This a book was okay for me - it did not really grab me in the way I hoped it would but was a good storyline.

📘📘BOOK REVIEW 📘📘
The Snowstorm By Triona Walsh

My first read by this author and this was a good locked room thriller. It is New Year on Inis Mor which is the largest of the Aran Islands in Clew Bay off Galway, Ireland There is a large storm brewing and not only relating to the weather! Written in the third person giving the author the chance to tells us more about each of the women. This was a really addictive page turner, an afternoon’s read.

Briefly, Cara, the sole Garda officer on the island, is welcoming home her five childhood friends to commemorate the tenth anniversary of her husbands death when he fell off a fishing boat and drowned. However, as a storm arrives, blanketing the island with snow, and cutting it off from the mainland, one of the friends is found drowned. Her wrists were bound so clearly there is a murderer at large. Who can you trust?

The author gradually teases us with secrets that make each person a suspect and Cara is torn emotionally and physically as she tries to sort out truth from fiction. Some great twists and turns and for me a surprise ending. A really good read with a wonderfully descriptive portrayal of the island which the author clearly knows well. 4.5⭐️

The Snowstorm is an atmospheric locked room thriller. The setting, an island during a snowstorm where no one can escape, was perfectly described so I could really imagine it. There were lots of twists and turns throughout that kept me turning the pages all the way to the unpredictable ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

First of all, I love books where the story has a winter setting, so straight up that was a plus from me!
I also love stories with twists and turns. This book also has that. It’s great when you reach the end of a chapter and it ends so well it leaves you desperate to read ‘just one more’ when you really should have gone to bed a long time ago! That’s what this book does too! A gripping story, with lots of twists along the way and I really wanted to read it as quickly as possible to tie up all the loose ends and find out exactly what happened!
Great read!

I'm not usually drawn to murder mysteries, but after reading the description of a remote setting and a close-knit friend group I was intrigued. And I loved it! The writing style was unusual compared to other books I've read, but in a good way. As Cara investigates, small observations and revelations come to her in a realistic way, second by second. The brevity and fragmented style of sentences evoked that thought process really well. The plot had me guessing for most of the novel--I had my suspicions but could never quite put it all together.

As I was reading I kept imagining The Snow Storm as a mini-series: Walsh writes great dialogue. I hope she gets to shop it around it that's something she's interested in. I would definitely watch!:

Thank you to Walsh, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Snow Storm by Tríona Walsh

Published: February 2, 2023
Bookouture
Pages: 341
Genre: Psychological Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Tríona Walsh loves reading and writing crime novels but is fairly law-abiding in real life. A twice winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair competition she lives in Dublin with her four kids, three cats and one husband.

“Shall I wrap it all up now?”

Cara struggles to fit in her small island home. But this is where she lived with her husband, so she is determined to raise their children there. On the ten-year memorial of Cillians passing, the whole group is coming together. It will be their first reunion in 10 long years, and it will be a trip to die for.

This was quite the ride. I enjoyed the way isolation was used as a character. Both regarding the island and how people treated Cara. That was well done.

There were a lot of characters in this book, and I found the descriptions and development solid. This story is clever, and that is how we get to know the characters, both in the past and the present.

The last half of this book moves much faster than the first half, and the last couple of chapters are so intense that I couldn’t put the book down. The scenery descriptions made me cold most reading them!

The Snowstorm is the perfect wintery read, minus the snow...so far!

I enjoyed the story, but as always struggled with the Irish names and their pronunciation, so I changed their names to make it easier 🤦‍♀️

As debut novels go Walsh has smashed it, this was a well plotted, twisty murder mystery that keeps you guessing throughout.

The descriptions of Inis Mor sound amazing. Couple this with the raging sea, the storm and the snow, it starts to sound absolutely terrifying and the atmosphere changes completely to something of nightmare proportions.

