The story begins in a French chateau belonging to the friends of Jo’s late husband. Jo feels an obligation to her dead husband to attend, even though she feels she was never really part of the group.
Everyone seems to be keeping secrets but they look like they will be revealed by a stranger who arrives at the party.
I thought the book started well and I was fully invested in the story. The ending however seemed rushed and a bit contrived. Would probably read this author again but feel this was not her strongest work.

After a brief prologue the book opens as Jo arrives at a French chateau for an anniversary party; the guests are a group of university friends and their families - although Jo is on her own, her connection to the group through her late husband who was at uni with the men of the group.

On the first evening a young woman, Storm, arrives who says she is the girlfriend of one of the party who is yet to arrive. Her presence does nothing to soothe an already strained atmosphere. Jo hasn't really recovered from the loss of her husband and her vulnerability plays a part in the way events unfold, she's also an outsider and strikes up a friendship with Storm.

As the story develops it becomes clear that pretty much everyone has a secret, some more serious than others. I did get an inkling of where the story was going but what I thought would be the end actually took place around half way through the book and there were more twists and turns to follow. 

While the characters weren't particularly likeable, many with no redeeming features, they weren't written as caricatures - they came across in a very realistic way and believable way.

You often have to suspend disbelief in this genre however there were a couple of moments where the small details were so true to life that I had to admire their inclusion - when you've read the book one  would be what I think of as the 'instagram example'.

I loved this book - it's not meant as an insult to say this would make a great beach read. I managed to read ii in around a single day - when the sun was out and I could just sit and read in the garden, the setting of a posh house party at a chateau in the Dordogne has touch of escapism about it which is great when you're taking a break.

Sadly this wasn't for me, but as reader's know, just because it wasn't for me - certainly does not mean that another reader won't love it. As an avid reader, I kept getting a sense of deja vu and this resulted in a predicable narrative for me.

Wow, this was a whodunit that absolutely delivered on its promise! An original tale on the closed room mystery with every house guest a suspect in a murder case. Loved every second of it!

This is a thrilling read involving a group of old friends on a weekend holiday in France when a newcomer threatens to ruin it when she turns up without her boyfriend who is one of the group. I actually liked Storm's character for most of the book with her 'tell it like it is' attitude and care free vibe which was completely the opposite to stuck up Cressida who was the party organiser. A story of punishment and the consequences of actions 20 years ago come to a head in a fast paced novel which is exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. Once you start reading this, you will find it very hard to put down until the end!

3.5. This is the first Stephanie Merrit novel I’ve read but I am a huge fan of the author’s S J Parris novels and so I had really high expectations.

Sadly, I felt that Storm was a competent but fairly pedestrian thriller, following a group of smug, middle class old friends, united by a secret. Our protagonist is the outsider, her husband, her link to the group, having recently passed away.

This is not fresh ground and much of the action of the book over-stretched my credulity. It would make a good holiday read, maybe?

I don’t know if I’m being unduly harsh but this is a well-established author and I know she can write great characters and plots. Less Storm and more Giordano Bruno please!

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #stephaniemerrit #harpercollinuk for the arc copy of this book for a honest review.
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⚠️Revenge.
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Uhhmmm. The story came in a slow pace, and the story is not as original that I felt like I heard it somewhere already. Like a plot that rich people don’t like other outsiders and the other side wanted to revenge for their friend. That’s my observation.
However , the words that the author used in this book was up to par. Stephanie did not use repeated words. So a deserving 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ me.



❤️shaye.reads

Jo, a widow, is invited to spend time in France with her late husband’s hi-flying friends. The men have always been a close knit group and Jo feels a bit of an outsider with their wives until Storm, the new girlfriend of Max, arrives and befriends her. Storm causes friction with the hostess Cressida who is suspicious of her turning up to her chateau on her own when Max is delayed . Storm seems to know far too much about everyone’s past which is unsettling for everyone.
Events unfold which bring danger to all the families but is Storm to blame or is it one of the others?
This is a tense psychological thriller which is perfect for readers looking for escapism.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Some books I find difficult to review and this was one of those. How believable was the plot? Not particularly. Did I like the characters? Not particularly. Did I enjoy the book? An overwhelming Yes. Once I started reading, did I want to carry on reading into the early hours of the morning to finish it? An overwhelming Yes.. I have to put this down to the skill of the author.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

I struggled with getting into this book. It was very slow to read. It was very drawn out and although I finished it, I had a hard time doing so.

Wow, what a roller coaster of a ride! Every person in this story has a secret to hide, and if necessary will kill to keep it so. There aren’t many likeable characters to be sure, but it’s a knock out story.
Jo Lawless is going to join the friends of her late husband for a weekend in France at the Château Henri, this is the first time she has travelled alone since her bereavement. All four men, Arlo, Leo, Max and the late Oliver, were all at University together, and have all maintained this on/ off friendship over the years. Their respective wives, Cressida, Nina, ( Max is divorced) , greet Jo, but she didn’t really belong to the same social milieu as the other women, and the atmosphere is strained. Max is apparently bringing his new girlfriend to meet the group, but has been delayed in London. Half way through the evening, a young woman arrives, uninvited, and introduces herself as Storm, the girlfriend of Max.
Storm makes an effort to integrate herself with the wives, she praises the food, the decor, Nina’s job at an art galley, and manages to irritate Cressida by wearing a see through top, wearing no bra, that distracts Arlo. Jo is sitting on the sidelines, and decides she is going to enjoy the show and the obvious discomfiture experienced by the rest of the group.
Right from the off, it is apparent that there are many secrets hidden. We are not sure exactly how Oliver died, or what led to his death. Did Jo have a hand in it? Storm may be a newcomer/ intruder into this group, but she knows so much about these friends, is she all she seems?
Storm brings a Polaroid snap with her, it shows the four men in a pub, back in their university days. This has the effect of unleashing so many puzzling and alarming events, the action is really ramped up, with lies, thefts, deaths and a feeling of great unease and foreboding settles upon the reader. The ending is totally unexpected, but one character finds peace and calm, others seeking vengeance and answers to assuage their guilt, are left unsatisfied. Is it okay to lie to protect your family? Does youth excuse wrong doing?
The characters are complex, not likeable, and lie to deceive themselves as much as anything else. These twists and turns of this novel are engrossing. The police interviews are so typically French! I have greatly enjoyed this story, and was so sorry to reach the last page. I immediately set to telling all my fellow bookworms to read it, it’s a really interesting morality tale for these modern times. Secrets are dangerous, and here, the cost of uncovering it, is so high.
I have read previous books by this author when she writes as S.J Parris, the Giordano Bruno sleuth, and wanted to experience this different genre. I am not disappointed.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers HarperCollins UK, for my advance digital copy in return for my honest, unbiased review. I have rated this as a five star read. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.

