Loved It Two Times!

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (2019) – Matthew Venn returns to the seaside in Devon where he grew up. The strict evangelical community to which his family belongs is closed to him now. His duties as a police detective will require that both sides interact when a dead body is found on the beach. There are connections to the church, and a local center that works with people with disabilities. Venn will have to confront the possibility that his husband may be involved in it all.

Why I Liked It – Ann Cleeves scores with another complex character in a challenging story.

I saw the television version of this story before I read the book. I’d become a fan of her stories unawares. Both “Vera” and “Shetland” were favorite series. I jumped right in watching “The Long Call” when I saw the connection. The book entered the story when my wife got a copy for Christmas. I thought the title sounded familiar, but couldn’t place it at first. In just a few pages, I recognized the characters, and could see the images from the show.

As always, the depth of detail, especially internally for Matthew, is deeper in the book. This was the first book in what is now a three-book series, so we’re getting most of the core backstory filled in by Cleeves. Matthew Venn had been the golden boy of a tight, strict, church-based community. The expectation was that he would rise to leadership as an adult. But as Matthew grew, he found serious disagreements with the church’s worldview. Eventually, he publicly rejected the church and was no longer welcome. Even his parents became distant. When his father dies, Matthew watches the funeral from a distance. The past and the present create an ongoing series of stresses for him as he and his team search for answers. A man is dead on the beach. That is the only obvious fact as the police begin their investigation.

There’s a strong story arc involving a couple of young women with what appears to be Down’s Syndrome. The real challenges of raising a child, and ultimately letting the grown child move into the life that awaits them, touched me. There are special challenges for everyone, parent and child. When it’s discovered that the murdered man had developed a friendship with one girl, all the fears bubble up. I appreciated the way the author handled the story surrounding those characters.

Cleeves is a wonderful storyteller. She puts in the place of her story and creates complex characters on that stage. I found her writing as engaging as the television shows I’d written first. All credit to the television folk for doing such a wonderful job, but at the bottom line, the ultimate credit has to go to the creative work of the original author.

Rating – **** Recommended