Review published on BookloverBookReviews.com

To Catch A Storm, the intriguing title of Mindy Mejia’s latest novel speaks to the appealing recurrent theme within. From the car fire in a downpour that’s this mystery’s catalyst, to the unusual pairing of a hyper competent physicist and psychic barely hanging on to sanity determined to solve it, and lots more clever story elements, this novel considers the power of unlikely connections and the seemingly impossible being possible.

Mejia displays deft touch in her compelling exploration of the vulnerability of her otherwise largely feisty and determined character set. The trauma in this story feels real and the level of violence really packs a punch. But the readers’ burden in this respect is eased somewhat by a well-plotted, high-stakes investigation carried out at an almost frenetic pace.

To Catch a Storm features one of my favourite narrative structures, alternating first-person. However, it was always going to be a tough one to pull off cleanly with one of the leads being able to feel and see what others are. The first-person perspective provided great insight into that character’s abilities, but at times I was momentarily confused as to which character’s viewpoint I was reading. Thankfully, the perspectives alternate relatively quickly and Mejia sign-posts changes with character name headings, so any confusion I had was very short-lived.

Without giving away any spoilers, in To Catch a Storm Mindy Mejia has delivered a satisfyingly engaging, action mystery thriller with lots of clever blindsides.

I look forward to seeing what trouble this enigmatic new amateur detective pairing and compelling support characters manage to get themselves mixed-up in next.

I wanted to love this one.
I usually love books with psychics but I found it hard to buy into Jonah’s abilities.
The book is fast paced. It alternates between three different point of views. I did find it hard to envision the scenes I was reading.

I did really like previous books by this author and can’t wait to read more!

Eve Roth’s husband goes missing, and his car is found abandoned and on fire. She is all about using logic and deduction to solve any problem. Well trying to solve the mystery of her husbands disappearance, she crosses paths with Jonah Kendrick, a psychic detective whose investigation intersects with her own.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the relationship between Eve and Jonah, two opposites. These characters trying to solve the mystery really kept me reading.

My only criticism, would be that, there it was no surprise that Eve’s husband Matthew turned out to morally corrupt. It was just for a different reason than we thought at the start of the book.

I found the plot unique and refreshing, and will definitely be reading the next in the series.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read but it was not for me. I DNF the book at about 20 percent as. it was not for me and book just seemed so detached to me.

I couldn’t put this book down once I started.
My mind was transported into this story that takes place during an ice storm. While reading this on a 90 degree day, I found myself getting cold.
I have enjoyed Mindy Mejia's books in the past and this one was no different. A lot of science in the book but I think that added depth to the book. I was fully engrossed with the characters in the book and I enjoyed the first book in her new series. I look forward to reading what comes next. Highly recommend!

Thank you @netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy. This is a mystery with a lot going on. Eva is a professor of atmospheric physics. Her husband disappears and his Tesla burns up, and the science does not match up. Then it is Eva, her father in law who is incapacitated because of a stroke, and a psychic detective work to find her husband and also uncover a crime ring. It kept me reading, but you had to pay attention to make sure you didn’t miss anything. I liked some of her other books better. #tocatchastorm #mindymejia #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday #mystery #netgalley #advancedreadercopy

A Psychic, Physicist and a wheelchair bound older man head out in an ice storm looking for two missing persons and find themselves in the middle of something they could never have imagined.

Far fetched, absolutely. Fast paced, yes. Plot twist, definitely. Likable characters, 50/50. Different points of view offer different perspectives on the situations. First in a series, but don’t think this is for me. There was so much thrown into this that at times I had to go back reread parts. Well researched. Did not figure out the villain! I would give this author another try.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Loved it!! I absolutely loved Everything You Want Me to Be and Leave No Trace, so I was excited to read this. The book definitely didn't disappoint. From the start I figured Matthew must have done something bad and faked his own death. Plus there was that whole cheating scandal. There were so many twists and turns, every time I thought I had something figured out, something else happens. I was shocked when the the mastermind behind everything was finally revealed. Jonah and Eve make the perfect superhero duo and Earl is their trusty sidekick. Who knew a psychic and a physics professor would make such a great team. They both were so fearless. Driving on icy roads, chasing after people on ice-skates, stealing airplanes, chasing bad people... nothing scared them. I would have never guessed what Matthew was really involved in and how he got all his money.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Hopefully this isn't the last we see of Eve and Jonah. There's more to their story. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Grove Atlantic through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This story is told from three POVs. There is Eve, whose husband is missing and has perhaps been lying and/or cheating on her. Max is the detective in charge of the case, but he is also newly back from medical leave and his coworkers don’t really trust him after an incident involving his best friend who is a psychic. Yep, Jonah is a psychic and a private detective. Unfortunately, he has been spiraling since his niece went missing and he believes Eve’s husband’s disappearance is tied to his niece’s. This obsession is part of the reason Max got hurt and it has caused bad blood between the friends. I know it seems like a lot, but it’s written in a way that is easy to read and understand while also flowing quite smoothly.

