Such rugged terrain makes this case difficult. And a load of secrets. The detectives have their hands full as bodies pile up. Away from home and injuries happen. I liked the book. And the ending was a surprise.

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves
A Detective Matthew Venn Novel #3

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn never lets his face show what he's thinking. He's shut up tight, having grown up in a cultish religion, with a mother who didn't even want his dad to show any sign of affection to their son. His past haunts him and it even affects the way he deals with his spouse.

Sergeant Jen Rafferty is a single mother of two teens and lives with the daily guilt of choosing her job over her children day after day. She loves her kids but when it comes to being with them or working on a case, she can't help wanting to be on the job. And now she's longing for a baby, crazy because of her non mother-y ways, working all the time, and not having a man in her life.

Sergeant Ross May is the trendy one. He also has a hard time not feeling jealous and resentful of both Matthew and Jen. He's very smart but he can't help feeling he knows better than the other two and thinks he is often being ignored or slighted.

Despite personal and personality problems, these three make a great team. Sailor, adventurer, celebrity, Jem Rosco has been found dead in the community that houses the religious group that haunted and ostracized Matthew. Being in this area brings back bad memories and now he is having to question members of the church since several of them seem to have ties to the dead man. With a storm raging or threats of another storm, this rocky, wet, financially failing area is not a place he wants to be. But the people here don't seem to really want to help him solve the case so he can be out of their hair. Many know nothing about the death of the man but those that might aren't always forthcoming. Interviewing people here is a tedious and time consuming task but all three members of the team love their jobs and will get the job done despite the fact that things get more murky and complex the deeper they dig. I really like these three characters a lot, despite their broken parts. Only the reader gets to see those parts because these three know how to do their jobs with professionalism, no matter their feelings and thoughts.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I've read and enjoyed the first two books in this series featuring North Devon Detective Matthew Venn, who's an intriguing character beyond the mind he uses to solve crimes. Not only did he leave the cult-like religion to which his parents adhere, but he found and married the love of his life, a pleasant and capable chap named Jonathan. This time around, he's back "home" in Greystone, the land of his childhood and still home to many of the super-religious Brethren - who basically tossed him from the fold in a very public manner years ago.

So it with a bit of trepidation that Matthew leaves Jonathan and heads to Scully Cove, where the naked body of a local man Jem Roscoe, who's gained fame as a sailor is found abandoned in a dinghy. Blood found in the bathroom of the place Jem was staying offered proof that the death was no accident. From that point on, Matthew and his team battle nasty weather, but while the suspect list grows almost by the day, the investigation turns up little to no real evidence. The story actually moves rather sluggishly - mirroring, perhaps, cases that happen in the real world - until closer to the end when a second dead body turns up. This one - an individual who is at least under consideration as the culprit - may well be a suicide; but Matthew's keen instincts, and the keen investigative skills of his team including Jen Rafferty and Ross May, prove otherwise.

Meantime, Matthew is a bit concerned about his relationship with Jonathan, who's clearly got something on his mind he wants to share, but the murders don't leave much down time for heart-to-hearts. By the end, though, both the murders and Jonathan's dilemma are known to readers, with one of them providing fodder for the next book. All in all, it's another enjoyable reading experience, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me once again with a pre-release copy for review.

I have read other previous books by the talented author Ann Cleeves. Her newest book, The Raging Storm, is probably my new favorite written by her. Five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

I've only read one other Ann Cleeves (a Vera Stanhope) but I fell in love with her right away. She knows how to write a mystery with a slow burn and interesting characters. However, this book just wasn't for me. I just could NOT get into it. The beginning is maddeningly slow, I don't care about anyone, and the minutiae of taking crime scene photos was just too much. And I don't think it's because I jumped straight into the 3rd book of the series. It just wasn't for me. The nautical theme was boring and I just don't care about the details of dinghy's.

However, this in no way means I'm done with Ann Cleeves. I plan to get right back into Vera Stanhope as soon as I can, though I doubt I'll be following up with Matthew Venn ever again.

