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The Storm
Rachel Hawkins
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
St. Martin’s Press
288 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers
This book takes place in St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama. Our main character, Geneva Corliss, is having a hard time keeping the family’s Inn running. When true crime writer August Fletcher comes calling, she sees it as a financial lifeline for the Rosalie Inn. August brings Lo Bailey along, and they both check in at the Inn. Lo is from St. Medard’s Bay and was accused of murder forty years ago when his lover, Landon, was killed during Hurricane Marie. And don’t you know it, another storm is on the horizon.
This was an okay read. I didn’t love it as much as The Villa, the only other book I have read by this author. This was very atmospheric, and I could feel the tension throughout. It was a fast read, and I was pretty engaged the entire time I was reading it. The pacing was even and very fast. The plot moves along well, and at the same time, I felt I was given enough descriptions and back stories. I also loved the past and present format.
While I loved the premise and most of the way it was executed, I do have a few buts. The tropes are all too familiar and overdone. The characters work well for the most part, but I didn’t feel their motivations were thought out very well. And as a seasoned thriller reader, the twist wasn’t a big surprise to me. Overall, this was entertaining and fast-paced. It works at creating a tense, a storm is a comin’ atmosphere. While it may not excel at the genre, it provided a good choice for a weekend read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
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