Audio version of this book 📕- Book 3 in the Two Rivers series. I really struggled with this one , I found it really slow at the start and it just was keeping my attention

However the narrator was good and did the accents of the characters well

Ann Cleeves is one of my go to authors. Anything published I'll try to get my hands on. This was no exception! Enjoying this book however rating it 4 stars as I have slightly preferred other works by the author.
Think I prefer the Vera series by this author. If you didn't enjoy this book I'd try the other series by this author

Thank you netgally for the copy of this book

If you are a fan of Cleeve's writing then this will not disappoint. Another amazing book and I am so glad I got to listen to it!

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves Narrated by Jack Holden was an excellent audiobook from start to finish. This is the third book in the Two Rivers series and I loved it. The setting of this book Greystone, Devon was beautifully described and I felt like I was there. I also loved the character Detective Inspector Matthew Venn especially as I have not read the other two books in the series, so I was glad it was easy to get a grips with the series and characters. I highly recommend this book and I really need to go back and read the other two. Plus looking forward reading more books within this great series.

The narrator Jack Holden was excellent.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and especially Macmillan UK Audio for my ARC audiobook copy.

While I don't like books set around the sea, I do enjoy the Matthew Venn series. Crime thrillers aren't my go to genre, but when a protagonist is a gay man like me, I love to see the representation and find it easier to get into them (see also: William Hussey's Jericho series). A solid reliable story, enriched by the information we tease out about Venn's own family and upbringing. Expertly done...

Love any story from Ann Cleeves. Loved all the vera books and her writing style hooks you in from page one. Audio was such a great way of reading this story and really liked the narrator.

Another story set in Devon, I’m enjoying this series and I believe that this book is better if you have read the previous ones, especially when the brethren are discussed as it helps form a bigger picture.
An interesting murder and location, I look forward to more stories.

Book 3 in the Two Rivers series is as entertaining as books 1 and 2. Jem Rosco, a celebrity renowned for his sailing escapades, is found dead in Greystone and DI Matthew Venn is investigating his death. Secrets and superstition pervade the story and excellent narration adds to the enjoyment of this fabulous murder mystery. Thank you to Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Random Things Tours and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

The third novel in the Matthew Venn series from the Sunday Times no. 1 bestseller Ann Cleeves.

When Jem Rosco - sailor, adventurer and legend - blows in to the local pub, The Maiden's Prayer, in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone are delighted.

The whole place has a strange, unreal the village that time forgot. Backed by a worked-out quarry, with a shingle beach and a north-facing quay, there's little to recommend it to tourists.

When Rosco disappears again, they think nothing of it; that's the sort of man he is. Until the lifeboat is launched to a hoax call-out and his body is found in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.

This is an uncomfortable case for Venn. Greystone is a stronghold of the Barum Brethren and he came here as a child. Faith and superstition mix as another body is found in Scully, and Matthew finds his judgement clouded.

The wind continues to howl, and he realizes that his own life is in danger.

My Opinion

This is the third book in the Two Rivers series, whilst it can be read as a standalone you will get more enjoyment from reading this series in order. Over the last few weeks I have read all three of the books in the series so far and I have enjoyed them all.

This was a nice easy crime to get lost in. For me Ann Cleeves has always been one of those writers that I could pick up a series in the middle and just read one book - until I started reading the Matthew Venn series. Ann has written a great plot with some great policework set in a picturesque location.

This book will take you along for the investigation. I found that this was a book that I hadn't realised how much I had read until I had reached the end - I just lost track of time.

