police procedural

Review: The Coldest Cast (Shana Merchant #6) by Tessa Wegert

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Coldest Case (Shana Merchant, #6)The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Shana Merchant series just keeps getting better. Wegert delivering the twists, the turns, the chilling atmosphere, and the jaw-dropping revelations. I loved this one!

The Coldest Case is the 6th-installment of this character-driven, Police Procedural Mystery series, set in the Thousand Lakes region of Upstate New York.

I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, but this could be my favorite one yet. If you’re unfamiliar with this series, it follows Senior Investigator, Shana Merchant, and her partner/husband, Tim Wellington.

Each book focuses on a different case, or mystery, but there is a compelling over-arching storyline for Shana herself, that you won’t want to miss. I would recommend starting this series at the beginning for maximum enjoyment.

In this installment, Tim and Shana are alerted to a missing person on the vastly remote island of Running Pine. It’s February and only a handful of adults, and one child, actually remain on the island over-Winter.

This missing man, Cary, is one of the island’s newest residents, never having done a Winter there. Cary, and his girlfriend, Sylvie, who has family connections to the island, are social-media influencers, who moved to the island to promote their quasi-off-grid lifestyle brand.

Cary goes fishing with a couple of other Running Pine men one morning, but when the two men are ready to leave, Cary tells them he wants to stay out on the ice a while longer. After that, Cary never returns home. The remaining island citizens fear the worse, and immediately call for help and a vigorous search ensues.

With the clock ticking, and temps dropping, a police team makes the perilous journey, only possible by airboat over the ice this time of year, out to Running Pine.

The victim’s girlfriend, Sylvie, is acting bizarrely and it doesn’t seem she is disclosing everything she knows to the investigators. The other island residents are equally odd. What exactly are these people hiding?

This story was told so well. I love how it all unfolded. Learning about the residents of Running Pine and getting to travel out to the island and feel its remoteness. Wegert nailed the creation of that stark and desolate atmosphere.

Running Pine felt like a world of its own, following its own set of rules. Everything there seemed a little off, and I wanted Shana far, far away from it.

I also loved that the story was set in February. The cold got under my skin. There’s inclement weather that presents a huge obstacle to the police investigation, but in spite of that, Shana, Tim and the team, aren’t giving up.

There’s so much going on in Shana’s personal life as well. She’s about to start a new chapter, (view spoiler), and it has caused her to reflect a bit on her past, including the last case she had before leaving the NYPD.

I did enjoy this secondary mystery and felt it was important for Shana to reexamine that old case. She needs closure from that time period, 4-years ago, that ended with her in the clutches of a serial killer, after which she left the city, and the department, to move upstate.

As a trauma survivor, Shana’s journey of recovery and healing has happened in many stages. It’s still very much a part of her and I can definitely understand why she would be wanting to put more of it to bed, as she continues building her life in A-Bay.

The mix of the present case with Shana’s past was really well balanced by Wegert, IMO. Neither one overshadowed the other, and I feel like they were both important and impactful for Shana’s continued character growth.

I’m not sure what the plans are for this series, but I’m definitely anticipating more and would be shattered if this were actually the last one.

There were moments whilst reading this, that I actually questioned that, because Wegert was being so reflective with Shana’s character, it almost felt like a good-bye.

It can’t possibly be though, so I shall stalk Wegert’s author page remain patient whilst I wait for news on Book #7. Wegert’s at the top of her freaking game, this absolutely can’t be it for this gripping Mystery series.

When I tell you there were twists in this that left me gagged, I’m not exaggerating. This was such a fun read. I can’t wait to see what case Shana will face next!!
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Review: Devils at the Door (Shana Merchant #5) by Tessa Wegert

~ megs14malloy

Devils at the Door (Shana Merchant #5)Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤

Devils at the Door is the 5th-book in Tessa Wegert’s Shana Merchant series. I’ve really enjoyed all the previous novels, and was excited to get to this one.

