Colin (well played by Jaden Michael), who is obsessed with becoming a quarterback, is the adopted mixed-race son of loving, albeit racially naive white parents: Nick Offerman without the Parks and Recreation tache, alongside Mary-Louise Parker in mom jeans. Her instantly iconic Detective Matthew Venn is a treasure?and we will all follow him anywhere.Netflix’s new six-part series Colin in Black and White, co-created by Ava DuVernay ( Selma When They See Us) and written by Michael Starrbury ( When They See Us), is an ambitious blend of biography, sitcom and polemic that focuses on Kaepernick’s high-school years in Turlock, California. With unfailing skill, gorgeous setting, flawless plot and seamless voice, she brilliantly conjures new worlds in crime fiction. A stunning debut for Cleeves’ latest crimefighter.’ David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author She easily exceeded those expectations with The Long Call. ‘As a huge fan of both the Shetland and Vera series of books, I had high expectations for Cleeves’ latest. ‘Cleeves’ acclaimed Shetland series may be history, but her newest detective-buttoned-up, gay, married, ex-evangelical Matthew Venn-is a righteous successor.’ People ‘The plotting is complex and intriguing, the location comes alive, and the resolution satisfies…fans of Cleeves lamenting the end of the Shetland series will find much to love in her new characters and setting.’ Library Journal (starred review)

‘As usual with this talented author, the key is relationships, and the murder is an occasion to examine them and then, finally, to expose what rips them apart.’ Booklist But Cleeves’s true strength lies in her descriptions of the natural world, gorgeously captured in this brief description of Venn listening to ‘the surf on the beach and the cry of a herring gull, the sound naturalists named the long call, the cry which always sounded to him like an inarticulate howl of pain.’ New York Times ‘A prolific author with two sturdy mystery series already underway, Cleeves has a fondness for quirky characters, several of whom show up here when Venn starts interviewing suspects. In 2012 she was inducted into the CWA Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame.

In 2006 Ann was awarded the Duncan Lawrie Dagger (CWA Gold Dagger) for Best Crime Novel, for Raven Black, the first book in her Shetland series. Her books have now sold over 1 million copies worldwide. She has written over twenty-five novels, and is the creator of detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez – characters loved both on screen and in print. Ann Cleeves is the author behind ITV’s Vera and BBC One’s Shetland.

Ann cleeves the long call review