The Raging Storm is the latest in the Matthew Venn series. While this book stands alone, the first two books are helpful as they add to the story of Matthew. A body, clearly murdered, is discovered in Greystone, a remote Devon seaside village. It's not the first time Venn has been in Greystone, it's a center for the Brethren, the splinter religious group of his parents. Greystone is a stark and unappealing place of dark rock set against the raging sea. Venn and his team have a difficult time with the town people and the storms that seem to occur quite often in the area. I enjoyed this book a great deal.
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

Who knew there were celebrity sailors out there? The UK is an interesting place. I'm intrigued by Matthew's past and how it affects so much of his day to day life and his cases and this third book didn't disappoint in bringing that into focus without it overpowering the book. Another great read by Ann Cleeves.

This is book three of the Two Rivers series of books and, as per usual, you will get the best out of it if you start from the beginning and read in order. If for nothing else than character backstory and development.
We start with the return of an old face. Jem Roscoe, famous sailing adventurer, blows back into Greystone, the town he grew up in, and is welcomed back into the fold. He visits the pub every night and appears to have fitted back in well. He hints at the reason for his return but never tells the whole story. And then, just as quickly as he arrived, he is gone again.
And then, after a call to the authorities reporting an abandoned boat, his lifeless body is discovered in a dinghy anchored just off Scully Cove... Enter DI Matthew Venn and his team to investigate...
Venn is wary of returning to Greystone, as it is here that the community he used to be a part of is centred. But he has to put his feelings aside and crack on, especially when there's another body...
And so begins an intriguing case for Venn to try and get to the bottom of as he, Jen and Ross have to go back and delve into Jem's past. To his childhood, to when he first learned to sail. To his friends and associates, to try and make sense of what has happened to him and who could be responsible.
The team are chalk and cheese and something else that goes with neither, but they rub along well and their differences actually assist their investigative procedure. Especially important given that Venn is a tad distracted by his own past. But he has Jonathan to help him, although he has his own issues in this book. There really is a lot going on outwith the main plot but nothing that overshadows it.
As always, the characters drive the narrative. And I am including the setting in this as it is so integral to the plot that it could almost be a character in its own right. It definitely lends a feeling of darkness and despair to the whole. Plotting is tight and, as always, well executed with the pacing matching the narrative all the way through.
All in all, another worthy addition to another one of this author's cracking series. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

THE RAGING STORM by Ann Cleeves
So many tangled webs of envy, greed, resentment, deception, and in such a forbidding place with such an unappealing cult, I almost despaired of answers, but Ann Cleeves does not disappoint. Things do get sorted, with hints of some good to come, and there is action and suspense aplenty to keep things . . . interesting.
At one point I felt, as one officer expressed, that there were no upstanding persons, no one appealing or likable, something I do want in a book. Never fear, the dedicated detectives do find a few worthy allies and more than one honest person on whom to pin a bit of hope. Now my mind doesn’t want to be finished with this compelling tale, still replaying scenes at sea, still mulling over characters’ decisions, wondering what’s next for Matthew and crew.

I was happy to read another of Ann Cleeves' character-driven police procedurals; thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. The Raging Storm is book #3 in Cleeves' Two Rivers series featuring D.I. Matthew Venn. Although it's the first one I've read in this series, I had no trouble engaging with the characters and following the plot.
The story opens during a raging storm, which, along with the bleak descriptions of the landscape, sets the somber tone. The Greystone, Devon volunteer lifeboat team is called out on a rescue mission, but instead of saving a marooned sailor, the team discovers a grisly murder. Jem Rosco, a flamboyant celebrity sailor and adventurer, had recently returned to his home village, where he never quite fit in despite his success. And now his naked, lifeless body is found in a dinghy anchored off Scully Cove.
Venn and his team (Jen Rafferty and Ross May) come in to investigate. Despite their personal differences, they work well as a team, each player uncovering important pieces of the puzzle and communicating their findings. Venn was raised nearby and knows some of the villagers. Many are still part of the Brethren, a fundamentalist religious group that Matthew left as a young adult, partly because they couldn't accept him as gay.
The story is told from multiple points of view, and the clues take the team in various directions. Not everyone is truthful, and many have secrets.
There were lots of suspects, and I didn't see the ending coming—which I consider a good thing in a murder mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced digital version of The Raging Storm.

I am so happy I have discovered Ann Cleeves, I feel like this author should be more popular in the states. She is a writer that would appeal to fans of Michael Connelly and James Patterson- police procedurals without gore and violence. I first came across one of her Shetland Series books and gobbled up a few of those right away, loving the small town feel and her characters, along with the beautiful island settings. When I got an opportunity to review this one, I jumped on it, and love this Matthew Venn series just as much!

This book has a bit of mystery, along with the small town feel of characters that have known each other for life, all intertwined from childhood through generations of families interacting. History is strong, but the needs are weak in this small village along the coast. I like the modern outsiders coming in and trying to understand the deep seated roots of this town. Matthew Venn is intelligent, and human in his interactions with coworkers and thought processes. All the characters are believable and realistic.