I’m happy to report, this is just as engaging as all the rest. It was so good for a number of different reasons, but my favorites were the overall mystery and the fact that Shana’s niece, Hen, is in town and plays a starring role.

If you are unfamiliar with this series, it follows Senior Investigator, Shana Merchant, and her partner, Tim Wellington, delivering solid Police Procedural action and intrigue throughout.

The setting is the Thousand Lakes region of upstate New York, which sits on the border to Canada. In this installment, as mentioned above, Shana’s teenage-niece, Henrietta, known as Hen, comes to live with her following a rebellious streak leaves Shana’s brother and sister-in-law at wits end.

Shana is happy for Hen to come stay, but is surprised by the changes she sees in Hen once she arrives. Gone is the cheerful, sweet little girl she remembers. Taking her place is a sullen, secretive teen, who seems obsessed with the macabre and displays odd behaviors.

The mystery begins when a local teenager drowns on the shores of the uninhabited Devil’s Oven Island, a frequent, yet dangerous, party spot for young people.

Responding to the call of the unresponsive teen, Shana is shocked to find Hen there, along with a couple of other teens. Hen just got to town, Shana didn’t even realize she had made friends yet, and she snuck out at night? Shana is left reeling by all these developments at once.

The circumstances surrounding the drowning are so unclear, and none of the teens at the scene are talking. How is Shana going to get to the bottom of this before the suspicions fall on Hen? She’s the outsider, a loner, a bit unusual, the one people aren’t going to believe.

Shana digs in and ends up discovering a few buried secrets that the adults of the town would rather keep buried, but how is any of that related to the recent drowning?

I loved this mystery, especially having the added pressure of Hen being involved. The stakes were particularly high for Shana, and you could feel that pressure reverberating throughout her life.

Subsequently, there was some exploration of Shana and Tim’s relationship and all that sort of shined a light on how Shana’s past may still be negatively effecting her.

Her traumas are certainly a lot to get over, so it’s no surprise. I think maybe Shana had thought it was more put to rest than it actually is though, so it was nice to see her examining that closer.

I frequently find myself saying about Adult Mystery series that they can be read in any order. And while that’s true here, it is a standalone mystery, this is one of the cases where I believe you are best served to start this series at the beginning and read them all the way through.

Wegert has taken great care developing her characters and sense of place. Shana in particular is such a well-fleshed out MC. She is on such a journey in this series and it would be most impactful for you, as the Reader, to start at the beginning with her.

Trust me, they’re all so good, you’ll be happy you did. Personally, I’m excited to get my hands on the 6th-book. I hope this series continues on for a long, long time. 25-books wouldn’t be enough. Keep ’em coming, Wegert!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Severn House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a great mystery featuring one of my favorite detectives.

I can’t wait for more Shana Merchant!!!

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Review: The Girls on Floor 13 (Detective Maria Miller #3) by Helen Phifer

~ megs14malloy

The Girls on Floor 13 (Detective Maria Miller #3)The Girls on Floor 13 by Helen Phifer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Helen Phifer’s Detective Maria Miller books are all super solid, page-turning Paranormal Mysteries. These books follow Maria Miller and her partner, Frankie, as they investigate cases that lack a normal, scientific explanation, and trust, these stories get DARK.

Located in New York City, there’s certainly no lack of bizarre happenings for them to investigate. Maria and Frankie have quickly become one of my favorite detective duos.

In this, the 3rd-installment to the series, Maria and Frankie are summoned to the Parker Hotel, an infamously haunted NYC-hotel, after the bodies of two teenage girls are found murdered in one of the rooms on the 13th floor.

The girls are laid out on the twin beds, as if on display. It’s a gruesome scene. As the investigation begins, the hotel manager shares some information with Maria that surprises her. A newspaper article reporting on an almost identical double murder that occurred in the hotel decades earlier.

In fact, a lot of people have suffered a tragic end at the hotel, some of the spirits reportedly still stalk the halls. Is there possibly some connection to the past in this case?

