the storm by rachel hawkins

A tensely twisty mystery of disastrous proportions! Geneva owns a small inn on the gulf coast. The small town is known for getting epic hurricanes, and a hurricane is on the way. There is a famous cold case of Landon Fitzroy, a politician who died during hurricane Marie in 1984. His 19 year old mistress, Lo Bailey, was arrested for his murder because there was no fluid in his lungs, so he has to have died prior to the hurricane claiming his life. Lo’s trial resulted in a hung jury.

Now, 50 years later, a journalist is coming to Geneva’s inn to investigate the crime and also Lo Bailey had returned with him to clear her name. Naturally everyone has secrets, and the book paces itself exactly like a hurricane. 🌀

You get the warnings and you prepare, boarding up your windows and filling tubs with water. In this way the book then slowly gave us the background and prepared us for the big reveals and explosive conclusion. This is a well paced mystery. I found the characters to be compelling and the dialogue to be believable. I was “blown away” (lol) by the conclusion.

This is the kind of mystery thriller that fans of Rachel Hawkins have come to expect- and it doesn’t disappoint!

Thanks to NetGalley and St martins Press for the ARC. Book to be published January 6, 2026.