Another good entry in the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves! Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC to read and review. 4.5 stars.
The mystery is that of Jem Roscoe a local sailor turned famous adventurer. He returns to Greystone Devon and is murdered. Matthew Venn and the team take on the case. Great to see familiar characters in a fabulous series. I did feel that the relationship between Matthew and his husband Jonathon was a little different in this story. Is Jonathon keeping some secrets??
Once again the Bretheren which Matthew grew up with plays a role in the story as well. These are interesting and unusual characters that I have enjoyed reading about.
The plot is tight and extremely well done. The setting is alive from the descriptions.
The reader follows the police investigation as though they are part of it - a feature I always like. it is a slow and careful evolve and the reader gets each new clue along with the team.
Overall this is a great addition to the series and hopefully will be made into a feature on Britbox.

Jem Rosco shows up in a town from his past, waiting for a meet up with an undisclosed friend. One morning, a call comes in to the town lifeboats about a vessel in distress. When the lifeboats recover Jem’s lifeless, stabbed body, the detectives swoop in to find a murderer in a small town with a colorful past and tight lipped secrets.

Unfortunately this book missed the mark for me. It is the third in a series, yet I read it as a standalone. I personally do not think this book was capable of being a standalone, and that is probably my own fault for reading this one without reading the previous two. It lacked true character qualities and left things very vague (which I’m assuming were explained in the first two books). I didn’t love any of the characters (too many to even care about one or two), and I truly didn’t care who murdered Jem or why. It was extremely uninteresting to me and dragged on for 400 pages that felt like 4,000. I’m sure this book would be fine if I had read the first two, but as it is, I give two stars.

The Raging Storm is a very atmospheric read in the Two River Series.

This is Book 3 and my favourite to date ( until Book 4 comes along).

You can feel the wind howling the chill of the rain and the fierceness of the waves.

Jem Roscoe's body is found floating in a dinghy during the storm and its up to DI Matthew Venn and his team to solve this puzzling case .

The air is full of drama, suspicions, secrets and a local legend of the area being cursed.

Ann Cleeves knows how to pull you in and keep you hooked .

At times I was holding my breath and hoping everyone makes it through this case intact.

The ending was well done and I hated this book to end.

I cant wait to see where Book 4 takes Matthew and his team next.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for a gripping read.

Atmospheric police procedural mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Fast paced read that has me going back to read the first two in the series.

Matthew Venn and his crew are called in when Jem Rosco’s body is found on a stranded boat during a storm. The investigation, which is described in minute detail, takes place during the week Venn’s three person team is searching for the culprit. It is well constructed with the exception of the minutia that, in my opinion, made for slow reading and a convoluted plot. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for an ARC for an honest review.

Jem Rosco was a national hero - sailing around the world and then to other exotic places - but he came back to Greystone and was murdered there and left naked on a dinghy in Scully Cove. Matthew Venn received the call to investigate the murder in the community near his mother's home. The village, made up of religious Brethern and those who were not religious at all, was suspicious of outsiders which made it difficult to get answers to Venn's questions. Rosco kept a low personal profile but the love of his life, Nell Wren, still lived in Greystone and Venn looked to her for information about Rosco's early life. Venn and his sergeant, Ross, were in grave danger before the murder was solved.
Cleeves has written another page turner in the Rivers series. The twists and turns alternatively made me read on for "just one more chapter" and put the book down so it would last a bit longer. The pacing is just right and her writing brings the characters to life. Their actions are believable, based on the circumstances they find themselves in. I look forward to seeing this episode on film.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book; the opinions expressed are mine.

I have read Ann Cleeves Vera Stanhope series before and enjoyed it. I received this book from Netgalley and it was book number 3 in the Detective Venn Series. I really enjoyed the book but felt that it alluded to a lot that had gone on in the previous two books with three Detectives; especially the lead Matthew Venn. His past in Greystone and the Brethren religion / cult seemed to have a lot of impact on the story as far as his character. However, Venn is called to solve the mystery of a local celebrity, Jen, who is found dead in a boat in the middle of a storm blowing in. The plot itself as they work to solve the mystery and navigate the locals who do not seem happy to have the detectives in town. Especially one that was originally part of the Brethren but was removed from it even thou his mother was still involved. Venn works with fellow detectives Jen and Ross who have a interesting working relationship and how they work to solve the case but also vie for the attention and approval of Venn. Johnathan who is Venn's husband is a added bonus when he comes to the scene of the investigation. Overall, great book that kept me guessing until the end as to what was happening.

