I did not love this book 😅 sorry, just had to say it. I swear I’m not trying to be mean, but you can definitely tell this the author’s debut novel by the writing style. It’s very formal one sentence and too casual the next, and she uses a lot of slang and expressions that don’t really fit the situation. The main character, Jia, is incredibly over dramatic and paranoid about literally everything, and I couldn’t stand her. The rest of the characters weren’t very relatable or likable either, and the ending was completely unbelievable. There was a small twist at the verrrrrry end, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the rest of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the opportunity to read before pub day on January 16th!

Unfortunately this was not good. The premise is very interesting: a large storm is coming to Houston and a family gathers to hunker down and ride the storm together. There are secrets, there is intrigue.
Where the story fails, is the pacing, execution and ridiculousness of the characters. We only get one POV of Jia, recently divorced mom of one that is staying at her sister's house. And Jia is not interesting at all. The story lacked thrills, tension and plausibility. The reveal was at the end *eyeroll.

I would have DNF this book, but since it was an ARC, I kept going, but I skimmed a lot in the second half. Would not recommend. I gave it 2 stars because it is a debut novel and I hope the author will do better next time around.

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for an early access to this book.

I’m going to preface my review by saying that I think this needs a bit more editing to keep it from feeling so bogged down at times. There very a few points where I could have easily talked myself into DNF’ing, but since it was an arc I kept going. The ending saved it somewhat, but I think if it wasn’t so sluggish at points it would move along better and it would flow easier and not feel like work to get to the good stuff.
When a hurricane hits Houston, Jia and her son Ishaan are forced to evacuate their home and flee to her sister Seema’s home to wait out the storm. Soon after she arrives at her sisters fancy house, she realizes that the storm may not be her biggest threat.
The locked room in a storm should have created a high pressure, high stress environment but unfortunately it was more melodramatic than high pressure. The plot was choppy and it felt quite disjointed. That’s not to say there weren’t elements that I liked about the story or that I won’t read what the author writes next, because the answer to both of those is yes.
Thanks to Dutton Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This was an interesting take on a murder mystery. I appreciated the cultural insight with Indian immigrant characters, as well as the setting in Houston during an extreme hurricane storm. The plot was a bit convoluted especially because of the choices the characters made within the parameters of the hurricane setting. However, I enjoyed the mixed cast of suspects in this closed quarter murder mystery. It was difficult to foresee "who dunnit" until the 'final', final reveal.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I actually DNF'd it about 25% in because I could not get connected with the characters at all and it failed to hold my attention.

Sometimes I look at a cover and read a synopsis and just KNOW that I'm going to love a book. That was how I felt first seeing this book, and I am so glad when I'm right. I love locked room thrillers but there are so many on the market right now, and there are some that feel so generic or blah. The Night of the Storm had everything that I love (and feel is necessary for a successful locked room): unsettling atmosphere, unhinged decisions, and a cast of characters where the whole time I'm wondering what their motives are. With all of these characters, when I was trying to figure out who the murderer was, I was thinking this person could be the murderer for this reason, but also it wouldn't make sense for this reason. I feel like that is so important for locked rooms. That way the resolution doesn't come out of nowhere, but it is still surprising. Some things I figured out or felt predictable, but a lot was also fairly surprising.


This definitely got unhinged in a fun way, and was filled with questionable decisions and unlikable characters. I can't wait to see what this author writes next.

This book is a case of the cover/plot summary not really connecting, for me, with the more family drama driven plot. I love family drama, I love locked room themes but this one just didn't come together for me This is largely a writing style issue for me, the plot never quite took off for me and the writing lacked the kind of cohesive focus I prefer when there is mystery and drama in place. The story itself did not feel original enough or developed enough to draw me in and keep me interested in the plot or characters.
I appreciate the review copy from Penguin group.

