The Raging Storm is the third in Ann Cleeves Two Rivers series featuring Matthew Venn, set in Devon in the north of England by the sea. In this outing, Venn and his team are called to the small, old village of Greystone to investigate a death, one that carries the hallmarks of murder.

Jem Rosco, a son of the village and a sailor and adventurer, suddenly returned to Greystone, staying in a local cottage, regaling locals with stories nightly in the pub and hinting of an upcoming rendezvous with some unknown person. A couple of weeks into his visit, Jem disappeared. Then an SOS call is received and a body is found in a dinghy off a cove.

Venn’s arrival in Greystone is a return of sorts and brings back mixed memories from childhood visits with his parents for Brethren family events. There is a sizable Brethren church presence here and, while it doesn’t interfere with the management of the case, his break with his parents is constantly on his mind. Investigation reveals hidden facts and possible motives throughout the community and in Jem’s past history, keeping the team very busy searching for more evidence and details. As in all of Cleeves’s novels I’ve read, the characters are well developed at virtually all levels and the landscape becomes another character in the story, sometimes affecting the outcome.

Another recommended mystery with excellent characters, story and atmosphere. But I suggest you begin with The Long Call, the first of the Two Rivers series in order to learn more of the characters’s backstory and watch them develop.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. This review is my own.

I was a little disappointed in this book. Devon is a beautiful place, but the writer made is seem very cold, wet and gloomy.. I liked the detective, he seemed very real and so did the two sargents. Story begins in a ragging storm and the weather only improves a little from that point. The local pub is not a welcoming place and it was hard to like any of the characters.. It was necessary to concentrate on this story because there were so many characters and so much going on. I think it would make a good movie, very atmospheric.

Ann Cleeves astounds once again with "The Raging Storm," the third installment in the Detective Matthew Venn series. Cleeves weaves together an atmospheric narrative filled with fierce winds, dark secrets, and deadly intentions.

Set in the charming town of Greystone, Devon, the story kicks off with the arrival of the legendary adventurer Jem Rosco, a man of mystery and magnetism. As the residents marinate in the presence of this celebrity, his sudden disappearance and subsequent discovery of his lifeless body anchor the suspense in a chilling mystery. The stage is set for Detective Matthew Venn to unravel the secrets lurking within Scully Cove, a place steeped in its own eerie legends.

Detective Matthew Venn, a character whose judgment is clouded by his own connection to Greystone, comes to life as he navigates the murky waters of superstition, rumor, and reality. Readers are drawn into his world, feeling the tension that arises from his deep personal ties to the community.

As the winds howl, Cleeves takes readers on a journey that is as much about self-discovery as it is about solving a mystery. Venn's introspection makes it more than just a whodunit; it's a psychological exploration of the human condition.

Cleeves' writing, as described by The New York Times, evokes a unique sensation akin to ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). It's a delicate balance between the dark and cozy, a fine line where tension thrives but never becomes overwhelming. This approach allows readers to sink comfortably, relishing the spine-tingling moments.

"The Raging Storm" reveals Cleeves' skill in creating an atmospheric setting that becomes a character in itself. Greystone, with its secrets and legends, comes alive, immersing readers in a world where the storm is not just meteorological but also metaphorical. It's a place where the past and present collide, and where the line between truth and legend blurs.

I love the small towns and remote, almost wild locations where Cleeves sets her stories and that here the final resolution isn’t totally sad or seedy. There’s angst, but it’s not of the hidden abuse or sexually deviant kind that so often populates these procedurals. I enjoyed the unraveling of the puzzle here, and didn’t guess the ending. My only complaint is that I can’t stand the personal drama of the detectives. They are all annoying and it became repetitive.

This review is going to start very differently than my others. My mother loves Ann Cleeves. She sings this author's praises left and right. Now, in my case, mom always knows best! She's the one who introduced me to Elizabeth George, Louise Penny, Ann Pachet, and many other incredible authors.

