This is one of my favourite books of the year, not only is it an outstanding police procedural, but a emotional and harrowing read. I felt for the families so much, I don’t feel anyone would know exactly what to do in the situation. The police also had my sympathy, such cases must have such an effect on them emotionally.

The different POVs really add to the emotional value of the book, whilst also enabling you to get to know all of the characters. I was constantly changing how I felt the most compassion towards (apart from Maria who I instantly disliked, yes she’s a young child but she just seemed so spoilt, rude and a bit of a nasty streak).

I really struggled with the fact this is a debut?! How! A stunning book which needs to be on your TBR.

Andrew and Sophie are looking after six year old Joe while his parents, Chris and Linda are working, something the friends do quite often and together with their own six year old Maria, they head off to the beach, even though it looks quite stormy, warning the children to only play in the 'little sea'. Andrew is momentarily distracted from watching them and when he turns back they've disappeared, realising they've been washed out to sea, Andrew dives in to try and rescue them but only comes out with one child, his daughter and by the time the rescue team arrive it's too late for Joe. Understandably his parents want answers as to how this 'terrible accident' was allowed to take place and the events that follow have far reaching consequences on the two families and the community of Beachbrook.

After The Storm is a domestic drama/crime thriller showing what can happen when a day at the beach goes so horribly wrong and shows just how dangerous the sea can be. The story unfolds before the storm and then continues in the aftermath of this tragic and harrowing accident which both families know they will never recover from. This is a fast paced and powerful read, which is so well written with complex, yet authentic characters making it hard to believe that this is Wright's debut novel. I went through every single emotion whilst reading this book and cried through a lot of it too. What a deeply moving tale this is and I really hope this is the start of a great new detective series for this author, I can't wait to see what he delivers next!

I'd like to thank Avon Books and Netgalley for inviting me to read this book, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

A devastating tragic story which gripped from the beginning and I really couldn’t put it down. Brilliantly written, kept me reading. Heartbreaking and emotional at the same time if that’s possible.

The story deals with death, bereavement, suicide, kidnapping, violence and mental illness. Superb but sad. This book will stay with for awhile as I can understand how people can get so low and do what they can for love.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for ARC

After the Storm is a tough read. On the one hand it's a beautifully written thriller, with multiple character narratives. On the other hand there are some very harrowing subjects to deal with, particularly the death of a child.

It's so well written that you can't help reading it, despite the topics.

After I had got over the issues I had with the weakness of the parents not standing up to their SIX year old child and giving in to her wishes to go to the beach, and swim in the "little" sea in pretty much the worst storm... But if they had said "no" it would be a pretty short and pointless book...
Anyway... off to the beach went Andrew, Sophie, their daughter Maria, and Joe, the son of friends who they looked after when both parents worked. Andrew was religiously watching them whilst they initially flew kites, and then, more carefully when they went into the "little" sea. Momentary distracted by a dog approaching his pregnant wife, Andrew turns back to the children to find them not there. He rushes into the big sea, returning eventually only with Maria...
Tragic accident, accidental child neglect, wilful child neglect, or worse...? The police are called to investigate. There are things that don't add up. Meanwhile Joe's parents, Chris and Linda are both devastated and angry, they want answers. They have lost their son and their best friends...
And so begins a story that spans several months as the repercussions of what happened to Joe shocks many people, with more tragedy ensuing. All the time though. with an underlying feeling that the whole truth has yet to out...
Its raw and heartbreaking and just horrible what happens. It's not an easy book to read all told but there is a point. The ending is just all the feels. I can't say more.
The characters are so well created and do so well to take everything the author throws at them. Up to a point, of course. It's tragedy after hurt for Chris all the way through. It's so well handled and brilliantly written that, although it's pretty emotional all the way through, I never found myself feeling unsafe.
There are so many ways in which what happened after the death of Joe, could have been avoided or alleviated somewhat. How the Police handles things, how the parents could have been helped. And many other questions. But, it was what it was, and it was a horrid outcome. But life is like that sometimes. There but for the grace and all that...
Not an easy read, but an incredibly well written story. I'm exciting discovering this new author and I very much look forward to seeing what he serves up next time.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Emotionally hard hitting suspense, a compelling and tragic tale. Well written and carefully crafted, giving due attention to detail and themes, and carefully attending to the human effects of trauma and of tragedy. Within this, sits a well drawn cast of characters populating a propulsive plotline. Tension fuelled and emotionally charged from beginning to end.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A heart breakingly sad story but extremely well written. Impossible not to shed tears during this book.

