The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

Expected publication date:  September 3, 2019 – Minotaur Books

E galley courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley

Description: In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his estranged father’s funeral takes place. On 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 to the people and places of his past, as deadly secrets hidden at their hearts are revealed, and his new life is forced into a collision course with the world he thought he’d left behind.

From Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of Vera and Shetland, beloved by readers and TV viewers alike, comes a spectacular new series, told with deep compassion and searing insight. (publisher)

My take:  This is my first time reading Ann Cleeves. If the rest of her books are as character driven as The Long Call I can see why she’s so popular.

We meet Detective Venn on the day of his estranged father’s funeral. When he gets the call that a body has been discovered on a local beach he knows he could be led down an uncomfortable road with people from his past. He’ll have that and much more.

Cleeves sets the tone for the new series and gives us glimpses of the personal lives of the rest of Venn’s team as they investigate a murder that will shock many town citizens. I could imagine this as a future television series and will definitely read the next book in the Two Rivers series.

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