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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Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Two Rivers #2
Publication Date: 9/7/21
Period: Contemporary North Devon, England
Number of Pages: 400

I thoroughly enjoyed this English Police Procedural with its team of quirky, talented police investigators. There is Detective Inspector Matthew Venn who heads the team and was raised as part of a religious cult. Jen Rafferty, his colleague, is divorced, has two children, and often parties much too hard. Ross May, the third member of the team, is married and is the golden boy of their Detective Chief Inspector. They all manage to work and solve crimes together despite their disparate personalities. If you enjoy J.L. Ross’s books, you’ll probably enjoy this series.

The team is called to the scene of a murder where the victim’s daughter discovered him with a very large piece of art glass through him. The glass was handmade by his daughter. The victim, Mr. Nigel Yeo was a gentle, caring man. So, who would want to murder him? Could it have something to do with his employment in the healthcare system?

It seems the victim had tried to speak with Jen at a party the previous night, but since she had overindulged, he decided not to do so. Was he going to tell her something that led to his murder? It seems they’ll never know.

With more victims, the team becomes more and more perplexed. What are they missing? What has it to do with old suicides?

The case will perplex you and it will keep you guessing throughout. There are many false trails and red herrings to keep you wondering.

One thing I enjoyed was learning more and more about who each member of the team was – especially with straight-laced, uptight Matthew Venn who was raised within the confines of a religious cult before he left as a young man. Matthew firmly compartmentalizes his life between work and personal, but in this book, those lines crossed several times when a number of witnesses and victims were acquainted with his husband Jonathan.

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

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