The Raging Storm follows a mystery around a costal town’s own hero who shows up dead one night. Matthew Venn is called to figure out why he and another man are murdered and how they are connected.

I unfortunately picked this book up without reading the previous two in the series. I think had I learned more about these characters prior, I would have really enjoyed this. However, it was difficult for me to connect and follow due to my choice of reading this as a stand-alone. What I did enjoy was the writing style, the details, and the setting. I would love to go back and pick up the previous books and read the series from the beginning.

Matthew Venn, Ross, and Jen go to the aptly named village of Greystone to investigate the murder of a has-been celebrity sailor. What happens as the investigation progresses is exemplary of why series mysteries appeal to so many of us: the characters do foolish things we know they're going to do and then need each other to fix the problems appertaining thereto; they confront their separate pasts in ways that both expand the seriesverse and explain the case; they think about their spouses, kids, parents, friends, dinner, what they will and won't do to fix the rent in society that murder represents (tracksuit pants? really?). So the reader who's been here with these people before now is definitely in a better position to appreciate the nuances and to find the little signposts the author leaves for us as to how things will play out.

A LOT of people I know would prefer to eat raw frog embryos rather than read a series out of order. I myownself don't care a whole lot these days, as spoilers are a matter of indifference to me so moving back and forth in a series isn't going to cause my circuitry to fry. Also, there aren't that many plots in the storyverse. Once you've read a few thousand books it pays to turn off the analytical part of your brain. Not everyone can.

Lucky me, I can.

So at {a late-ish point past halfway} into this read when the lightbulb went on and the reasons the murder took place got clear I wasn't unhappy but rather very, very impressed because the one thing Matthew needed to know was carefully kept hidden in plain sight. Well done indeed, Author Cleeves.

Should people who haven't read the first two books start here? I think those people would miss some very pleasure-enhancing nuances in the relationships among the team. It would not affect the solution of the puzzle in a serious way but it might reduce the emotional impact of a very big twist late in the story and that would be a shame. The gentrification of the North Dorset coast and its ramifications plays no small part in the puzzle's solution. That was very enjoyable to me. Seeing the way Jen, a single mother, copes with the pressures of motherhood-v-career is vintage Cleeves. It's all tied in to the way the case develops. Matthew's life with his husband Jonathan isn't neglected or foregrounded in this outing (!), but his loving musings about needing Jonathan (warts and all) ring true to me. For any eww-ick homophobes who somehow or another found themselves reading this review, you should really set your search terms to exclude me but also don't fear. Of sexual intimacy there is none. The focus is on the interrelationship of these men who're very different yet very lovingly connected. Not to say that there aren't worries and issues because that'd be really boring. I don't find these stories boring, in large part because Matthew Venn's background reminds me of a dialed-up version of my own, with a cold, judgmental religious-nut mother. That does increase my willingness to invest in the proceedings. This one was no exception.

The character I love to hate, Ross, just never gets out of the nasty, Babbitty little bro-dawg box he's been drawn inside. Thank goodness. I don't want to have to like him after three books learning to despise him, thanks.

A series-reader's pleasure. I think that, if Jimmy Perez and Vera Stanhope are your jam, Matthew Venn might be, too. He's quieter than Vera, more patient than Jimmy, happier than either.

This is the 3rd book of the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves. Jem Rosco returns to his hometown of Greystone. His dead body is found in a dinghy anchored in Scully Cove and Matt Venn is called in to investigate. I have read all of Cleeve's books in her Vera Stanhope and Shetland series. She wants us to pay attention to the story as the characters act it out according to their personalities. She always keeps her cards close to her chest as she only lets us know as much as we need to know as we read towards the perfect ending. I'm now looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you like secrets mixed with your mystery thrillers then you will love this book.