A beautiful French chateau
Jo Lawless is still grieving her husband when his oldest friends invite her to a weekend houseparty in France. She’s always felt like an outsider in the group but she decides to go, hoping their shared loss will bring them closer together.
An unexpected guest
But the weekend is disrupted by the arrival of an unexpected guest, whose presence brings old tensions to the surface. Long-buried secrets begin to emerge, and it’s clear that at least one person is bent on revenge…
A night that will end in murder
The cold light of morning reveals a horrifying discovery. And the killer isn’t finished. A storm is coming, and no one at this party is safe…
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

I have eagerly awaited a new book by Stephanie Merritt since I read While You Sleep. I LOVED that book. So, when my eyes caught the cover of Storm did I just know that I had to read it.

Storm is a very well-written thriller about Jo Lawless who is still coming to terms with losing her husband and now will spend some days with her husband's old friends in a French chateau. But almost right from the start the mood changes when an unexpected guest shows up...

What I really liked about this story is that it's so well written and intriguing. Also, Stephanie Merritt has really written great characters with great depth. I couldn't stop reading because I needed to find out what is going on. Fabulous book!

A thrilling, chilling, storm of a read- this whisks the reader to the glamour of a French chateau, and then promptly grips them with an escalating series of events that drove me straight through to the conclusion.
Filled with twists and unpredictable characters, this is a thriller of the best kind

Storm by Stephanie Merritt
This book has a number of characters none of whom are particularly pleasant. Jo is invited to a weekend at a luxurious French Chateau to celebrate the wedding anniversary of Cressida and Arlo. Arlo is highly successful and very rich, he was at university with Jo’s husband 20 years ago.
Jo is still grieving her husband, Oliver’s, death and despite the fact that the guests at the chateau were all close friends of Oliver’s none of them have offered support to Jo in her grief. A stranger turns up at the chateau. She is the girlfriend of Max (one of the group of university friends) but Max, a journalist, is delayed by an important story and says he will join them later.
From the moment Storm arrives she sows discord among the friends. She criticises them, she smokes weed and she skinny dips in the pool. Elise wants her to leave but feels awkward pushing her out. Jo becomes fascinated by Strom and joins her in some of her rule breaking activities. There are also obvious tensions with Becca, the live in Nanny especially when Storm starts telling the children stories which give them nightmares.
The book is written in three parts as the story of what happens at the chateau reaches its climax and the fallout from the events are revealed. The idea of having everyone located in a remote place which is difficult to access works well here. The story keeps you engaged to the end and despite not really liking any of the characters the story intrigued me and I will be recommending it to my various book groups.
Thanks to the Stephanie Merritt, Harper Collins and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A real page turner of a book! A group of rich friends meet at a chateau in France which belongs to one of the couples to celebrate a wedding anniversary, A beautiful, but enigmatic, stranger called Storm turns up at the party and everything begins to unravel. The recently widowed Jo is drawn to her but is also wary of her reasons for turning up unannounced and of her in-depth knowledge of all the other guests. The characters are interesting, the plot twists and and turns kept me gripped and I couldn’t put it down.
Thanks to Netgalley and to the publishers for the opportunity to enjoy this book before publication day.

I read this book over a weekend after an awful week, and whilst I was reading I completely forgot about everything other than the story itself. It is a rare book that can do that. This is a story that has many twists and turns but is ended so cleverly that I found myself disappointed when the book ended. This is a summer must read.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. A thriller consisting of a chateau house party, a group of old friends, lots of drink and it all culminates in a dreadful story of murder and kidnapping. I thought it was a great book and I was sorry when I finished it.
Brilliant

I loved this book, it sucked me in immediately and I found it difficult to put down.

The story is about Jo who, while still mourning the loss of her husband Oliver, is invited to a French chateau by Oliver's friends, Cressida and Arlo with their teenage son Lucas, baby Clio and nanny Beccy and Nina and Leo with their small twins. Max, another friend, is delayed and is arriving later. Despite having misgivings, she accepts, but after Max's new girlfriend, Storm mysteriously arrives out of the blue, tensions begin to mount and the many layered secrets of the group start to unravel until it is clear there's a killer amongst them.

I thought the characterisations were excellent and I especially empathised with Jo and the way she felt so uncomfortable and out of place amongst the group. The twists and turns were expertly and cleverly applied, meaning you never knew quite who to trust.

This book reminded me in a way of The Holiday by T M Logan (another excellent read about a group of friends on holiday). If you enjoyed that book, you're sure to love this. And if you haven't read The Holiday, read Storm anyway because it's fab! Highly recommended. I'll definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Thanks to Stephanie Meritt, publishers Harper Collins UK and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.