THE STORM IS A SLOW BURN THRILLER !! It’s told from different timelines and events.. the storyline and characters are great this is one of my favorite authors of my time !!!! I will recommend this read thank you

I enjoyed the way Hawkins draws parallels between weather and people’s behaviors. The destruction a human can do often mimics what a hurricane in the South can do. This story is full of storms and story characters. Well-written, as I find all Hawkins’s books to be.

This novel is a gripping, atmospheric mystery that blends the menace of nature with human ambition. Rachel Hawkins delivers a fantastic gothic thriller set on the storm-battered Gulf Coast.

In St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, the air is always thick with salt and the memory of past hurricanes. The Rosalie Inn, a weather-worn but proud beachside hotel, has stood for more than a hundred years, surviving storms that flattened much of the coastline. Its current owner, Geneva Corliss, is struggling to keep the hotel afloat. She thinks she might have found her lifeline when a true crime author arrives to dig into a decades-old local murder that made national headlines.

The murder took place during Hurricane Marie in 1984, when Lo Bailey, a local woman barely out of her teens, was accused of killing her lover, Landon Fitzroy, a rising political star. Lo disappeared from town soon after. Now, she has returned with a true crime writer to tell her side of the story.

Geneva is curious, even fascinated, by Lo’s cool confidence and the way she commands attention. But as the days grow hotter and a new hurricane begins to build offshore, Geneva starts to suspect that Lo’s return might have less to do with justice and more to do with vengeance.

As the wind blows in and the water rises, the story revealed will suprise you! #stmartinspress #rachelhawkins #thestorm

The Rosalie Inn has withstood many hurricanes on the Alabama Gulf Coast, and the history of not just the Inn but the small coastal town of St Medard's Bay is dark and tumultous. Years earlier, Lo Bailey, a local girl was accused of murdering the governor's son, Landon Fitzroy on the grounds of the Inn during one of the most deadly hurricanes St Medard's Bay had seen. Now, Geneva has inherited the Inn from her family and is trying to keep it afloat financially when she receives a strange call from a journalist named August Fletcher. August wants to stay at the Inn and write a book about the town, the hurricanes and the mystery surrounding Landon Fitzroy's death. This extended stay could be just what Geneva needs to keep the Rosalie alive....that is until Lo Bailey walks through the doors.

August and Lo are working together to write Lo's biography and the truth behind that fateful night. But while Lo is telling her "truth", August and Geneva aren't quite sure they believe Lo is innocent. As they dig into the past, they begin to uncover things that could change what they all believe about their history, the night in question and the future of not just the Rosalie, but also their lives.

Told in dual timelines, through interviews, journal entries, clips from August's book, and the current timeline, The Storm tracks the events of the Rosalie Inn through the deadly hurricanes that swept through the town and how they affected each character and ultimately the future of the Inn.

Rachel Hawkins books are literally made for summer reading!!! The perfect atmospheric stories that suck you in and take you on a journey through multiple timelines and perspectives whilst you unravel decades old murder mysteries.

I loved the southern hot summer vibes with the extreme hurricane weather which foreshadows the catastrophic events which are about to go down.

Lo, now fully grown, was just a young girl in the summer of 84 when she was blamed for the death or the Governers son. Now in present day she is teaming up with a ghost writer to tell her story and get to the bottom of exactly what happened that night so she can clear her name.

Im obsessed with the different formatting styles Rachel uses in her novels which help immerse you in this fictional world by use of letters, articles and testimonials. I find this writing method so fun really engages me with the characters the plot and the timelines as though I am following along in real time.

What a beautiful book from start to finish, I absolutely inhaled this book I had to finish it in one sitting 🤗🤗 i am SO happy to have grabbed a copy this was definitely my most anticipated book of the summer and it surpassed all expectations! Another triumph for Hawkins. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😍

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for the netgalley gifted copy!

Publish date: January 6th 2026

The Storm is a slow-burn, atmospheric thriller that builds tension like the calm before a hurricane. Set in the coastal town of St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, the novel weaves together small-town secrets, old scandals, and the lingering mystery of a decades-old murder.

Rachel Hawkins masterfully balances character-driven suspense with a steadily rising sense of dread, leading to a shocking twist I never saw coming. The setting is vivid, the pacing deliberate, and the storm, both literal and metaphorical, feels inevitable from the very first page.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy twisty, character-rich suspense with a strong sense of place.

