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.

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.