The Raging Storm brings us back to Inspector Matthew Venn who I adore. He's in a bit of a predicament with this his latest case. Jem Rosco, famous world adventurer, has been found murdered in Greystone. Inspector Venn has a history with Greystone. It's a place he visited in his youth, but left due to its often closed-minded ways. As Matthew returns as an adult and authority figure, he's seeing Greystone and its familiar faces with new eyes.

There are many interesting characters crafted by Ann Cleeves in this installment in the series. This was a solid addition to the series and a gripping read. I found it fast-paced and at times, I had to switch between the e-book (courtesy of St. Martin's Press/ Minotaur Books) and the audiobook (courtesy of Macmillan Audio). I listen to audiobooks at 2x speed, but The Raging Storm was a challenge for me. I had to slow it down and often switched to the text to read at my own pace, without missing anything!

If you are a fan of Ann Cleeves, I recommend reading this latest release!

The Raging Storm is the third book in the gripping and entertaining Two Rivers mystery series.

This book is set on the rugged Devon coast, a perfect place for a moody murder mystery. A local adventurer is found dead in a dinghy floating in Scully Cove and Detective Matthew Venn is the detective on the case.

Ann Cleeves is a master at writing her characters. I feel like I know Matthew, Jenn, Ross, and the other characters in the book. This is partly because we get certain chapters from their point of view.

The mystery was complex and difficult to figure out, until it was revealed at the end of the book.

The setting, characters, and well crafted mystery makes this a must read for mystery lovers.

THE RAGING STORM by Ann Cleeves is the latest Matthew Venn novel following The Long Call and The Heron's Cry). As this title indicates, the environment of North Devon (with stormy days and often treacherous tides at the seaside) is once again a key feature in building atmosphere and suspense. Inspector Venn and his colleagues, Ross May and Sergeant Jen Rafferty, are out to investigate the death of around-the-world sailing phenom, Jem Rosco. A local boy made good, Rosco had moved back recently to a small village where its inhabitants (local schoolteacher, taxi driver, magistrate, landowners, tavern keeper and so on) are now suspects in his death. Venn quietly leads the investigation, focusing on the many past relationships (several characters were at school together or romantically linked) along with current tensions and jealousies. With plenty of twists and strong character development, THE RAGING STORM received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly ("Cleeves's fans and newcomers alike will be hungry for the next entry.").

I'm a big fan of Cleeves' Vera Stanhope's series; so, I was happy for the chance to try this new series. This book is the third in the Two Rivers' series. I like the main character, Detective Matthew Venn and his partner, Jonathan. Matthew returns to a community that he tried to leave behind, having been raised in an evangelical environment. The case he's investigating is complex and filled with secrets and superstitions. This was an engaging, gripping, page-turner read. Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC.

THE RAGING STORM was a quick and easy read, but ultimately fell a bit flat. I read the two previous books in this series and found them more enjoyable than this one.