I really enjoyed this mystery with suspense thrown in. Detective Vinn gets a case when a boat is found adrift with a body in it. The man was a famous adventurer, who showed up in a small village one day saying he was expecting someone. He rented a cottage even though he had a very nice place to live not far away. The more the team investigates the murder, the murkier it becomes. There did not seem to be any reason for his death and Vinn is stumped. The village is a place he remembers from his childhood, and it is not happy memories. When Vinn finds another man at the base of a cliff, he has to determine if the man fell accidently or was pushed. Is his death connected to the first one? Someone is trying to keep Vinn and his team from investigating and it puts their lives on the line. Will they find the killer? Will they survive this case?

"The Raging Storm," by Ann Cleeves
Minotaur, 400 pages, $29


Vicious wind and rain are battering the coast of Britain's North Devon when Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and his team arrive in the village of Greystone to investigate the mysterious death of a "national treasure."

Jem Roscoe -- "adventurer, sailor and legend," once a fixture on television but now mostly a relic -- had turned up days earlier, checking into a rental cottage and telling anyone who asked that he was there to meet someone. "Someone special. I'm expecting them any day."

Now Jem is dead, found naked, ice cold and lifeless in a dinghy in a cove with a reputation for tragedy. The excitement of the relentless storm, which traps Venn and his team in claustrophobic rooms in the pub, adds to the tension of this absorbing (if maybe overlong) mystery.

And it's no simple whodunnit. Jem Roscoe had secrets that stretched deep into the past of Greystone, a community, we're told, "where many people were related and everyone knew their neighbors; no effort at friendliness was needed, and grudges grew unheeded."

Matthew Venn, in his third starring appearance in Cleeves' new Two Rivers series, also turns out to have ties to the village. The Brethren, the strict religious community in which he grew up, held meetings there, but he is revisiting it for the first time since leaving the church.

Venn's childhood in the strict religious community, his loss of faith and subsequent split with both the Brethren and his parents, especially after coming out as gay, are continuing background for the Two Rivers series, which began with "The Long Call" and continued with "The Heron's Cry." ("The Long Call" was adapted into a limited television series, but apparently a second season is not planned.)

Although Matthew went on to professional success and personal happiness with husband Jonathan, he still wrestles with his own self-worth. This can make him a downer, especially when he's away from the upbeat Jonathan, as he is for much of "The Raging Storm."

Fortunately, Cleeves balances Venn's gloom with the brisk sass of red-haired Sgt. Jenn Rafferty, divorced mother of two teens, who is as good at her job as she is terrible at relationships. Jenn is appropriately creeped out by Greystone. "She'd never before been anywhere that felt so cut off from the rest of the world. ... The constant noise of the wind outside, howling like an animal in pain, added to her unease."

Rarely uneasy, and just as rarely self-aware, is the third member of Venn's team. Ross May has aspirations to climb both professional and social ladders. It's a treat to see him come in from the storm: "His usually gelled hair was wind swept, and it seemed he'd stepped in a puddle."

If you like to rush through mysteries to see them solved, "The Raging Storm" may not be for you. At 400 pages, it's heavy on atmosphere and introduces a dozen or more important characters.

Each gets a vivid description, such as Gwen, the cottage owner, who had “tight gray curls and a sharp little face, which gave her the appearance of an amiable sheep,” and Mary Ford, helm of a maritime rescue lifeboat, whose son is declining from a rare childhood disease, “eating him away like the tide eroding a sandstone cliff.” (Cleeves dedicates the book to Britain’s lifeboat service, which once saved her husband.)

But as with Cleeves' other series, one starring crusty cop Vera Stanhope (played to perfection by Brenda Blethyn in "Vera") and the other, now-ended, set in the Shetland Islands, place and people are as important here as plot. ("Shetland" the TV series continues even though no more books are forthcoming.)

Deep into "The Raging Storm," real excitement blows in, bringing with it some alarming jeopardy. And after all is calm, readers get a little reward, setting up a future book that will be most welcome.

