Review :: The Long Call :: Ann Cleeves
September 10, 2019
I have to confess that I haven't read very many crime fiction books, and when I have they have mostly been standalone-ish, rather than series. I do, however, enjoy the occasional British mystery/crime tv show so I was happy to have the opportunity to read and review Ann Cleeves' brand new novel, The Long Call. This is the first book in a new series by Cleeves, the author of Shetland and Vera. In this first instalment of the Two Rivers series we meet Detective Matthew Venn - here's the blurb from the Macmillan website:
In North Devon, where the rivers Taw and Torridge converge and run
into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his
father's funeral takes place. The day Matthew turned his back on the
strict evangelical community in which he grew up, he lost his family
too.
Now he's back, not just to mourn his father at a distance,
but to take charge of his first major case in the Two Rivers region; a
complex place not quite as idyllic as tourists suppose.
A body has
been found on the beach near to Matthew's new home: a man with the
tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.
Finding the
killer is Venn’s only focus, and his team’s investigation will take him
straight back into the community he left behind, and the deadly secrets
that lurk there.
One of my favourite things about this book was how well Cleeves wrote the setting - I found it really comfortable to read, and I could imagine being right there on the shore with Matthew during his investigations. I'm not sure whether it was the fact that I know Shetland and Vera from the tv, but I just found this really easy to picture as a tv adaptation, and was unsurprised to hear that there have been talks about adapting it already I feel like the way Cleeves writes characters and settings, as well as the pacing through the novel, really lends the story well to the screen.
As I've mentioned, the characters were really nicely written. I feel like the balance of letting us get to know the main characters, but also showing that there is more for us to discover about them was perfectly done. I am definitely keen to find out more about the main characters, and will be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series.
xo Bron
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The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
Out now from Pan Macmillan Australia
On Goodreads
Find Ann Cleeves online here
Source: Free copy provided by Pan Macmillan Australia
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
RRP: $29.99
Category: Mystery, fiction, crime
Themes: Family, mental health, disability, abuse, religion
4 comments
I haven't heard of the TV series before but this sounds a little more like a cosy mystery than a thriller, especially with the slower paced storyline. I've been really interested in crime type books of late and hoping to read a few before the year is out. Great review Bron, really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
DeleteYes - it was definitely more mystery than thriller, and very character focussed.
This sounds right up my Mum's alley, so I'll be adding it to her TBR for sure!
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched the TV show (or heard of it), but I'll check that out, too, I think.
Great review, Bron! ♥♥
Thanks! =) Yes - I'm passing this one onto my mum too - she really likes both of the TV series so I think she's probably enjoy this. x
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