The more time they spend at the hotel, the more it seems to be effecting Maria. It feels like something has poisoned her body. It’s truly a race against the clock as they try to find the murderer, before they have the opportunity to strike again.

I found this mystery very intriguing. Phifer wastes no time diving into the main case we’re going to be examining. I appreciate how Phifer’s not afraid to get graphic. This one is definitely not for the faint of heart.

I loved the inspiration I felt from IRL Haunted Hotels. I know the author had a particular hotel in NYC in mind, but it immediately made me think of the Cecil Hotel. I mean, the watertower connection…

There’s def some creepy imagery in this. I feel like Phifer excels in that area. Let it be known, this is a true Paranormal Mystery. It’s not one of those, is it, is it not, cases. Go into this knowing it is absolutely, 100% Paranormal.

As with many Adult Mystery series, you can read this as a standalone. I would recommend reading the other books in the series though, as there is a lot of great character development for Maria and Frankie, as well as some really fun side characters, over the course of the three books.

With this being said, you could actually read this one first and then if you loved it enough, go back and read the other two. I would certainly have no problem with doing that.

This gets absolutely wild at the end. It’s so gripping. It’s compelling throughout, but the pace and the stakes really increase the closer you get to the end.

Overall, this was an entertaining, fast-paced, creepy mystery. I love how Phifer pulls a historical perspective into her stories as well. The back and forth and the way everything builds out is just very pleasing.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Paranormal Mysteries, or Horror Mysteries. Maria and Frankie are like the Mulder and Scully of the NYPD.

Thank you to the publisher, Storm Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to see what comes next for these characters!

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Review: The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

~ megs14malloy

The Return of Ellie BlackThe Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ellie Black has been missing for 2-years when she’s suddenly found by hikers in the woods of Washington State.

She’s distraught and disheveled, but where exactly has she been? Detective Chelsey Calhoun is shocked by Ellie’s reappearance, but unfortunately, Ellie’s not offering up a lot of answers. The mystery lingers.

For Chelsey, any missing person case hits close to home. Her sister, Lydia, went missing when they were just teens, and ever since, Chelsey has been searching for closure for herself, and any other missing girls out there.

As Chelsey begins questioning Ellie, she’s not able to get any real answers from her. It feels off, like Ellie is hiding something, but what? She’s a victim here, right?

This novel is insta-compelling. We kick off with Ellie being discovered and from there, it’s a ride. We get a lot of different perspectives, and even different points in time, as we begin to build out the truth behind this mystery.

I was initially surprised by all the perspectives, but somehow, it just worked. I also loved the tone from the start, how mysterious it all was.

This definitely kept me guessing and I appreciated how Jean continually added to the mystery. What started out as the mystery of what had happened to Ellie, ultimately evolved into so much more.

I thought Jean had some very clever reveals and I loved the thoughtful way she explored the topic of the exploitation and victimization of women.

Overall, I was impressed with this. The tone stood out for me. I’m not sure quite how to explain it, but it felt distinctive from other Missing Persons Thrillers. It’s quite character-drive, but so well-executed.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from Emiko Jean!

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Review: A Game of Lies (DC Morgan #2) by Clare Mackinstosh

~ megs14malloy

A Game of LiesA Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

A Game of Lies is the 2nd-installment to the DC Morgan Police Procedural Mystery series. The 1st-book in the series, The Last Party, knocked my socks off when I read it in 2022. I immediately fell for DC Ffion Morgan.

I have been anticipating this release for so long. I’m talking before it even had a cover long. I wanted to savor it, to take my time with the mystery, to let it all sink in…

I ended up binging it and it’s over. Now, the extended wait for the next book. I know it will be worth it though.

Oh also, I discovered, I guess I really love stories that revolve around reality programs. This is the second one I have read this week and I became so invested in both. The other being, Everyone Is Watching.

A new reality show, Exposure, is set to begin filming in the Welsh mountains. Seven contestants are selected, although it’s not necessarily clear what it involves.