You know that foreboding sense of dread that creeps under your skin when a storm is coming? Well, that feeling planted its roots inside of me and made itself a home, enveloping me in an overwhelming feeling of devastation the entire time. I loved that the author used this as a central backdrop to the plot. The chilling and unpredictable atmosphere added together with the mystery of Landon's death and the suspense of Lo's unknown intentions, created a hauntingly compelling story that I could not put down. It was extremely well written. I enjoyed the author's easy prose and laid back dialogue. I felt like one of my friends was telling me a story using normal language with no added fluff to fancy up her words. My favorite chapters were the ones pertaining to the hurricanes. I felt that these added a captivating backstory to the present situation while slowly revealing the secrets of the past. And whether or not Lo was guilty, I admired her character. Her nonchalant boldness resonated with me. This book was befitting of its title in so many clever ways. I loved it and would definitely recommend!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Rachel Hawkins always makes my mind swirl with possibilities in her books and this one is no different. She weaves a twisty tale using different timelines, leaving you desperate for the next chapter. The town and hurricanes are characters, same as the people. I always think I can solve the mystery but as usual, I was wrong. This is a fast paced book that can easily be read in a day. The ending was very satisfying 📚

(Review posted to goodreads will be posted to retail sites on publication day)

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the early access to Rachel Hawkins’ new book! Once again, I devoured this in less than 24 hours. Hawkins just writes captivating characters and tales. The setting was perfect as I settled in for a vacation read. The multiple POVs revolving around hurricanes was gripping and exciting. I couldn’t put it down!

Atmospheric and unsettling, this thriller whips up danger with every page turn. Hawkins’ knack for blending gothic suspense with razor-sharp twists is on full display.

I saw this book and thought I'd give it a try. For the most part it was pretty good. I stayed up til 4am this morning because I didn't want to put it down.
I think my favorite parts are the chapters named after past hurricanes were my favorite.
The regular part of the story was kind of hard to get into but I finally did. I don't like reading books that are written in the here and now bit this one worked well.
The murder mystery was very well done. I loved in guessing who killed Landon.
I love love secrets along with family dynamics wow!!
Poor Ellen. That's always my biggest fear. One of them anyways. The other is a stroke. I loved Geneva for keeping on trucking along with her mother. That really has to he painful for the family to go though.
Verbal abuse is just a bad as physical abuse because it can run a person's self esteem down. I hated Linus for that. Really hated him. He got what he deserved. Sorry but that's how I feel. No woman should have go through that!!!
Lo is a very interesting character. I loved her wild and carefree ways. I guess in a way you can call her a free spirit. I got really mad at her for her one stunt that she pulled. All she thought about in some ways was herself even after she was an adult.
I loved all of these characters. I didn't have enough to connect to any one of them to enjoy this book. I liked it because I love reading about the hurricanes. But not what they did to people if that makes sense
5 stars from me for a job well done!! Even in the here and Now! Wow!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

The mystery of who killed Landon Fitzroy takes us, via flashbacks, letters, features, an unfinished manuscript and emails, back to the childhood of three friends, one of whom was accused of killing her married seducer (abuser).

There are, of course, twists as the story is revealed. Some can be guessed at and are predictable and some are less so. With how many books we have in the genre, it’s hard to rely on being surprised by the story, so the writing itself becomes more important. While I can’t say the characters were spectacular or will leave a mark on you, they are well written enough and the writing is never poor.

I appreciate that we have books now where older men preying on younger women are not glamourized. This book did a good job of recognising and showing the way a teenager (or a significantly younger woman) can get emotionally swept up in the desire of a man who will cultivate and use that to get his own wants met.

A great story with lots of twists and turns. I really did not expect the ending, which I really enjoyed.

I read this book. It took .me a bit of time to get into it. It's slow moving. However, it's nothing that I thought it would be. I didn't connect to any of the characters. I found it confusing as well. The author did a good job it just wasn't one I would recommend . I really couldn't hardly finish it.

4+ hurricane stars

Rachel Hawkins has provided me with excellent reading and has become a go-to author. When I was offered the chance to read her early 2026 release, I said Why yes, please! This one did not disappoint me!

I’ve never lived somewhere plagued by hurricanes, and this book has not convinced me to move to anywhere that has that annual possibility. I might choose to stay at a protected place like the Rosalie Inn, though. One hundred years old, it has survived through three previous devastating hurricanes.

