Scan barcode
A review by marilynw
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
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.