Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Series: Two Rivers #3
Publication Date: 9/5/23
Period: Contemporary – Greystone, North Devon, England
Number of Pages: 400

In telling us the tale of the life, and death, of Jeremy (Jem) Rosco, this author sucks us into a place where the sea dominates everything in life. The mood is set with vivid descriptions of the sea, the storms, and the insular people who live in this small village where narcissism and obsession seem to run rampant.

As the son of a single mother, Jem Rosco had been looked down upon. He wasn’t accepted as an equal among his peers – and you’ll vacillate between thinking him a good guy and a bad guy. Whatever you decide about him, you will know he didn’t deserve to die the way he did or be left the way he was. Why would he return to North Devon after decades away? What drew him back? WHO drew him back? He told everyone he was waiting for someone. Was he? He was now a world-famous adventurer, television personality, and author – what in the world could he want in Greystone?

Inspector Matthew Venn is fairly new to leading his team and they are still adjusting to each other’s idiosyncrasies. Matthew had a strict upbringing as part of the religious cult, the Barum Brethren. That upbringing still causes him issues – especially in places like Greystone where the Brethren have a strong presence. Jen Rafferty is a contradiction, but a good sergeant. It took her years to escape an abusive marriage and now she’s filled with self-doubt about her parenting skills. Jen likes to drink and have a good time since she missed out on all of that by marrying too young and having babies too young. Ross May is also a conundrum. He has aspirations for finer things – he has the showcase wife (whom he actually loves) – and he dresses extremely well. Oh! And he’s the golden child of Venn’s boss – Superintendent Joe Oldham. Can such a disparate bunch ever solve such a convoluted crime as this one? You bet they can!

I’ve loved the character growth of the team over the three books of the series and I can’t wait to see where they are going. This case was a very puzzling one and each of the three on the team worked to their strengths and came up with an astounding solution. Believe me, you won’t know who the villain is – even when you start eliminating all of the red herrings.

I can definitely recommend this excellently written, well-plotted, perfectly paced story to you. I’ve just finished this one and I’m already anxious for the next one. I hope you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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