Really great as usual! I really appreciate the depth of characters and the wonderful sense of place. Jack Holden was a wonderful narrator for this book. Thank you Ann Cleeves. I was grateful for the author's note at the end of the audiobook. I loved hearing her voice and was glad to hear what she had to say. I was happy it was at the end and not an introduction.

"Ann Cleeves - New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows - returns with The Raging Storm, the extraordinary third installment in the Matthew Venn series.

Fierce winds, dark secrets, deadly intentions.

When Jem Rosco - sailor, adventurer, and legend - blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. But just as abruptly as he arrived, Rosco disappears again, and soon his lifeless body is discovered in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.

This is an uncomfortable case for Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. Greystone is a place he visited as a child, a community he parted ways with. Superstition and rumor mix with fact as another body is found, and Venn finds his judgment clouded.

As the winds howl, and Venn and his team investigate, he realizes that no one, including himself, is safe from Scully Cove's storm of dark secrets."

I stan Ann Cleeves!

Matthew Venn and his team investigate the death of a well-known adventurer in a close-knit community. The Brethren, the religious community which Venn fled decades ago, may be connected to the crime. This leisurely paced mystery is great for fans of intense character studies and slow-burn mysteries.

A blustery seaside town, a dead celebrity, and a close community with secrets. Matthew Venn and his team are called in to solve the mystery of Jem Rosco’s murder. He became famous for sailing around the world and being an adventurer on TV. When he winds up dead it’s up to the detectives to investigate his past, how he fit into the small town of Greystone, and figure out who would’ve wanted to kill him.

The mystery kept me engaged the entire time, I never felt like I had predicted the reveals before they happened. The setting of this cold, rainy town added a lot to the atmosphere and overall feel of the story. I also liked how Venn had a background with the town, having been brought there by his family when he was a child. His past with the closed off religious group gave him interesting insight into the community, and it added to his feeling of being an outsider for no longer being a believer.

Apart from the mystery plot I enjoyed getting to see the glimpses of the personal lives of Matthew, Jen, and Ross. Their relationships and experiences add to how they work the case and try to solve the mystery. Even though I find Ross to be an annoying character I appreciate that he brings a different perspective to the story.

I think if you enjoy mystery novels then you’d be able to jump into the series at any point. While you’d miss out on some of the characterization from the previous entries, the mystery plots are contained to a single book. And I think Ann Cleeves does a good job at reintroducing the characters and giving background info. If Cleeves keeps writing books in this series then I’ll definitely keep reading them.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free e-reader copy of The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves in exchange for an honest review.

The Raging Storm is the third in the Detective Matthew Venn series, and it wasn’t my favorite. Venn and his deputies are back on the case, this time investigating the murder of Jeremy Roscoe, a famous adventurer, in a village populated by former friends and members of The Brethren, an extreme religious group from which Venn broke ties in his teens.

As the detectives scrabble to figure out the relationships in the village to solve the murder, other story lines come to light.

While I enjoyed the first two books in this series along with descriptions of Venn’s relationship with his husband, Jonathan, this installment felt like it dragged in comparison to the earlier more tightly plotted novels.

I generally like Cleeves’ writing, but this one is just three stars for me.

This is the third book in the Two Rivers series, but you can easily follow it without having read the others. I think I've read all of these though, and it was fun to see the characters again. This one is set in Greystone, a place Matthew had lived where his family was part of a religious sect he had left behind.

Description:
Fierce winds, dark secrets, deadly intentions.

When Jem Rosco—sailor, adventurer, and legend—blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. But just as abruptly as he arrived, Rosco disappears again, and soon his lifeless body is discovered in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.

This is an uncomfortable case for Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. Greystone is a place he visited as a child, a community he parted ways with. Superstition and rumor mix with fact as another body is found, and Matthew finds his judgment clouded. As the winds howl, and Venn and his team investigate, he realizes that no one, including himself, is safe from Scully Cove’s storm of dark secrets.

My Thoughts:
Ann Cleeves comes through again with a mystery that's a little more edgy than a cozy, but doesn't delve too much into dark and gory. I enjoy her books and this is a good series if you like crime fiction. The principal investigator, Matthew Venn, and his team work well together in solving the mystery which involved a famous sailor who was murdered and left in a dinghy. There are quite a few stones to uncover, some unreliable witnesses and a bit of a cover-up going on which throws the investigation in a few different directions. There was plenty here to keep me turning the pages.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books throughh Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 5, 2023.

