Love Ann Cleves mysteries. I enjoy reading about the ongoing lives of the detective team and their different personalities and foibles.

Following in her practice of tying new entries of a series to previous ones in order to show motivations and sensibilities of her series characters, Ann Cleeves once again adds dimension to the character of her gay, recovering fundamentalist police Inspector Matthew Venn, in this, the fourth installment of her Two Rivers series.

Moving the narrative among the investigative team of Venn, Sergeant Jen Rafferty, and Officer Ross May as they dig into the mysterious appearance of a body of a famous explorer, dead in an anchored lifeboat off the shore of Scully Point in the dying little town of Greystone, allow Cleeves to examine their individual characters, especially the ties to Matthew Venn’s childhood as a member of the Brethren, and the ways his upbringing continues to influence his life.

In the claustrophobic atmosphere of a small, shrinking coastal village, Cleeves displays her mastery at lifting the veils, one by one, until the surprising climax - that she had perfectly set up - is revealed.

This third entry in the series makes this reader, at least, eager for the next.

3.5 stars

In this addition to the "The Two Rivers' series, Detective Inspector Matthew Venn investigates the murder of an adventurer. Venn is a cerebral and introspective detective who thinks hard about every aspect of his work. This is the third book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone.

*****

Jeremy (Jem) Rosco grew up in the North Devon town of Greystone, where - as a youth - he loved to sail. No one in Greystone anticipated Jem would become the youngest person to sail around the world single-handed, and go on to visit both Poles and the Amazon. Over the years, Jem became a world famous adventurer, frequently seen on television.

After being away from Greystone for many years - during which he became wealthy and renowned - Rosco strolls into Greystone's Maiden's Prayer pub one rainy night, toting nothing but an oilskin bag. Rosco has two pints of rough cider, says he's staying in town to await a visitor, and retreats to the little cottage he's rented.

For several weeks after that Jem drops into the Maiden's Prayer pub every evening, has a couple of pints, chats with the locals, and drifts back out. Then one day, Jem doesn't show up for his two pints.

Later, during a tempestuous storm, an alarm goes out for the Greystone lifeboat, helmed by Mary Ford. Mary loves her position as lifeboat captain, but can only be on call when her father is visiting. Mary's school-age son Arthur has a serious degenerative illness called Jasper Lineham Disease, and the boy needs constant monitoring.

Mary and her lifeboat crew are launched into the water, and find Rosco's naked body in a dinghy anchored in Scully Cove - a waterway with spiritual significance to the citizens of Greystone. Jem has been brutally stabbed, and Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and his team, Detective Sergeant Jen Rafferty and Detective Constable Ross May, come to Greystone to investigate.

Greystone has particular significance to Venn, because it's one of the hubs of a strict religious sect called the Barum Brethren. Venn grew up as a member of the Brethren, but rejected the order's beliefs as a teenager. Still, Venn feels he has an understanding of the Brethren that might help with the police inquiries.

Matthew also gets incidental assistance from his husband Jonathan, whose schoolteacher friend Guy taught Jem Rosco many years ago. In fact Guy helped young Jem join the Greystone sailing club, which led to Rosco's fame and fortune, and maybe to his death.

The detective team proceeds to interview Greystone residents, collect evidence, and look into Rosco's life elsewhere. The squad learns that Rosco had a number of women in his orbit, including a high school girlfriend, an ex-wife, a housecleaner, and a current lady friend. The investigators also discover that Jem was a bit wily and manipulative, and that some people envied his fame and success.

Things get murkier when another body is discovered in Scully Cove, though it's not immediately clear whether this was an accident, suicide, or murder. In any case, Venn realizes something is very wrong in town, and after a violent incident, Matthew figures out exactly what it is, and why Rosco was killed.

Meanwhile, Jen Rafferty and Ross May must meld their police careers with their private lives: Jen is a single mom to two teenagers, and Ross and his wife Mel are ambitious and upwardly mobile. In this regard, Ross sees his colleague Jen as a professional rival, and he's constantly trying to 'best' her as a detective. (This gets quite annoying. 😏)

The book is a good police procedural with a roster of engaging characters. As always, it's interesting to peek into the lives of the Barum Brethren, who must meld their traditional values with their lives in the modern world.