Set in St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, this atmospheric read is filled with secrets and surprises. And you guessed it, a hurricane!

We start with the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, Geneva Corliss. She’s juggling past due bills and a lull in bookings. Her mom is now in a memory care facility, and Geneva misses her like crazy. What a delightful surprise that writer, August Fletcher, wants to book a room, and he’s willing to pay extra!

St. Medard’s Bay is also famous for the murder of the son of a prominent politician back in 1984. Landon Fitzroy, son of the governor, was murdered during Hurricane Marie. A local beauty, Lo Bailey, was tried for the crime but not convicted.

Much to Geneva’s surprise, when August shows up, he’s brought the subject of his book with him, none other than Lo Bailey. This sets off a walk down memory lane, and we get snippets of the past as the secrets slowly unfold.

As a new hurricane heads towards St. Medard’s Bay, all the action seems to be coming to a head.

There are also clever inserts of sections of the book that August is writing. I quite enjoyed this way to advance the story and provide a bit of foreshadowing.

This one was a winner for me!

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my second Rachel Hawkins book after The Heiress, and she’s two for two in my book. The Storm pulled me in fast, and I ended up reading it in one sitting. Southern secrets, scandal, and a hurricane barreling in? Say less.

This story is twisty, atmospheric, and full of juicy Southern drama. It totally scratched the itch for a moody mystery with secrets just waiting to blow open. I loved the mixed media format—letters, articles, transcripts—super fun and kept the pace moving. A few twists were easy to spot, but that didn’t take away from the fun. This is perfect for fans of Southern Gothic stories, stormy settings, and complicated women with secrets to tell.

The chaos of the plot goes so well among the back drop of a hurricane in this novel. I loved that this was part suspense and mystery and also somewhat of a small town fiction book. The characters are so well developed and the way the book jumps around with timelines makes the background really easy to follow so the overall plot makes more sense. Geneva’s a great character and very relatable. This book had me scared to trust some of the characters and captivated to the last page.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Review will be posted on Instagram and Amazon on pub day and links added to NetGalley.

I typically don't read books like this, but Rachel Hawkins' name will always catch my attention. What a mind-bending, plot-twisty masterpiece of a novel.

"[𝑯𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔] 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆...𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇, 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒃𝒖𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒎𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒂'𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒎𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇. 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆? 𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍."

I think living on the MS Gulf Coast my whole life made this book really resonate with me, and even more so with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina looming at the end of this month.

St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, is well known for three reasons: deadly hurricanes, the century-old Rosalie Inn that’s survived every storm, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, wealthy and powerful Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984. Innkeeper Geneva Corliss tried to move away, but like a siren's song, she was lured back. She was supposed to be running the end with her partner, but he took off, so now she spends her days in glorified customer service and her evenings visiting her mother, afflicted with early onset Alzheimer's disease and staring vacantly at the walls of her care home.

Writer August Fletcher reaches out for a booking while he researches the infamous 1984 crime. However, he doesn't arrive alone. This is Lo Bailey's story, and she's providing all the insider information on what really happened that night so she can clear her name once and for all. But when a monstrous storm sets its sights on the town, will it give up his secrets before someone falls victim to the immense power of this storm?

The atmosphere and pacing of this book were both perfectly executed. There were SO many layers and so many secrets to uncover. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thank NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the early read. Look for this one January 6, 2026.

4.5 stars

✨A storm is brewing in coastal Alabama, and it’s washing all the secrets and lies ashore! Whew! This was such an atmospheric and suspenseful read with a pervading sense of dread that just wouldn’t let up until the bitter end. And what an ending it was! Jaw-dropping twists, characters you both love and love to hate and a murder mystery that begs for a resolution – this was a Gothic thriller that I absolutely devoured.

✨The plot unfolds over multiple timelines with various points of view and counts down to a destructive resolution as unpredictable as the coming hurricane - one which the reader both dreads and impatiently anticipates.

✨I recently heard that the audio for this book will feature a full cast narration, and I think this will be one audiobook lovers will devour. I might just have to do an audio re-read!

🌿Read if you like:
✨Gothic vibes
✨Mixed media elements
✨Coastal Alabama settings
✨Small beach town culture
✨Twisted family lore
✨Slow burn domestic thrillers
✨Early-onset Alzheimer’s rep
✨Adult parent caregiving narratives

My thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.