For me, The Raging Storm was an unsatisfying storm. The story takes a long time to unfold and the details revealed seem trivial. I wondered when author Ann Cleeves was going to pick up the action. When she finally did, it was more of a "who cares?" response from me as the murder victims were not likable, despite the first one being a rogue and adventurer, the second a public figure. I did finish the novel as I particularly liked the lead investigator, Mathew Renn. I would read more about him and his husband.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Book 3 in the Detective Matthew Venn series. Celebrity Jem Rosco disappears shortly after arriving in Greystone. His body is found in a dinghy near Scully Cove. Detective Matthew Venn is on the case. I enjoy a good police procedural and Ann Cleeves delivered with this book. A great addition to the Two Rivers Trilogy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thiis third book in Ann Cleeves’s Two Rivers/ Matthew Venn series is an atmospheric and compelling mystery.. When television personality and famous sailor Jem Rosco is found murdered in the middle of an autumn storm, Chief Inspector Venn and his team are called to investigate, unleashing several dark secrets ib the course of their interviews with various town residents.
If you have read Ann Cleeves before and want more of the same, this book will definitely deliver. At its heart, THE RAGING STORM is a police procedural drama that quietly and slowly builds to a thrilling conclusion with many red herrings on the way. Along with Inspector Venn and his husband Jonathan, readers will also see series regulars Sergeant Jen Rafferty and Constable Ross May. While there are hints of character development and some advancement in the overall series storyline, the plot of this book is far more focused on the mystery itself. Therefore, I think one could start the series here without too much confusion.
Like her other works, Cleeves’s new novel showcases her skill as a storyteller. THE RAGING STORM is definitely a good mystery. Cleeves fans will love this. Having read 19 books by Ann Cleeves, I also thoroughly enjoyed this one. However, I think THE RAGING STORM is a plot-driven piece of what will ultimately be a character-driven series. A good and satisfying addition to a great series.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I've read by Cleeves and it was packed with mystery and small-town secrets. This is a character driving but it immerses you in the story. I understand this is a series but I don't feel it affected my feelings for this book.

What I liked:
- I enjoyed getting the POV not only of the main investigator (Matt) but also his two detectives (Jenn and Ross) who work beneath him.
- This was very much character-driving but the pacing from the police producers to the background of the people in the town was steady.
- There were a lot of unlikeable characters but that didn't take away from the story at all. Actually, it made it more interesting.
- I thought the ending was satisfactory and completely didn't expect it.

Thank you to the publisher at Minotaur Books and Netgalley for a copy exchange for an honest review.

New York Times bestselling author Ann Cleeves returns with an evocative third mystery in the Two Rivers series featuring DI Matthew Venn. Prior to The Raging Storm (Minotaur), Venn had attempted to put the past behind him, but to no avail. When Jem Rosco, a celebrity adventurer, is found dead and naked in a dinghy drifting off the rocky coastline, Venn is dispatched to Greystone, Devon, to investigate the crime.
As a child, Venn had spent summers with his parents at the Brethren retreat in the dull seaside village. He now faces unpleasant memories about the religion he has questioned and rejected. And his own mother’s loyalty to the Brethren continues to torture him.
The tiny village of Greystone has a long memory, and the elders remember the embarrassment Venn caused his family and the sect. However, the town had been delighted about the return of another former resident, Jem Rosco. Rosco had been a delinquent youth, and contrary to the village’s predictions, he had achieved international fame as a sailor, adventurer, and legend. Although as a child, Rosco had never fit in: now as an adult, he is revered, but he has limited his community interaction to nightly pints at the Maiden’s Prayer pub.
Venn quickly discovers that no one knows a lot about Rosco’s present life. He is an enigma, blowing into the village like the North Wind. Yet the more Venn digs, the more he realizes everyone seems to possess an intimate connection to Rosco, himself, or the crime. But there is no evidence to connect any suspect to the murder. The only certainty is that Rosco had mentioned a mysterious mission — to meet a visitor who never materialized. Rosco’s untimely demise has left the village wondering about the true reason for his return and the identity of his visitor.
The Search for a Killer’s Motive
With the help of Venn’s loyal assistants, Jen Rafferty and Ross May, Venn scours the coast, uncovering the motives for killing Rosco. They are as varied as the shells, stones, and bones washing up on the shore. Old secrets and rivalries resurface in Rosco’s former lovers, spouses, school friends, admirers, and foster parents. Was it revenge, money, or jealousy that prompted Rosco’s murder?
Interestingly, Jem Rosco is not the only legend hovering over Greystone. As the result of a prank lifeboat call-out, his body was found afloat in the treacherous Scully Cove. Scully Cove is mired in superstitions as the scene of unexplained deaths, drownings, and accidents. The locals avoid it, and view the inlet as a place where the angry tides sweep people out to sea, or impale them on the sharp rocks. Contributing to the lore, Rosco’s death scene appeared staged. Someone wanted him found, but why? Why not dump the body in the roiling sea?
Chilling Mystery Shaped by Its Setting
Once again in The Raging Storm, Cleeves captures the heart and soul of Britain’s Devon Coast with her expressive, and impressive, use of landscape imagery. As in every Cleeves novel, the setting becomes an essential character, assuming a life of its own. This mystery would not have been as dramatic without the dangerous gale winds blowing, the white caps slapping against the shore, the jagged cliffs lording over the rocky shoreline, or the town isolated from the rest of the world by Mother Nature’s wrath.
In The Raging Storm, this landscape defines the residents of Greystone, while it creates impediments and unforeseen dangers for the strangers in town, like Venn, Jen and Ross. In the eye of a force nine gale, Venn and his team are forced to battle the elements, suspicious residents, and uncooperative witnesses to uncover the truth about Jem Rosco’s death. Meanwhile, Venn must battle his personal demons, unaware that his own life is in peril. For fans of Ann Cleeves, The Raging Storm offers an intriguing continuation of her new Two Rivers franchise. Cleeves has fashioned complicated characters, villains, and plots, and offers a glimpse of life in Devon England that leaves the reader craving more of Matthew Venn. The Raging Storm is chilling to the core.

