The Raging Storm is the third book in Ann Cleeves’ Two Rivers mystery series featuring Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. The first two books are The Long Call and The Heron’s Cry. I am a huge fan of Ann Cleeves and love this series, so I couldn't wait for this book to come out.
BritBox is one of my “good” vices. It’s harmless. It’s healthy. It’s highly economical. For less than a cappuccino and a scone (monthly $6.99; special annual fee $69.99), I get endless hours of entertainment from which I can choose a sitcom, detective drama, mystery, documentary, and much more set in an urban community to the countryside and all over the Commonwealth.
DCI Vera Stanhope has been the lead detective for the Northumberland Police Constabulary for many years although don’t comment on the amount of years it truly is. She is the epitome of a workaholic, rarely taking time off, as she is more comfortable in the middle of an investigation with the people she considers like family. Growing up she was always an outsider due to her short and plump stature and her father’s peculiar, if not illegal, pastime.
BritBox offers many programs that are actually based on novels which has sparked my interest in engaging with the author’s original vision of the characters, the setting, and the plot. From Robert Thorogood’s Death in Paradise to James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small from Ellis Peter’s Cadfael Mysteries to Georges Simenon’s Maigret from Nicholas Rhea’s Constable series (Heartbeat) and of course, not to mention all things Agatha Christie to Shakespeare, BritBox brings to the screen an excellent cast, beautiful settings, and stories that have you coming back for more…more is checking out the books! One author whose work is iconic in any form is Ann Cleeves.
Recently I have taken to republishing the works of Fergus Hume, a gay nineteenth-century writer of mysteries, goth romances, and fantasy novels. Some are easy for me to republish and some take me a lot of work, but those that are the hardest for me are sometimes the most fun as they require a lot more research and double checking the first editions to the scanned copies.
Here is the latest installment of our new column, Top 5 Mysteries I Have Read During the Pandemic, this one from mystery author Amy Reade. As we continue to spend most of our time at home, we are all looking for book suggestions so we asked mystery authors and reviewers to share the top 5 mysteries they have read during this pandemic.
Here is the latest installment of our new column, Top 5 Mysteries I Have Read During the Pandemic, this one from mystery author Mollie Cox Bryan. As we continue to spend most of our time at home, we are all looking for book suggestions so we asked mystery authors and reviewers to share the top 5 mysteries they have read during this pandemic.
Here is the latest installment of our new column, Top 5 Mysteries I Have Read During the Pandemic, this one from mystery author Marilyn Levinson (Allison Brook). As we continue to spend most of our time at home, we are all looking for book suggestions so we asked mystery authors and reviewers to share the top 5 mysteries they have read during this pandemic.
Finding entertainment during this “stay at home” season may be challenging, however, for me, it is as close as my iPad and the BritBox app. I am a happy Anglophile with a huge library of movies, mini series, and television shows included in my very reasonable membership (monthly or annual fee options). I can start with a couple comedy shows like Waiting for God and Scarborough or dramas like DSI Bancroft and Casualty 1900s: London Hospital, or get comfy for a long weekend of binging all of thriller MI-5 and police procedural Prime Suspect. I have also found new-to-me shows like Taggart, Blandings, and The Mallorca Files offering lots of entertainment.
Learning never ends, and libraries and bookstores are your best friend. This month I’m highlighting five mysteries set in these places, and some are haunted or bewitched. Also, check out two new series.