Rating 4/5

Jem Rosco, a local working-class boy made good by becoming a legend in the world of sailing and hero to many has returned to Devon, not staying in the apartment he still retains in Morrisham but instead renting a small terraced cottage and entertaining the locals in Greystone’s pub, the Maiden’s Prayer. He is apparently awaiting the arrival of a mystery visitor but when the lifeboat is called out during a mighty storm, one which later takes out power lines and blocks roads, the crew are shocked to discover an anchored dinghy containing Rosco’s body. DI Matthew Venn arrives, together with DS Jen Rafferty and DC Ross May from the station in Barnstaple to investigate this bizarre staged crime. The village is one Venn remembers from his childhood in the Barum Brethren, the church that he renounced twenty years ago but has struggled to put completely behind him. As inquiries proceed in the insular little community, he finds very many people are part of the church, and outsiders are still viewed with suspicion. The team discover childhood friends of Rosco, some who still have affection for the reclusive showman, and some who clearly resent his success, and while they delve further into his life nothing prepares them for another connected death. Just what further secrets are being kept in this remote village? And how far will someone go to keep them hidden?
Matthew Venn is a lovely man, quite strait-laced and very much by the book, although he’s starting to loosen up thanks to Jonathan’s far more laid-back attitude to life. He might have questioned his husband’s involvement in a previous case but this time he will be very grateful for his interest. Together with the fiery single mother of two Jen and ambitious but still a little immature Ross, they make a great team and this series is just perfect for television, with its beautiful scenery and solid plotlines. This book is extremely well written and easy to become completely engrossed in, as the characters are expertly depicted in a very clever and complex story which is expertly delivered by the author. This really is another huge hit series to rival Vera and Shetland and I am eagerly looking forward to more stories.
The narrator delivers this perfectly, with easily distinguishable characters and great dialects which reflect the characters without being over done. Very enjoyable to listen to.

The third two rivers series get better with each book. A body of a local celebrity is found which lead to Mathew Penn and his team investigation with plenty of twist along the way. Good characters and a well paced novel. Jack Holden is an excellent narrator you knew which character is talking. With thanks to McMillan audio for a review copy of this audiobook.

The narration
A nicely judged narration with the placid nature of Matthew Venn nicely captured and I enoyed Jen’s slightly passive aggressive Scouse accent. It’s good that he doesn’t try to make the female voices too ‘girlie’ or make the accents too strong, but just enough to give the listener a sense of location.

The author’s keen eye for nature gives her the ability to bring landscapes to life, which along with her perception of the human psyche are great strengths that she brings to her writing. After all there are more than enough big city crime novels.

Religion in the form of the Plymouth Brethren casts a long shadow over the series. Venn was brought up under the faith by his devout family. His split came when he fell in love with Jonathan, who is now is husband. Homosexuality not being approved of, he was given an ultimatum and he chose Jonathan over the brethren, thereby severing all ties with his family.

Venn is an unusual central character, not through his sexuality, that is nothing new in crime fiction, but because he is so calm and level-headed, seemingly without any of the usual troubles or vices that we are used to. Venn is so remarkable because he is ordinary, nice and a little plain, this is no flamboyant gay man. He is the counter point for the moody and troubled now single mum Jen and the social player Ross. A combination that works perfectly.

The setting is Greystone a small village on the North Devon coast which is vividly brought to life. It’s a place that is firmly rooted in the past and due to its lack of sandy beach, has missed the tourist and second home boom that has benefitted a few but blighted the lives of many. Its housing is still affordable, and it remains very much a working village of agriculture, fishing and until its closure quarrying. So far, it hasn’t been turned into a ghost village, with tea rooms and craft shops. In some respects, its isolation is what is insulating it from the outside world, but this same isolation is so crippling when the big storm closes the roads and brings down power lines. At this point we see the village rallying around to help and support each other, just as it does to raise funds for one of the children to go to USA for treatment for a rare condition. It is a place where family comes first, here one looks after one’s own. A tight knit community, but also one where secrets and grudges are buried but never forgotten.

The victim, Jem Roscoe, is brash, extrovert man who has had great success on the television with his adventure series. An outgoing man who seems to be very friendly and able to quickly turn on the charm, he’s someone who everyone wants to befriend, or so it appears. His return to his roots was unexpected but he quickly worms his way back into village life down at the local pub The Maiden’s Head. He says he’s in Greystone because he is expecting someone, but nobody seems to come. Then late at night when the weather is particularly foul a mysterious woman is sighted walking in the street but no one appears to know where she came from or where she went.