The Raging Storm is the third in Ann Cleeves" newest series. It is intensely atmospheric and aptly titled. Matthew Venn and his team are called to Greystone, a coastal village to solve a murder. The village itself is perfectly named; gloomy, dour and colorless. Venn had visited Greystone as a child during a church excursion and actually has fond memories of this insular village. Venn's team feels less enamored as they question the tight-lipped residents. The murder victim (Jem Rosco) is a native of the village and a bit of a celebrity. He mysteriously appears after years away and claims to be waiting for a special visitor. He arrives as a September gale is roaring and his naked body is found at Scully Head ( a place the villagers think is cursed) during another storm.

As the investigation proceeds, it becomes evident that not all is as it seems. The Brethren church, the native villagers and dark secrets from the past stand in the way of Venn and his team solving the case. Ms Cleeves does an excellent job sustaining the menacing tone of the case. Her characters are fully developed and the plot exquisitely complicated. The novel leaves the reader anxiously awaiting the next in this highly recommended series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for my chance to read the latest Two Rivers installment early.

Being a huge fan of Ann Cleeves' Shetland series, both the books and the television series, when I was approved to receive an ARC of The Raging Storm, I was so excited. This is the third in the Matthew Venn series. When a celebrity arrives in a small village near the sea, the locals are left wondering why he is there. When he ends up dead, Matthew Venn and his team are sent to the village to investigate.

The author has a way of describing the scenery and the storm that makes you feel like you are there. Her characters are not perfect, but rather perfectly flawed, if that makes sense. The detectives each have their own personal issues and personality flaws, but they are all likeable and extremely good at their jobs.

At times I had difficulty keeping up with all the characters, but it did not detract from the story. it actually provided so many possibilities of who the killer might be. I love books that keep you guessing, and this one definitely kept me on my toes until about the last five or six pages.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery with a small town setting, especially set near the ocean (which I love). I recommend anything written by Ann Cleeves. She is an amazing writer and so gifted at describing the people and the scenery and providing just enough red herrings throughout the story. You should definitely give this series a try!

Ann Cleves weaves a tale of long-held resentments, a faded hero and a woman who has always managed to get what she wants throughout her life. Set in a rugged coastal town, the weather plays a big part in the mystery as two men are murdered and Matthew Venn must figure out the how and why. Entertaining, easy reading.

Friends for life. What would you do for a friend? Party? Listen to their dreams and sorrows? Conspire to kill and reap the rewards death brings? Risk your freedom? Friends forever can happen amongst schoolmates in a small town. Yet history can sometimes corrupt those who rely upon the connection or aid narcissistic leaders to manipulate quieter more placid followers to their great cost. Cleeves paints an indelible picture of small town relationships amidst unreliable storytellers whose lies variously advance their plans or conceal their culpability. You feel the dampness of the sea air, the miasma of intentionally sown confusion, the corruption of individuals whose mutual plans and personalities buck the morality of the community while seeming to peacefully coexist within it. This is yet another brilliant mystery penned by Cleeves. An intoxicating read.

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves is a highly recommended procedural and the third book in the Matthew Venn series.

Jem Rosco arrives for a visit in Greystone, Devon during a storm and stops in at the local pub, Maiden’s Prayer, for two pints. The famous sailor and adventurer, immediately charms the residents as he stops in for two pints nightly. He is closed mouth about why he is visiting, only saying he is expecting a visitor. This makes it even more shocking when he suddenly disappears and his body is later found in an anchored dinghy. Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and his sergeants, Jen Rafferty and Ross May, are called from Devon to investigate.

Venn is not thrilled to return to Greystone, a place he visited years ago with his parents. The village is home to the Brethren, a religious sect he once belonged to as a youth. Returning to the area brings back memories. It is also an area of plenty of intricate secrets, rumors, and relationships that can be circuitous to figure out the truth from the misinformation. This incorporates plenty of mystery into the investigation.