After they’re all gathered together the true nature of the game is revealed. Each of the contestants has a secret. If any of the other players can guess it, they won’t be eliminated, but they will be exposed.

Ultimately, if it goes according to plan, it’ll end with everyone’s secrets being exposed, except for the one lucky winner, who will not only manage to keep their secret to themselves, but will also win a large cash prize.

The show concept is frightening as heck to the contestants. This wasn’t what they expected. Many of them have been hiding these secrets from the most important people in their lives. This could be devastating.

It’s too late now though, right, for anyone to change they’re mind? They can’t back out. They’re there. They’re cut off. What are they to do? It causes a lot of stress.

When one of the contestants disappears the police are notified. This wasn’t supposed to be part of the drama.

Ffion must forget what she’s already seen on the screen and put her detective cap on. The clock is ticking and it’s unclear whether the missing contestant means to harm themselves, or others. It’s imperative they’re found before the situation has a chance to escalate.

After a person involved with the show is murdered, it’s clear that things on the mountain have gone from bad to worse. Will Ffion be able to get to the bottom of this one, or will she be forced to step aside due to conflicts of interest?

I adored this. First, I was just so happy to be back with Ffion, all the side characters, and once again in this gorgeous natural setting with a small village feel.

Bonus, Ffion’s new rescue dog, the gassy and separation anxiety-ridden, Dave. We love a sweet pup being added to the cast of characters and Dave brought so much to the page.

In addition to the fun reality show concept, and the mystery, I also loved the forward progress we got to see in Ffion’s personal life. She’s definitely one of my favorite detective characters and I can’t wait to solve more cases with her.

I feel like the way this one left off, we can definitely plan on an exciting 3rd-installment. I know you won’t let us down, Mackintosh. The world is ready for more!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I definitely recommend this series to any Police Procedural Mystery fans out there!!

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Review: Northwoods by Amy Pease

~ megs14malloy

NorthwoodsNorthwoods by Amy Pease
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Northwoods is a debut Crime Thriller/Mystery from author, Amy Pease. I love checking out new authors and am glad that I picked this one up.

Set in the small resort town of Shaky Lake, Wisconsin, this mystery circles around a well-known crisis in America, the opioid epidemic. Eli North is a deputy in Shaky Lake, whose own life is a bit shaky at the moment.

Eli, after returning from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, turns to alcohol as a way to cope with his overwhelming PTSD. As expected, it has disastrous effects.

His marriage is over and he’s had to take a job working for his Mom, the only person who would actually hire him and keep him on, putting up with his less than savory habits. His mother just so happens to be the Sheriff of Shaky Lake…

The mystery begins with a teenage boy’s body being found in a boat, and a teenage girl being reported missing. As a resort town, the lake draws a lot of outsiders, so solving crimes like these aren’t always as simple as it may seem and this one is anything but simple.

We follow Eli, and the rest of the small department, as they try to figure out this mess and set their beloved town to rights. They’re also joined by FBI Agent, Alyssa Mason.

I enjoyed this, it’s a good story. I liked how nuanced the mystery was and the setting was great. I live in a resort town, so I totally understand the vibes and the different challenges that these characters were facing there.

I also tend to enjoy main characters like Eli; a little damaged, going through some major struggles, but still doing their best and trying to do the right thing.

I liked how Pease chose to make his Mom the Sheriff. I thought that was a interesting dynamic, particularly as it influenced the investigation. The Department is small and they have limited resources. It made them feel like more than coworkers; they were all in this together.

I’m not sure really, I guess I haven’t looked into it, whether or not this is going to be a series, but I would definitely be picking up the next book, if there is another one.

I feel like Pease did a great job here setting the foundation for what could be a fantastic, gritty, page-turning Police Procedural Mystery series.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Caz Frear’s Cat Kinsella series. This reminded me a lot of that, as far as the overall tone and having a compelling protagonist struggling with personal issues.

