I had not read anything by this author although I had been wanting to for quite some time. When I saw this book available to read on NetGalley, I jumped on the opportunity to read it even though it wasn't the first in the series and I am happy I did!

Ann Cleeves is an amazing author. She held me in the palm of her hand. I couldn't stop reading. It made no difference that I hadn't met these characters before. Her writing and the characters lived inside my head.

I am now going back to read the previous books in this series before tackling her previous books. I can hardly wait to dig into them!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Thank you Net Galley & Ann Cleeves for this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books of the Two Rivers series so I was so excited to get my hands on this!! The character driven story catches your attention from the start and makes you want to keep reading. It isn’t fast paced, but truly require all of your attention.

The Raging Storm
Ann Cleeves
September 05, 2023

In this third episode of The Two Rivers we find Matthew Quinn back in Greystone. Things are quiet until Jem Rosco, sailor and adventurer blew onto the island, landing next to the bar at Maiden’s Prayer. When asked where he’d been and what plans he had, his only response, “I’m here to meet someone. Someone special. I’m expecting them any day.”
He had the quaint little town abuzz with wonder and curiosity. He had a few places here and there on the islands so no one knew where he’d settled.
Cleeves writing is excellent and develops her ideas and persona with great talent. I easily fell into the unique progress of her storyline.
The Raging Storm will be published by Minotaur Books of Macmillan Publishing on September 05, 2023. I was able to read the ARC via NetGalley. Quite a privilege to read Ann Cleeves' pre-publication of her latest novel. As I have seen many Vera and Shetland episodes on BritBox I was thrilled to read her latest publication. Readers will be immersed in this book. It is outstanding and I encourage all who love good drama and suspense to be certain to read this latest book by Ann Cleeves. Do Enjoy!

The Raging Storm
By Ann Cleeves

This is a typical British murder mystery. A semi famous man – Jem Rosco, an adventurer and explorer – has come to the town of Greystone to meet up with a mysterious someone. Jem is murdered and his body left naked in a dinghy in Skull Bay.

Enter the constabulary: Inspector Michael Venn; his sergeant Jen Rafferty; Ross May, who considers himself in competition with Jen. The cast of characters includes several town folk, many of whom were members of a religious cult called the Brethren. As in most small towns, everyone has something to contribute to the investigation and information that they are either eager or reluctant to share with the authorities.
murder mysteries, this may be worth a read.
The story is somewhat predictable. But it is a quick and easy read. If you enjoy murder mysteries, you may like this book.

I love the Vera Stanhope series, and this one with Detective Venn does not disappoint.. Her sense of place is fantastic:: you feel like you are there in this eerie town with eccentric characters. Many twists and turns as well as introspection, so well written.

This is the 3rd book in the series, and spoiler alert- the LAST one in the series. I think Ann had decided there really wasn't much more left for Venn, so she chose a more convoluted mystery to send him out on. Venn returns to an area he knew some from growing up. What he soon finds is his past catching up to his present, as the religious group his parents belonged has a group in the area, and its members are involved in the current case. With the dead man an apparent mystery, it takes Venn and his team time to pick apart the threads of his life, before they can try to determine why he was murdered, and if anyone else is in danger, as past secrets start to come out. It's a bit of a roller coaster read at the end, and readers may have the sense that the series could be picked back up again, with a different angle, if Cleeves chooses (but for now, we can wait for the next Vera book!). Perfect for fans of the series, I would suggest having read the previous books, so this one makes more sense.

Too slow

This starts well. A fairly successful man, who achieved some fame from adventure sailing, returns to the pub at his home town. He didn't tell anyone why he returned, just that he was waiting for someone to meet him. After a few weeks of waiting, the man is found stabbed and floating dead in a boat. So far, so good. But then for the next 3/4 of the book nothing happens. Ii eventually got bored and skipped to the end. Even after reading "who dunnit", I had no interest in reading any of the parts I skipped. There were no characters I cared about, either good or bad. Well, i did like one of the police officers, but not enough to read any more of the book. I am glad others liked it, but it was just too slow for me.

Loved this book!!!!! This was my first Ann Cleeves book, but certainly will not be my last. I loved the setting, the description of the scenery and landscape, and I loved the character development. The story line was interesting and had a number of twists. Each character was well developed and I did not feel lost for having not read previous books in the series. It was well written and a very enjoyable read.

