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.

The Raging Storm is the third in the Matt Venn series by Ann Cleeves, I have not read the previous books and felt I could understand the characters and the plot. It starts when Jem Rosco, a local boy made good as a sailing hero returns to his hometown of Greystone. But then, his dead body is found in a dinghy anchored in Scully Cove and Matt and his team are called in to investigate. It’s an uncomfortable situation for Matt as this town is the home of the conservative church that tossed him out. This isn’t a fast paced story. It’s a cerebral police procedural, expecting the reader to pay attention. 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.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Ann Cleeves.

So was sent an ARC of this book to review, my first by the author and realize I’m an outlier but I didn’t love it, struggled to finish it and feel I’m being generous with my three stars. Took so much back and forth with weird descriptions to uncover any truth and about 60% of the story was unnecessary to lead to the ending that we finally arrived at. Which was pretty underwhelming. It’s a very developed story, which is why i gave the three stars, she can write—just not my cup of tea. Had to look up several phrases and words, which is odd since I read quite a few English/UK authors.

Thanks to netgalley and St Martins press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Another great one in the Two Rivers series. A great amount of characters/suspects and full of twists. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Matthew Venn and his team investigate the murder of Jem Rosco; "adventurer, sailor and legend," in the third installment of The Two Rivers series. The Raging Srorm takes place in Greystone at Devon, a setting that builds the mood and suspense with its churning ocean, breathtaking cliffs, and threatening storms. Greystone holds toxic memories for Matthew as he soldiers on and conducts the complicated and very suspenseful murder investigation. Although there are several characters, some reappearing and others new, Ann Cleeves writes like nobodies business. The last several chapters were thrilling and the ending, unpredictable and satisfying. Bring on installment three please!!

This is my first AnnCleeves book. I loved the character of Matthew Venn and I’m anxious to read book one and two of the series. Hope they made into a TV series like they did with vVera Stanhope

This book was really difficult to get into. Most of the time I could not keep up with what was going on with the characters or the storyline, perhaps it was me. Lacking. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to the publisher for a free netgalley.

If you like complex police procedurals, then this is the book for you. Cleeves has a masterful way of writing a story with many pieces that all come into place. I struggle a bit at times with the pace of her stories, as I find they are sometimes a bit bogged down. But the way she is able to tie it all together with a completely satisfying ending is what keeps me coming back to this series.

This is the third of Cleeves' stories featuring Matthew Venn. He is a gay detective who lives in Devon. He was once part of a religious cult, the Barum Brethern, but they essentially drummed him out of their society when he came out as gay. Even his parents turned their back on him. In this book, much of the action revolves around a village, known as Greystone, which has a significant proportion of Barum Brethern living in the area. Some are folks Matthew knew as a boy.

Anyway, a boat is found anchored off the coast in a rather isolated cove. There is a body lying within. The victim was clearly murdered, and then posed in the boat, but how could the body get posed in such a way in the middle of a raging storm and with no other boats about to take care of the people who had set the scene? Also, there's no good way to get back to land from the anchored boat even if the people doing the murder had been able to swim to shore. There's no obvious path up to the bluffs overlooking the scene from the shore. At least, that's what people thought.

Anyway, Matthew has to figure all this out, while also dealing with various people associated with the Barum Brethern. It's a fairly decent story, although I haven't found the Matthew Venn stories as gripping as some of Cleeves' other series, such as the <em>Sheltand</em> or <em>Vera</em> series.


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