The Long Call: The First Novel in Ann Cleeves' Bestselling Series to Feature Detective Matthew Venn: 1 (Two Rivers, 1)

The Long Call is the captivating first novel in the Two Rivers series from the creator of Vera and Shetland, Ann Cleeves. I had high expectations for this book and it exceeded those expectations with Matthew Venn as a very appealing new detective.

Book Club read. Never read a Cleeves book before, however I loved the Shetland TV series, not keen on the Vera series. This series is set in Devon, you do get a sense of the landscape but she makes beautiful Devon seem somewhat desolate and grey. I'm unsure of her new lead character DI Venn, but like any first book in a series Cleeves is setting the characters up here and they therefore will become more fleshed out as the series goes on, but as yet Venn is somewhat boring and dull. I did feel that Cleeves is jumping on the diversity bandwagon in creating a gay, married central character, however that didn't bother me. As yet the character of Venn is very one-dimensional and not fleshed out. However, the main thing that I would query, having a friend who was a police woman in the 1970/80's and attended police functions with her and therefore mixed with police officers, is that would a character such as Venn actually have risen to DI rank in the first place, nothing to do with him being gay. Venn is a shy, introspective man who totally lacks confidence in himself and left university because he couldn't deal with it. I do not think that such a man lacking in confidence would survive that long in the macho police force let alone rise to DI rank. The story itself was okay, but this book and character is not a patch on Perez and Shetland. Update: Having just watched the TV series, I will say that the TV series is much better than the book, there is less introspective dwelling on how inadequate Venn feels and the TV character was more decisive than the book character.

Excellent read as always from Anne Cleeve.

I always really enjoy Ann Cleeves’ style of writing and this latest series of books has started with a winner. Interesting storyline,well- developed characters and a picturesque setting all help to make this a very enjoyable read. For those who like a good whodunnit with a few twists along the way this book will be right up their street. Now looking forward to the next in the series.

Good interesting plot lines that kept me reading and guessing. I felt that there were too many characters and found it hard to remember who everyone was at times though! No spoilers but it was a shame that the author went down such a clichéd route in the end.

The Long Call is a deeply engrossing story by Ann Cleeves. Set along the North Devon coastline, the body of a man with a stab wound is found on the beach. As Detective Matthew Venn takes a closer look into the past few weeks leading up to the man’s death, he uncovers some disturbing facts. As Matthew unpeels the layers of the victim’s life, it seems as though there is something a lot more sinister going on, and Matthew is determined to stop it. This is the first case for Detective Matthew Venn and the first novel in a brand new series for Ann Cleeves. This book had long been on my radar before it was published, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to read it as soon as I did. Shamefully I’ve never read a book by Ann Cleeves before, but I will be rectifying that after reading her latest. I’m also sure that this book will win her an army of new fans. The Long Call is a slow-burner. It does, however, develop into a highly engrossing, character-driven read. Matthew Venn is a character who has suffered in the past, mainly at the hands of his family. The opening of the novel sees him attending his father’s funeral but at a distance. We can see that there is an animosity there between him and his relatives, chiefly down to religious matters which initially caused their split. I did feel sorry for him. You can see that he wants to make amends with his family, but they appear to be less willing to do so. There is a complicated life attached to the victim, which Matthew has to unpick as the investigation into his death gets underway. There is also a connection to a community arts centre where the victim may have volunteered. I really liked how Ann Cleeves attached different strands to the investigation, which kept me thinking along the way. Until everything comes together in the end, you really don’t know how Ann Cleeves is going to bring about that full circle that makes everything clear. There are some characters here who will get under your skin. I thought this particularly about Matthew’s family and the company they kept. The novel does explore how a belief can take its hold over a person, and even turn them against their own family. Matthew Venn is a character who Ann Cleeves has brought to life really well in the first book in this series. I also liked the strong visual imagery which captured the North Devon landscape; it made me feel as though I was there. A strong start to a new series, the Two Rivers a series is one I’ll be keen to follow.

I have already enjoyed reading several of the Shetland and Vera novels, so I was looking forward to a new area and a different detective to meet via the pen of Ann Cleeves. Matthew Venn is a very different main character although equally determined to solve crimes. Having rejected his childhood background in a strict evangelical community, he has progressed in his police career and recently found happiness in marriage to his partner Jonathan. But this murder has taken place close to his home and investigations lead both to the Woodyard community centre run by Jonathan and also to members of his mother’s church. Like all books by Ann Cleeves, characterisation is paramount. The victim, Simon, was a complex man not really understood by those he lived with. Even apparent bystanders raise questions in both the reader’s mind and Matthew’s. One important character, Lucy, has Down’s syndrome and her lively, independent spirit adds immensely to the plot. The weakest character is Jonathan. I didn’t feel I knew him or what mattered most to him. Matthew’s relationship with his detective constables, Jen and Ross, were essential aspects of the storyline and Jen’s well-rounded personality, in particular, brought events to life. I anticipate many more intriguing stories about this sensitive Detective Inspector and his team in a rather idyllic location.

The characters and relationship of Matthew and Johnathan are puzzling and complex - I'd like to see how they develop in further cases. The setting is beautifully described, one could almost be there in person. The subject matter, highlighting the differing abilities of the Down's Syndrome victims, is well drawn and the plot makes you want to get to the denouement as fast as possible. Very enjoyable.