I was interested from the start, but I'm a little jaded by the locked room trope at this point, although I tried not to let it alter my thoughts on the book. It was enjoyable, but I wasn't staggered by it. It was a decent read, and I'm not mad at it. I like the idea of it set somewhere in the South during something I'm used to (major storms) so that was a better addition than the typical snowstorm in some of these.

A solid three stars. Thank you to Nishita Parekh, the publishers, and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good closed-room mystery/thriller. Single mom Jia and her son Ishaan seek shelter at her sister's home in Houston as Hurricane Harvey rolls in. Her brother in law assures her and the rest of the family hunkering down in their fancy home that their home will be safe due to its elevation. As the storm escalates, tensions increase among the Indian-American family and soon enough, two people drop dead. Was it in intruder or was it someone already inside the house?

This is certainly a fast read, but I did feel like some parts dragged. I figured out the main twist pretty early on, but the final chapter was a sweet sweet surprise. I enjoyed this debut by Parekh and I'll certainly keep an eye out for more from the author.

Situated in a hurricane in an upscale neighborhood of Houston, this murder mystery had all the makings of a good story. Jia Shah and her son flee their apartment to her sister's large house during the storm. As the water rises, tempers in the house rise. Sadly, the story devolves into a soap opera and becomes almost painful to read. I found myself skimming at the end just to find out who dunnit. I should have put it down and moved onto something else.

"The Night of the Storm" by Nishita Parekh is a gripping locked-room thriller that combines the tension of a murder mystery with the backdrop of a hurricane. This debut novel offers a fresh and engaging take on the classic genre.

The story follows the Shah family, who find themselves marooned in a house during Hurricane Harvey. As the storm rages outside, the tensions within the family rise. Jia Shah, a single mother, is worried about her son Ishaan, who has been suspended from school. The family dynamics become even more complicated with the arrival of other relatives, including Seema, Jia's sister, and her husband Vipul.

The author skillfully builds the suspense as the family members bicker and argue, creating a tense atmosphere within the house. When a series of unfortunate events leads to murder, Jia finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, and the real killer could be anyone in the house.

One of the strengths of this novel is its well-developed characters. Each family member has their own quirks, flaws, and secrets, making them feel like real people with complex relationships. The dynamics between the characters add depth to the story and keep the reader guessing about their motivations.

The setting of a hurricane provides an intense backdrop for the unfolding drama. The isolation caused by the storm adds to the sense of claustrophobia and urgency, making it a perfect setting for a locked-room mystery.

Nishita Parekh's writing is engaging and keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end. The pacing is well-executed, with twists and turns that keep you guessing about the identity of the murderer. The book also delves into themes of family, trust, and the consequences of secrets.

Overall, "The Night of the Storm" is a compelling and suspenseful thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Nishita Parekh's debut novel is a promising start to her writing career, and fans of mystery and suspense will find much to enjoy in this book.

The cover of this book is what drew me in, and I was so excited. However this book took me way longer than I wanted to to finish. It was such a slow burn, but I didn’t see the twist coming. If you like slower mysteries then this is the book for you!

The Night of the Storm, written by Nishita Parekh, captivated me from the very beginning with the fury of a raging hurricane. With each turn of the page, tension mounts as a courageous single mother and her child are forced to seek refuge alongside a dangerous killer.

What a great debut novel!! It was a bit slow in parts for me but the twists were fantastic and I did not see the end coming. Looking forward for more from this author! Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!

An intense and fast-moving thriller that exposes the difficulties faced by immigrants trying to break free from the expectations of their cultures. Jia has left her husband in Chicago after he did something unforgiveable, and moved to Houston with her son to be nearer to her sister's wealthy and traditional Indian family. A nasty hurricane causes her and other family members to hole up in her sister's seemingly impenetrable house to wait out the storm. Tensions rise along with the flood waters when mysterious accidents start occurring and a menacing neighbor whose story doesn't quite add up ends up in the mix. Jia just wants to provide a safe and nurturing environment for her son, despite the scorn heaped on divorced women in her culture.

Women and men both suffer from cultural expectations in this novel that explores the frustrations and fears of immigrants without being melancholy or heavy-handed.

The night of the storm
Nishita Parekh
Pub Date; Jan 16, 2024
Dutton
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Mystery/thriller
This is Parekh’s debut and it’s got plenty of tension and all the elements to keep me reading!
There is plenty of cultural information about Hinduism including foods, beliefs, and the importance of family. Truly entertaining!
4 stars

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

Good ideas but it didn't add anything to the genre.