England - Present Day

Jem Rosco, noted sailor and adventurer, appears one night during a storm in the seaside village of Greystone. Famous for being the youngest to sail alone around the world, Jem is now middle-aged, and still full of stories. He regales the locals in the Maiden's Prayer pub with his tales, and that he's renting a local cottage where he's going to meet "someone". After a couple of weeks of his nightly forays to the pub, Jem suddenly stops coming in, and therein lies the real story of Jem Rosco.

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is called to Greystone to investigate the mysterious murder of a legend. Rosco's body was found naked in a small boat anchored in Scully Point by the local lifeboat after a distress call was made for a fishing vessel, which was never found. Matthew has his sergeant, Jen Rafferty, and Officer Ross May with him as they begin to uncover the mystery surrounding the appearance, and death of Jem Rosco.

For Matthew, who grew up in a nearby town, Greystone brings back memories of his childhood. The son of parents who were members of the Barum Brethren, Matthew, who lost his faith as a young man, this village is bound to have its share of Brethren. After marrying Jonathan, and joining the police, Matthew has stayed clear of the not-so-fond memories of the cult. He's, therefore, not surprised to find the village doctor and others who adhere to its doctrines. But Matthew has a murder to solve, and there are quite a few possible suspects. Jem Rosco also grew up in the area, and he had made a few enemies along the way.

With a growing list of people to query about the sailor, Matthew, Jen, and Ross fan out across the area, meeting back at the pub to share results. A storm has trapped them in the village, and this makes it easy for them to witness the goings-on of the inhabitants. Some thought of Rosco as a hero, others are less complimentary. Rosco's mysterious reason for staying in Greystone when he has a flat not that far up the coast, his naming the boat he sailed around the world after another man's wife, and how he got the money to sponsor that adventure, are all topics Matthew and his team are following. And the list of suspects expands.

THE RAGING STORM is another fabulous Ann Cleeves tale. Book Three of the Inspector Matthew Venn series starts off quickly, and there is a point in the novel when readers will find it impossible to put the book down. The ending is a complete surprise, but not to Matthew. A terrific read!

Local legend and adventurer Jeremy Rosco has returned to Greystone in Devon. Renting a cottage rather than stay at his home while he waits for a particular someone to arrive. But soon he is found dead. D.I. Matthew Venn and his team investigate
A very slow paced mystery which really didn't really capture my interest. For me there was too much description and not enough mystery, and the previous interesting characters became less so.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ann Cleeves'Shetland series is one of my favorite series. I also feel that way about Venn! The books are not a fast paced thriller, more of a journey woth the characters as the focus, rather than the crime.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Ann Cleeves is always at the top of my reading pile. She is a master at crafting compelling plots and characters with foibles and grit. Her newest detective Michael Venn is one such character. He is flawed and awkward, unsure of himself in social settings. He grew up in a sort of religious cult or sect that kept him from normal social interactions most kids have. On the flip side of that, he looks at things in a fresh way and questions people motives in situations that other take for granted. He brings fresh insight to cases that his fellow detectives would over look.

The Raging Storm takes place in a small seaside village on the Devon coast that is very remote. Jem Rosco a famous adventurer has arrived in the village of Greystone for a reason he isn't sharing. Renting a small semi-detached house next to the old quarry, Jem keeps a low profile, only visiting the pub in the evening but otherwise staying close to the house. The reason he gives is that he is meeting someone but he is hanging around for weeks. When the village realizes he missed coming in to the pub the night before they grow worried but don't think much of it.

On a dark and stormy night the local life boat rescue team is calling out in a high wind storm to look for a boat that sent a mayday at Scully Bay. When the team arrive they find a dinghy anchored holding the naked body of Jem Rosco. Venn and his team are calling in to investigate their most baffling case yet.

"Storms are not meant to block your path, they may be created to clear it.: (Kellerene)

Ann Cleeves continues with her gripping Two Rivers Series in The Raging Storm. This one can certainly be read as a standalone even though it's the third book in the series. But do yourself a favor and check out the preceding books as well.

The Raging Storm proves to be one of the most difficult cases so far for DI Matthew Venn of the North Devon coast. He's as complicated as these cases are. Venn lives with his husband, Jonathan, near Barnstable. Venn was brought up in the strictnesss of the Barum Brethren. It eventually drove him away from the church resulting in a disconnect with his mother. Jonathan (love this character) is a breath of fresh air with an adventurous spirit. Opposites do attract.

Venn and his crew of investigators are called in after an unsuccessful rescue mission in Scully Cove in Greystone by the local lifeboat team. Mary Ford and her team found a dingy anchored out in the middle of a storm. To their amazement, a naked dead man in the fetal position was curled up inside.

