This book started off excellent but with each turn just went downhill for me. The characters weren’t believable and their exchanges off. It was a good idea but I think poorly executed. I found it too predictable. The final twist at the end was unexpected but not surprising enough. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An extended family with secrets huddles together in the midst of Hurricane Harvey. Deaths occur and secrets are uncovered.

This book follows Jia, recently divorced mother who moved from Chicago to Houston where her sister Seema lives with her husband. There is a hurricane and Jia’s sister convinces Jia to come stay with her. Seema’s husband, brother-in-law and wife, and mother-in-law are also there. They should have evacuated but are trapped instead, when a creepy neighbor shows up. He ends up dead - and they are in the presence of a killer. Who did it?

This book had a LOT going on. It was a page turner. I didn’t love how quickly Jia suspected her son of the worst. Seema and Lisa were almost like caricatures rather than fully fleshed out characters. I definitely had an idea of who the killer was - but the epilogue threw me! Definitely a quick read, and it kept me interested the whole time.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A locked-room whodunit. This had a fun and fresh spin to the classic murder mystery trope with the Texas storm. It was really, really slow though.

A deadly storm, family secrets, danger.... and murder? The Night of the Storm is a fast paced thriller that is impossible to put down!

You will like this book if you like: atmospheric family drama with sinister tones, Hindu households in Houston, flawed but brave MCs, mixed metaphors, unbelievably precocious 19 month-olds

I wish this book had a more consistent or regular structure. The jumping back in time at key present-timeline moments was unnecessary in my opinion.

That ending though - worth it!

StoryGraph review in link. Thank you for the book!!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was faced passed and keep you on the edge of your seat.

The premise of this book is the recipe for a good suspense novel - characters stuck together during a storm (including a creepy neighbor). And there is some suspense to be had, but it takes a little while to build. The first half of the book seems to focus more on dysfunctional family dynamics, and so was initially a bit slow. However, I was definitely curious and eager to continue. The latter half of this book is all action and thrill. I enjoyed the twists at the end (though a bit unrealistic). Overall, I enjoyed the read and consider it to be impressive work for a debut author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a chance to read this book early.

this was a good example of a locked room mystery, the first that I have read. While I did not fully understand the family's cultural backstory and how that lead into the murders, I did like the story.

2.3
Fundamentally, this would have been at least okay were it not for the MC' dramatic overreaction to EVERY SINGLE THING. So, if anything noteworthy (like murder, for example) did happen, it got the same treatment as, say, a child accidentally falling down in the school cafeteria. Mkay.

The Night of the Storm

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

A woman takes her kids to her sister's home to escape a flood, however a few vital secrets lead to a situation which is just as deadly as the forces of nature.

A new and exciting name in psychological thrillers, Nishita Parekh is a talent that I feel sure we will be hearing more from.

A well-crafted, exciting story that reminds you there is frequently more than one danger that can face your life, two in this story occur at the same time in this story, and both are equally as potentially deadly.

For a first time novelist I am impressed! I would have never known this was the first. A beautifully written psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the last word. I loved how the book took you through the eye of the storm and delivered you to a new horizon! I recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, easy read with the thrill of guessing in tow! Bravo Nishita Parekh! I’ll be tuning in for more!

An incredible locked room thriller with an unique and modern premise! The family dynamics only added to the tension and I enjoyed every second. A wonderful read!

What a perfect thriller! A storm (ha ha!) of circumstances provide the right amount of pressure to keep these characters and the readers on edge.

Between her ex-husband threatening to sue for full custody and Hurricane Harvey, Jia's on edge and wondering how every decision will sound to a custody judge. When she decides to shelter at her sister's, she discovers it's under an evacuation order as well, and only her brother-in-law's insistence that the flood won't make it up the hilly driveway and some slashed tires keep her in place. With eight extended family members ending up under one roof, tensions are already running high. When a neighbor whose story doesn't quite add up joins the party and people begin to end up dead, Jia has to stay one step ahead of both the murderers and the advancing flood waters.

