pinecone_mushroom's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the writing, and appreciate how the characters were distinguishable. I felt like the mystery got a bit confused at the reveal, but that might be because I read it at work and had to read it in small chunks.
norrieaga's review against another edition
4.0
Happily devouring mysteries this week. Liked this one.
thecurseofchris's review against another edition
3.0
I was really hyped for this book at first because I had heard a lot of good things about the author, but in the end it just felt very average to me. The mystery was intriguing but eventually it just became stale and overly long to get to the conclusion.
dcmr's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting plot, but the multitude of characters and sluggish pace made this a long slow read.
jackie_beyondthebookends's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I had heard such great things about the author although I have never read any of her books. I loved the character driven story that leads you down a long winding path. I didn’t guess the ending and this murder mystery.
thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition
5.0
The Long Call is book one in the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves. It is a great start to a new crime/mystery series that I will continue with.
I am a huge fan of British mysteries and this did not let me down. In the spirit of her Vera and Shetland series we are transported this time to Barnstaple, North Devon between the 2 rivers, Taw and Torridge. I enjoyed a few weeks in North Devon and knew some of the places described in the story.
In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father’s funeral takes place. Once loved and cherished, the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.
Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.
The case calls Matthew back into the community he thought he had left behind, as deadly secrets hidden at its heart are revealed, and his past and present collide.
In true Ann Cleeves format the story is more character driven, moving at a steady pace and all coming to a climax closer to the end. I enjoyed the inclusion of the learning disabled women, Lucy, Chrissie and Rosa Holsworthy and their central role in the mystery as well as touching on the difficulty of being different in a small village. Kept me guessing till the very end, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I am a huge fan of British mysteries and this did not let me down. In the spirit of her Vera and Shetland series we are transported this time to Barnstaple, North Devon between the 2 rivers, Taw and Torridge. I enjoyed a few weeks in North Devon and knew some of the places described in the story.
In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father’s funeral takes place. Once loved and cherished, the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.
Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.
The case calls Matthew back into the community he thought he had left behind, as deadly secrets hidden at its heart are revealed, and his past and present collide.
In true Ann Cleeves format the story is more character driven, moving at a steady pace and all coming to a climax closer to the end. I enjoyed the inclusion of the learning disabled women, Lucy, Chrissie and Rosa Holsworthy and their central role in the mystery as well as touching on the difficulty of being different in a small village. Kept me guessing till the very end, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
mhoffrob's review against another edition
4.0
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves is a British Police Procedural with excellent character development and an enjoyable plot. Centered on North Devon area Detective Matthew Venn, a veteran detective leading a team investigating the stabbing death of a man found at the converging shore of two rivers (fyi, this is the start of a new series for Cleeves, aptly named Two Rivers). While the victim appears to those who knew him to have been a homeless former soldier, all is not as it appears. Venn and his fellow detectives, as well as his husband and others associated with the victim are well thought out characters and the plot moves at a good pace while keeping the reader entertained. Highly recommend for fans of Elizabeth George, PD James, and similar authors.
kt_red's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
kelbi's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this. Quite up to her standard in the Shetland and Vera books. I like that she evokes a strong sense of place as well as plot and character