The Raging Storm is a character driven procedural set in an atmospheric location that adds to the mystery and tension. The investigation has several twists as the team uncovers plenty of secrets. When the body count rises, it becomes clear that the investigation is much more complex. The plot is even paced, although a bit too slow at times. It also might behoove new readers to start with the previous books in the series for even more insight into the characters.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Minotaur Books via NetGalley.




The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, X, Edleweiss, and Amazon.

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Raging Storm is the third release in the Two Rivers series by beloved Mystery author, Ann Cleeves.
This Police Procedural Mystery series follows Detective Matthew Venn. I loved the first book in the series and have been hooked on it ever since. I feel like I have been waiting for this release for so long and it did not disappoint!!

The setting for this story is the small village of Greystone, Devon, a place Venn is very familiar with. He spent time there as a child, and due to personal reasons, has since parted ways with the community. This might sound ominous, and it sort of is. If you've read the previous books, you'll know, but basically, Matthew was raised in a very religious household; part of the Barum Brethren, who have many members living in Greystone.

Matthew's sexuality, among other things, forced his separation from the group and family. Even the thought of returning makes him uncomfortable, but he's a professional and goes where he must. Duty calls after the body of minor-celebrity sailor, Jem Roscoe, has been discovered in a dinghy anchored off Scully Cove. The residents of Greystone are shocked.

Roscoe, who grew up there, had returned after many years away and was renting a cottage. He just came back a few weeks ago, who could possibly want him dead? Everyone seemed to find his presence entertaining. Many were curious as to why he came back. When asked, he claimed to be waiting for a visitor, but never indicated who. Could this person be the one responsible for his death?

Matthew, along with his team members, Jen Rafferty and Ross May, head to Greystone to investigate this highly mysterious death. As they begin their investigation, talking with the locals and digging into the lore and history of the town, they discover this mystery may run much deeper than they initially expected. As mentioned, Roscoe did have roots in the community, even if he had been away for many years.

With storm fronts ripping through the small town, the investigation takes many unexpected turns as we rushed towards the surprising and satisfying conclusion.

I had so much fun with this. The audiobook is fantastic. I definitely recommend that as a format for this story.
I love Matthew as a character. He is smart, dedicated, but also still processing his childhood and schism from his family and community. This makes him feel vulnerable at times. He's healed a lot, is happily married and obviously successful in his career, but those old insecurities sneak up on him sometimes. I feel like his character is just so relatable and I think a lot of Readers will be able to really connect with him.

In addition to a compelling leading man, these novels contain exceptionally well-plotted mysteries. I loved how this one evolved over the course of the story. You can tell from the very start that Cleeves is a veteran-Mystery writer. This lady knows what she is doing. All you have to do is sit back, relax and take it all in.

I love mystery stories set in small towns and this one is a perfect example of why. As the detectives began questioning the locals, they certainly learned a lot. There are so many connections and everyone knows each other's business.

It was interesting that Jem Rosco, who was originally from the town, had gained some celebrity. They all had opinions on that, whether it was based on who he was when he was young, or assumptions they made about his character now. I loved how he created such a fervor just by returning to town. The rumor mills were churning even before he got himself killed. That may sound harsh, but seriously, the town was just a'clucking about his return.

I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Police Procedural Mysteries. I think this whole series is just incredible. The writing is fantastic, the characters well-developed and the mysteries all super compelling.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I cannot wait for the next book!!!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Two Rivers continues with the base of characters remaining the same. The head of the team in Matthew, and his husband, Jonathon runs an art centre. There's Jen who is a single parent of two teens. There's Ross who is a favorite of Matthew's boss, and is bucking to move up, but needs more skills; he thinks he's better than he is. Vicky does a lot of computer research and camera review work.

In The Raging Storm, the team is away to a small seaside village where a minor celebrity has died. They end up staying in the area some nights because of the storms and to have more time to work on the case. Jen goes home more than the others because she has children. She is an excellent interviewer of witnesses.