This is the third installment in the Two Rivers series, and it does not disappoint. Readers are brought back into Matt Venn's world, who is called to investigate when local resident Jem's body is discovered. This isn't a typical fast-paced thriller, but there is excellent character development and it is an intriguing police procedural - readers definitely need to pay attention to all of the details in order to weave everything together. The author also does a really good job at creating an atmosphere perfect for the mysterious element, and as you read you really feel as if you are present and investigating yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books who gave me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

As much as I love the Vera Stanhope books by Ann Cleeves, her series with Matthew Venn is just as readable and enjoyable. When Matthew has to go back to the town he grew up in to solve the killing of Jeremy Roscoe, a celebrity sailor, he confronts his challenges of growing up with the Brethern and the effect that has had on his life. As always, there are many twists and turns with the townfolk and their stories. It is nice to read about a detective with flaws, who nonetheless manages to solve the mysteries given him.

This has become another one of my fave new series. This newest installment is also the best one so far. JMHO😊 The team is back: DI Matthew, DS Jen and DC Ross along with Matthew’s husband Jonathan. The book summary introduces the primary storyline; the investigation of a local celebrity who had “come back home” (that typically leads to no good) to meet up with “someone very special” and ends up dead. There is also a secondary storyline where the remote location that they are working in is a community of the same church/religion that Matthew grew up in and he even knew one of the church elders when they were kids. He also remembers having been to several locations around town and it brings up a lot of memories of his childhood with his parents.

Most of the story revolves around the investigation of the murder that Matthew and the team find really bizarre in so many ways. So many of the clues and details of the murder and the murder scene just seem either staged or just really reckless in a dubious way; they just don’t add up. Additionally, there are so many connections, past and present, between the victim and so many other people in the town as well as others in the victim’s life. Even the victim’s life as well as the days leading up to the murder are really strange and confusing. Cleeves doesn’t give up much to help the readers and us armchair detectives try and figure out “whodunit”. I have mixed feelings about that whole style of writing. I love being surprised and shocked with twists and turns, yet I also like to be able to try and figure out the crime and mystery. It’s a bit of a consolation that Matthew and the team are just as clueless as I am😊

It's well into the second half that a second murder is discovered and all the clues and leads began to fall together, at least for Matthew, and he concocted this elaborate and highly detailed plan that the killer must have executed in order to commit the murder. Sounded good to me, I went with it. So, the final 10% came as quite a shock. Didn’t see that one coming nor could anyone else for that matter.

Once again, this has been my fave installment of the series. One of the things I liked about the story were the memories and glimpses of Matthew’s childhood with his father as well as his mother, who he now has a strained relationship with. I also liked the Author’s Notes at the end. Cleeves talked about how she came to develop the series as well as Matthew Venn’s character. For Cleeves, Matthew was a mixture of inspirations for Cleeves from two different sources. She also talked about how coming to the end of one of her other series, Shetland, she wanted to create a different and new series. I’m not familiar with that series, but I may check it out now.

I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook, and the narrator Jack Holden was wonderful. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #TheRagingStorm

Another great mystery by Ann Cleeves. I enjoy her books because the mystery always has an excellent plot, is character driven, and isn't over violent. Less of a thriller and more of a good piece of fiction writing. Her books are always set in very interesting locations as well. Her descriptions transport you to that part of the world, even if you've never been there. If you like mysteries and good writing, you'll The Raging Storm.

This was an exciting murder mystery that takes place in a sea side town. The lead detective has quite the cast of characters to choose from when trying to determine who has committed the murder. There are several twists and turns throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Cleeves for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

This is the third book in the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves. It is a British police procedural set this time in a small village in North Devon. Although it could be considered a stand alone, it is definitely more enjoyable if you read the first two books before this one.

The main character of Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, as always, is beset with self doubt and memories from his childhood as a member of a strict religious sect based in the same area as he now lives and works. As he and his team struggle to solve first one, and then a second murder, storms rage adding to the charged atmosphere of the book.

While I found most of the book very enjoyable, I felt the ending was a little weak. This series has an interesting cast of characters, though, so I’ll definitely be back for the next installment.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Grade: A

Ann Cleeves has been long established as a strong mystery writer, and this third entry in her Two Rivers series further cements her reputation.