Further, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Crime Thrillers that examine the underbelly of our society, and aren’t afraid to really dig into why some of these societal issues may exist, or where they stem from.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I am glad to have been introduced to Amy Pease. I’m looking forward to picking up whatever she writes next!

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Review: All the Dark Places (Detective Rita Myers #1) by Terri Parlato

~ megs14malloy

All the Dark PlacesAll the Dark Places by Terri Parlato
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

All the Dark Places is the start of Terri Parlato’s Detective Rita Myers Mystery series. There are 2-books released thus far, with the 2nd-book having just come out this past December.

I actually read them out of order, starting with What Waits in the Woods. I really enjoyed it and knew immediately that I needed to read this 1st-book ASAP.

I loved Rita and needed more of her in my life!

This is a dual perspective story following Detective Rita Myers, our MC, and Molly Bradley, the woman most closely linked to the mystery tackled in this book.

This story is set during the first week of January, which incidentally is when I read it. This tickled me for some reason. This has no bearing on my review, I just thought it was a funny coincidence.

So, it’s the first week of January and Molly has planned a dinner party for her husband, Jay’s, 40th-birthday. They have their tight-knit group of friends, which consists of three other local couples, over to the house.

It’s a great time. There’s plenty of drinks, laughs, food and even a beautiful cake. At the end of the night, the wine has definitely gone to Molly’s head. She heads upstairs to bed while Jay sees the other couples out.

The next morning when Molly wakes, Jay isn’t in the bedroom. He isn’t in the house at all and no coffee has been made. Fearing something is wrong, Molly rushes out to his office, housed in an outbuilding on their property. It’s there that she finds his dead body.

Detective Rita Myers is assigned to Jay Bradley’s case. An experienced detective, Rita is convinced that Jay’s murder isn’t some random act of violence. She believes someone in their circle is responsible for his death.

The investigation leaves no stone unturned as Rita digs into Molly and Jay’s life. It turns out, their group, like most, is hiding a lot deep dark secrets, including Molly herself.

It’s really hard for me to not 5-star a book that keeps me invested for an entire day. I flew through this and loved it. It wasn’t totally perfect, but pretty damn close.

I am well and truly invested in Detective Rita Myers now. I can’t wait for more books in this series, but I have a feeling, since the second one just released, that I’m in for quite a wait before book three.

I listened to the audiobook for both and loved them so much. It’s dual narrators, to fit the dual perspective and the narrators truly captured the spirit of these characters.

I definitely recommend this series to any Reader who enjoys Police Procedural Mysteries, or Crime Thrillers. Parlato’s mysteries are engaging and hard to put down once you start.

Detective Myers is such a compelling MC as well. She’s someone you can really get behind. She’s strong, smart, determined and always looking to do what’s right.

When I say I read this straight through, I’m not joking. I was on a journey with these characters. I didn’t even have time to make status updates. That’s how invested I was. I’m actually hoping for a paycheck from Rita’s department for my efforts.

If you’re looking for a strong new Mystery series to start, look no further. This is where it’s at. While you’re reading it, I’ll just be over here patiently waiting for more!!

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Review: What Waits in the Woods (Detective Rita Myers #2) by Terri Parlato

~ megs14malloy

What Waits in the WoodsWhat Waits in the Woods by Terri Parlato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What Waits in the Woods is the 2nd-book in Terri Parlato’s Detective Rita Myers series. This is an Adult Police Procedural Mystery following, you guessed it, Detective Rita Myers.

I actually didn’t read the 1st-book, All the Dark Places, prior to reading this one, but I enjoyed this so much, I started the 1st-book immediately after and have already finished it.

It’s fair to say, I will continue to pick up each book in this series as they’re released. Keep ’em coming, Parlato!

This is a dual perspective story following Detective Myers and Esmé Foster, a young woman directly connected to the mystery investigated in this book.

I listened to the audiobook and the dual narrators truly brought these two perspectives to life.

Esmé left her small hometown of Graybridge, 11-years ago to pursue her ballet career. After an injury and a recent break-up though, she decides it’s finally time to return after she gets a call from her brother stating their father isn’t well.

