A harrowing story about the loss of a child made worse when you have entrusted someone else with their care. Why had they taken Joe to the beach and allowed him to go into the sea in such dreadful weather and why did their own child survive yet theirs died? Two couples, once friends are now estranged with emotions running high. Another tragedy ensues and it takes many twists and turns before the truth begins to be known. Not till the very last pages do we discover the whole tragic incident. A gripping, turbulent read

I found this book to be a difficult read, not because of the writing (which I felt was good), but the story was so very emotional I almost had to abandon it part-way through as I felt totally wrung out and depressed by it. I have to say that this story seemed well-plotted and very well written for a debut novel and I hope to read more from this author .
Certainly a good, but emotional read, parents of young children would be advised to avoid it.

efore I get in to the negatives, I just want to start with a positive, the writing was great and I will definitely pick up another book by this author but unfortunately I didn't enjoy this.

What sort of irresponsible people take their children to the beach to play in the storm?! That just wasn't believable to me and I don't feel like the author was going for a 'suspend your disbelief' type of story. However I'm not a parent so how can I comment, and that's how I felt for a lot of the book.

Maria was the most annoying child to ever exist. I didn't believe Chris could be that angry over an actual accident.

An exceptionally disturbing and horrific book which left me shattered. It was excellent throughout with the unpredictable storyline. The knock on effect the tragedy had on both families was palpable.

What a compelling and emotional read.

A Brilliant thriller, written superbly. I should imagine the death of a child must be the worst thing that could ever happen. When the child was in the care of best friends it must be even harder to comprehend. Will the truth ever come out? It left me reeling.

A novel rich with emotion of every kind grief coming from happiness and hate coming from friendship follow the drowning of Joe the only child of Chris, a police officer and Linda a paramedic. Joe has died while on a beach trip with his young friend Maria and her parents. Things continue to go downhill for both families and Joe’s parents are racked with a grief so strong it takes over their lives completely. T his is a desperately sad story with family loyalties at its heart. Not a book to be taken lightly and one which will play with the emotions from the outset to its climactic ending. Not one for the fainthearted. A very good debut novel.

Very emotional page turner. Two families both destroyed by one tragic event. Will either family ever find a way forward. This book really does pull everything from you. So well written.

An emotional fast paced book with twists. Keeps you hooked till the end. An excellent debut and author to look out for. The aftermath of a tragedy is well written and the emotions drip from the pages. Thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for this review ARC.

Although this isn’t my usual kind of thriller, it was so intense I had to keep reading.
Had me on the edge of my seat! If you’re an avid thriller reader I highly recommend

An emotional, tragic and dramatic read that I found hard to put down. It's a hard subject matter for a parent to read but you just have to keep reading to the end.

It will take me a while to get over this amazing storyline. I don’t think I have ever cried so much reading a book. Superbly written with characters that it was possible to relate to and even comprehend their actions and feel empathy for the situation they found themselves in. It is a book that will stay with me.

After the Storm is a compelling exploration of resilience and the complexities of human emotions in the aftermath of personal tragedy. The novel masterfully weaves together the stories of several characters whose lives are upended by a devastating storm, both literal and metaphorical. The storm serves as a powerful metaphor for the chaos and unpredictability of life, with the author skillfully exploring themes of grief, forgiveness, and the search for meaning in the face of overwhelming odds. A beautifully written and emotionally resonant book that offers a profound look at the aftermath of disaster and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate character-driven stories with emotional depth.

I really liked the premise of this book but unfortunately it didn't live up to expectations.

I liked the multiple POV narrative and felt like it added to the tension as every time something was close to being revealed, it switched POV at the next chapter adding more detail to the plot.

I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters and found some of them really unlikeable but I guess that was the point.

The writing itself felt a little flat for me and descriptive language that I found effective lost it's impact when the same phrase/word was repeated several times within a chapter. I've never seen the word insidious used so many times in a single book.

The book wasn't an unenjoyable read but I predicted most of the plot twists fairly early on which took away from the fun of the book.

This was a difficult book to read, given the subject matter it deals with. That said it was a compelling read, the emotion was very well written and the twist at the end very unexpected.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. It took me a while to process this book in order to write a review. This book is very heavy and there are trigger warnings. The biggest trigger warning is death of a child. This was so well written that my heart literally broke and the characters felt so real that I wanted to reach through the pages and hug them. You get a front row seat into a parents extreme grief over the loss of their child and the affect it has on every aspect of their life. This is not a happy or feel good book, but it’s so well done you shouldn’t miss out. I will not forget this book or these characters for a very long time.

Well written and compelling but a really hard read, and an uncomfortable one. Deals with a lot of themes which some readers may not enjoy.

Two children went into the sea but only one child was saved. The repercussions of this event floor both the family of the survivor and the child who was lost. Charged with Investigating this death are DI Sue Willmott and Sergeant Mike Adams. A tragic accident or more?

Chris and Linda have to come to terms with losing their son - Linda cannot and her husband, Chris, a police officer, is determined to find out what really happened and take whatever action he deems necessary to find answers. The police need to find answers before he goes too far.

A hard book to read - no winners here; all parties are deeply affected and the real truth just sad.

I loved this thriller because even though I tried to guess the end it still escaped me. It's full of twists and turns but it touches a really sensitive subject, the death of a child and the moments after it.

I’m mystified by the 4- and 5-star reviews. I struggled to get into the book. The writing was repetitive and flat, and it took a long time to get to the main event. There was a lot of “telling” of how difficult it was for mothers, but I couldn’t really feel the emotion. Disappointed overall because the setup seemed great.

After The Storm is book like I’ve never read before.
Andrew and Sophie look after their friends, Chris and Linda’s little boy, Joe whilst they are at work. One morning in horrendous weather Andrew and Sophie go to the beach with Joe and their daughter, Maria. They wouldn’t have gone in such bad weather but Maria begs and begs to go. When they get there not content with flying a kite they want to go in the sea but it’s very rough so they settle for a part of the beach which is slightly disconnected from the sea. With the parents watching they have a great time but Andrew and Sophie are distracted and the children are nowhere to be seen.
This book was absolutely heart wrenching, I don’t think I’ve ever really shed a tear when reading but this book broke me more than once. The way this is written makes you see both sets of parents POV and how quickly someone can spiral into despair. I’m not going to go into the storyline too much as I think you’re better off coming in cold so it gives you more of an emotional whack. I will be looking out for this author in the future!
I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.