While the mystery here was strong, that isn't what struck me about this novel. As with any mystery, the central puzzle should be complicated enough to keep the reader entertained but not so convoluted that it can't be solved; Cleeves succeeds on both counts. But two other aspects of this novel really stood out for me.

The sense of place here is exquisite. Matthew Venn and his team find themselves in a neighboring coastal town. This isn't a destination spot. There are no tourist attractions or resorts. Rather, this is a working-class community made up, in part, of members of the religious group Matthew was raised in and then left. The hard edges of this place come through in the prose, and I could see all the hues of gray that paint the scene. It is one thing to draw a paradise in prose, but it is far more difficult to construct a place devoid of color. While I've never thought Cleeves was weak in setting her scene, this is the first time I was really impressed by her skill in this area.

In the previous entries in the Two Rivers series, we met Matthew and learned about his past. Now, we are getting the chance to dive deeper into his character. We see the scars left over from his upbringing and his desire to be able to move past them. While Matthew is a successful detective, he deals with his own insecurities and social anxieties. These were touched on in earlier books, but here they are on display. We also get another look into his relationship with Jonathan and are left with a tantalizing tease about what might be next for them. We also get to know Matthew's subordinates, Jen and Ross, more deeply than before. They each have their own baggage, and there is a competitive element to their working relationship.

I have enjoyed all three books (plus one novella) in this series, but The Raging Storm is my clear favorite. Cleeves has taken a strong series and made it into one you can really sink your teeth into, filled with characters who come to life off the page.

Jem Roscoe, well known as the man who sailed around the Earth in the shortest time, is staying in Greyston in a rented cottage. He shows up at the hotel every day, until the day he didn't show up. Mary Ford, is waked by her pager that someone needs rescue. She goes with a couple of helpers to Scully cove where she finds a naked man in an anchored skiff. The man is Jem Roscoe.

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn goes to Greystone, with Jen and Ross to help. This is the area in which he grew up, and there is something about the people and the winds which is a little spooky. Scully Cove is a particular place with lots of history and rumor. He finds Roscoe was stabbed somewhere else. The case brings up lots of questions. Roscoe has a very nice home nearby. Why was he renting a cottage? He claimed he was waiting for someone to come to the hotel, but never said who. He was not wealthy. Who funded his trip around the world and other sailing trips he made?

The woman he named his boat after is married to the wealthy man who thought she was his girl. Then a second person is found dead at Scully Cove. This becomes a very difficult case, and the police themselves needed to be very careful!

This is a great addition to the series. I think Netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an ARC.

She’s done it again. Cleeves’ meticulous descriptions and attention to detail make me feel part of the landscape. The plot is intricate, cunning, and satisfying. This is a triumphant addition to the series.

It has been years since I've read an Ann Cleeves novel (all of the Shetland series). I've seen all of the Vera series but read none of those books. I was looking forward to reading one with a new main character. To me, this story took a little time to get into but then branched out with more characters/possible suspects to pick from. While I kept reading to see who the culprit was, not sure if I'm ready to pick up another series.

I have not read Ann Cleeves before. Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read her newest one: The Raging Storm. It starts off well. A former resident, now a renowned world traveler returns to his hometown of Greystone, located on the North Devon Coast of England. He shows up every night at the local pub where he is a celebrity. He says he has returned to meet someone but he won’t tell anyone who that is. After a few weeks of showing up at the pub, he stops showing up and soon enough his dead body is found in a skiff off the coast. Matthew Venn (the newest character for Cleeves?) shows up with his team to investigate. And then nothing much happens for about half the book and another man is found dead on the beach. The two men had something in common: their love for the same woman. The second man is the man who was/is married to her. At about 80% through the book she disappears. Finally, the murders are solved and the ending is kind of feeble. Like other mystery thrillers that I have tried to read in the past couple of years the pattern seems the same. A good start, and then boring or non-essential information about main characters, secondary characters, and tertiary characters. This is what mostly fills up the book. I think the mystery/thriller/suspense category is done with me.

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book. Cleaves’ solid writing kept me reading but the plot was less compelling and interesting than hoped for. The mystery wraps up nicely but there are a lot of characters to keep straight.