I enjoyed the story and look forward to the future investigations of Venn and his colleagues.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ann Cleeves, and Minotaur Books and Macmillan audio for a copy of the book.

I really look forward to each new book in the Matthew Venn series. Ann Cleeves plots really engaging mysteries and this is no exception. Her development of her detectives characters, demons, and vulnerabilities really adds to the story for me. I really like the character of Matthew Venn, and how his growing up in a cult like religion has formed the man. I would like to see his husband Jonathan developed more in future books.

"The Raging Storm" gets off to a fast start. A famous world traveler mysteriously returns to his hometown after years of traveling the world and is found murdered during a raging storm. Inspector Matthew Venn and Jen Rafferty, his sergeant, must travel to the remote and self-contained fishing village of Greystone at the height of the tempest. They draw information from the secretive residents. Venn patiently spends time with the residents to get past the wall of secrecy and grudges built up over the decades. Despite a second murder, the weather, and the complicated relationships, Venn and his team keep going until the secrets give way to discovery.

Usually, I find it easier to get past the introductory chapters once the details of characters, setting, and location have been covered so that we can move on to the meat of the story. However, in this novel, I found the beginning to be spell-binding with the details of the storm. Much of the remaining chapters were more into the psychological aspects of the character, which was slow for me. Author Ann Cleeves has done it again with another tremendous novel. I look forward to her future successes. Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for an advance review copy. My review is voluntary, and the opinions given are my own. This book will be published on September 5, 2023.

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is taken back to a place he visited as a child when a body is found. Superstition and rumor are amidst when a new body is found. Venn soon fids 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.

This book was a slow burn borderline cozy mystery. I say borderline because it did have a bit of edge, but not a ton and to me it was cozier than not. It was a little hard to get through because of the slow pacing, but it was an interesting mystery overall. I would say that this book is very character driven, rather than plot focused. I did enjoy getting to know the characters more and really find out what makes them tick. The setting of this book was also idyllic, and I wished I was there, though not immersed in the crime!

This is the third installment in the Detective Matthew Venn series, and I think that if you enjoyed the first two you will enjoy this one.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

DI Matthew Venn returns to the small insular community of Greystone, a place he spent time as a youth. A sailing celebrity and local son, Rosco, has been killed. Rosco had returned to Greystone after being gone for decades, apparently to meet someone. But who was the expected visitor? Why was Rosco killed and his body left naked in a dingy. This is another excellent twisty, dark tale from Ann Cleeves.
This is a review of an eGalley provided by NetGalley.

The Raging Storm is the 3rd book in the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves, but the first one that I have read. Inspector Matthew Venn is called out after celebrity Jeremy Rosco is found dead in a dinghy in the town of Greystone. Jeremy came to the town supposedly to meet a “special person” and would drink a pint or two at the Maiden’s Prayer pub. He also used to grow up in the neighborhood before his around-the-world sailing trip that made his celebrity. It becomes clear that Jeremy’s history has more going on than what anyone actually knows.

I enjoyed this novel, and despite this being my first novel by Ann Cleeves, there was something familiar about it. Like visiting with an old friend. I will admit that I have watched the television show named Vera based on another of Ann’s novel series, but I have not watched Shetland.

The mystery was great. Tons of suspects with motives, and plenty of history. The atmosphere pulls the reader into this dark world, small and keeps to itself, which ties in with the victim. The fact that this community stands slightly against outsiders also makes everything more suspicious and supplies more possibilities.

Matthew Venn is my ideal detective. He’s smart, logical, but acutely aware of his faults. I like that he is gay because it also shows that he is open-minded to the world around him, even though he doesn’t think he is. Jen Rafferty is a strong woman who fits well with Venn. She thinks along his path with parts that Venn might not. I’m not so sure of Ross May. He rubbed me wrong from the beginning. Too young and too cocky, but he did seem smart. Maybe he just needs growth.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

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.