Promotional Information

Sunday Times bestselling author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope series, Ann Cleeves returns with the first in a brand new series set in North Devon and featuring Detective Matthew Venn. In this rural idyll, where two rivers meet, crime is always there waiting to rise from the water.

About the Author

Ann Cleeves is the author of over thirty critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez who can now be found on television in ITV's Vera and BBC One's Shetland. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide.

Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook, and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She is a member of 'Murder Squad', working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. Ann is also a passionate champion for libraries and was a National Libraries Day Ambassador in 2016. Ann lives in North Tyneside near where the Vera books are set.

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
*David Baldacci, author of The 6:20 Man*

Had me hooked — a promising beginning to another fine chapter in the Ann Cleeves story
*The Times*

Clever, compassionate and atmospheric, with a great cast of new characters to love. I am already a Matthew Venn fan
*Elly Griffiths, author of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries*

A triumph that cements Cleeves' status as one of Britain's best crime writers
*Daily Express*

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

Brilliant - a page-turning and sensitively told tale, with a vividly evoked North Devon setting, a powerful emotional heft and a new detective hero in Matthew Venn who you will want to follow for book after book. Wonderful!
*Chris Ewan, bestselling author of Safe House*

Ann Cleeves’ new series gets off to a terrific start with The Long Call – her native Devon is wonderfully evoked, and Matthew Venn is a very appealing new detective. Another sure-fire hit
*Martin Edwards, author of Gallows Court*

Cleeves combines a flair for evoking sense of place with a thoughtful, complex plot
*Mail on Sunday*

The troubled Venn is a great protagonist, and Cleeves may well have created her next top TV cop
*Heat*

A traditional mystery of the best sort
*Guardian*

Unputdownable series debut! With an evocative setting, a gripping plot, and beautifully drawn characters, The Long Call is a terrific read—and Matthew Venn is my new favorite detective
*Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author of Garden of Lamentations*

Who knew there could be a third detective as compelling as Vera and Jimmy? Matthew Venn is a triumph of Cleeves’ particular blend of compassion and toughness and I already love him
*Catriona McPherson, national bestselling author of Strangers at the Gate*

Ann Cleeves has done it again! A new detective, a new series, another terrific puzzle of a story that won’t let you go until the very end. Matthew Venn quickly earns his place beside Vera and Jimmy in a debut you don’t want to miss: The Long Call
*Charles Todd, bestselling author of The Black Ascot *

In The Long Call, Ann Cleeves builds a prism of a world, multi-faceted, complex, and as brilliant as a diamond. Fans of Vera and Jimmy will love Matthew Venn
*Lori Rader-Day*

Ann Cleeves is a phenomenal talent. With unfailing skill, gorgeous setting, flawless plot and seamless voice, she brilliantly conjures new worlds in crime fiction. Her instantly iconic Detective Matthew Venn is a treasure—and we will all follow him anywhere
*Hank Phillippi Ryan*

Cleeves writes of the left-behind and the unfortunate with intelligence and compassion
*Literary Review*

Murder, mystery and a great new cast of characters mean you won't be able to put this one down!
*My Weekly*

Hauntingly written, it evokes every possible emotion with Ann's gripping narrative
*Woman*

Evocative and gripping – an absolute triumph
*Daily Mirror*