This is book three in the series. I was not lost or floundering not having read the first two. I will now go in search of those, as well as the rest of the Shetland Series and any future books she writes.

When a celebrity comes to a small village everyone is excited but soon the excitement turns to dread when his body is found, naked and curled up in a dinghy. Matthew Venn and his team are called in to investigate, but this case isn't adding up. When another body turns up, the team is under pressure to solve them before another body turns up.
Another winner from Ann Cleaves. This story is quite the puzzle sending your thoughts in all different directions. This author is one of my auto buys because her books are so entertaining. If you haven't read one of her books I advise you to try one now. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to enjoy this great book.

With this series, I am torn between wanting to read as fast as I can to find out who the murderer is, or slowing down and spending time with the team unraveling the clues. This is a terrific mystery and I didn't fully know who the murderer is and their reasoning until the very end. I love that the author pulls me fully into the story and keeps me on the edge of my seat. I also love how she shows the complexity of the characters and how Matthew needs to know all the background information to solve the mystery. Seeing the main characters at home with their significant others is a plus. Ann Cleeves mysteries are always a must read for me. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review.

This newest novel in the Matthew Venn series is a solid, character-driven mystery, as usual with this author. The setting, a dismal, uptight, and insular village far from the usual tourist sites on the North Devon coast, is evocative and atmospheric. The local characters are a secretive lot, many of them belonging to the strict Brethren denomination in which Matthew was raised. The psychological burden of his past increases the tension of dealing with a local murder for the detective. The series regular characters, Jonathan, Venn's husband, and Jen and Ross, his subordinates, have backstories that are further developed here, also. The mystery itself, involving two corpses and a disappearance, grows murkier by the page until the very end of the book. The action may be slower than lovers of psychological thrillers might like, but this is because the characters make the story, and the author takes her time to develop them. Readers who have enjoyed the other entries in this series will appreciate this one, as will mystery lovers who are willing to put in the time and attention to a story in which action comes secondary to character development.

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and his crew are back for yet another compelling mystery.  Set in a remote village, the killer and the elements battle against one another to keep the truth from coming out.  Will Detective Venn get to the bottom of it before the raging storm washes everything away?

Matthew is a solid character and an excellent detective.  He considers everything and rarely jumps to action without thinking first.  His past still haunts him and, since Greystone is full of the Brethren, it's continually in his face during the course of the investigation.  However, through his internal dialogue, you can see the progress he's making in reconciling his past and his present.  

This third novel in the Two Rivers series is the best to date, in my opinion.  With each book, the characters become more defined and real for me.  Jenn seems to be getting her life together finally, coming closer to having a work/life balance, even though she isn't quite there yet.  Ross is still a giant man child at times, but he's also having moments of clarity as well.  Hopefully he'll figure it out before too long.  Didn't get much of Matthew's husband, Jonathan, in this installment, but his gentle presence was there to help Matthew when needed.

The mystery kept me guessing as well.  Each time I thought I had it figured out, something popped up to prove me wrong.  Which is common with me, I rarely know who the culprit is!  Loved the setting, even though I'd never want to live in a place like Greystone.  Too isolated and too dang cold for my tastes.  Hoping that the author continues with this series as I've been loving every one so far.  Now, with Jonathan making a huge personal decision at the end of this, I'm even more anxious to see what comes next - both for him and Detective Venn and his team as well.

A complex and twisty mystery of long held secrets and murder by a master storyteller. Greystone isn't a tourist town, despite being on the sea. Jem Rosco grew up poor nearby but managed to turn himself into a world famous adventurer but now he's back and dead in the bottom of a dingy anchored off shore in Scully Cove. Matthew Venn spent time in Greystone, a stronghold of his mother's religious sect, as a child and he knows there's something more than a murder here- and then another corpse is found. Venn and his team, as well as his husband Jonathan, find themselves sorting through relationships and all the lies to find the truth. It's very atmospheric, with wind, water, cliffs, and the beach all figuring in the plot. This demands a careful read, not only to keep the characters in the village straight, but also for the nuance in Cleeves' writing. While it's the third in the series and there are references to past cases (and Venn's early life), it will be easily enjoyed and appreciated as a standalone. No spoilers from me but know that there's more to everyone than meets the eye. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Excellent read.

This is the latest in the Matthew Venn series. A body, clearly murdered, is discovered in Greystone, a remote Devon seaside village. Venn and his team get caught there by the successive raging storms of the title. It's not the first time Venn has been in Greystone. He came with his parents when he was young. Greystone is a center for the Brethren, the splinter religious group of his parents. Greystone is hard on Venn's team too. It's a stark and unappealing place of dark rock set against the raging sea.

This is the third Venn story and we get to know him better. This book is less about the bureaucracy and more about ingrown ways of thinking in Greystone, a place where people seem to stay even if they shouldn't.. I think the mystery of this book is a bit clunky. I'm not sure that these characters would react in the way that they do, but I enjoyed reading it because I like Matthew Venn.

