Many thanks to both Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Raging Storm, by Ann Cleeves. It is the third book in the Two Rivers series. Expected publication: September 5, 2023. The mystery of Rosco’s death and how his friendships and loves from decades earlier play out in the present; Matthew’s personal life – his comforting and dynamic relationship with his husband as well as his knowledge of a community deeply impacted by an unyielding religion; and, the setting, not just the sea, but the isolation of this seaside village that doesn’t attract tourists or work-from-home folks. Some of Ann's classic crime novels will be easier to find in the future, with a series of new editions from Pan Macmillan. 2023 started with two stunning standalone mysteries, The Sleeping and the Dead and Burial of Ghosts: now readers have the chance to discover Ann's very first detective series, featuring George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher - helped by his wife, Molly.

As stormy winds leave a trail of destruction in their wake, the whole village is cut off and Venn and his team are put in a terrifying situation where a killer has them firmly in their sights…Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. Wow, what can I say, this novel is full of intrigue and the writing is superb. When you add stormy weather to a quiet coastal town and isolate it from the outside with a killer in the midst you have a winning recipe. I can't put this one down! The twists and turns, challenging relationships within the community, mixed with a huge dose of superstitions surrounding routines around the sea, makes for a brilliant novel ’ I have been loving the Matthew Venn, Two Rivers, series and with The Raging Storm, Ann Cleeves has served up another atmospheric, mystery filled read that leads Venn and his team to the coastal town of Greystone after local hero and celebrity sailor, Jeremy Rosco, is found dead in a boat that is moored at an isolated cove. Venn knows Greystone from his childhood, from a meetings held by the Barum Brethren, and whilst not all of his memories are bad ones, it is enough to set him on edge. Finding out who would want to kill Rosco and why takes leads the team into an investigation where it is impossible to know who to trust, and with a killer who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets. So at {a late-ish point past halfway} into this read when the lightbulb went on and the reasons the murder took place got clear I wasn't unhappy but rather very, very impressed because the one thing Matthew needed to know was carefully kept hidden in plain sight. Well done indeed, Author Cleeves.

As the stormy winds howl and the village is cut off, Venn and his team start their investigation, little realizing their own lives might be in danger. . .A friend of mine once joked that the work of Ann Cleeves is the closest the crime fiction genre comes to evoking ASMR—the euphoric, pleasant, spine-tingling sensation that’s all the rage on YouTube. The books never get too dark, never venture too far into dangerous territory, but aren’t outright cozy, either.”— The New York Times

On the subject of the characters - Jen just becomes more likeable although even she is prone to petty jealousy at times but Ross takes the biscuit. I await the time he is consumed by his own pettiness that he either gets himself killed or lets a murderer go. As the stormy winds howl and the village is cut off, Venn and his team start their investigation, little realising their own lives might be in danger… This was really good. The third book in the Two Rivers series starring DI Matthew Venn. This book seems to be setting up something dark for the next book in the series, so can't wait for that. The last Vera Stanhope made me cry, so thankfully this one did not. It was engaging though from beginning to end. Especially since Cleeves included Venn's Brethren in this one, but ones he met and knew when he was a child.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. DI Matthew Venn has been called in to investigate and this case promises to be an uncomfortable and challenging one for the detective. Matthew has ties with the remote village he had lived in as a child with his parents as part of the Barum Brethren. Matthew had eventually parted ways with the cult, but regardless of how hard he tries, shaking them off has been anything but easy. Superstition and gossip make for the most lethal of bedfellows and when another body is found, Matthew’s judgement looks set to become more and more clouded.