With no motive or suspects it is Roscoe’s life that is examined in minute detail to solve the murder. Venn, Jen and Ross peel away at his life like an onion and with each successive layer a murky past is revealed. A complex man who is not as well liked as may first appear.

The rural setting means a gradual build-up of intrigue and tension before it is masterfully released, and the secrets revealed. The North Devon countryside is no place for rip roaring car chases, but don’t be fooled amongst the stunning natural beauty there is violence and danger on the rugged coastline.

The Raging Storm mixes the idyllic North Devon countryside with secrets and dangers both natural and man-made in a gripping police procedural.

I would like to thank Net Galley and the Publisher for making a copy available in exchange for a fair review.

Greystone is a small community, so when a local celebrity is found dead in a dinghy off Scully Cove, Matthew Venn and his team are sent to investigate.
This is a place that is slightly uncomfortable for Venn as it has ties to his childhood, it is town with dark secrets that want to be kept hidden. So when a second body is discovered things start to get out of control.
With a storm brewing and a killer on the loose and everyone a suspect. Scully Cove soon become a dangerous place to be for everyone including the police.
Ann Cleeves has produced another wonderful character with Matthew Venn.
He is as good as any of her other characters.
This story is fascinating, from start to finish it had me gripped.
This is the best book in the series so far. I very much recommend it.
This book is brilliantly brought to life by the excellent narration. Jack Holden is an enticing narrator, he draws the listener in with he’s multiple voices and dialects. He really sets the seen perfectly throughout the book and is a joy to listen to.

Another good listen by Ann Cleeves I always enjoy her books and this one was no different if you like a good detective story then these are for you

This was my 1st Ann Cleeves believe it or not! She isnt for me unfortunately. I am not a massive fan of detective stories so guess i was on a losing battle.

I know her loyals will love it though so its hard to star for me, but have to say 1 as i did not enjoy it

Just as you would expect from Ann Cleeves - a five star story that kept me enthralled from page one to the end. The narrator was excellent and I would recommend this book to any fans of crime fiction.

This is the second book in this police mystery and it didn’t disappoint, Its set in a small town Greystone in Devon, Rosco an old resident came back and turned up dead on a dingy in a cove called Sculleycove. Who killed him and why? The police have arrived and inspected, but there’s a lot of secrets in this small town.

I listened to this book and the narrator did a great job with the many characters, all had there own tone and accent so was easy to follow.

A brilliant police driven mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

DI Matthew Venn is investigating the death of Jem Rosco . Jem is a sailor adventurer and a bit of a celebrity his body is found in a dinghy .
Matthew has a mixed past with Greystone and cut ties with the place when he was eighteen but it looks as if his ties with the place could cloud is judgement on this case.
I find the Matthew Venn books to be much more atmospheric and moody than the other series Ann Cleeves writes.
He is a complex character and when we learn more about his past it becomes clear why he is a serious man , although I do see a slight softening around the edges.
As usual the calibre of writing is excellent and makes the pages fly by.
The narration is also excellent all in all a great audio book and an enjoyable story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan UK Audio .

This is a fast paced detective murder mystery with loads of interesting characters and a strong plot line. I’m already a fan of Inspector Matthew Venn and his team and this didn’t disappoint. I raced through it, enjoying the narration, while also trying to work out the murderer and their motive. I thoroughly recommend it and would definitely listen to another book by Ann Cleeves.

My thanks to the author, the narrator, the publishers and Netgalley for this audio version to listen to and review.

This was a cracking audiobook to while away the time on a long car journey through France. Very much in the style of Ann Cleeves' other series, there is a murder, and the police are called in to investigate. In this case, it is the poor boy come good as a famous sailor and adventurer who ends up murdered in South West England.
We are provided with just enough information about the main characters (investigators and suspects) to determine their likeability/otherwise, and the pace of the book was pretty much bang on - although as is always the case with audiobooks it can take a long time to get to the final denouement.