Jonah is my favorite character in this story. His tale tugs at my heartstrings and his sense of right and wrong make him a character who is easily championed. I feel as though Jonah gets the short end of the stick when it comes to his friendship and the fallout with Max. While Jonah is the psychic, Max is the one who helped him to hone his skills. Now that those skills are getting harder and harder to control, Jonah is getting no respite when it comes to his dreams and the things he hears.

Eve and her missing husband care for her father-in-law who had a stroke years before. Earl is a joy and Eve loves him like he’s her own father. There is a beautiful friendship that develops between Earl and Jonah and later between Eve and Jonah. It’s an unlikely pairing with Eve being a physicist, but the progression from disbelief to teaming up is well written making it believable.

This story is fast-paced, taking place over less than a week. Yet the author is able to build the connections between the characters that are needed to keep you invested. In the description of this book, it says “brand new series.” There is an ending to this story and a lot of closure, but I can see how Jonah, Eve, and Earl could become partners again.

I have to mention that the story felt sort of rambling at times when there was too much being explained about the science of things. Not overly long-winded, but not quite as engaging as the rest of the story. Yet overall this book kept me engrossed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this first book in a new series by Mindy Mejia - 4.5 stars!

Dr Eve Roth studies storms and tornados, after a tragic event in her childhood. When she comes through a storm in her weather plane, she sees a car burning in the middle of a rainstorm. Then she discovers that the Tesla burning belongs to her husband, Matthew, a professor of chemistry. Matthew has disappeared and Eve and his father, Earl, don't understand what happened. Jonah Kendrick is a private investigator who is also a psychic. Johan has seen his niece and Matthew in a barn and enlists Eve's help to find them.

This is a tense thriller, made more so by all the storms. Plus, I love the idea of a scientist and psychic working together. I'm so happy that this is a start of a series because there are some great characters here - especially Earl, who will capture your heart!

Mindy Mejia is back in fine form! She is a wonderful storyteller whose characters, settings, and narratives bring the stories alive in the hearts and minds of readers.

To Catch A Storm is set in Iowa, a departure from her Minnesota based novels, but not by much. What happens when the world of a physicist comes crashing down and intersects with that of a psychic who is all of a sudden on a parallel path with her? Can she reconcile her scientific mindset and the processes she structures her life around and trust what she intuitively believes is a charlatan peddling hoaxes?

The novel is well paced. The story glides over the icy Iowa winter landscape. Compelling characters find common ground and the hunt is in full swing.

I am enthralled again by another novel from Mejia. I am so thankful to the publisher, Grove Atlantic, as well as NetGalley for gifting me an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Thank you for the advanced electronic reader copy! I loved ‘The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman’ by this author so was excited to be approved for this one.
There is lots to love about this book- beautiful writing, damaged characters trying to do their best, mystery, suspicion and the background of country spaces in an ice storm.
The constantly changing point of view from Eve- physicist- and Jonah- psychic- was hard to follow at times.
I didn’t see the twist at the end and enjoyed this story with both its scientific and psychic elements.

"There was comfort in the uncertainty, the possibility of the impossible."

I've been a fan of Mindy Mejia since devouring her novel Everything You Want Me to Be in 2017. Her penchant for gripping plots combined with deeply drawn characters has made her one of my go-to authors. Her last book, Strike Me Down, was released in the early months of the pandemic, and I've been not so patiently waiting for her next release ever since. Three years later, with a new publisher who kindly sent me a copy of her new work to review, Mejia is back with To Catch A Storm. This start of a planned trilogy sees the author return with all the elements that made me fall in love with her work in the first place, but with a new angle that adds an extra ripple of intrigue to her storytelling.

Eve is flying a plane high above the winter terrain of Iowa when she sees the storm. The scientist leads her mentees in a study of the weather, capturing data about the day's atmosphere to dissect once they land. She can't wait to land and tell her husband, Matthew, about everything she saw. When they touch down, though, Matthew is nowhere to be found. Instead, Eve is greeted by the news that her husband's Tesla was found far from the family home, completely engulfed in flames. Life for the couple hadn't been easy for the last few months. Matthew was suspended from his professorship after allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a student came to light. Eve was hurt by that revelation but stood by him. Now, she's the number one suspect in his mysterious disappearance.

Jonah appears at Eve's doorstep after his most recent vision showed her husband hidden in a barn. The same barn, in fact, that he's seen Celina in countless times before. Jonah is no stranger to disturbing visions. As a psychic, he's assisted the local police in countless cases before. Celina's case, however, is different. Jonah has been haunted by the image of her on the barn floor. Years of searching have yielded no results. When he recognized the setting of his latest vision as the same one that had invaded his consciousness for all these years, Jonah knew he had to connect with this missing person's case. If he can help uncover Matthew's location, he can finally put Celina's disappearance behind him.