The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh is a very good locked room mystery.
The cover and description really pulled me and I was super excited to open this book up.
This gripping, twisty mystery sucked me in from the very first page.
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters were great.
Full of tension, twist after twist, and characters who pull you deep into their journey. I loved every second of this book.

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

Thank You NetGalley and Dutton for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was compelling in many different ways. I enjoyed it as it took me for a suspenseful ride. The hurricane builds the complexity of the suspense. It also pulled at my heartstrings for what Jia was going through, amidst of her divorce and raising her child by herself and the move to Houston. Lots of changes happening for the pair and even with the drama of the hurricane, it was interesting to see the mother and son relationship be tested and grow throughout the book. Thank you for this advanced reader’s version of the book. Coming out January 2024!

I did not like this book enough to finish it. The description sounded interesting, but once I started reading I couldn't remember what had called out to me. Halfway through the book I realized I didn't like a single character nor care about their fate. The book is well written, but it is absolutely not for me.

3⭐️

In the midst of a custody battle, her young son acting out, and her brother-in-law making uncomfortable comments, the last thing Jia Shah has the ability to process is a hurricane. But as Hurricane Harvey bares down on Houston and her apartment falls under a mandatory evacuation order, Jia has no choice but to stay with her sister and brother-in-law. Tensions are high are the storm gets worse and that's when someone is found dead. Which means one of them is a killer.

This was just okay. The storm was a nice catalyst to push the "locked room" aspect of the story. But the actual mystery left a lot to be desired. The twist was fairly predictable but I do think the build-up to it was done well.

None of the characters were all that likeable and the fact that most of Jia's story revolved around immediately thinking the worst of her son was awful. The views from the grandma and the brother-in-law, while very cultural, were just highly irritating to me. There was just so much infidelity, condescension and tension that made it hard to enjoy this.

Thanks Netgalley and Dutton for providing this ARC to me!

This book was very good! It was a bit slow at times but I managed to get through it! Props to the ending never saw it coming

This is legendary. Okay so Jia is a newly divorced mom. She has a "perfect" sister, a creepy brother in law, her son, and a baby niece.
Plus her ex husband who is trying to get custody of her son, who is her everything.
When Hurricane Harvey hits she heads to her sister's house and they're joined by the creepy brother in law's brother and his wife Lisa. Jia is observing everyone and is worried about Lisa. She is also trying to avoid creepy brother in law.
After a while she discovers that she left one evacuation zone for another.
And then things get murdery.
I loved learning about Jia's culture while also being scared out of my mind. This was terrifying.
I love Seema's pettiness. I wanted to take notes.
I loved this so much I didn't want to put it down. I can't express that enough. I want to read ten books just like this right now.

Nishita Parekh's The Night of the Storm is packed full of great ideas and interesting elements; Jia, the protagonist, has to reckon with difficult family dynamics and an incoming Hurricane, and that's before the murder.

There are some pacing issues that take a lot of the wind out of the sails of the novel early on. The crime at the center of the mystery doesn't take place until about halfway through the book. The first half has a few misdirects, where you think something is happening, only for it to be nothing. I eventually started to think there wouldn't be a murder at all and the paranoia would be the central point, so by the time it did happen I was less invested. On the other end, because it took so long to get to murder, the second half felt pretty rushed.

Overall there is a lot to like! Especially if you, like me, are a sucker for locked-room mysteries.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

For a debut, this was solid. A locked room mystery/thriller is classic for a reason and this one hit the mark. Add in a hurricane and it just perfected the atmosphere. I will read the next one this author puts out.

While I totally appreciated the perspective of a divorced mom, especially one from a culture who puts so much pride and stock and status into marriage, this fell very flat for me. I could see the twist coming pretty early on and it just seemed like a bunch of women ultimately hating marriage/what comes along with it, and honestly hating themselves.

The Night of the Storm has a strong premise; from its description, to the cover, it comes across as an enticing read. The novel has strong character work, Jia, the novel’s protagonist is both nuanced and flawed, making her an ideal character to witness the chaotic events of the book through. However, my reservations on the book come from an overall lack of thrill in my personal experience. With the plot being so character driven, most of the thrill was quite subdued and I never quite felt on the edge of my seat. The ending was decent, but I felt like the outcome of the night had me wanting more. I also didn’t appreciate Dev being painted as some kind of hero after the encounters he had with an underage girl. I believe Jia’s decision to let him back into Ishaan’s life did not quite coincide with the decisions she made throughout the narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of The Night of the Storm for allowing me to read and review this book in advance of its release!