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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Geneva’s just trying to keep her family’s old hotel running, it’s been in the family for generations. There was a big, infamous murder there years ago, but she doesn’t really know much about it.
Now, out of nowhere, two guests show up: one’s a writer digging into that very murder, and the other is the woman who was wrongly accused of it. As the past starts creeping into the present, Geneva finds herself caught up in a mystery she never expected.

I really enjoyed The Storm, its twisty love triangle, intricate characters, the unpredictability of a hurricane, and the dual timeline that dives deep into piecing together the murder mystery.

Tropes:
* Mysteries
* Suspense
* Unique Story line

At just 288 pages, this is a quick popcorn thriller, but to be honest, was my not favorite of Hawkins books. The characters weren’t my favorite and were hard to connect with. There are shifting timelines and changing names which make this hard to follow at times as well. Fans of Hawkins will likely still enjoy this one but it ended up middle of the road for me.

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

St. Medard's Bay, Alabama has much going for it but also much going against it. Deadly hurricanes have wiped out just about everything in the town over the centuries of the storms although there is always the hopeful rebuilding that takes place after each storm. The pink and white Rosalie Inn manages to withstand the hurricanes with a lot less damage than other places and new owner Geneva Corliss can only hope that this good luck continues. The inn belonged to her parents and when she and her boyfriend bought it, she thought she'd have help running the place but scoundrel boyfriend flew the coop when he realized the work and cost of maintaining such a venture. Still, Genova keeps the place going with a small staff while visiting her mom at a care home when she can.

We get to learn the names of past hurricanes because their names serve as chapter titles. There were significant events and deaths during each hurricane although every death is significant for those who have lost friends, loved ones, homes and businesses. But sometimes the deaths might not be caused by the storms but rather possible murders covered up by the storms. That might be the case during Hurricane Marie in 1984, when political scion Landon Fitzroy, son of an even bigger political bigwig, was found dead after Hurricane Marie. Since father could pull strings to get what he wanted and he wanted nineteen year old Lo Bailey, a lover of Landon's, tried for murder, that is exactly what happened.

Now in June, 2025, journalist August Fletcher wants to book a long stay so he can write about the death of Landon Fitzroy and this long stay is welcomed by Genova since she needs all the business she can get. So when August brings sixty year old Lo Bailey with him, Genova welcomes the extra income despite the fact that locals may not want her bringing her bad reputation back to their town. Soon, Genova realizes her mother held a lot back from her about past events in her hometown.

As the story progresses and we go back in time to see what really happened over the years, we find that the web that has been woven concerning Landon's death is much more tangled than Genova would ever have suspected. This is a book that was hard to put down, the stench around Landon is vile, even before he was dead, but the guy had a way with woman that allowed him to get so much more than he ever deserved. We will learn about three best friends, the secrets they kept and couldn't keep, and how Genova is more wrapped up in the past than she could ever imagine. This book is a winner for me and I couldn't help feeling anxious about hurricanes, I do not know how people can handle living with that particular threat on a regular basis. I read this story with Jayme and DeAnn so check out their reviews for more thoughts on the book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, the SMP Early Readers program, and NetGalley for this ARC.

🐝 2026 PREVIEW‼️

I can’t believe I am reviewing a 2026 title in July but St. Martin’s Press loves to send out ARCS early to start the 🐝 buzz, so here we are! Thank You to the Publisher for the EARLY gifted copy! Here are my candid thoughts!

“Sun, Fun and a Thirty Percent Chance of Death? “

St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for enduring not one, but THREE deadly hurricanes but the Rosalie Inn, a pink hundred year old hotel, has somehow managed to survive every one of those storms, despite the fact that many of the town’s residents have not.

In fact, the first storm, Hurricane Delphine killed Beth Anne Bailey’s first husband on the 4th of July, 1965 and Hurricane Marie claimed her second one in 1984.

The beachfront town is also famous because a local girl, Lo Bailey, was accused murdering her lover, Landon Fitzroy, the son of a prominent Political figure, during Hurricane Marie and she “got away with it!”

The book opens on June 21, 2025 -
43 DAYS LEFT

And, the A/C is out in room 217 AGAIN.

When Geneva Corliss, the struggling current owner of the Rosalie Inn, finds out that a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, and he wants to book a room for several weeks, she is grateful she will have that money coming in. She is also cautiously, optimistic that the “true crime book” might put the Inn on the map and drum up future business.

But the writer, August Fletcher, doesn’t arrive alone…

Accompanying him is none other than the infamous Lo Bailey-in town to clear her name once and for all.

The atmosphere is oozing off the pages as we visit this (fictional) Alabama Coastal town. You can practically feel the oppressive heat, and picture the afternoon storms that arrive almost every afternoon in the Summer.

And, as the research proceeds and the countdown to the next hurricane continues, we are treated to snippets from newspaper articles, diary entries and the pages of August Fletcher’s unfinished manuscript-found among his possessions. (Not a spoiler-that is revealed very early on)

Like the approaching hurricane which is gaining in speed and strength -there won’t be anything that can stop the destruction that is about to occur….

This might be my second favorite Rachel Hawkins book and I devoured this entertaining read it in one afternoon, since it’s 112 degrees here in PHOENIX-a perfect day to stay inside reading, with a tall glass of Iced Tea and my kitten by my side. Somehow despite the long chapters, the book was a fast read and a great distraction from the unbearable heat.

I enjoyed the use of mixed media and making some guesses as the revelations dropped.

Expected Publication Date is January 6, 2026 but you can pre-order now!
It would be a great book to start the new year with!

Where are all my mystery fans... because boy do I have a book for you !

PUB Date: Jan 6th 2026
My Rating : 4 Bellowing Stars

Buckle up for this one mystery lovers , as there is a storm brewing and you will be binging this 80's nostalgic vibes classic whodunit .

This was such a fun read, and really enjoyed the slow burn to this one , which normally I am not a fan, however I think the concept with the storms looming ,it gave this build up , which filled me with anticipation for the truths to be finally revealed .

Set in Alabama , The Rosalie Inn has never seen so much action since the storm of Hurricane Marie , when the Lo Bailey is accused of murder for her secret lover Landon who is in the political game.

The story bounces back and fourth between past and present , and when Geneva the owner of the Rosalie Inn has an opportunity to rent to a writer who wants to write a true crime novel about what happened all those years ago at this property and Geneva sees an opportunity for her Inn to make some money.

What Geneva does not anticipate is this unknown paradox is stirring and if she's not careful there could be more blood percolating on the horizon!

I don't want to give too much away but read this if you like:
* Mysteries
* Suspense
* Unique Story line
* Stories that keep you hooked
* Bingeable reads
*Slow Burns

Thank you Netgalley, St.Martins Press and Rachel Hawkins for this stormy ARC!!