I listened to this book in audio format, and this may be why I'm rating it only a 4, and not a 5. The reader did a great job, actually, capturing the nature of each of the characters in his narration. However, the pace of the book was somewhat erratic and while I can speed up and slow down my own reading to match an inconsistent pace, it would have been inappropriate for Holden, the reader, to do so.

Erratic pace aside, this book is a great addition to the Two Rivers series. At the outset of the series, I wasn't sure whether I actually liked the main detective, Matthew Venn. He seemed rather stuffy and morose. As Cleeves has built his character over the three books in the series, however, I've grown to understand and like him a great deal. I also very much like his single-mother sergeant, Jen Rafferty, who plays a major role in this investigation. This is a strongly character driven procedural series, as is Cleeves' forte. The characters who are specific to this novel, as well as those who are ongoing regulars, are well developed...some likeable, some not so much. In this novel, it is difficult to tell which characters fall into which category until the very end.

The book takes place on the Devon coast, and the writing about the fierceness of the weather is compelling. The sea plays a significant role in the book both as a location for deaths and bodies, and as a force for obscuring evidence. It is also a source of a distinct atmosphere of remote wildness.

The book could certainly be read as a standalone without any sense of being left out of the full story. However, the previous two books in the series have helped to build a more sympathetic perspective on Venn than one might get from this book alone. Great writer, great series, great book.

A great third addition to the Two Rivers series, and an easy read whether you've read the others prior. This police procedural follows Detective Matthew Venn and his team as they investigate the murder of Jem Roscoe, a community legend. The characters of Venn, Rafferty, and May make for a dynamic team and bring different skills and mindsets to solving this case. As they race against the impending weather, they dive right in to examine his close knit and religious community to find a murderer. I was kept guessing to the very end and looking forward to the next Ann Cleeves book.

The third installation in the Two Rivers series, featuring Matthew Venn, takes the reader back to the Southwest Coast of England and a tiny village on the shore. Ann Cleeves's begins the door on a cold and blustery day which plays into the mood of the story. A sailing legend returns to his hometown and brings intrigue along to the village. Circumstances lead to an unusual death and many in the town look suspicious. This book took me awhile to read because of Cleeves's ability to write so beautifully that I did not want to rush through the chapters. Her writing begs the reader to sit with the words and imagine the characters and setting. I look forward to whatever Cleeves releases next. Her books are a must read for me.

Atmospheric and evocative, Book 3 in the Two Rivers (Inspector Matthew Venn) series,
this author (and this series) can be counted on for all the elements of a top-notch police procedural, with the bonus of a team of detectives, led by Inspector Matthew Venn, as well-developed, multi-layered and interesting as any characters you will meet between the pages, in any genre.

Beginning with Matthew himself, a victim of a stifling religious-cultlike upbringing, (now a self-chosen outcast), not so successfully battling the leftover shame, guilt and self-judgement threatening his peace-of-mind, as he attempts to find a way to finally enjoy life with his lovely husband Jonathan. Along with single mom DS Jen Rafferty, whose struggles to manage her own chaotic career, while somehow also caring for her two teenagers, carries its own burden of guilt. And finally, DS Ross May, whose raw ambition and somewhat juvenile competitiveness with his partner Jen can be seen to stem from his own unhappy and somewhat shabby childhood.

When the team is called to Greystone, a bleak and oppressive coastal North Devon town, the raging sea provides a powerful backdrop for murder. A body found in an anchored dinghy - the victim, a visitor to the town, known for both his sailing prowess and his cocky arrogance - proves to be a tricky homicidal puzzle to solve. As the plot weaves and waves its way through the village and its inhabitants, Matthew and his team encounter suspects, context, and danger as the storm intensifies and the body count grows - right up to a dramatic ending this reader came nowhere near to guessing.

A wonderful read, this is a perfect choice to sink into on a day when reading takes top of the agenda (you will not want to put this one down).

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author or an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

I am a big fan of of the English tv series, Vera, and I never thought about the author bring a prolific mystery writer . Somehow, I thought the renowned director had the writing commissioned. So my surprise was outmatched by embarrassment as I discovered that Ann Cleeves was the author behind the show. Reading The Racing Storm, I could picture this new series featuring Mathew Venn, a thinking man’s detective as the old phrase stated, Turns out this is the third adventure in this series (seriously, I’m late to this party). I enjoyed how Mathew isn’t flashy or outgoing (he leaves that to his husband) and is still a little uncomfortable with homophobia in small town Britain. Now I have ordered the rest of the series and will report back. Meanwhile I enjoyed this masterpiece of a mystery and loved the characters of this odd town.