A wonderful book! I love Ann Cleeves writing style and police procedural books. I feel Ann Cleeves builds the characters so well you feel you know them, and in this book the location had a role as well. She makes you feel you have sat down among friends to catch up. This is the third Matthew Venn book we get a closer look at the personal life of of the Detective Inspector Venn. I felt I was getting to know him better. When we begin, there is a murder. A local man’s body found in a dinghy in Scully Cove, which has a past of it’s own. Detective Inspector Venn begins the investigation into Jem Roscoe’s murder which is filled with speculation and superstition. Just when the answer seems to be coming, another body is found, again in Scully Cove. This only heightens the superstition rumors. And leaves Venn very frustrated and perplexed. This is a very good read. It keeps the reader guessing throughout. I would definitely recommend the book!
Thanks to Net Galley and Between the Chapters Book Club!

PRt of a series. Im definitely going to read the previous books. Excellent procedural novel. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: 4.5 rounded up--Somehow I'd never read Ann Cleves, but I'll be reading her books in the future! She's a master at her craft. This is a beautifully written, deceptively spare police procedural about a murder located in the isolated coastal town where the lead detective had grown up as part of a religious cult. The characters are deftly drawn and the plot moves along at a nice pace. The ending was surprising but believable. I really enjoy well done mysteries and Ann Cleves will be a write whose work I'll be reading in the future. This is part of a series but stands alone well. Cleves leaves me wanting more: the mystery is explained but the characters have depth.

The latest Matthew Venn mystery finds him investigating the murder of a famous sailor. He knows someone must be lying, and things take another turn when someone else is murdered.

I enjoyed this one like I’ve enjoyed the last ones! I do think this one was a bit slower overall than previous ones. The final reasoning too was a bit strange, but overall a solid entry!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was disappointed in this book, the third in the series featuring Matthew Venn. This was so slow moving that I struggled to finish this novel. Missing was any meaningful interaction with Matthew’s husband. In the previous book his sergeant Lynn Rafferty had her own backstory and was present in her capacity as an investigator. She is a likeable character and was sorely missing in most of the book. The other sergeant was featured in the book, but his character showed him to be a whiny self-serving man who was jealous of Lynn and her relationship to Matthew. There is no backstory with this character. The descriptions of the Devon countryside helped move the story along, but ultimately the excessive and long-drawn-out investigation and subsequent ending left me frustrated, because I know how good an Ann Cleeves book should be.

Lots of characters to keep track of. I muddled my way through, but felt like I was in school again trying to finish a long homework assignment. If you like police procedurals, it’s not a bad read, but plan to be patient.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for letting me read and review.