It appears that the body belongs to Jem Rosco, an adventurous worldwide sailor who actually hailed from these parts as a young boy. Jem had rented a cottage along the coast two weeks prior to his death. He hung out at the local pub and boasted of an unknown visitor he was waiting for. His waiting was over. Or did he finally meet up with this mysterious individual after all?

Ann Cleeves tells a story with the eye of a movie director. She sets up the scenes so vividly that we can almost hear the wind howl. There are a multitude of characters in this small hamlet of Greystone. But Cleeves carves out their individual highs and lows so well. We begin to suspect one after another especially after another body is found.

Because of the storm, Venn and his people set up headquarters in the Maiden's Prayer Bar. We'll experience the full-on investigative nature of The Raging Storm. DS Jen Rafferty and DC Ross May reveal their human sides as well with commitments of family while being forced to remain in Greystone.

The Raging Storm is knotted like a fisherman's net. Just when you think you know.....you don't know. Cleverly written as always by the talented Ann Cleeves. It's become standard practice when you finish one book of hers you're anxious for the next one to get here.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to Ann Cleeves for the opportunity.

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves

400 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Release Date: September 5, 2023

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Police Procedural, Devon

Matthew Venn and his team are investigating a naked man, Jem Rosco, found anchored in a dinghy. He was a local man who has become somewhat of a celebrity sailor. The storm is now raging, and the team are trapped in the small town. A second death of a prominent man found at the bottom of a cliff is suspicious because it is near the area the dinghy was found.

The book has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. The images and feel of the storm make the story feel more mysterious. It makes you want to read faster to finish the book and find out what happens. I love how Ann created Matthew. He is so different from her other characters (Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez). I look forward to reading more of Matthew and his team. If you like British police procedurals, you will enjoy this one.

I love Ann Cleeves' books and the latest in the Matthew Venn series is no exception. Matthew is again pulled into a case that touches on his childhood in a closed religious sect. Plenty of mystery--including on Matthew's homefront--to keep you hooked. Cleeves never tips her hand too early and I was left guessing til the end.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

I really enjoyed the narrator's work in the audio edition, and enjoyed this new installment in Ann Cleeves' On Call series. An involving traditional mystery in a vividly drawn and atmospheric setting. When a famous sailor and explorer returns to his hometown to have a meeting with a special person from his past, it sets the whole town buzzing. But when he's killed and his naked body is placed in a dinghy that the lifeboat recovers, Matthew Venn and his team are called in. Venn is torn between the case and the strangeness of being in the town where his family worshipped when he was part of a religious community. The other detectives are often sent on their own interviews and make important discoveries, and even the arrogant younger male detective is mostly likable. But I could have done with less of the female detective's "broodiness" and wistfulness over no more children in her future. Some nice twists, but also some developments that seemed less shocking. Overall, very enjoyable. I also loved the choice to have the author read her own note at the end of the novel--it's lovely.

Third in a series, The Raging Storm is classic Ann Cleeves: a thoughtful lead detective with personal baggage and an interesting backstory, a central mystery that requires the lead detective and his underlings (with their own personal baggage and interesting backstories) to spend time in a remote English village, an insular community in said village that is at times resistant to the detective squad's attempts to solve the mystery, and above all, a satisfying ending. Fans of Ann Cleeves should go ahead and pre-order this one, as should anyone who enjoys a well-written and deeply engaging detective novel.

The Raging Storm is the third in the Matt Venn series by Ann Cleeves. It starts when Jem Rosco, a local boy made good as a sailing hero returns to his hometown of Greystone. But then, his dead body is found in a dinghy anchored in Scully Cove and Matt and his team are called in to investigate. It’s an uncomfortable situation for Matt as this town is the home of the conservative church that tossed him out.
This isn’t a fast paced story. It’s a cerebral police procedural, expecting the reader to pay attention. This is a character driven story. Both the suspects and the team are fully developed individuals. My favorite police procedurals balance the mix of mystery to the team’s personal issues and this manages that mix perfectly.
Cleeves just does a wonderful job of setting the scene and I appreciated the ability to easily envision how it all plays out. The ending to this was perfect (which to me means it makes sense and isn’t unbelievable).
Make sure to take the time to read the Author’s Note and Cleeves’ discussion on how Matt came to be.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves – Unlikable Characters and Convoluted Story


Ann Cleeves is an excellent storyteller and I was excited for the opportunity to read her new book The Raging Storm, the third book in the Detective Matthew Venn series. I have not read the first two books.

