THE RAGING STORM

When a famous explorer is murdered, the secret of his killer’s identity may well be rooted in his past.

Jem Rosco arrives in the tiny English village of Greystone in the midst of a storm. Though he’s secretive about his reasons for renting a cottage, saying only that he expects a visitor, he spends every night in the Maiden’s Prayer pub chatting up the locals, many of whom remember him as a troublesome local youth who attained fame and fortune. The riddle about his purpose in Greystone gives way to a larger mystery when the village lifeboat, called out in a fierce storm, finds an anchored boat near Scully Point containing the naked body of Rosco, who’s been stabbed to death. Inspector Matthew Venn remembers Greystone from visits during his youth, when he and his family were devoted members of a religious group called the Brethren that he parted ways with after losing his faith and marrying his husband, Jonathan. From the beginning Venn finds the case odd and vexing, with plenty of suspects yet no really strong motives. Since the murder clearly took place in the rented cottage's bathroom, why would someone go to the trouble of placing the body in a boat and anchoring it in a spot with an evil reputation? With the help of his team, Jen Rafferty and cocky, ambitious Ross May, Venn investigates Rosco’s past and present looking for a more compelling motive for murder. Staying in Greystone brings back bittersweet memories for Venn, and he uncovers a number of feuds and love affairs gone wrong among the residents. Another death further complicates the investigation, but the introspective Venn never gives up.

A surprising denouement moves this character-based mystery to the top tier.