Storm

Storm by Stephanie Merritt is, to misquote a footballing term, a book of two halves. It starts off quite slowly, setting the scene of a group of friends reuniting in France for an anniversary celebration. The mail character, Jo, seems to be the odd one out as she has lost her husband whilst the other in the group are couples. Gradually, hints are dropped about something happening in the past which will have far reaching consequences. An unexpected guest arrives and the pace picks up. Although little of (apparent) importance happens during this part of the story I enjoyed the interplay between the characters and how they act together.
The second half of the book is very different and “things start to happen” It gets very tense and you don’t really know where it is all going. to end.. The way the story develops I found believable and the back story obviously answers a lot of questions.
A good story which makes you want to find out what happened in the past and what has led to the situation that all the characters find themselves in.
Highly recommended.

A ‘locked room’ mystery set in a luxury French château – what’s not to like about a thriller of such setting and promise?

As it turned out, there was everything to like about this novel. Main character Jo, recently bereaved, was particularly well-written. She arrives at the aforementioned castle to attend the twenty-first wedding anniversary celebrations organised by Cressida and Arlo, who were friends of Jo’s husband. Lots of other guests, equally well-depictured arrive, but also one person who is unexpected and who sets in chain a terrific motion of events….
A fantastic read that I tremendously enjoyed. I will definitely be looking out for more thrillers by Stephanie Merritt. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this book review.

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…
Good book !! This book was definitely a mind game thriller! It had suspense, intrigue, and a good mix of who done it!

What a book ! Loved this ! A gripping drama / thriller with a whole who can you trust twist. Are your friends really your friends, can you trust a stranger who seems to really “get” you? A fab holiday read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Just how well do you know your husband's friends from university and what they got up to? This is the premise of the story Jo is recently widowed and is invited to.join her husband's friends at a French chateaux to celebrate Cres and Arlos wedding anniversary. The fireworks begin when one of the friends Max can't make it straight away but his new girlfriend Storm arrives anyway, her name says it all she blows in like a storm and suddenly there's tempers flaring everywhere!!! Just who is she and how does she seem to know so much about them all even though she's never met them and has only been with Max for a couple of months?

Loved this novel, but slow to start but give it chance and you'll love it! Definitely a twist in the tale! Will be recommending to everyone I know. Many thanks to NetGalley for letting g me read this.

A dark and twisty thriller that won't leave its reader feeling disappointed. I cannot recommend this book enough. I read it in one weekend. It's great.

There seems to be quite a trend recently for thrillers taking place in fabulous holiday homes( and, post-success of Lucy Foley's The Guest List, if some or all of the guests at said holiday home are obscenely wealthy and/or posh, then all the better). Storm fits nicely into this trend, but elevated significantly above most others in the genre by outstanding writing and characterisation. The reader follows Jo - non-posh, non-rich, and the recent widow of Oliver, whose best friends (posh and very rich) are hosting an anniversary party at a French chateau. While Jo has never felt that close to Oliver's friends, she duly attends the long weekend. But when the party is gate crashed by Storm - purportedly the girlfriend of absent friend Max - shenanigans ensue.

While some of the twists were fairly predictable (I've read the big twist in several feminist-leaning summer 2022 releases), that didn't matter a jot as the reading journey was enormous fun nevertheless. That the guests were all well-rounded and complex characters rather than simple caricatures of horrible posh people also made for a more satisfying reading experience.

I've read a number of destination thrillers this summer - The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre and One Of The Girls by Lucy Clarke being particular stand-outs - and Storm joins them as a rare 5 star read. If you enjoyed them, or indeed if Lucy Foley is your bag, you'll love Storm.