All of the characters were well rounded, credible and made for an engaging, entertaining read.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The reader feels that they themselves are stranded on the Aran Islands during the storms. A great whodunnit which keeps you guessing til the end.it makes me want to visit the islands again.

It was meant to be a time of remembrance, but also one of moving on. Six friends were going to get together after a tragedy that had occurred 10 years previously. Friends since childhood yet secrets have torn them apart. When one of them does not arrive, they soon realize it is because she has been found dead.

Not only is it very likely that one of the friends is a murderer, they are all now stranded by a snowstorm that has trapped. One of the friends did not arrive with the others, and that is Cara, who is a police officer. She was on the last ferry that was able to get to the island before the snowstorm stopped all transportation. As Cara begins to question the permanent island residents as well as the friends that have arrived on the island, no one wants to speak. In fact, everyone appears to be holding secrets.

Friends and villagers alike are treating Cara in a rather cold manner. This does not deter her determination, and she powers on. As I listened to the audiobook that was expertly narrated by Jacqueline Milne, I will say that I was fully pulled into the story. The Irish accents gave an extra air of mystery while imagining what it would be like to be trapped on an island overcome by snow, as well as the secrets and lies that seemed to make what happened even scarier.

I loved not being able to ascertain who the killer was, even though it was rather evident that it had to be among the group of friends. Although this book was written in third person perspective, there was the unique perspective of the voice of the victim, and that only increased the the suspense and tense nature of this well-written book. I love atmospheric books and this one definitely hit the mark. Kudos for this intriguing read that kept me tapping my Kindle until I came to the shocking ending. I very much look forward to the next book by this delightful new author.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/w9VzrLyE28c

In the isolation of the Aran Islands, six friends meet ten years after a tragedy. Then one of them goes missing during a snowstorm. When one of them is murdered, one of their own, Cara, a policewoman, is forced to look at all of them and dig into their secrets.

This locked room thriller was interesting, and I enjoyed the setting. I wouldn't say it was especially full of twists, but there were some surprises I liked. I also really liked Cara, and how she did her job. The thing that kept me from hands-down loving it was the ending just wrapped up a little too neatly; Cara seemed to make all the connections a little too easily for me.

Overall, it was a great read, and I can't wait to see what Tríona Walsh writes next!

This book was very atmospheric and very creepy. It sent shivers down my spine without the descriptions of the snow outside the cabin. I loved this book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

It’s New Year’s Eve and six friends are reunited on an Irish island ten years after a horrible tragedy. Secrets, jealousy, friendships are tested and someone ends up dead. The snow storm picks up and there’s no phone or electricity. Everyone is trapped and there’s no way out. One of them is a killer.

This book was so atmospheric and creepy. I loved the snowy, isolated setting and the murder mystery. I couldn’t predict where it was going and it was so much fun!

The Snowstorm is available February 2, 2023.

Thank you netgalley and Bookoture for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Location is everything. I enjoy books that are set in cold, snow swept environments. They create the atmospheric, chilling, and ominous feel that becomes like a character in the book. In The Snowstorm, six friends have gathered on an icy new year’s eve on an Irish Island. It has been 10 years since tragedy tore them apart. It is meant to be a happy reunion, a time to catch up and put the past behind them. But a dead body changes things - dead bodies have a way of doing that. Now their happy reunion is one of mistrust and anxiety as one of them is a killer. No one can get on or off the island as the sea rages and the snow falls.

Cara, a police officer, begins investigating the case. She comes across suspicion and people who don't want to talk. As she trudges through the snow and asks questions, the tension mounts. People are protective of their secrets.

This was a well-done whodunit. I enjoyed watching Cara investigate the murder, having to questions old friends and villagers. She is a determined and smart character who doesn't back down even if it means questioning her friends. This book had a nice number of twists and turns with a shocking reveal. I especially loved how this book felt like an old mystery book vibe to it (that is a compliment). The ending felt very much like an Agatha Christie book. Very nicely done.