I love a locked room thriller… and on the surface, this has it all. Jai and her son are trapped at her sister’s house. With her brother-in-law, who she’s maybe having an affair with. Add grandma, the in-laws, and Jai’s niece. Oh, and a Cat 4 Hurricane coming at them, so they can’t leave. Then the neighbor shows up - and he’s extra shady

Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. Character development was iffy, and no one in the book was likable. Jia also went from a bumbling single mother who can’t drive in the dark to suddenly picking up on the slightest clues and solving a murder. Just seemed a little bit of a reach.

Without giving too much away, the ending was very predictable, and as the morning approached, it was all very cliche. THEN there was that last chapter. Well played. Enough to salvage the read, but there are better stories with the same plot line (Daisy Darker, The Hunting Party, One by One)

I received an ARC via #NetGalley for review!

I found this book to be far too predictable for me. And if I'm going to be completely honest. I couldn't wait for it to be over.

THE NIGHT OF THE STORM by Nishita Parekh is a fast-paced, dramatic suspense!

⭐⭐⭐💫

This story follows Jia, an Indian-American who is living in Sugar Land Texas when Hurricane Harvey hits, driving her and her son to her sister Seema's home where all is not as picture perfect as it seems. Seema's home becomes the hub for the family with not just her sister, but also the matriarch, Grandma, and Seema's brother-in-law and his wife. The family tensions are high without the hurricane bearing down, so the added storm and then the appearance of the neighbor adds more than this house can hold. When the storm blows over, not everyone will make it out alive.

This was a family drama that began to build suspense from the start. I loved the Indian culture presented and the Hindu practices that were peppered in. It felt like a fresh lens for a suspense. I loved the mix of characters and how they interacted. It felt like watching a fun murder mystery movie! I wasn't sure what was happening until it was revealed. The revelation felt a bit quick, but maybe I was just slow! I also didn't love the 2nd to last chapter, but did love the last one! Overall the story was a fun, quick read!

Thank you to @duttonbooks & @netgalley for this advanced copy and letting me share my thoughts! I really enjoyed this multi-generational, diverse, claustrophobic story that is set to publish on January 16th.

I’m not sure what to say about this book other than it felt so scattered and disjointed. There were too many things going on and it didn’t come together for me. I had a difficult time getting through it.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

I love the concept of a locked room mystery but I think my expectations were set too high. The family drama definitely was the forefront of this novel. The ending was also anticlimactic for me.

While I was so eager to start this, I was kind of let down by it overall. It read very much like a YA novel and seemed quite juvenile. I didn’t like any of the characters but appreciated learning a bit about Indian culture as it pertained to marriage.

As this is a debut novel, I will always give an author another try if I didn’t absolutely hate the book, which I didn’t in this case.

I love the idea of a locked room mystery set in a hurricane. The descriptions of the hurricane and devastation were the most effective parts of the book. otherwise I found the writing and characterization a bit stilted. I think I need to stop reading thrillers with parenting anxieties- I really did not enjoy those aspects of this book. the examinations of marriage dynamics in Indian and Indian-American culture added some good cultural specificity to the book but it all felt like obvious observations to me. all that said I actually loved the epilogue!

“The Night of the Storm” by Nishita Parekh follows an Indian American family during Hurricane Harvey. Jia is a single mother, trying to do anything to keep her son safe. When her apartment complex falls under mandatory evacuation, Jia reluctantly takes up her sister Seema’s offer to stay with her family. Combined tensions run high as various secrets cloud each person’s mind. Suddenly, someone dies- was it an accident? Or is someone in the house a murderer?

I love a classic locked-room thriller, and this book was no exception. Placing a complicated family in a hurricane is a situation I’ve never read before in this genre, so I was drawn in from page one. Each member of the family is holding on to a secret and in a way it makes all of them somehow capable of murder.

In the end, this book earned 4 stars from me. It was quick, clever, and I couldn’t put it down until I could fill in the gaps. I was even pleasantly surprised by the final twist at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review! This book comes out January 16th!

I was very excited for this because a) locked room mystery; b) people trapped during a storm; and c) diverse perspective. However, the balance between family melodrama and murder mystery was way skewed toward the melodrama, which isn’t my thing. As a result, I ended up disappointed. I also feel like the story could have been tightened to be more impactful.

I do appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC.

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.