Nishita Parekh's The Night of the Storm is a fast-paced, locked room murder mystery centering around a South Asian Indian family trapped in their upper middle class Texas home during Hurricane Harvey.

The main character, Jia Shah, is a recent divorcee trying to navigate her relationship with her son, her extended family, and the greater Indian community. She finds herself between a rock and hard place with her ex-husband, her BIL, her sister, her son's school, and her son. Throughout the storm, Jia balances thoughts of her tense personal life along with the tragic murders as both eventually intertwine with each other.

The pacing of the story is handled deftly by Parekh, The present and past timelines are done well, and Parekh does a good job of connecting past events to the present action.
The characters are all very well developed, as is the underlying immigrant story. The ending is beyond satisfying as the final twist is revealed to readers. Without giving anything away, I can say that I was surprised to learn that there was more to the resolution than initially revealed.

Blurb: Hurricane Harvey is about to hit Houston. Meanwhile, single mom Jia Shah is already having a rough week: her twelve-year-old son, Ishaan, has just been suspended from school for getting in a fight. Still reeling from the fallout of her divorce—their move to Houston, her family’s disapproval, the struggle to make ends meet on her own—now Jia is worried about Ishaan’s future, too. Now their apartment complex is under a mandatory evacuation order. Jia’s sister, Seema, has invited them to hunker down in her fancy house in Sugar Land, and despite Jia’s misgivings—Seema’s husband, Vipul, has been just a little too friendly with her lately—Jia concedes it’s probably the best place to keep Ishaan safe during the hurricane. With Jia’s philandering ex scrutinizing her every move, all too eager to snatch back custody of Ishaan, she can’t afford to make a mistake.

When Vipul’s brother and wife show up on Seema’s doorstep, too, it’s a recipe for disaster. Grandma, the family matriarch, has never been shy about playing favorites among her sons and their wives. As the storm escalates, tensions rise quickly, and soon someone’s dead. Was it a horrible accident or is there a murderer in their midst?

With no help available until the floodwaters recede in the morning, Jia must protect her son and identify the culprit before she goes down for a crime she didn’t commit—or becomes the next victim. . . .

I felt like this book had so much potential but some of the story for me was just diluted with useless information and I felt like I had ADHD while reading this. I would be reading about a topic to start reading about something completely different in the next paragraph and then some tension would just be thrown in there randomly. I wanted to DNF a few times because I couldn't get into it but I did want to know the outcome of the mystery. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin group for allowing me to read this novel.

Setting is in Houston TX, Jia, recently divorced is now facing a custody issue with her ex-husband Dev over their son Ishaan. Jia is trying to make all the right choices where her son is concerned since Ishaan has gotten suspended from school and now facing the custody issue and to help, she is looking to have her sister Seema sign a personal reference letter in her behalf. Now facing a State of Emergency due to Hurricane Harvey with winds 115 MPH she now needs to get herself and her son to safety, so they don't end up stranded in their apartment. Seema requests Jia to come to her house to stay during the catastrophic state of emergency. Jia doesn't want to go to her sisters because Seemas husband Vipul has been making unwelcome advances.

I really love the story line and the characters I can actually visualize. I was surprised this book was a thriller as it didn't seem to be for me.

In all I would recommend this book to anyone that really enjoys a good drama as I do.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Night of the Storm sounded really interesting to me. I love a locked room mystery and while I’ve read many taking place in snowstorms, it’s less common to read one during a Hurricane. I read the first 35% but then decided to stop. I think the author was trying to do too much at once and instead of making it more interesting it lost me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted ebook.

Thank you Netgalley for granting me early access to review this book in exchange for my honest opinion in return.

Stars: 3
Spicy: References in the past

Thank you so much to Nishita Parekh, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a little out of my norm unexpectedly. I would market this closer to a domestic thriller than a full blown mystery which I don't particularly gravitate to. It does have a slow start, but with the pending hurricane, it helps push through the characters background and sets up the story via dual timelines in flashbacks. Even with the various characters and coincidences, it's clear early on who the mastermind is, even without going too deep into reasoning for it. The ending was over the top, but as it unfolded, it worked best.

I liked her writing style and will take a look at the books she does in the future.

The night of the storm was a busy debut mystery from winter 2024. The novel follows jai, a single mother recently divorced who ends up stranded during a hurricane in a house with her child, her sisters family, and her sisters mother-in -law. While the storm rages outside, secrets are revealed and bodies begin to turn up. Jai doesn’t know who to trust, but knows she must find the truth to protect her son before the storm ends.

I was drawn to the book by the cover and the locked-room mystery plot line. I also liked that it focuses on a multi-generational Indian family, a population often underrepresented in the genre.