I also enjoyed the writing and the descriptions of the local, environment, characters, and the interactions of the characters. There are quite a few characters, but they are all fully fleshed out and easy to keep track of.

I enjoyed reading the book and listening to the audiobook. This was my first book by Triona Walsh and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Chilling, tense and well thought out.

The Snowstorm by Tríona Walsh was a compelling read that kept me up late at night devouring the pages!
The cover and synopsis grabbed my interest immediately.

This book was a wonderfully tense and suspenseful, addictive read.
With a strong storyline, this book had a great cast of characters.
And everyone was a suspect in my eyes!
The setting was vivid with amazing descriptions.
I like how she keeps the suspense high.
I was riveted from page one and up till early morning hours finishing this book.
Skillfully plotted and utterly engrossing this is one story not to be missed!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Snowstorm' by Triona Walsh.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Triona Walsh, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 2nd February 2023.

This is Triona Walsh's debut novel.


I was originally drawn to this book by its intriguing and eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'An utterly gripping thriller that will have you hooked from the very first page until the final jaw-dropping, heart-racing twist. Fans of Catherine Cooper, Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware will be glued to the pages of this unmissable locked-room mystery.' I am a huge fan of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 53 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Ireland 🇮🇪, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.I have actually holidayed in Ireland so am intrigued to see if I recognise places based on anywhere I visited while there.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Cara. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.


This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all feeling the hair raise on your arms and feeling the sweat run down your back.

This book is an interesting 'locked room' mystery set in one of my favourite places in the world... Ireland!!! I listened to this book on Audiobook and absolutely loved listening to the Irish accents which Jacqueline did a fantastic job portraying along with bringing the characters to life. A group of friends return to the remote Irish island, Inis Mór on the Aran Islands, for a reunion but when a snowstorm hits the fun turns to fear when one of the group is found dead. I found the storyline to be a slow burn although it did pick up in places. It is very well written with an interesting plot and storyline. The fact that it is based in a remote location in a snow storm gives the book a chilling and ominous atmosphere which makes it a perfect book to read on a winters day in front of a fire especially during the moments that make the hair on your arms stand on end. The storyline is filled with friendship, secrets, distrust, murder, tension, suspense and everything you could ask for in a dark and chilling psychological thriller. The suspect list is quite small so you are continuously guessing which of the small group is a killer. There were several twists throughout the book. Unfortunately I worked out a few of them but I have read hundreds of crime books so it is getting harder and harder to shock me so please don't let that put you off as I still enjoyed the book even after guessing some of the twists. I enjoyed the way the victim "spoke from the dead" helping Cara work out who the killer is. Triona's fantastic and vivid descriptions leaves you feeling the sea wind in your hair and rubbing your arms feeling the snow storm. I love how everything is wrapped up and explained at the end leaving no loose ends which I am not a fan of at all so well done Triona.

This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but for the second time I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Jacqueline Milne who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Jacqueline did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Triona but also to listening to more books narrated by Jacqueline!


The characters are realistic, strong and each have their own unique personalities. I really liked Cara and enjoyed her character development throughout the book. She is a strong female who is a complete bad @$$, I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of her but at the same time she is someone you would definitely want on your side as the love for her friends shine through. I also really liked Patrick Kelly who I felt sorry for. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the other characters who I struggled to click with. Regardless of whether you live or hate the characters they all jump out of the pages and play their parts perfectly. I am looking forward to reading more books by Triona and seeing what she comes up with next!


Overall a chilling, atmospheric psychological thriller perfect for a snowy, stormy or winters day!


Genres covered in this novel include Domestic Fiction, Suspense Thriller, Women's Psychological Fiction, Serial Killer Thrillers, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, and Psychological Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Catherine Cooper, Lucy Foxley, Ruth Ware, Clare Mackintosh and Alice Feeney.

341 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle and £9.66 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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A different take on a locked room mystery being a 'locked island' one. I enjoyed the setting, and the storyline of a reunion of old friends. This book had all the makings of a good mystery; old friends, long held secrets, dark and stormy weather. The ending fell a little flat but overall I would reccommend the read.