The day that Esmé returns, a body is discovered on her family property. She arrives home to police cars and questions, not exactly the homecoming she was expecting.

Making matters worse is the fact that the dead body isn’t just some stranger, it’s Kara Cunningham, one of Esmé’s closest childhood friends.

Esmé is devastated by the loss of her friend, but there’s something else needling her as well. Esmé and Kara looked a lot alike, what if she was actually the intended target?

Esmé has her reasons for believing this could be the case, but it’s going to take her processing a lot of old baggage to actually figure it out.

Detective Rita Myers gets called to the Foster property after the discovery of Kara’s body and immediately digs in to her investigation. Detective Myers has a lot of experience and genuine care in her work.

There’s no doubt she is going to get to the bottom of this grisly crime, no matter what it takes.

I had so much fun reading this. The mystery was intriguing, the plot was fast-paced and the reveals were exciting and more often than not, unexpected.

I think Detective Myers is a fabulous main character and I know I am just going to become more and more attached to her as the series continues.

She’s a seasoned detective, no-nonsense and smart. She works with a lot of younger detectives and cops and you can tell that they look up to her as a leader.

I also enjoyed getting to know her more on a personal side outside of work. She has some interesting neighbors and even a potential love interest that I am hoping to learn more about in subsequent books.

As with many Mystery series, I don’t feel like you need to necessarily read these books in order. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything going into this because I hadn’t read the 1st-book yet. It’s a complete story unto itself.

I do feel, though, that this is the type of series where the longer you stay involved with this group of characters, the more attached you become, and the higher your enjoyment level will ultimately be.

I knew right away that I would continue on with this series. The writing is compelling, the mystery is well-formatted and the characters are likable.

This is a very solid Police Procedural Mystery. I would recommend it for fans of Caz Frear’s Cat Kinsella series, or Gytha Lodge’s DCI Jonah Sheens series, as I feel like the tone here and quality of the mystery are very similar to those.

Thank you to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m so excited to have a new Mystery author to follow. I hope this series keeps going for a long, long time!

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Review: The Haunting on West 10th Street (Detective Maria Miller #1) by Helen Phifer

~ megs14malloy

The Haunting on West 10th Street (Detective Maria Miller, #1)The Haunting on West 10th Street by Helen Phifer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Haunting on West 10th Street is the 1st-book in the Detective Maria Miller Police Procedural Mystery series by Helen Phifer.

In this story we follow Detective Miller and her partner, Frankie, as they investigate a brutal crime in the attic of a Greenwich brownstone, where decades earlier a beautiful actress was murdered in the same way. The detectives are puzzled by the disturbing similarities between the crimes occurring in this house.

How could they be connected? Do they just have a sadistic copycat on their hands, or something more sinister?

Immediately upon entering the brownstone, Maria feels something dark. It’s a tickle in her senses; unpleasant and unsettling. The dramatic staging of the crime scene only enhances these feelings.

In both the past and present cases, body parts were removed from the victims and not recovered. Additionally, evidence of satanic rituals have been found. Who could possibly want to recreate something so evil?

This story is told using a dual timeline. We follow Maria and Frankie in the present, but we also get a historical perspective featuring the events leading up to the previous murder in the house. Lastly, we do get a modern perspective from an unknown individual, who appears to be our baddie.

I enjoyed getting the multi-perspectives, as well as the history. Although I did find the past sections a little slower-paced than the modern perspectives. With this being said, I still enjoyed the fact that it was told this way and I feel like it gave a lot of needed insight into the property and the characters involved.

The brownstone on West 10th feels like a haunting presence in this story. It becomes a character unto itself and I always appreciate when an author can provide us with such a vivid sense of place.

There is quite a bit of focus on the partnership between Maria and Frankie. They’ve been together for a long time and you can tell that they both care deeply for one another, but with Frankie’s marriage failing, could there be something more?

