Book review: The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Mystery
Release date: January 6, 2026
Goodreads rating: 3.92
My rating: 3.5
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The Storm is my first Rachel Hawkins novel. I went into it expecting a high-octane thriller but was pleasantly surprised to realize that it reads more like contemporary fiction to me… a layered mystery that moves along at a steady pace but takes the time to delve into the complex relationships between characters.
The story follows true crime writer August Fletcher as he travels to St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama hoping to uncover the truth behind the decades-old (alleged?) murder of Landon Fitzroy, the governor’s son. Once there, he digs into the beach town’s tangled past and how the lives of its fierce women intertwine with its four deadly women-named hurricanes (Daphne, Audrey, Marie, Lizzie).
I enjoyed Hawkins’ structure, which shifts between the 1980s and 2000s, weaving narratives and manuscript excepts to slowly expose the multigenerational secrets of the quaint beach town. These letters and manuscripts to reinforce add to the mystery as the author of each is not always revealed.
The pacing stays consistent with some build-up in the last quarter. I definitely didn’t predict all the final twists coming. Was Lo Bailey, Landon’s teenage mistress accused of his murder, really the eye of the storm, or were more powerful female forces (hurricane or human) driving the chaos? I’ll let you discover this…
It’s a book that I recommend to mystery lovers looking for a unique atmospheric beach-vacation read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
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