I loved the blurb of The Snow Storm, it gave me the chills! The first few pages set the scene, it’s cold, gloomy, windy and very snowy. A group of friends have met up for a reunion after not seeing each other for years. But things soon start going wrong when one of them is found dead.

Cara, one of the group is the main character in the book and is the local Garda on the island where the book is set. She has been through hell, and now faces the biggest case of her life involving her best friend. She follows her instinct and is deeply shocked by the outcome.

I found it an easy read to get stuck into, it’s a brutal and chilling story with a great ending.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this one. All the twists and turns, the new evidence coming to light, people not being who you think they are. It was captivating and intriguing!

I loved having the audiobook to read alongside the physical - I loved hearing the pronunciation of the Irish words and character names rather than just seeing them, because I guarantee you, I would have gotten most of them wrong!

My one real gripe with the book is the synopsis - it made me expect a much smaller locked-room mystery, of six friends locked inside a small cabin, with mysterious things happening. However, the real scope of the story was a group of six friends stuck on an island with approximately 700 other people, where the characters are essentially free to roam around the island, but there's just no way to return to the mainland.

From the cover, I was told that "six friends are trapped. one of them is dead. one of them is a killer." That totally took away some of the intrigue of the book, as it severely limited the suspect pool for the reader, even though the main character was looking elsewhere for suspects too.

That's not an issue with the book, but more the marketing side of it.

To reiterate, I loved the reading experience of the book, I just wish that the marketing left more room for those alternate theories to thrive better.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing both an ebook and audiobook advance copy for me to read!

Six friends are gathered together back on the island of Innis Mór, Ireland, to celebrate the life and tenth anniversary of the death of Cillian: Cara, his wife, Seamus, his brother, and Maura, Socha, Ferdia, and Daithì, to complete the group of the childhood best friends. Cara couldn’t make it to their first night home, she was on the mainland for work. She plans to join them as soon as she gets the ferry home from Galway. The following day, when Cara arrives home, she picks up Daithí and they head to the Flaherty house, Seamus and Cillian’s childhood home, where everyone is gathered except for Maura, who doesn’t show up. When Cara, the Island Garda Sergeant, is called away for a report of a body in the Serpent’s Lair, she is devastated to discover it is Maura, her best friend from the age of eight. A horrific snowstorm has engulfed the island, stopping ferries and planes from making the short trip to the mainland. The forecast is predicting three days of the brutal storm, so the group is trapped together, with no phone or Wi-Fi signal, and no power. No one knows who they can trust. One of them is dead, one of them is next, and all of them are hiding a secret.

“The Snowstorm” is a briskly-paced, tense, thrilling novel, and I was glued to it from the start to the reveal-filled ending. What begins as a reunion of childhood friends very quickly goes off the rails as the body of Maura is discovered and the remaining group is trapped together. The snow storm raging outside is the perfect metaphor for the storm raging in Cara, who has discovered disturbing secrets about each one of the friends she loves and thought she knew. I applaud the way Cara pieces each secret to the person it involves and reveals all. I thought the reveals and the twists to get to the conclusion were brilliantly done. Other than a few repetitious details, the story was enthralling, and it will engage all readers of the whodunit/mystery/thriller genre right to the very end, when all loose ends are neatly tied. I am eagerly looking forward to Ms. Walsh’s next work.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Triona Walsh, and Bookouture for the ability to read and review this ARC.

Back at the island with all the old friends, that are not really your friends anymore. There is a lot going on in this book, including a snowstorm keeping them all on the island. I had a hard time connecting with most of the characters because they were really not that nice people. I felt like the story lagged a bit, especially in the beginning, and then suddenly everything happened at the very end, and that is when it got exciting. It would have bee better if it would have been a bit more even, and then finishing with a grande final. A fairly good read though, but not as memorable as I would have hoped.