I know some Readers won’t care for the slight romance plot that’s woven throughout this story, but for me, I found it made the characters feel more realistic.

When you’re working with someone as closely as these two are, over a number of years, there’s bound to be some types of complicated feelings intrinsic to that relationship.

I didn’t feel like the author overplayed that, or let it overshadow the investigative aspects of the story. For me, it was blended in well and felt natural.

I did have the chance to listen to the audiobook for this one and I definitely recommend it as a format for this story. The back-and-forth between the timelines was handled well and the narration is fantastic.

Overall, this was super entertaining. I vibed well with Maria as a character and am definitely looking forward to going along on future investigations with these detectives. The ending was such a great set-up for the continuation of the series. I can’t wait to see what will come their way next.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys darker, Police Procedural Mysteries. Particularly, if you are a Horror fan like me, this may work really well for your tastes. Phifer definitely has a knack for incorporating some paranormal aspects into her mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher, Storm Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to continue on with this series!

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Review: The Raging Storm (Two Rivers #3) by Ann Cleeves

~ megs14malloy

The Raging Storm (Two Rivers #3)The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Raging Storm is the third release in the Two Rivers series by beloved Mystery author, Ann Cleeves.

This Police Procedural Mystery series follows Detective Matthew Venn. I loved the first book in the series and have been hooked on it ever since. I feel like I have been waiting for this release for so long and it did not disappoint!!

The setting for this story is the small village of Greystone, Devon, a place Venn is very familiar with. He spent time there as a child, and due to personal reasons, has since parted ways with the community.

This might sound ominous, and it sort of is. If you’ve read the previous books, you’ll know, but basically, Matthew was raised in a very religious household; part of the Barum Brethren, who have many members living in Greystone.

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.

Duty calls after the body of minor-celebrity sailor, Jem Roscoe, has been discovered in a dinghy anchored off Scully Cove. The residents of Greystone are shocked.

Roscoe, who grew up there, had returned after many years away and was renting a cottage. He just came back a few weeks ago, who could possibly want him dead?

Everyone seemed to find his presence entertaining. Many were curious as to why he came back. When asked, he claimed to be waiting for a visitor, but never indicated who. Could this person be the one responsible for his death?

Matthew, along with his team members, Jen Rafferty and Ross May, head to Greystone to investigate this highly mysterious death.

As they begin their investigation, talking with the locals and digging into the lore and history of the town, they discover this mystery may run much deeper than they initially expected. As mentioned, Roscoe did have roots in the community, even if he had been away for many years.

With storm fronts ripping through the small town, the investigation takes many unexpected turns as we rushed towards the surprising and satisfying conclusion.

I had so much fun with this. The audiobook is fantastic. I definitely recommend that as a format for this story.

I love Matthew as a character. He is smart, dedicated, but also still processing his childhood and schism from his family and community. This makes him feel vulnerable at times. He’s healed a lot, is happily married and obviously successful in his career, but those old insecurities sneak up on him sometimes.

I feel like his character is just so relatable and I think a lot of Readers will be able to really connect with him.

In addition to a compelling leading man, these novels contain exceptionally well-plotted mysteries. I loved how this one evolved over the course of the story.

You can tell from the very start that Cleeves is a veteran-Mystery writer. This lady knows what she is doing. All you have to do is sit back, relax and take it all in.

I love mystery stories set in small towns and this one is a perfect example of why. As the detectives began questioning the locals, they certainly learned a lot. There are so many connections and everyone knows each other’s business.

It was interesting that Jem Rosco, who was originally from the town, had gained some celebrity. They all had opinions on that, whether it was based on who he was when he was young, or assumptions they made about his character now. I loved how he created such a fervor just by returning to town.

The rumor mills were churning even before he got himself killed. That may sound harsh, but seriously, the town was just a’clucking about his return.

I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Police Procedural Mysteries. I think this whole series is just incredible. The writing is fantastic, the characters well-developed and the mysteries all super compelling.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I cannot wait for the next book!!!

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