I have left a full review for this book on Goodreads, linked below.

The book took a long time to warm up. It was an emotional book with the storyline being told from various aspects and a difficult subject matter. It was drawn out but a good for a debut. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Difficult to believe is a debut. The writing is accomplished, the characters plausible and the plotting absolutely bang on. It’s the worst nightmare; a day at the beach, two youngsters go into the water and only one comes out. What follows is a twisty psychological thriller and part police procedural. Works at both levels and the lead police characters are personally involved in the aftermath of this tragedy. Clever and compelling. .

Two small children go into the sea during a storm and only one comes out alive. Two families, once best friends have their friendship and lives ripped apart after this tragic accident - but was it?
This was a fast paced book and on the whole I enjoyed it. I liked how each chapter started with the days/hours leading up to and following the storm - it really built the tension. However, I just couldn’t accept that intelligent parents would succumb to a child’s pleading to go to the beach on a day with such bad weather. But without this happening, there wouldn’t have been a story!
A heartbreaking look at how people deal with grief, guilt and anger in the aftermath of death.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot of books and with probably most of them, even when I enjoy them, I’ll struggle to remember the plot when I read the title again a couple of months later. But some books are special - they have the writers’ X Factor. After the Storm has the writers’ X Factor! That’s not to say it was a lovely and joyful reading experience.. most of the reviews I’ve read so far have described it as ‘harrowing’ and I can’t get that word out of my head - it’s definitely the right word for it. Another good description would be ‘devastating and emotionally draining’.

However, it was fantastic. So beautifully written, the feelings of the bereaved parents in particular were so raw and vivid that I cried several times imagining what they were experiencing. It must have been traumatising to write but G D Wright has clearly put everything into bringing to life such genuine emotions in his words - he is a true talent.

I read the first half in almost only one sitting - I only stopped because my eyeballs were hurting and it was becoming too unpleasant to continue.

The story itself centres around two couples whose six year old children - Maria and Joe - are best friends. The two couples are great friends but there is a tension there as Andrew and Sophie are very well-off whereas Chris and Linda are balancing long hours in their demanding jobs as a police officer and paramedic with devoting their time to their son. Andrew and Sophie look after Joe for them a lot and it’s hard for them to hear that so many of Joe’s best days ever are spent without them. One day, Andrew and Sophie take the kids to the beach, there is a terrible storm and only one of the children comes home.

What happens next can only be described as an onslaught. The story absolutely spirals and is intensely gripping. We also hear the story unravel from the points of view of the detectives looking into the case and examining whether what happened was truly an accident.

As we near the end, the chapters get shorter and the pace gets more and more intense until we reach its devastating end. And the ending - wow! I burst into tears!

The book throws up a lot of intriguing questions - what more could the police have done at each stage? Did Andrew do the right thing? He wasn’t the most likeable character, but by the end I really felt for him as much as all of the other characters. As a mum to a five year old I couldn’t help imagining every part of the book in real life and wondering what I would have done.

Absolutely brilliant and a clear 5-star book - but, I’m sorry G D Wright, I don’t think I’ll be able to read it a second time! It will certainly stay with me though. If they’re not lining up Suranne Jones for a tv adaptation right now then someone is missing a trick!

Wow. What a book.

A gripping story about how an outing to the beach ripped two families worlds apart and the chain of events that followed and which had me racing to finish to find out what really happened. So well written and my review doesn’t do the book justice.

