I read a NetGalley version of this book and love it. From the first page I was into the story and the characters. The author was constantly ratcheting up the suspense and I was here for it all. I really felt for Jia and her son. Such a crazy and thrilling situation to be in. This was a storm I was glad I was a part of. Thank you Nishita for letting us be a part of it. I will definitely be buying more of her work.

This wasn't quite fast paced enough to keep me engaged and interested. I like the premise of being stuck in a big house with family you don't quite like or trust while a dangerous storm rages on and I also liked the glimpse into Indian culture and experience.

This was a 3 star book for me. The beginning was a little slow, the middle was good but the ended was just strange and unsatisfying.

Unfortunately this wasn't for me mainly due to the extreme dislike I had for the main character. I really liked the idea of this happening in an enclosed area during a storm because you can't escape, but the main character and the motivations of the story were just not interesting and really frustrating. I didn't like a single character and it was hard to root for anyone. I also really didn't enjoy the ending of the book. I think this could have been a hit if it had more editing and maybe went a different direction. Basically I loved the set up, but the execution didn't work for me.

I didn't enjoy this that much. I think perhaps I just didn't mesh with the writing style but I found myself really skim reading this after the beginning set up because I wanted to get to the meat and flesh of the story. The twists and turns didn't really grab me, and the major twist at the end was pretty predictable at least for me. I think that the action of this story was still meaty in the way many mystery thrillers are but the predictability of the story line made this a more skimmy (this is not a word but it should be) read for me. I think that with a little tightening up of the plot and pacing, the juiciness of the story would really draw people in. The twists are a bit too baked into the plot to really be altered in a way that makes them less predictable but I think if the story was more polished that would be a lesser issue.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC ebook. This book intrigued me because of the cover and the fact that it was based in Houston during hurricane Harvey. I love Houston and the spooky storm cover sucked me in.

We start out with lots of family drama involving custody and divorce. Then Jia and her son go to her sisters along with other people, where they can wait-out the storm but there is even more drama there. Jia’s son sees a man and he swears he hears gunshots. Next we have slashed tires and a break in next door, and that is just the beginning of what’s to come. When a dead body is discovered, Jia knows she’s in a house with a murderer, who could it be?

Honestly I was not into this book. I found myself skimming the pages just trying to get to the meat. Then when the twist came at about 90% it felt predictable in the way that most books use this storyline but it was still juicy and I enjoyed the twist nevertheless.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Dutton, and Penguin Random House for this arc. I was sent this book in exchange my honest review.
Jia and her son Ishaan decide to go to her sister Seema’s house when Houston has a category 4 hurricane. It is later revealed that everyone evacuated that lived in Seema’s neighborhood. Seema's husband has been sending flirty text messages to Jia. Jia is in jeopardy of losing her son since her now ex-husband wants to re-examine their custody agreement. Seema writes her a glowing reference but hasn't signed it. Seema's brother and law and his wife also stop by to stay during the hurricane. A neighbor stops by that has been staying next door and has actually been having an affair with Seema and is her daughter's biological father. He dies from his peanut allergy after Vipul's mother poison's his drink after learning about the affair and doesn't want to see her son hurt. Vipul is murdered by Seema and Lisa, the sister in law. Seema and Lisa plot together in order to keep their lives and for Lisa to start a family with Vipul's brother Raj. Raj ends up writing a book about the events of the night and Jia starts an organization to help woman that want to leave their marriages. Raj divorces Lisa and Jia recants her statement to the police about Seema's involvement after her daughter almost dies after being admitted to the hospital for her declining health from home remedies and pneumonia. Jia's son ends up getting to return to school after his dad finds a video that shows that Ishaan was defending himself and was almost chocked to death.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the eARC copy of The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh.
Jia, a recent divorcee decides to take her son Ishaan and hunker down at her sister, Seema's home during a hurricane in Texas. Right from the start, you know these sisters are the total opposite with a lot of family drama. Jia is hesitant in staying with her sister because Seema's husband, Vipul has been coming on to her via texts. Vipul's brother and wife show up at the house and shortly after, someone is dead. Now you have a story.
Part locked room mystery and full of family drama, this book was full of twists and surprises. Everyone has secrets they are hiding and lucky for us, we soon find out all the secrets. Unfortunately, people will get killed one by one. Do all of them have ulterior motives and secrets? Are any of them as innocent and nice as they seem? This story is told in present and past tense to keep you up to date with all the family drama. In the midst of it all, you learn about Indian culture, superstitions, traditions and food.
So if you are into locked room thrillers with a mix of family drama and Indian culture, go read The Night of the Storm, coming out January 16, 2024.

Hurricane Harvey is hitting Houston and the only safe place appears to be Seema and Vipul's beautiful mansion in Sugar Land. As the night unfolds and the storm rages, tragedy befalls the family. Who is responsible for the destruction that occurs? A well written story that had some very good twists.

Thank you so much NetGalley for my ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5 Rounding Up - Jia is going through a rough time after leaving her husband - her son is getting in trouble at school and her brother-in-law is acting strangely toward her. When a hurricane hits, she must hunker down in her sister’s home with her family. Things get worse and worse when they’re all trapped together.

I will put it out there that I really am drawn to stories with extreme weather and typically enjoy them, so this aspect of the book was right up my alley!! This had lots of juicy family drama and secrets as well. Unfortunately, this lacked the polish of an exceptional thriller. The plot was a little all over the place, the twists were too easy to guess, and the dialogue felt a little clunky. Although the hurricane raging in the background was a fun addition, I don’t feel the story played up enough of the dread and adrenaline this likely would bring on in real life.

what a fabulous debut thriller to start off 2024!! I was a little nervous going into this one after reading all of the mediocre reviews, but I firmly enjoyed it!

