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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 (764 ratings)
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The Long Call cover art

The Long Call

By: Ann Cleeves
Narrated by: Ben Aldridge
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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
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Slow, Oh so Slow

There is so little tension and the narrators voice is so gentle it is just right for inducing a snooze. I got so soothed I felt I was lying on marshmallow. The story passed by as a warm summer afternoon with the peace being broken only by the necessity to wonder if there was anything going on in the background, I dreamed of Vera in her scruffy mac, eating from a poke of chips and longed for twang as Tyneside.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Boring narration

Narrated sentence by sentence, no differentation in character's voices, failed to hold my attention so did not finish it.

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14 people found this helpful

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

A long slow burn and great characterisation

I liked the way that the author and the narrator built up the characters and the story from the start to a final climax.
A classic storyline which kept me guessing to the end.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars

disappointing

struggled to finish. the narrator is so boring. I'm sure its a great story but I was so bored with the telling of it I gave up.

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10 people found this helpful

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

My ears fell asleep

I am sure I might try to actually finish this book, but wow… it is so slow and arduous. The narrator sounds too much like a private school lovey to actually bring any form of realism to the characters, I’m surprised he didn’t send himself to sleep.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Worse than watching paint dry

The story is unbelievably slow. The telling lacks accents and any shades or tones. I played at 125% speed to try and mask the long gaps. Be prepared to fall asleep and not worry, you are very unlikely to miss anything. Far more like Vera than Perez

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7 people found this helpful

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

A Good Read

Ann Cleeves is a skilful storyteller who weaves her characters into a believable whole, maintaining sympathy and suspense throughout.

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7 people found this helpful

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

A great new detective

Brilliant story and loved the narrator. Great to hear local dialects that make the story come to life.

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5 people found this helpful

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

painful in every way

narration was dull ,soul less and lacking enthusiasm. story line was drawn out, uninspiring and really boring. so disappointed.

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4 people found this helpful

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

Midsomer murder

nice plot. felt like a good Mrs Marple episode, Midsomer murders. nicely done with well thought characters.

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4 people found this helpful