The beginning was slow anf it was hard to keep track of all the different characters and their relationships at first. However, about halfway in, the plot begins to pick up and the relationships and characters started to click for me. Once it picks up, it becomes very fast-paced and had me furiously tuning the pages to get to the denouement. I liked the Texas setting, but wish the closed-circle atmosphere would have come through even more. Overall, would be interested in reading more by this author and think she displays strong potential with this introduction.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited for this book by the cover, the storyline, and it being Nishita’s debut novel. The cover screams mystery on a stormy night in an incredibly large house. I am here for it. The locked room concept had me ready for secrets, lies and murder. A wonderful, locked room scenario. Sadly, this book ended up just being okay for me. I wasn’t immediately drawn in at the beginning of the book, and I really felt the story was moving slowly. I just wasn’t getting that “one more chapter” feeling that just had me hooked, waiting for the next thing to happen. Unfortunately for me, it got exciting during the last quarter of the book, when I wish it would’ve had more twists and cliff hanging chapters.

Jia, a recently divorced mom, has moved to Texas to be free of her ex-husband and closer to her sister. Her son, Ishaan, is having troubles at school, putting a strain on his relationship with his mother. Dev, Jia’s ex-husband, is trying to become involved in Ishaan’s life again as he’s remained in Chicago after the divorce. Then everything starts going wrong for Jia after her move to Texas, and without Dev in the picture anymore. She doesn’t have anyone to help, and money is tight. Jia sees her brother-in-law Vipul who showing up during her biggest struggles as an act of support from her sister Seema. Maybe they are calculated opportunities for Vipul to save the day and make his move on Jia. Although Jia is not encouraging his advancements, his random drop-ins and suggestive texts all suggest otherwise to anyone looking in from the outside.

A secret affair, unwelcome advances, and family issues all come to a head when Hurricane Harvey hits Houston, Texas, and evacuation is the only answer. Jia thinks she’s doing what’s best for her and her son by following her sister’s guidance and choosing to wait out the storm at Seema and Vipul's house. Seema has also encouraged Vipul’s brother and wife to stay with them as well. As the flood waters rise and enter the house, so will tensions, as pieces start to fall into place and motives are uncovered. Some families will break and become unrepairable, but one will realign and become stronger than ever. Those who were once solely around each other as in-laws will become close friends. Who will make it out of the house alive and who will be swept up in the flood waters? Overall, this was two star read for me. I added a third because of the twist and the fact that’s it’s a debut author. I think that I would have advertised this more as a drama rather than a thriller. 
 
Thank you so much to Author Nishita Parekh, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for an ARC of The Night of the Storm.

This book had so much going on. I felt like it was very hard to keep up with. I did want to keep reading to see what happened. But this was not my favorite thriller.

This one may not have been for me. I really enjoyed the concept of a family trapped in a storm with their murdered but I struggled with Parekhs writing style. The need to over explain things and make sure that I knew how I was supposed to be feeling, took away from me actually feeling anything. Parekh told me I should fear the weird person in the window outside because the character feared the weird person in the window. But I wasn’t dragged into the situation and surroundings with the character, so the thriller aspect of the book didn’t really hit like I wanted it to.

As this is Parekhs debut novel, I would be interested to see how the writing style grows and she puts out more books. There is definitely potential here

Newly single Jia and her son, Ishaan, decide to stay with Jia's sister and her husband during a hurricane--they live on a large hill and are not concerned about flooding. Her sister promises they will be safe there, but will they??

What a debut--Nishita Parekh really knocked this locked-room thriller out of the park! There are some psychological thriller aspects as well as family drama included in this one. She utilized multiple timelines and organized them beautifully. I truly admire when authors manage to achieve this, creating a cohesive and interconnected story that is simply mind-blowing. Although, some of the chapters were longer than I prefer, I felt like I could NOT stop reading and they really flew by--I read the majority of this in one sitting!

This book had SO MANY twist and turns--and THAT LAST CHAPTER. WHOA! I highly recommend checking this one out!

Uggggh, I guess my high rating streak had to end one day…but I’m so sad this was the book that it was on! Overall, during the book I was just generally bored and all the twists were pretty predictable. I can usually deal with a predictable storyline if I’m highly entertained…but sadly this book didn’t do it for me! And I’m actively sad about it because I had such high expectations for it (which may be a me issue).

⭐️THIS BOOK COMES OUT JANUARY 16⭐️

3.0⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley, Dutton and Penguin Group Dutton for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

#nightofthestorm #dutton

It seemed a bit eery to read this, living in the Houston area and folks all over clearing out grocery stores ahead of a winter freeze... while this book is set about 50 miles away during Hurricane Harvey, different time of year, temps, and weather not easily forgotten.

Jia is struggling to keep her life together - recently divorced, tween son who is misbehaving, unsure of herself and scared she'll lose custody to her ex. A last minute choice to ride out Hurricane Harvey with her sister Seema, who seems to have it all, becomes more eventful than she would have ever expected. The severity of the Hurricane creates a trap that keeps everyone together, but who can you trust?

I liked this story - and also identified with some of the surrounding context - it definitely picked up in the end. It was hard to empathize with any of the characters, as everyone seemed to have an alterior motive. The twist at the end... !

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group / Dutton for the ARC.

Short synopsis: Recently divorced Jia is taking cover from Hurricane Harvey in her sister and brother in laws house, but everyone has secrets and their desperation may just all come out.