I expected the story to be dark as the retelling happens at the height of a September gale in an unappealing place, and it kept getting darker. There were several mysteries - how did the celebrity sailor arrive, who was he there to meet, how and why did he become a casualty?

Having read the previous installments of The Two Rivers Series my thoughts run parallel. The Raging Storm required attention and concentration. It was not a book that could be easily put down and left for a day or two. I had to reacquaint myself with the secondary characters and their relationships but in fairness this was my problem not that of the story.

Cleeves weaves an intricate mystery reintroducing the primary characters of the previous installments so there is definite continuity. Once again there were many secondary characters and potential subplots that constantly pulled at me - could it have been this one, but why, and if it was that one, what about the other him/her, and why would they have….. lots of questions about “who got caught up in the violence, the stories and recklessness”.

No question that Ann Cleeves is a master of this genre and I look forward to the next installment in The Two Rivers series. Manny thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy.

I adored Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series and was so sad when it ended. The Matthew Venn series, however, has become a delightful substitute. With each book, the carefully drawn characters and the gorgeous settings pull me into a wonderful world of crime and menace. The characters she creates are ones that you can’t help caring about. The Raging Storm was a satisfying detective story and I can’t hardly wait for the next in the series to see what Venn and his team have waiting for them!

When I requested this book, I didn't pay close enough attention to realize it was the 3rd book in a series. While I may have benefitted from reading the first two books before reading this one, I found it wasn't necessary. The Raging Storm stands well enough on its own. It's a cozy mystery, and full of interesting characters with lots of small town secrets. I enjoyed slowly uncovering the layers of this book and I plan to read the first two books of the series now that I've finished this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was my first book by this author. I think it was okay as a stand-alone book, but I think reading the others in the series might have given me more insight into the characters and helped me to connect with them more.

I really liked the first half of the book. I thought the author did a great job of setting the scene. The last half was not as interesting and I didn’t find myself reaching for the book to finish it.

I didn’t think the killer, nor their motive, was believable. Overall this book was just okay for me, perhaps if I had read the others in the series and was interested in more character development I would have enjoyed it more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Third in the Matt Venn series, Venn and his team travel to Greystone to investigate the murder of a Jem Rosco, a famous sea adventurer. Is the motive for this murder money, or revenge or something different all together? The investigation isn't the only connection that Venn has with Greystone. It is the center of the religious church that Matthew was raised in but turned his back on. He can feel the mistrust and judgment of the townspeople as he tries to conduct his investigation.
Cleeves is a master storyteller. Dropping bits of information as the story unfolds, the characters develop slowly and methodically. Why was Roscoe being so vague about the reason for his return, and what secrets was he keeping? Would the key to his murderer be found among the townspeople, with whom his life was interconnected or was the mystery visitor that he was eagerly waiting for.
The characters of Matt Venn, and his team of Jen and Ross also continue to develop with each book. None are perfect by any means and these characters are what bring me back to each release. Venn reminds me of a younger, less perfect Chief Inspector Armand Gamache from the Louise Penny Three Pines series.

This recent book by Ann Cleeves is the third featuring Detective Matt Venn. The site of the murder is a small community that consists primarily members of the conservative church Detective Venn was raised in. Each book in this series builds more of the character of our detective. He is a complex and wounded man. The murder is even more complicated if that is possible. I like Ann Cleeves books. I think it will be a few more books, before I enjoy Detective Venn as much as I do Vera Stanhope or Shetland.

Ann Cleeves has always been one of my favorites. I’ve gone through the “Vera” and “Shetland” series and loved them both. The raging storm does not disappoint. I liked the characters and plot. I Alway like trying to guess the ending and like to be surprised.

I've never been to the UK seaside, but thanks to Ann Cleeves, I sure feel as if I have. She has the amazing ability to drop you right into the setting of her books. Jem Rosco became a famous sailor and adventurer, but the townspeople of Greystone, Devon never forgot their former classmate and friend. When he returns to Greystone, they are thrilled to see the celebrity return. But everything changes when Jem turns up dead at sea, his body drifting in a dinghy.

Detective Inspector (DI) Matthew Venn has ties to Greystone as well--his parents brought him to this religious place as a child. Navigating it now to investigate Rosco's murder feels treacherous. He must deal with the small town relationships and past (and current) hurts and secrets.

