspective, and we learn much about his backstory when the book opens with him standing outside the church and observing his father's funeral. Cleeves has written this as a character-driven mystery, as she does so well with her other series. Matthew is intriguing, as is his Detective Sergeant Jen Rafferty. Neither of them are stereotypical, and I found Jen especially clever. There are a lot of characters, and the mystery of the man murdered on the beach tends to progress slowly and perhaps even bog down a bit in the middle, but Venn and his friends are interesting and complex enough that I will look forward to future books in this series.
Thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book.
Thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book.
booklover1974's review against another edition
I have read books by Ann Cleeves earlier and thought they're well written mysteries. This first book in a series is a promising start but I'm not overly impressed. In my opinion the detectives in the story are developed and I feel I want to get to know them better, but the book was way too long. There are so many details in the story that I got bored.
So, great effort but I think book two will be better!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
So, great effort but I think book two will be better!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
kellymarcella's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5