My thoughts: What a fun thriller debut! This was definitely a page turner, and completely bingable. I really enjoyed the look inside Indian-American culture, it was fascinating to see the judgement placed on their women in particular.

The storm amplified the tension felt throughout the whole story, and the twists had me constantly guessing who was responsible for the murders.

Also, I got so hungry during the dinner scene. Now I’m in desperate need of curry!

Read if you love:
- Claustrophobic locked room thrillers
- Storms
- Who done it murders
- Indian culture
- Moms fighting for their kids

The Night of the Storm

I love any claustrophobic isolated murder mystery/thriller. A pending hurricane with a suspicious group of people locked in to a bad situation should’ve worked for me but in this case, it just didn’t.

The plot was a bit slow and the characters were definitely complex but their issues left me little to discover at the end. There are some repetitive themes throughout, especially with Jia and her son. Jia just seemed a bit over the top and dramatic – annoyingly so.

I think this is more of a tense family drama – I know, there’s murder afoot– then a thriller. It wasn’t a terrible book, by no means, it just wasn’t what I was expecting in an atmospheric thriller.

As a group of family members take refuge from Hurricane Harvey, the tension will grow and someone will die. Unable to seek help, the survivors must wait for a break in the weather to contact law enforcement officials. THE NIGHT OF THE STORM will pit family against family as secrets are revealed and sides are chosen. This debut thriller was a good read, building atmosphere as each family member arrives seeking safety. The story will speed to an end as the pages fly by. Nishita Parekh sets readers up for some surpises along the way and a reveal that changes with each chapter.

This book was claustrophobic in only the way a good thriller can be. Filled with tension from the very first page, the hurricane weather and strife within the family had me on the edge of my seat. Having read many thrillers, I had an inkling of some of the impending twists so was not surprised by the big reveal (except the final one - sneaky!!), but still captivated to see it all play out. Excellent debut from author Nishita Parekh, I can’t wait for more of her work!

Thank you Nishita Parekh, Penguin Group DUTTON and NetGalley for the gifted ARC.

I am crushed to not be able to finish this one, as I live in Florida and love natural disaster thrillers. I vividly remember the images coming out of Houston during Hurricane Harvey, so I was excited to read this one. I requested a copy after Ashley Winstead posted the book on Instagram.

Unfortunately, there’s little in here to convey the absolute terror of a hurricane. Main character Jia’s head is a frustrating place to be. I let myself read longer than I usually do but called it around 49%. Please note I do not share DNFs on Instagram.

I loved this book! The twists and turns left me with my mouth hanging open. I now have a new fear of hurricanes. Good thing I live in Indiana. 🫠

Even when I love a book, I have some criticisms. I chose 4 stars instead of 5 for a couple of reasons. The twists were almost too much to keep up with. My mind was cluttered by the time we got to the end. Because of this, the book was almost too farfetched.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. I think it deserves 4 stars. Congrats to the author for a great debut thriller.

*3-3.5 stars.

Nishita Parekh's debut novel is about a family caught in Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas on August 25, 2017. Jia Shah and her son Ishaan are invited to stay with her sister and her family in their suburban mansion. It is believed that the house is at a high enough elevation that it will come through any flooding just fine. Besides her sister Seema, her brother-in-law Vipul, and their little daughter Asha, Grandma lives with them too and they've also invited Vipul's brother Raj and his wife Lisa to join them.

The hurricane is in full swing when they hear popping noises and discover that someone has flattened the tires on Jia's car. Who would be out in the storm vandalizing cars? Then comes a knock at the door. They hesitate to open it but see it is their neighbor Rafael who claims he's been attacked and injured by an intruder and is asking to shelter with them as well. But Jia soon notices something is not quite right with Rafael and when the first death occurs, she wonders was it an accident or murder? Are they all trapped in the house with a killer?

There are some nice twists and turns to the mystery but the best thing about this story is learning more about Indian immigrants--their culture, their food, even their decorating style. Grandma is a hoot and puts both her daughters-in-law through their paces. She rules and nothing the women do is quite up to her standards. Jia is divorced and the Indian attitude towards that reminds me of America's in the 50s. There is also a good look at sibling relationships, the friction and the love. And one can't ignore the hurricane and the worsening flooding (50 inches of rain!), putting them all in danger.

All-in-all, I enjoyed this book and will look forward to reading more from this author. I received an arc from the author and publisher via Net Galley. Thanks to them for the opportunity. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

The Night of the Storm
by Nishita Parekh
Pub Date: 16 Jan 2024

Nishita Parekh's debut novel is a mystery/thriller. It's a fantastic read. The book was full of chaos, suspense, drama, mystery and death.

If you enjoy claustrophobic locked room thrillers with a bunch of drama, then this is the book for you!

Synopsis: From debut author Nishita Parekh, a fresh take on the classic locked-room thriller, about a multigenerational Indian American family marooned in a house with a murderer during Hurricane Harvey. With no help available until the floodwaters recede in the morning, a mother must protect her son and identify the culprit before she goes down for a crime she didn’t commit—or becomes the next victim. . . .

Thank you to #TheNightoftheStorm and #NetGalley for the E-ARC.