Matthew Venn and his team were called to handle a case in Greystone, Devon after a famous sailor and adventurer, Jem Rosco, has been found dead in a dinghy. Though Jem hails from the Greystone area, he is not necessarily considered a local hero by those who knew him way back when. Will the investigators be able to draw out the truth from the people in this community?

I wanted to like this book, but I really struggled with the characters. The main character Matthew was not likable. He came off as a miserable man, who chose to carry the baggage from his past, and have a chip on his shoulder. At times he treated his team poorly and seemed to have a low opinion of them, as well as the townspeople.

Of all the characters I liked Sergeant Jen Rafferty the best. Her character was better developed and came across likeable. Though things are not easy in her life, she doesn’t wallow in self-pity. Ross May’s character was rather flat and the object of Matthew’s criticism.

From Matthew’s experience of religion, to the people in the community that seemed rather cultish, Christianity was portrayal as unhealthy. It was an unrealistic portrayal of Christian believers.

The story was very convoluted. The people in the community seems rather insular and secretive, not the kind of folks you want to spend time with. There were only a few characters that were somewhat likeable. The story seemed to drag on and I just wanted it to end. From the town, to most the characters everything about this booked seemed rather grey and unappealing.

I have enjoyed Ann Cleeve’s other books and movies taken from her novels. But The Raging Storm was not appealing. When the main character is so off-putting it doesn’t make a good foundation for a story. I would like have to have had the other characters on Matthew’s team better developed.

Because of the unlikable main character Matthew and the convoluted story that dragged on, I didn’t care for The Raging Storm.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Ann Cleeve’s book The Raging Storm. I received a complimentary copy of this book and was under no obligation to give a favorable review. The Raging Storm is schedule to be released September 5, 2023.

Ann Cleeves is a true master of the mystery genre. From her early series featuring Inspector Ramsay to her Birdwatcher series, and then on through the Vera and Jimmy Perez novels, she has entertained me for hours. Her latest protagonist is Matthew Venn; here we have the third in that series.

Matthew has a somewhat complex history. His parents were part of a (fringe) religious group that he felt he needed to leave. Matthew was not comfortable with the Brethren’s beliefs and knew that his partner Jonathan might never succeed in being fully accepted by them. Series readers have followed Matthew as he engages in his new life. That said, this book could be read as a standalone.

The Raging Storm is a complex mystery with many characters, relationships and plot threads. The story takes place in the small community where Matthew had grown up. Readers spend time with his team, a sometimes competitive group, and with Matthew and Jonathan. Jonathan, by the way, is a very loving and tolerant spouse.

There are also all of the people in the community and they make for a large group of suspects. The (first) victim was a well-known sailor and a second murder occurs (no spoilers so not naming this person) as well. In addition, there is a disappearance. There are many interrelationships here.

Settings in the book are well described. There are emergency workers on the lifeboat group heading out to sea, members of the yachting club, houses that are falling apart and more.

Why did the first victim, Jem, return to the community? Who did he plan to meet? Why did he choose to spend his time there in a broken down hut? Was there a special reason for the location of his body and the next one?

This book has a slow burn. It is long (400 Pages) and involving. I recommend The Raging Storm most highly (though my heart will always belong to Jimmy Perez of another series).

I toggled back and forth between the print and audio editions of this title, reading when I was home and listening while on the go. This worked perfectly for me. The narration of the audio book was crisp, clear and easy to follow.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.

Ann Cleeves always manages to work the setting into her novels, almost making it like a character itself, and this book is no exception. The weather matches the darkness of the crimes and the screaming squalls of the sea seem to constantly be warning everyone that something bad is about to happen. So atmospheric you almost get the chills every time the wind blows. However, she spent so much time making the setting amazing, that I found it very hard to remember who was who. There weren't enough descriptions of the characters for me to tell them apart, and I never knew what any of the major players' ages were, which factored heavily in the mystery.

Despite this fairly minor quibble, I enjoyed the book very much. There were several times where I thought I knew whodunnit and why, but I was never correct. One of my theories had the who correct but not the why, and I was somewhat disappointed when the actual reason behind the murders was revealed. It was a bit of a letdown. But that's something I've experienced in most of the books I've read by this author. The books are always totally great and engaging but somewhat lacking when it comes to the reveal of the mastermind behind the mystery. But for the most part, I don't mind too much since the rest of the books are so good. I love that Ann Cleeves has so many books already published so I have so many great reads to look forward to! She's one of my favorites!

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Now let’s talk about a page turner! This one was SO good! I will be recommending this to everyone I know upon the release date.