The Long Call

A Detective Matthew Venn Novel

By: Ann Cleeves

Narrated by: Ben Aldridge

An instant New York Times best seller!

From Ann Cleeves - best-selling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows - comes the first in a gripping new series, told with deep compassion and searing insight.

“Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers.” (Louise Penny)

A People Magazine Best Book of Fall 2019

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books

©2019 Ann Cleeves (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Very engaging

Great strory. A definite “page turner”. Could not put it down. I love Ben Aldridge as an actor. As a narrator, I was often confused who was “talking”.

My first Ann Cleeves novel

My first novel by Ann Cleeves, though I have watched all her series on Britbox. So brilliantly written, more depth than the tv shows even those are amazing too! I love the character development, the story’s twists and turns, so fun to figure out!! And the narrator was wonderful, he did a good job with accents and genders, also so easy to listen to. Lovely. I will listen to the next boom in this series with glee!

Enjoyed

loved it! very well done performance. captured each character and their personalities. Story thought out and persuasive.

Exactly.

Great new series beginning. Just what you expect from And Cleeves. Suspense, twists and turns, lots of suspects, great bleak scenery, characters you can watch as they work because she makes them so real. And the narration was awesome too — perfect acing and every character easily discernible by voice, which is so necessary, especially in multi-suspect, witness-packed police procedurals. Hooray! On to book 2/Two Rivers.

Ain’t no sunshine …

Gloomy, dark, black clouds over every character’s head. Even the narrator’s voice exudes Doom and Gloom.
This must be a terrible world to live in, full of dark secrets and miserable people. Everyone has a vegetable patch, so the sun must shine sometimes … just not on these characters.

Very good. Love the narration

Love the new detective and his team. Good story with surprising ending. Timely issues addressed. Religion, power, inclusion.

Too predictable but narration is good

So disappointed with the first book in the series. They plot is woefully obvious and suspense building is inadequate. But her character development for the new detective is very good and her descriptive writing of place and time remains stellar. The Narrator is great. Really terrific with all characters, his rhythm and cadence and capture are excellent. I really want this character and series to improve and I hope it does in book two.

excellent Ann Cleeves is a master of her genre.

The author knows how to weave a good story with no loose ends or gimmicky tricks. A great story expertly told. The narrator does a great job.

Quality

Ann Cleeves.
Good story really good writing.
A mystery from beginning to end. Really enjoyed. Five stars.

The Long Call

Perfect. The story, the writing and the performance were all perfect. Four more words are required!!