Cleeves tells the story from Venn's point of view, along with his colleagues Jen Rafferty and Ross May. The book is the third in the series featuring Venn, and while it's wonderful to pick up with the characters again, it can certainly stand alone. I especially love that Venn is gay--a fact that is never central to the storyline, but is woven in here and there. Watching Matthew and his husband interact makes me happy; it's so important to have gay characters in thrillers (who aren't the murderers or the victims).

STORM is difficult to put down. I was pulled instantly into the atmospheric, stormy story. The novel cleverly releases the facts and various relationships to form the background of all the characters, keeping you guessing until the very end. Much like Venn itself, the book is thoughtful and introspective. This compelling and complex read is quite worth picking up.

This is third in the Matthew Venn series, and Matthew and his team are called to Greystone on the Devon coast when famous adventurist Jem Rosco is found dead in a dinghy in Scully Bay during a storm. How he died and how he got there is just part of the mystery that turns into more death and foreboding centered around Scully Bay. And Venn has his own memories of the place to color his perceptions. He visited it as a boy when he was still part of the religious group with his family he has since parted with, but they have not. His team discovers everyone has secrets, even themselves, the trick is in discovering which ones are relevant to the complicated case at hand.
This is another Ann Cleeves" story with complex plot and even more richly complex individuals. There are no cookie=cutter characters here, and it is always fascinating to see what makes each one tick, and how all the psychological and plot pieces fit together. The main characters continue to develop and grow, and it's nice to see Matthew loosen up a bit. And the move out to the coast is quite refreshing. Highly recommended.

In this third book of the series about detective Matt Venn and his team, a famous visitor to a seaside town has been murdered and left in a boat tossing on the rough ocean's edge. A main aspect of the mystery regards why Jem, a well-known adventurer and tv personality, has decided to spend some time in this village, and who could have possibly wanted him dead. Matt has his own history in this town, which is where he spent much of his childhood as a member of the cultish religious group, the Brethren. The isolated setting and stormy weather compound the sense of the sinister and danger, which weigh heavily on the investigators. Familiarity with the characters in this series makes it enjoyable to continue reading about them, but the plot itself is not all that memorable.

The setting played a huge part in this novel. Isolation due to weather is getting more common to everyone but in this book it was key. The characters were well developed and grew within the story. I think the plot line will excite my AP class. This is a great book to demonstrate the elements of a mystery with great characters and a very intriguing setting..

✨ The Raging Storm ✨⁣
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⁣Set in a small seaside village, The Raging Storm is part cozy mystery and part police procedural. It’s a character driven book about the murder of a local celebrity and felt very atmospheric. ⁣
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⁣I enjoyed parts of the book, but overall it felt a little stilted and I never really felt drawn to pick it up. It’s also the third in the series, so maybe I would have been more committed to the characters if I’d read the first two! ⁣
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⁣I did really appreciate the atmospheric setting; the village is cold, rainy, windy with lots of dangerous cliffs and an intense storm hits! Perfect for a murder investigation! ⁣
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⁣This was just fine for me, but fans of cozy mysteries will probably enjoy it more. Three stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC in return for my honest review.

The Raging Storm was too complicated and slow for me but it did have good scenes and the character's were interesting. This book was about another uncomfortable case for Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and it all occurred where he visited as a child. Is anyone safe from Sully Cove's storm of dark secret's? I would recommend this book to others if they like the author or this type of book. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC book in exchange of an honest review.

In Ann Cleeves' third book featuring detective Matthew Venn, he and his team are investigating the death of a local celebrity who just recently returned to his hometown. Matthew finds the investigation uncomfortable since this is a town he visited as a child. And, this was where he was ousted from his family’s conservative church. The presence of so many Brethren families who know who he is, is unsettling to say the least.

I so enjoy Ms Cleeves' writing. Her descriptions of the small village of Greystone, the local residents, and the ocean and its own mysterious ways, are simply outstanding and truly it’s easy to imagine the images that she describes so well. I like the fact that the characters aren’t perfect and the story manages to weave in some of their personal lives, making it realistic and believable.

Beyond that, The Raging Storm is not only a well-plotted mystery but it is also an excellent police procedural. Venn and his team leave no stone unturned as they investigate the murder. As a result, the story is well-written and, while not high-speed, it moves along at an even pace. It is always time well spent when I pick up one of Ann Cleeves' books and this one is 4.5 stars for me. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

Ann Cleeves never disappoints. This book has atmosphere, flawed and deep characters, realistic dialogue and a twisting plot. I’ll recommend this to other readers.