The Raging Storm (Detective Matthew Venn Novel #3)

by Ann Cleeves Narrated by Jack Holden

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Ann Cleeves has created several distinctive police procedural series from Inspector Ramsay to Detective Jimmy Perez and Vera Stanhope. Now add Detective Matthew Venn to your mystery library. The past haunts Venn as he dives into a community he was once part of, but left after a crisis of faith. Cleeves creates some of the most dynamic protagonists found in crime fiction today.

"Holden masterfully conveys the inner struggles of Venn and his team, rounding out the humanity of the investigators. With its twists and turns, the plot keeps listeners engaged. An added bonus is Ann Cleeves speaking directly to listeners about the origin of the Venn series."- AudioFile

"Jack Holden demonstrates his full talents in this mystery, bringing the extensive cast of characters in this small and close-knit community in Devon to life with his strong narration...His spot-on timing helps keep the story moving toward its surprising end, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable listen." -AudioFile on The Heron's Cry

Ann Cleeves-New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows-returns with The Raging Storm, the extraordinary third installment in the Matthew Venn series.

Fierce winds, dark secrets, deadly intentions.

When Jem Rosco-sailor, adventurer, and legend-blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. But just as abruptly as he arrived, Rosco disappears again, and soon his lifeless body is discovered in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.

This is an uncomfortable case for Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. Greystone is a place he visited as a child, a community he parted ways with. Superstition and rumor mix with fact as another body is found, and Venn finds his judgment clouded.

As the winds howl, and Venn and his team investigate, he realizes that no one, including himself, is safe from Scully Cove's storm of dark secrets.

“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

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

One of People’s Best Books of Fall 2023

“A surprising denouement moves this character-based mystery to the top tier."―Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"The third (after The Heron’s Cry) in Cleeves’s award-winning series is an atmospheric police procedural that builds on the other books while introducing fascinating suspects."―Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Cleeves crafts a devilishly intricate mystery that will surprise even seasoned genre fans, and Venn remains an appealing lead every bit as memorable as the author’s Vera Stanhope or Jimmy Perez. Cleeves’s fans and newcomers alike will be hungry for the next entry.”―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Quiet tension, a moody atmosphere, and engaging characters heighten the mystery."―Booklist

“[Cleeves] tells a captivating story”―Wall Street Journal

"As with Cleeves’ other series... place and people are as important here as plot."―St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Cleeves… is as observant as ever about atmosphere and geography, and conjures an impression of oppressive bleakness, with few daylight hours to brighten the rocky beaches and imposing cliffs. Such relentless dreariness could drive anyone to the edge; the identities of the killers are almost as shocking as the crime itself.”―Air Mail

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2023-07-13
When a famous explorer is murdered, the secret of his killer’s identity may well be rooted in his past.

Jem Rosco arrives in the tiny English village of Greystone in the midst of a storm. Though he’s secretive about his reasons for renting a cottage, saying only that he expects a visitor, he spends every night in the Maiden’s Prayer pub chatting up the locals, many of whom remember him as a troublesome local youth who attained fame and fortune. The riddle about his purpose in Greystone gives way to a larger mystery when the village lifeboat, called out in a fierce storm, finds an anchored boat near Scully Point containing the naked body of Rosco, who’s been stabbed to death. Inspector Matthew Venn remembers Greystone from visits during his youth, when he and his family were devoted members of a religious group called the Brethren that he parted ways with after losing his faith and marrying his husband, Jonathan. From the beginning Venn finds the case odd and vexing, with plenty of suspects yet no really strong motives. Since the murder clearly took place in the rented cottage's bathroom, why would someone go to the trouble of placing the body in a boat and anchoring it in a spot with an evil reputation? With the help of his team, Jen Rafferty and cocky, ambitious Ross May, Venn investigates Rosco’s past and present looking for a more compelling motive for murder. Staying in Greystone brings back bittersweet memories for Venn, and he uncovers a number of feuds and love affairs gone wrong among the residents. Another death further complicates the investigation, but the introspective Venn never gives up.

A surprising denouement moves this character-based mystery to the top tier.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178416976
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	09/05/2023
Series:	Matthew Venn Series , #3
Edition description:	Unabridged

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