The Long Call
1 journaler for this copy...
My husband gave me this book for our 25th wedding anniversary and he didn't even know that I've been longing to read an Ann Cleeves book.
This is my first Ann Cleeves book. I know she is very popular and I have seen the TV series based on her Shetland books but by the time I heard of her she was well into writing that series and the Vera series. I wasn't sure I wanted to try to read another series in full so I held off. Thankfully she has started a new series and this is the first book in it. It is set in North Devon which is an area of Britain that I have a little familiarity with so that's a bonus.
A man's body is found on a stretch of beach by a woman out for a walk. There is no identification on him except for a scrap of an envelope with a shopping list. This meager clue takes Detective Matthew Venn and his team to the house where he lived with two women. Even once the man is identified it is no clearer who killed him. A gifted cook, Simon Walden was unemployed because the tourist season had not started yet. He was volunteering in the cafe at The Woodyard, a combination community centre and a day centre for adults with learning disabilities. It is managed by Jonathan who is married to Detective Venn. Matthew is worried his investigating the murder might be a conflict of interest but his superior, who is nearing retirement, allows Venn to continue. Matthew grew up in this area but he left it when he broke with the traditional Christian sect that his parents belonged to. Even after coming back to work in North Devon he has not had contact with his parents. This causes him some turmoil because his father had just died and he didn't even feel he could go to the funeral. So when his mother calls and says she has to see him urgently it is a bolt out of the blue. The reason for the call is the disappearance of one of the women from the Woodyard day centre who is the daughter of his mother's friend. Matthew ramps up a search for her but wonders if this abduction is connected to the death of Simon Walden. If it is then the Woodyard is even more deeply connected and Matthew might have to remove himself from the investigation.
I found the descriptions of the area so vivid that I almost felt I was there. I also liked the relationship between Matthew and Jonathan which seemed solidly rooted even though both of them came from difficult backgrounds. I will be interested in seeing where this series leads.
A man's body is found on a stretch of beach by a woman out for a walk. There is no identification on him except for a scrap of an envelope with a shopping list. This meager clue takes Detective Matthew Venn and his team to the house where he lived with two women. Even once the man is identified it is no clearer who killed him. A gifted cook, Simon Walden was unemployed because the tourist season had not started yet. He was volunteering in the cafe at The Woodyard, a combination community centre and a day centre for adults with learning disabilities. It is managed by Jonathan who is married to Detective Venn. Matthew is worried his investigating the murder might be a conflict of interest but his superior, who is nearing retirement, allows Venn to continue. Matthew grew up in this area but he left it when he broke with the traditional Christian sect that his parents belonged to. Even after coming back to work in North Devon he has not had contact with his parents. This causes him some turmoil because his father had just died and he didn't even feel he could go to the funeral. So when his mother calls and says she has to see him urgently it is a bolt out of the blue. The reason for the call is the disappearance of one of the women from the Woodyard day centre who is the daughter of his mother's friend. Matthew ramps up a search for her but wonders if this abduction is connected to the death of Simon Walden. If it is then the Woodyard is even more deeply connected and Matthew might have to remove himself from the investigation.
I found the descriptions of the area so vivid that I almost felt I was there. I also liked the relationship between Matthew and Jonathan which seemed solidly rooted even though both of them came from difficult backgrounds. I will be interested in seeing where this series leads.
I had passed this book on to BellBelle in December. She returned it while picking up two other books and now I'm going to pass it on to my sister.
