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  • The Long Call

  • Two Rivers, Book 1
  • By: Ann Cleeves
  • Narrated by: Ben Aldridge
  • Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (182 ratings)

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The Long Call cover art

The Long Call

By: Ann Cleeves
Narrated by: Ben Aldridge
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Publisher's Summary

Now a major ITV series, The Long Call, adapted for television by screenwriter Kelly Jones and starring Ben Aldridge, who also reads this updated audiobook.

The Long Call is the No.1 bestselling first novel in the Two Rivers series from Sunday Times bestseller and creator of Vera and Shetland, Ann Cleeves.

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.

The next book in the series is The Heron's Cry.

This audiobook is an updated recording by Ben Aldridge.

©2019 Ann Cleeves (P)2021 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd

Critic Reviews

"As a huge fan of both the Shetland and Vera series of books, I had high expectations for Cleeves’ latest. She easily exceeded those expectations with The Long Call. Matthew Venn is a keeper. A stunning debut for Cleeves’ latest crimefighter.2 (David Baldacci)

"Clever, compassionate and atmospheric, with a great cast of new characters to love. I am already a Matthew Venn fan." (Elly Griffiths)

"Brilliant, thoughtful and deeply engaging." (Sara Paretsky, New York Times bestselling author of the V.I. Warshawski series)

What listeners say about The Long Call

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful

Lovely story. Got me thinking about the characters & how I saw them if they were real. Different twist on old ideas. loved it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Another great story

Thank you once agai Ann Cleeves for a wonderful MEANINGFUL story
I applaud you
The reader/storyteller was also fabulous
Great production

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Ok, abit drawn out.

For me needed abit more tension and pace. Sorry but also found the narrator abit Ho hum almost put me to sleep. Needed some red cordial.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great news series from the Queen of crime.

another great book from Ann Cleeves who never disappoints.
characters that have interesting back stories. thrilling plot and an outcome that I didn't see coming.
can't wait to start the next in the series.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Bit of a slow starter

I felt like this was a little hard to get into at first and I wasn’t sure about the narrator. However, I stuck with it and it does pick up the pace. Some of the foreshadowing is a bit obvious for a crime/mystery type book and I’m not too sure I liked the representation of disability. But overall- not too bad.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent story, well read.

once again Anne Cleeves has written a wonderful tale of murder and intrigue. A riveting story from start to finish.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Dreary to the end

Well narrated. Normally I love the richness of Ann Cleeves work - but this is so dark, drab and disturbingly dreary and slow - that I couldn’t recommend this to anyone. I forced myself to the later chapters but I fell asleep and when waking to the last chapter - with all the parts barely tied together- I could only feel relief. Read this at your own peril - there are much better ways to use the time in your life - especially in lockdown- such a disappointment and sooo depressing.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Intriguing undercurrents

Beginning with a slowly simmering pace & a quiet monotone narration, I almost gave up. But something about the undercurrents and the methodical intelligence of DI Venn kept me listening. And then I couldn’t put it down.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Hope the next one is better

It took me a long call to get through this I found it difficult to cope. I’m sure at times I enjoyed it but it was trying.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very good book

Just hated the way the narrator did women voices. Needed a woman to make it sound less weird

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