Jia was sympathetic as the divorced black sheep of the family who wants to keep her son safe from every threat, even those that come from within the family. Seema was perfect as the smug sister who seems to have her life perfectly together, while sister-in-law Lisa rounded out the dynamic with her desperation to be liked and to belong.

I enjoyed reading about an Indian family, as that's not a culture I've seen represented a lot, especially in thrillers. This kept me on the edge of the seat as disaster came from every direction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the chance to read this book. The Night of the Storm is Nishita Parekh's first novel. A thriller set during Hurricane Harvey that explores family dynamics and comes with a twist.

There were a lot of positives about this story. As a reader, I really enjoy learning about different cultures when reading fiction. It was interesting to learn about Indian family dynamics and expectations or what is is like to live in America as an Indian-American or Indian immigrant. This was a big part of the story. Another thing that I think Parekh did an amazing job with is the usage of imagery in this novel. There were great depictions of the surroundings and of the characters themselves. It really felt like I was there and it helped me feel invested in the characters.

Some of the negatives: I think that this story was initially hard to get into. It took me a while to get through this novel, and I don't typically find that to be the case when I'm reading thrillers. I also think this novel would have benefitted from a non-linear timeline throughout the whole story. We could have explored some of the intricacies of certain relationships throughout the novel rather than mentioning something at the beginning of the novel once or twice and then concluding the story at the end. I think there were something technical aspects of the novel that missed the mark for me (ex: some of the diction felt stiff and uncomfortable at times such as the storm warnings from official sources).

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Night of the Storm. I think it's worth a read and I celebrate that this is the author's debut novel. Cheers!

#TheNightoftheStorm #NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this ARC for my honest review! The story starts off strong, a single mother in a custody battle over her son with his father. A forced secluded setting where characters are trapped trying to figure out the classic whodunit. It gives exactly what any thriller needs and the storytelling in general is a delight. Though the author does a fantastic job in setting up the premise, the story itself has some flaws. The author gives you subtle hints that feel more like obvious neon signs about whodunit. I was hoping it was one of those times where the one who obviously did it actually didn’t twists. I figured out The Who rather quickly because of it and was disappointed that I was right. I did like the little twist at the end but wished the big reveal was more impactful. By the end I really enjoyed Dev’s character and how he was used in the story, which was surprising due to how much I hated him when I learned more about why Jia and him divorced. Without spoiling it the ending felt weak to me. Jia changing her mind at the end even if it was because of the sympathy of another didn’t sit with me. All in all, it was a good read that gripped my attention and I look forward to more novels by this author.

3/5 stars

This book had complex family relationships and as well as a murder mystery. This was not a fast-paced read for me; it started out slow and it took a while for the plot to really thicken. The character buildup was slower as well and I think that added to the depth of the characters. I felt like the ending just fell flat. I liked the concept of the story but it just didn't pack a punch for me.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

The Night of the Storm is the debut novel by Nishita Parekh. I like the cover, it is eerie, and the dark figure in the window is spooky, which provides a nice introduction to the plot.

The story started out well and was engaging with the impending hurricane. The characters each had many secrets. I hoped this would be faster paced, as sometimes the story would lag with too much description or exposition.

I thought the strongest character was Ishaan. He seemed older than what is stated in the book. The ending was a surprise and what saved the story for me.

I would probably read another book by this author. I felt this one was good though it was slow in places. The premise was good, and the scenery and hurricane added interesting elements.

I would give this a 3.75 out of 5 stars (rounded to 4).

#TheNightoftheStorm #NetGalley @DuttonBooks

The cover and "locked room" mystery trope was what me want to read this book. It definitely started out a bit slow, and I would say was a slow burn mystery. I liked the characters and there were some cultural elements that were explained very well that aren't typically what you find in the genre.

The actual twist was a bit predictable and for that reason, I am giving it 3.5 stars. I am looking for a jaw dropping twist in this genre, and unfortunately, this one did not ever deliver that.

I do think this debut author has plenty of potential, and I would definitely be interested in reading a second book before I decide if it is an author I wish to continue reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this digital copy.