The Raging Storm

Fierce winds, howling seas and deadly secrets await in The Raging Storm, the third mystery featuring Detective Matthew Venn from Ann Cleeves, the number one bestselling crime author and creator of Vera and Shetland. When Jem Rosco - sailor, adventurer and local 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. The residents think nothing of it when Rosco disappears again; that's the sort of man he is. Until the lifeboat is launched to a hoax call-out during a raging storm 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 DI Matthew Venn. He came to the remote village as a child, its community populated by the Barum Brethren that he parted ways with, so when superstition and rumour mix and another body is found in the cove, Matthew soon finds his judgement clouded. 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. . . The Raging Storm is the second novel in Ann Cleeves' Two Rivers series following her Sunday Times bestseller, The Heron's Cry. Matthew Venn returns in The Dying Light. Praise for the Matthew Venn series: 'Matthew Venn is a keeper' - David Baldacci 'Had me hooked . . . a promising beginning to another fine chapter in the Ann Cleeves story' - The Times 'A triumph that cements Cleeves' status as one of Britain's best crime writers' - Daily Express 'Clever, compassionate and atmospheric' - Elly Griffiths, award-winning author of The Crossing Places 'Cleeves combines a flair for evoking sense of place with a thoughtful, complex plot' - Mail on Sunday 'A traditional mystery of the best sort' - The Guardian What readers are saying about The Raging Storm: 'Absolutely brilliant, Ann Cleeves at her best' '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' 'In my opinion, Ann Cleeves ranks among the top crime writers. She consistently delivers classic murder mysteries by balancing diverse characters and rich settings to create unique stories every time' 'The setting in this is so integral to the plot that it could almost be a character in its own right' 'Cleeves creates a strong sense of tension which pushes you on. The plot is a true mystery, littered with clues and red herrings, and the end is a brilliant revelation'

Ann Cleeves is the author of forty critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV's Vera, BBC One's Shetland and ITV's The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide. Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021, her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East. In 2022, she was awarded an OBE for her services to reading and libraries. She lives in Northumberland.