Ross is much more of a jerk than I remembered. He also contributes less than Jen but his assignments are sometimes less central. He tends to be so impatient and not listen well to the witnesses. I can understand Matthew's frustration with him.

The case was complex with lots of connections to the past. The worst attitudes of people from 30 years ago are out along with their egos about how their lives have ended up and what they they deserve. I loved following along the evidence and trying to see the truth and who might benefit. The trigger for the bodies which piled up was heartbreaking and the losses were just sad because they weren't going to really provide any benefit.

I'm really enjoying this series and look forward to see how the characters change and deal with their realities.

This is the third book in the Two Rivers series and while the mystery can be read as a stand-alone, there are personal arcs in the story and relationships between characters that may be better understood by starting with book 1. This story is told in third person and primarily follows Detective Inspector Matthew Venn as he returns to a community that he visited as a child to investigate the suspicious death of a sailor and local legend that is found posed in a dingy, anchored off Scully Cove in Devon.

One of the things I love about Matthew is his fascination with just sitting down with witnesses and suspects for tea and a chat. While he is still leery of having his own personal life get caught up in his cases, this one made for a good connection with his history with the Brethren and their prominence in this particular community. The community is fraught with connections to the murder victim and filled with a variety of motivations from love triangles and petty jealousies to money and influence.

It never ceases to amaze me how Cleeves can weave an entire community full of complicated familial and other relationships into her mysteries and still leave me guessing about what happened. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Recommended to mystery lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves is the third in the Two Rivers Detective series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:     (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
The location is North Devon, where the rivers Taw and Torridge merge with the Atlantic.  DI Matthew Venn has returned to the area where he grew up,  where he walked away from the strict evangelical church, and away from his family, who chose the church over their son.  Matthew and his husband Jon have bought a small cottage on the marsh, and Matthew is now working for the local police.  Jon is the administrator of Woodyard Centre, where he created a space for artists, and a space for those with learning disabilities.  Matthew is the straight-laced, rather introverted detective, and Jon is a more free-wheeling extrovert. 

Matthew's team consists of DC Ross May, a rather egotistical but energetic man who is a personal friend of Matthew's boss, and DS Jenn Rafferty, rather too spirited and fun-loving for Matthew's taste, but the best detective he'd ever worked with.  Matthew's boss, DCI Oldham, is due to retire soon, is rather lazy, and prefers to drink and watch rugby, rather than run the precinct.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Jem Rosco, somewhat of a legend and celebrity, is found dead in a dinghy near the town of Greystone. He told everyone that he had rented a cottage there with plans to meet someone.  No one knew who the mystery guest could be.

Matthew has not been to Greystone since his childhood days, and knows it only as a place for the religious community, and filled with superstition and rumours.  The Brethren like to control things.  He's not real comfortable being back to investigate this death.

They find that Scully Cove is filled with secrets, some of them from a long time ago.


My Opinions:
Although I am a great believer in reading books in order,  this could easily be read as a stand-alone novel.  That being said,  I still think you should read them in order....the characters make these books!

The writing was beautiful, and the imagery done so well that you felt like you were on the cliff, in the storm, or nestled up to the fire.  The plot was quite complex, and there were a lot of characters to follow, but the story was well thought-out, and flowed smoothly.

I continue to enjoy this series, and will definitely be looking forward to the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Greystone, on the Devon coast, is a windy, stormy place. And it is no place for anyone not comfortable with the wind and the water. And Jem Rosco is one who has conquered both the wind and the water, since beginning his sailing career right there in Greystone. He was world famous for a time after several sailing adventures. And now, years later, he has suddenly shown up at the local pub, mysteriously waiting to meet someone. But while he waits, he visits nightly and stands drinks for the locals. But one night he doesn't show up. And the next day he is found naked and dead in a small boat anchored out at Scully Cove.

Detective Matthew Venn is called in to investigate and he soon finds himself remembering better times in Greystone, where he visited as a child. He has always romanticized the place a little, as it was a yearly break from his dreary daily life, and he still sees it as the wonderful holiday place of his childhood. But does that cloud his judgement as he investigates?

