Review: The Raging Storm (Two Rivers #3)
Gaby Meares
I am really enjoying this series from Ann Cleeves. It has a different feel to Vera and Shetland. Although, like those two fabulous series, the location is an integral part of the books. In this case, it’s set around Greystone, a small fishing village on the Devon Coast, where storms abound and superstitions run rife.
Jem Rosco, a celebrity adventurer and local legend suddenly appears in the pub one stormy night, mysteriously announcing he’s staying in town while waiting ‘for a friend’. No one thinks much of him disappearing again, until his body is discovered in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove.
DI Matthew Venn is an interesting character. His upbringing within a religious sect know as the Barum Brethren has left its emotional scars. His relationship with his mother is strained since he left the Brethren and chose a male partner. When he is called in to investigate Rosco’s murder, he is distracted by memories of visiting Greystone as a child where many members of the Brethren live.
The Raging Storm is very atmospheric. The violent storms create a sense of isolation, both metaphoric and in reality, as fallen trees block access to and from the village and cut off communication. Venn and his team start to uncover a labyrinth of secrets and lies, and find their own lives in danger. As always, Cleeves has her plot well in hand, and the resolution is unexpected, but believable. This is a great book to read on a rainy day, snuggled up with a hot cup of tea!