A review by reubenalbatross
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

First of all, the audiobook narrator for this had some SHOCKING accents, especially the one that was meant to be scouse… It really made it hard for me to get immersed in the story. 

There was a LOT of over explaining pretty obvious things in the book, which definitely held the writing back from being great. I noticed this especially when the ‘villains’ monologued, and it really took the impact out of what they were saying. If they’d left some things implied instead of being said outright, the scene would be way more effective. 

This book was also yet another instance of author’s not having any idea of basic outdoor safety, which really grinds my gears. They mention not being able to call 999 at one point because they didn’t have signal, which is WILDLY inaccurate. As long as there is reception for one provider (which there definitely would have been with how close to civilisation they were), you can call 999, even if you don’t have normal signal. In this instance, they look down at their phone to check if there’s signal, then don’t even bother to try ringing! And they’re the cops!!! 

Also, every time I heard the name Gabbie Henry, my brain immediately went to Gabbie Hanna. Not the book’s fault, but truly took me out of the truly every time it was said. 

I can’t really comment on the Downs Syndrome rep, as I don’t have experience of it, but it seemed ok to me? They did say a 41-year-old had the mind of a child, but I think that can actually be true in some cases? They did keep calling one of the characters with Down Syndrome physically ‘unfit’, which I didn’t love, as it seemed somewhat pointed. However, they definitely gave all three Downs characters their own personalities and independence/confidence levels, so were clearly not tarring them all with the same brush.  

All in all, this book was good to waste time with, but not much else. The plot wasn’t very interesting, the reveals didn't shock me, the writing was mediocre, and the god-damned narrator really needs to brush up his scouse accent.