When another body is discovered in the same location as the first, and another boat, seemingly abandoned, is found anchored in the Cove, the mystery is even more confusing.

Ann Cleeves can tell a good story. I sometimes think she cheats the reader who, like me, wants to solve the mystery before the reveal, because there is always some little something that the Inspector knows that we don't. But I love to read her books and highly recommend this one!!

The Raging Storm is the 3rd installment of the Two Rivers series written by Ann Cleeves. I was first introduced to this author by her Shetland and Vera series. All of which I now follow.

Set in Greystone, Devon, England, a celebrity returns unexpectedly to this stormy coastal town at the local pub. His stay is short-lived. Not long after, his body is found on a dingy in the mysterious Scully Cove. Filled with superstition, the cove and its surrounding town are filled with cover-ups and secrets.

Returning to the series is DI Matthew Venn and his team. This area is not new to Venn. He grew up here within a religious community whose remnants still remain. Venn is a thinker. Typically he is straight forward, but the complexity of his former surroundings causes his some distress. Cleeves brilliantly weaves in the backstories of Venn and his two team members. She makes them real. There are a variety of other characters tied to the celebrity of which many can be the killer.

Cleeves has written another wonderful mystery that can certainly be read as a stand-alone.

4 out of 5 stars

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and the author, Ann Cleeves.

Review posted to Goodreads on August 31, 2023
Publication Date - September 5, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this DRC.
This is the third book in the wonderful Mathew Venn series. Detective Inspector Matthew Venn must solve the death of Jem Rosco, a man who shows up in a small coastal town and only comes in to the pub for a drink in the evening. Otherwise, he doesn’t interact with anyone or let them know why is there, even though he is a well-known adventurer. Rosco’s complicated past seems to tangle with Venn’s own fraught past as Venn works to solve the crime.
I’m a huge fan of Ann Cleeves. I love how her novels draw me in and keep me there. The weather and seas are always another character. Matthew Venn is a great character and I hope to read more of him.
#TheRagingStorm #NetGalley

I love this series, I've read the first few ones in the series also, but I think this would function well as a standalone if you haven't read the first ones in the Matthew Venn series. Definitely not a cozy mystery! My only gripe is this one drags a bit in the middle unlike the other books in the series. Still worth reading though! Thank you for the ARC.

crime-thriller, local-law-enforcement, fiction, British-detective, mystery, murder-investigation, small-town, gossip, superstitions, suspense, secrets, lies, famous-persons, teamwork, Devonshire, family-dynamics, friendship, procedural*****

It was a dark and stormy night when the first body, that of a rather famous sailor, was found. But the motive and real site of the murder were unknown.
DI Matthew Venn and team are called in to assist local Sgt. Jen Rafferty with the investigation. All of the characters have depth and a sense of presence to them, the investigation and diligence are meticulous. Very well done.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you

This book is the third in the Two River series and I like the main character, Inspector Matthew Venn, more and more with each book. He is reserved, but his curiosity about people helps him to solve cases. Venn has two sergeants reporting to him who couldn't be more different - Jen Rafferty and Ross May. They are both good at their jobs, but Jen is much more likable to me than Ross, who thinks he knows everything. Matthew tries to keep his work and home lives separate, but he does occasionally get some help on the job from his husband, Jonathan. Matthew and Jonathan also have very different personalities, but I think they make a good couple.

The complex plots and detailed characterizations are what makes this series, and all of the books I've read by Cleeves shine. This book is set in a claustrophobic small English town with a dangerous storm moving through which adds to the gloomy atmosphere. Matthew, Jen, and Ross are dealing with a complicated murder case that seems to have its roots going years back. However, the danger is very much in the present, but Matthew is still determined to solve the case. The book is suspenseful and kept my interest from the very beginning until the unexpected ending.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Minotaur Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.