Ann Cleeves has not disappointed me yet.
Matthew Venn has been called to the town he spent time in with his parents as a young boy. With mixed feelings he tries to settle in the local overnight accommodations with his team members. The large religious community to which his parents had belonged brings back uncomfortable memories for Matthew Vern. Having broken up with the group he is curious when meeting with old friends to see if they still belong. Not always understanding their logic.
His team ended up been trapped due to the stormy weather. This makes it harder to stay in contact with the outside world.
Ann brings up the following issues:
A woman trying to make her mark in a man’s world.
The world of the rich and the local townspeople.
Buried secrets of the past.
The narrow line been crossed when it comes to Matthew Vern’s husband trying to help. Does Matthew Vern appreciate the help or is he worried that his husband is sticking his nose in the criminal case?
This isn’t a fast read describing the emotions of the various people involved. It will keep you puzzled till the end when everything becomes clear.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin Publishers for providing me a copy of this book for my honest review.
While I understand that this book is a part of a series, the story is a stand-alone.
There is a murder in Greystone, Devon, England. The detective Matt Venn with two Sargeants Jen Raffferty and Ross May come to investigate the death.
Jeremy Roscoe, grew up in Greystone and became a famous sailor cause he took a trip around the world. He came back rented a cottage and disappeared. When the cottage was visited he was not there. The shower curtain was missing and the bathroom had blood. Roscoe was found naked and dead in a dinghy in Scully Cove. An area full of superstition.
Then the story begins with the interviews to find the facts and the guilty. The characters are well developed in this story. However, there're alot of characters and interviews so I recommend keeping track who's
who and related to who. There are rumors, there is money, there are women, and even a religious group all in the mix.
It is not fast paced story but done well and kept me entertained to the end and identify the murderer or murderers! I enjoyed it. If you like a murder mystery go for it!

This book is an installment in a series. I found the multiple characters to be somewhat confusing - hard to keep take of. Made it through but it was a slog. Perhaps if I was acquainted with the author/characters I would have been more used to the format. Perhaps someone else will find this more to their taste than me.

Thanks for the chance to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc copy of this book. All opinions are my own. This was a great book. I really enjoyed it. It was a cozy mystery that will be perfect for this fall.

This one just wasn’t for me… I made it a quarter of the way through before abandoning it. The first three chapters focusing on three different characters was too confusing too early on. Then the ultimate POV that the other chapters followed just didn’t speak to me. Just because it wasn’t a story I could get into doesn’t mean someone else won’t enjoy it though.

I loved this book. In fairness, Ann Cleeves is reliably excellent. The Raging Storm did not disappoint. It’’s a sort of complicated story, and personally, I hate reviews that try to complete;y summarize the story. But here’s the briefest rundown.
A hometown boy, Rosco, who has become a famous sailing adventurer returns to town and claims to be waiting for a mysterious person to arrive. Then, he is found dead, posed in a boat. The bodies begin to pile up while the investigation is simultaneously trying to solve the successive murders and understand Rosco’s history both while still living in the town and in the intervening years.
The handful of people who knew him then have all moved on, but nothing about their surface lives explains the undercurrent of complexity and secrecy. Part of the secrecy seems to have something to do with a religious enclave that several of the suspects belong to.
The story actually requires the length of the book to narrate. So no summary will suffice. That’s high praise. The characters are interesting and enigmatic. The atmosphere is rich and conveys both the drama and the restraint of the local culture. And the mystery is deepened by the very well-described subtle clashes of class within the village.
I was mostly surprised by the ending. The solutions is there in the narrative, but it is so well camouflaged that I missed many of the clues and was convinced by the misdirection. All in all, a very engrossing and atmospheric mystery.

"The Raging Storm" by Ann Cleeves is a gripping entry in the Matthew Venn series. When a body is found on a North Devon beach, DI Matthew Venn is tasked with solving the mystery. As he uncovers connections within a local artists' community, he grapples with his own past and personal challenges. Cleeves' skillful storytelling and intricate plotting create an atmospheric and emotionally resonant mystery. "The Raging Storm" captures both the complexities of human relationships and the scenic beauty of the Devon coast, making it a must-read for fans of character-driven crime fiction.

This is the first of the Two Rivers series that I have read but I am familiar with the author's Vera Stanhope and Shetland series. I didn't feel at a loss for not having read the first two in the series and look forward to them.

Jem Roscoe is a famous adventurer who comes back to his hometown of Greystone waiting for a mysterious visitor but just as quickly as he shows up he disappears again and his body is found in Scully's Cove. I found the background characters like Jem and the other suspects to be well developed and not very likeable. Matthew Venn is the lead on the case and was raised in a religious group in town so has insight into some of the goings on. The mystery was pretty good and even though the story felt slow at times the characters and the atmosphere kept it moving along until the end where I must confess I gasped.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.