I had not read anything by this author although I had been wanting to for quite some time. When I saw this book available to read on NetGalley, I jumped on the opportunity to read it even though it wasn't the first in the series and I am happy I did!

Ann Cleeves is an amazing author. She held me in the palm of her hand. I couldn't stop reading. It made no difference that I hadn't met these characters before. Her writing and the characters lived inside my head.

I am now going back to read the previous books in this series before tackling her previous books. I can hardly wait to dig into them!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Thank you Net Galley & Ann Cleeves for this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books of the Two Rivers series so I was so excited to get my hands on this!! The character driven story catches your attention from the start and makes you want to keep reading. It isn’t fast paced, but truly require all of your attention.

The Raging Storm
Ann Cleeves
September 05, 2023

In this third episode of The Two Rivers we find Matthew Quinn back in Greystone. Things are quiet until Jem Rosco, sailor and adventurer blew onto the island, landing next to the bar at Maiden’s Prayer. When asked where he’d been and what plans he had, his only response, “I’m here to meet someone. Someone special. I’m expecting them any day.”
He had the quaint little town abuzz with wonder and curiosity. He had a few places here and there on the islands so no one knew where he’d settled.
Cleeves writing is excellent and develops her ideas and persona with great talent. I easily fell into the unique progress of her storyline.
The Raging Storm will be published by Minotaur Books of Macmillan Publishing on September 05, 2023. I was able to read the ARC via NetGalley. Quite a privilege to read Ann Cleeves' pre-publication of her latest novel. As I have seen many Vera and Shetland episodes on BritBox I was thrilled to read her latest publication. Readers will be immersed in this book. It is outstanding and I encourage all who love good drama and suspense to be certain to read this latest book by Ann Cleeves. Do Enjoy!

The Raging Storm
By Ann Cleeves

This is a typical British murder mystery. A semi famous man – Jem Rosco, an adventurer and explorer – has come to the town of Greystone to meet up with a mysterious someone. Jem is murdered and his body left naked in a dinghy in Skull Bay.

Enter the constabulary: Inspector Michael Venn; his sergeant Jen Rafferty; Ross May, who considers himself in competition with Jen. The cast of characters includes several town folk, many of whom were members of a religious cult called the Brethren. As in most small towns, everyone has something to contribute to the investigation and information that they are either eager or reluctant to share with the authorities.
murder mysteries, this may be worth a read.
The story is somewhat predictable. But it is a quick and easy read. If you enjoy murder mysteries, you may like this book.

I love the Vera Stanhope series, and this one with Detective Venn does not disappoint.. Her sense of place is fantastic:: you feel like you are there in this eerie town with eccentric characters. Many twists and turns as well as introspection, so well written.

This is the 3rd book in the series, and spoiler alert- the LAST one in the series. I think Ann had decided there really wasn't much more left for Venn, so she chose a more convoluted mystery to send him out on. Venn returns to an area he knew some from growing up. What he soon finds is his past catching up to his present, as the religious group his parents belonged has a group in the area, and its members are involved in the current case. With the dead man an apparent mystery, it takes Venn and his team time to pick apart the threads of his life, before they can try to determine why he was murdered, and if anyone else is in danger, as past secrets start to come out. It's a bit of a roller coaster read at the end, and readers may have the sense that the series could be picked back up again, with a different angle, if Cleeves chooses (but for now, we can wait for the next Vera book!). Perfect for fans of the series, I would suggest having read the previous books, so this one makes more sense.

Too slow

This starts well. A fairly successful man, who achieved some fame from adventure sailing, returns to the pub at his home town. He didn't tell anyone why he returned, just that he was waiting for someone to meet him. After a few weeks of waiting, the man is found stabbed and floating dead in a boat. So far, so good. But then for the next 3/4 of the book nothing happens. Ii eventually got bored and skipped to the end. Even after reading "who dunnit", I had no interest in reading any of the parts I skipped. There were no characters I cared about, either good or bad. Well, i did like one of the police officers, but not enough to read any more of the book. I am glad others liked it, but it was just too slow for me.

Loved this book!!!!! This was my first Ann Cleeves book, but certainly will not be my last. I loved the setting, the description of the scenery and landscape, and I loved the character development. The story line was interesting and had a number of twists. Each character was well developed and I did not feel lost for having not read previous books in the series. It was well written and a very enjoyable read.