I obtained a evaluation copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my evaluation and all opinions are my very own.
Mogsy’s Ranking: 4 of 5 stars
Style: Thriller, Suspense
Collection: Stand Alone
Writer: Macmillan Audio (January 6, 2026)
Size: 7 hrs and 48 minutes
Creator Data: Web site
Narrators: Alex Knox, Cathi Colas, Dan Bittner, Jane Oppenheimer, Patti Murin, Petrea Burchard, Stephanie Németh-Parker
The Storm marks my fourth Rachel Hawkins novel, and I at all times wish to maintain monitor of these items as a result of I feel repeat reads say so much, particularly with a style as crowded as thrillers and mysteries. Standing out from the group isn’t straightforward, however Hawkins has develop into an creator whose books I’ll find time for as a result of they at all times ship twisty, atmospheric tales whereas nonetheless discovering room to shock me.
A southern thriller, The Storm takes place in St. Medard’s Bay, a coastal city in Alabama identified for its summer season seaside vibes but in addition for the lethal hurricanes that usually hit its shores. In 1984, throughout one such monster storm, a politician’s son named Langdon Fitzroy was killed, his physique discovered washed up within the aftermath along with his cranium caved in. Nonetheless, regardless of these circumstances, some claimed that it was in reality homicide that took his life, with suspicion falling on his barely authorized mistress on the time, an area woman named Lo Bailey. What adopted subsequent was a really public trial that gripped the nation, however with out stable proof to convict, Lo walked away a free girl.
Within the current day, Geneva Corliss is the proprietor of St. Medard’s historic Rosalie Inn, a beloved mainstay which has seen loads of ugly hurricanes over the a long time but by some means managed to outlive all of them. However now, enterprise is struggling, and if issues don’t flip round quickly, chapter could be what lastly takes the inn down. Then hastily, a welcome reprieve arrives within the type of August Fletcher, a real crime author who reserves a long-term keep on the Rosalie whereas doing analysis for his work. To Geneva’s shock although, August reveals up at check-in with an sudden visitor in tow, none apart from Lo Bailey herself. The one-time homicide suspect is touring with the creator as a guide on his new guide concerning the dying of Langdon Fitzroy, which she claims will clear her title as soon as and for all.
Nonetheless, even in any case these years, Lo’s return instantly stirs up outdated resentment in a city with a really lengthy reminiscence. On the identical time, Geneva can’t assist however be drawn to August and the topic of his analysis, which begins to uncover unsettling truths concerning the city she thought she knew and the inn that has been in her household for generations.
What I like about Hawkins’ writing is how readable and immersive her prose is, which makes her books extremely addictive. Her final two novels, The Heiress and The Villa, impressed me with how vividly she introduced their settings to life, from a secluded property excessive up within the Blue Ridge Mountains to an expensive Italian summer season dwelling in sun-soaked Tuscany, respectively. She works that very same magic once more in The Storm, this time turning the comfy seaside city of St. Medard’s Bay right into a setting that feels simply as deeply concerned and alive. It’s an enthralling slice of coastal paradise on one hand, however on the opposite, it may possibly really feel oppressive for these left behind as soon as the summer season crowds disappear, pressured to climate the storms that include every hurricane season.
The storytelling can also be fairly distinctive, counting on a number of timelines and character POVs to kind a framework made up of various sections tied to particular named hurricanes, reinforcing the concept destruction and heartache come to this city in cycles. Flashbacks and excerpts from letters and varied paperwork are used to disclose new info and clues, permitting readers to attract connections between folks and locations throughout the 2 time intervals. Whereas typically it may possibly get somewhat complicated, to not point out the occasional plot twist that’s simply so on the market that it strains credibility, on the entire, I felt it was price a couple of leaps of logic and a few suspension of disbelief.
Total, The Storm was a stable Rachel Hawkins novel. The audiobook additionally deserves a particular point out, with its use of a number of narrators which does wonders for immersive listening and makes the a number of shifts between timelines and views a lot simpler to comply with. I had a blast with the story, and even a sure predictable plot twist couldn’t carry me down. Really helpful in case you take pleasure in slow-burn suspense and mysteries with simmering stress.
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