I thoroughly recommend that you read ‘After the storm’

You’d never know that this was a debut novel, the writing is gripping, and tight, and it paints believable characters in a compelling story.
All human emotion is here. Your heart breaks for each of the characters and while some of their actions might be despicable in context they’re all quite understandable.
A brilliant read that would make an excellent TV drama series

I can't say I enjoyed this book - it had me in tears and was a tragic story. I found DS Willmott so determined to apportion guilt despite it obviously being a tragic accident. The story dealt with so many issues - parents being responsible for another child on a regular basis out of the goodness of their hearts; defence of one's offspring; depression; mental health - none of them easy subjects, but sensitively handled.
Sometimes a little repetitive but on the whole a solid read.
Three and a half stars for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley/G.D. Wright/Avon Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a heart rending, harrowing story of two families falling apart. It rightly comes with a warning that the story covers several traumatic themes. I found myself picturing the story more than I would with other novels. I felt that I was a spectator. Great writing, fast pace but thoughtful passages too. I changed my mind about the characters several times. The last chapter, though short, confirmed my suspicions . The clues had been there all along. Not a book for a cosy night in rather one to read in instalments when you feel able to. I will look for more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC ebook

4.5/5

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook.

An accident causes two kids to end up in the sea but only one of them comes out alive. Who’s fault really was it?

Grab the tissues as this is a real tear jerker! 😭I sobbed so much while reading this book which so very rarely happens!

The plot was refreshing and deviates from the repetitive thriller formula which can become boring over time. If you’re new to the thriller genre, this is definitely one I’d recommend you try. And if you’re a hardcore thriller lover like myself, I would also recommend you read this!

I didn’t give this 5 stars as there were loads of little clues scattered throughout the book. I think these needed to be more subtle as when I got to the plot twist, I wasn’t shocked!

#AfterTheStorm #NetGalley For a debut novel this certainly packed a punch. An emotional rollercoaster from the first page and a tragic and harrowing story. The build up of tension kept me reading way into the night. I really felt for both sets of parents at the beginning but as the story unfolded, I quickly sided with Joe's parents and I ended up disliking Andrew by the end. There was an explanation at the end but I still don't believe it excused Andrew for his actions. Whilst I hesitate to use the word enjoyable due to the subject matter it was a very great start to this authors career and I will certainly look out for more books by him in the future.

Mae yna rybudd o ran cynnwys y nofel hon, ac yn sicr mae hi'n dorcalonnus a theimladwy. Dilynwn stori dau deulu sy'n ffrindiau da ac yn magu eu plant gyda chymorth ei gilydd, ond yn dilyn ymweliad i lan y môr ar ddiwrnod stormus, a'r ddau fach yn mynd i'r dŵr, dim ond un sy'n dychwelyd. Mae'r stori'n adrodd yr hanes o safbwynt y ddau deulu ac yn dangos sgil-effeithiau'r golled ar bawb wrth iddynt geisio darganfod beth ddigwyddodd ar y diwrnod trasig hwnnw. Mae'r stori'n datblygu'n gyflym a'r cymeriadau yn apelio at y darllenydd wrth i ni brofi'r un emosiynau â nhw wrth ddarllen. Stori glyfar gyda throeon annisgwyl gan ddangos gwir rym cariad a phwysau galar ac euogrwydd. Nofel sy'n sicr o ddod â dagrau ond sydd hefyd yn gwneud i chi fod eisiau dal ati i ddarllen er mwyn gweld beth a ddaw nesaf.

There is a trigger warning for the content of this novel, and it certainly is heartbreaking and touching. We follow the story of two families that are good friends and are raising their children with each others support, but following a visit to the seaside on a stormy day, and the two little ones entering the water, only one child returns. The book shares the story of both families and shows the impact of the loss on all of them as they try to discover what exactly happened on that tragic day. The story develops quickly with characters that draw you in and share their emotions with the reader on this rollercoaster ride of a story. A clever story with many unexpected twists that shows the true power of love and the weight of grief and guilt. A novel that will certainly bring tears to your eyes but also makes you want to read more to see what comes next.

The pace and tension in this book kept me reading till the end but ultimately I found it frustrating. It seemed unrealistic to me for two families to exist in a vacuum, with no other family or friends to call on them in their time of need. Surely the school would have reached out? Or the neighbours ? At times it was terribly sad but I found the characters lacked depth.

Wow. If you trusted your child to your best friends for the day, you’d expect to see them again at the end of the day. Not the case for the two families we meet in After the Storm, after two children go into a stormy sea and only one comes out alive. After the Storm is a well researched portrayal of grief, secrecy, people unravelling, and the emergency services. The tension builds throughout and I was hooked right until the last word. A brilliant book.