I’m a super fan of the locked door thriller, so having this one set in the middle of a slowly flooding house in a hurricane was the perfect setting 😮‍💨 it set the tone for paranoia and claustrophobia very well

jia, the narrator, was not my favorite character as literally all of the family drama could have been solved with a single conversation … and her reasoning for “waiting until the right time” was solely because she was trying to minimize the fallback on herself more than anything

that being said, I really loved the drama of a multi-generational indian family!! the dynamics of each character were wonderfully written, that even if there were no thriller elements, I would have still enjoyed it

while the thriller plot played out predictably, I really did enjoy the journey!! if you’re into character focused mysteries, definitely give this one a go!

thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review ☺️

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sula rasa cabernet sauvignon

The story was well written, captivating and the twist at the end definitely worth it. A story of family, loss, love and the will to fight for everything that matters to you. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Jia and her son Ishaan have fled their apartment during Hurricane Harvey and gone to stay with her sister Seema and her family. The large house seems to hold even larger secrets, and as people start dying, Jia's only goal is to keep her son Ishaan alive.

The story starts out very slow--we meet Jia and Ishaan, who seems to be having some trouble in school, as he was suspended for a week, and Jia's ex-husband has found out and is looking to use that against her in a custody battle. Then we meet the rest of the family, and everyone, from Grandma all the way down to son Raj's american wife Lisa. We spend about half the book meeting characters and trying to figure out where the story is going--which honestly is a bit too long for a what is probably supposed to be a fast paced thriller. The author also seems to be trying to throw in some bigger words that kind of throw you out of the story--and I'm not going to fault her here for that, but more to the publisher for not spending enough time on getting the book edited enough. There were definitely pacing issues in the beginning of the book, but once the first murder happens, the book takes off and doesn't stop until the very end (serioulsy, there are twists revealed at the very end of the book!). Many of the twists are a little too easy to figure out if you are an avid thriller reader like myself--and that is not the fault of the author, there are only so many times you can see twists done before your brain starts to pick up on them, but there were still a couple that got me!

Overall, this was a good book, especially for a debut, and I'm looking forward to more books from Ms Parekh! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dutton, for my complimentary digital copy for review.

The Night of the Storm immerses readers in a setting that evokes a sense of captivity and escalating despair. Through skillful foreshadowing and unexpected plot twists, the author keeps readers guessing and defies their expectations, culminating in a shocking and unexpected resolution. The infusion of Indian culture adds depth and authenticity to the story, enriching the characters' experiences and enhancing readers' connection to them. With its unpredictable nature, fast pace, and palpable tension, this book delivers a riveting and immersive reading experience that will leave readers captivated from start to finish.

Well written debut novel, a closed room murder mystery. An Indian immigrant family in Houston rides out a hurricane in their suburban McMansion. Interesting characters though I really didn’t care about any of them. Generational and cultural differences are interesting. Sufficient red herrings for a closed room mystery. I think I would have enjoyed more if I had liked any of the characters more, the ones I did like were underdeveloped - the 12 year old boy and the Grandma.

Nishita Parekh is a new author to me. I found her books on NetGalley as a most-requested thriller, and given it focuses on Indian culture in the US, I wanted to sample something different than my typical thrillers. Generally, I'd say it's a good book but I did feel too many simplicities were included with a lot of telling, minimal description, and not-quite-polished dialog. I found myself skimming a few lines to find the meat and subtleties of a thriller whereas often it felt like a lot of intentional shock drama and not enough deeply rooted drama and pain that caused the killer to kill. I'd give the author another chance, mostly because I liked learning more about Indian culture and reading about Houston, a town I know little about.

A fantastic domestic thriller debut that takes place in a wealthy Houston, Texas suburb as Hurricane Harvey barrels in forcing an extended South Asian American family to shelter in place together and has two sisters confronting secrets and resentments from the past and present until a dead body turns up and has everyone questioning each other's motives.

Twisty and full of heart in equal measure, the story tackles class and race with a memorable cast of characters. I really enjoyed this locked door thriller that kept me guessing right to the end and was also great on audio narrated by one of my favs, Soneela Nankani. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

There is nothing really wrong with this book, but I think I had a set idea how this book should go, just based on the title, and it did not really bring me there.

Having said that, I found the pacing excellent and that "non thing" between Jia and her brother in law was an excellent plot to add tot he story. It is very compelling and I kept thinking "what a jerk". Thankfully Jia has better sense and respect.

At times, the writing can be a little slow, but overall, I felt engaged and I was sorry when it ended.

I really thought I was going to love this one. Locked room esque, extreme weather and family drama?
It had all the right elements but something in the execution was lacking. This would have translated well to screen because it definitely needed some eerie music and jump scares.

Hurricane Harvey comes rolling into Houston and one family ignores the evacuation orders instead deals with all their dramas.

Overall I was pretty bored and wanted more especially from Jia, the main character. I did not care if they made it out or not…

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for an eARC.

The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh is a well packaged suspense that releases small clues until its satisfying conclusion. The complexities of family are exposed and used as a unique tool to throw the reader off balance, so that you never really know who you can trust. If you're looking for a thriller that is more mind games than slasher, then this is the book for you.