Max hasn't been active in the local police force since that fateful day when he went against his better judgment and followed Jonah to investigate a missing girl. The pair had been a reliable duo, solving several cases with each other. Of course, Jonah's involvement had to be downplayed. Still, Max couldn't deny the results. That's probably why he was willing to follow Jonah to the doorstep of a man he claimed to have seen as part of Celina's disappearance. That fateful day ended with Max being shot, suspended from the force, and completely finished working with Jonah. Now word has gotten back to him that Jonah is attempting to insert himself into the investigation of the missing professor. Max is determined to stop Eve from partnering with the psychic and avoid the same miserable fate he finds himself in.

To Catch A Storm sees Mindy Mejia write a highly original thriller that builds upon the wonderful precedent she has already set in her previous works. All the ingredients of a great thriller are in play here. There's a missing persons case with plenty of angles to investigate, a trio of main characters who complement and play off each other, and a frigid Iowa snowstorm that adds to the danger and tension of the entire setting. I was hesitant at first about the psychic element of the book, especially because the rest of the novel seemed to be so grounded within the real world. I never should have doubted Mejia, though. By pitting the psychic against a skeptical scientist, Mejia addresses my concerns about the veracity of his abilities, adding real believability into an unbelievable scenario. Chapters alternate perspectives between the three main characters, giving readers insights into each of their motivations while deepening the suspense of each chapter. All this comes together in a page-turning thriller, the beginning of what is sure to be an excellent trilogy.

Excellent read. Will be recommending. Thank you Mindy Mejia, Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for this eARc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have enjoyed Mindy Mejia's books in the past and this one was no different. A lot of science in the book but I think that added depth to the book. I was fully engrossed with the characters in the book and I enjoyed the first book in her new series. I look forward to reading what comes next. Highly recommend!

An unlikely trio - a physicist, a psychic and a detective - team up to find Eve’s missing husband in TO CATCH A STORM. I admit, I had a difficult time getting into this story. It was hard to go between the different points of view and often the story was disjointed. I found myself zoning out at the scientific descriptions and I had a hard time caring about any of the characters, except perhaps Eve’s father in law, who had a stroke and is disabled.

It makes sense that this is the first in a new series because the ending wasn’t super satisfying and it was a really difficult slog for me to get there.

I think those who are more interested in weather and science will like this mystery/thriller more than me, although TO CATCH A STORM did go in some surprising directions that I didn’t anticipate at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an ARC of TO CATCH A STORM and the opportunity to give my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but unfortunately, the second half turned this book into a two star read for me. I enjoyed the initial mystery, and watching Eve and Jonah trying to find Eve’s husband. However, halfway through this book turns into an action movie style thriller and it really lost me there. There were so many long, drawn out action scenes that I found boring. So many times something would happen, and the action succeeding revolves around a huge coincidence that was just very unbelievable. This plot also contains an element that I don’t enjoy in books, and once I realized that was where it was going, I lost interest. I also found the ending very dragged out. Overall, I didn’t enjoy this and I won’t be continuing with the series.

I DNF at the 30% mark. While the writing was fine, I just could not get into the plot or care about the characters. I'm sure other readers will really enjoy this book; it just was not for me.

To Catch a Storm begins as a domestic thriller when Dr. Eve Roth, a physicist who studies weather and atmospheric phenomena, husband is missing after his Tesla is destroyed in a massive fire. Eve's father died in a tornado, and she’s been chasing storms since. The story quickly turns into something else leaving you to wonder how it will end.

Eve's husband, Matthew, is a professor at the University of Iowa, but was suspended after allegations of sexual misconduct with a student.

Earl is Matthew’s father, who lives with his son and Eve suffered a stroke shortly after his wife died.

Jonah Kendrick is a psychic and tries to find the missing. He is also the childhood friend of Max, a police officer, who has just returned to work after being injured.

Jonah tries to get Max to listen to him about a missing young woman, but Max is on thin ice with the department. Jonah reaches out to Eve, but she also shuts him down since she is a woman of science not fantasy. Jonah says something that only Matthew would ever say to her, and she decides to work together to find her missing husband no matter where it takes them.

This story was told from several points of view as each narrates their thoughts, fears and feelings. It was an interesting plot as it moves from the many possibilities for the missing people. I found it hard to like any of the characters, maybe because the of the intensity of the story I didn't feel any warmth from them, except for misguided Matthew, but because of his choices I didn't care whether they found him or not.

It is a good strong story, but not being interested in science, some of the descriptive details made me want to skip over them. It is an intense mystery that moves fairly quickly.

To Catch a Storm by Mindy Mejia is a superb read and well worth the time spent! Great plot and characters.