The Night of the Storm is Nishita Parekh's debut novel. And if you're a fan of twists and turns, you'll find them here.

The cover gives you a good idea of what you'll find inside. The storm in question is Hurricane Harvey and the house is where Jia, her son and other family members choose to hunker down - instead of evacuating. A perfect setting for a 'locked' room mystery. Because...yes, you guessed it...one of them turns up dead. So who is the killer?

Parekh's characters all have their own secrets and agendas. And each one of them is offered up as the culprit as the plot unfolds. This changes often and Parekh leads the reader down the garden path more than once. The only character I liked was Jai - and my thoughts on her changed more than once. Parekh takes inspiration from her own life, family, mores etc. and inserts it in her novel. "She (Parekh) is a software programmer but a writer at heart, and loves writing about her experiences as a woman and an immigrant."

I enjoyed the twists and turns up to a certain point - and then I felt they were becoming just too unbelievable. The epilogue cleans up all the questions and 'where are they now' info, along with another twist Jai makes a decision that I whole heartedly disagree with.

The Night of the Storm was a good debut novel and I liked it, but didn't love it.

A surprise from Nishita Parekh! I wasn’t sure what to expect from a murder mystery set entirely in one house over the course of one night, but what a ride it was!

“The Night of the Storm” takes us to Texas, where a hurricane of historical proportions is set to make landfall. An extended family decides to take shelter together under the same roof to ride out the storm. But not all of them will live to see morning & the killer is who you least expect.

A definite page-turner with a fresh take on psychological thrillers! I loved the characters & their plot lines. Found myself wanting to read “just one more page” in the hopes I would find out the next twist!

As Hurricane Harvey approaches Houston, Jia is already stressed--recently divorced, she's struggling to make ends meet while parenting a twelve-year-old son who was recently suspended from school, avoiding her brother-in-law who has transitioned from helpful to creepy, and hoping her ex isn't serious about revisiting their custody agreement. Grudgingly, she accepts her sister, Seema's, invitation to ride out the storm in her McMansion, figuring keeping her son safe outweighs the risk of being in close quarters with her amorous brother-in-law.

Also there for the storm are her brother-in-law's brother and his new wife, along with her sister's resident mother-in-law, who immediately ramps up tensions by playing favorites among her daughters-in-law. Then a neighbor takes refuge in the house, only to die. His death is followed shortly by another and all the adult members of the household (save Grandma, who is being sheilded from the truth) begin to suspect one another--because, obviously, someone in the house is guilty of murder.

This locked room thriller is updated with a more diverse cast, suburban McMansion, and the tensions that accompany newer immigrants to the US. It is mainly enjoyable, although the author succumbs too often to the Nancy Drew/sitcom method of creating a mini-cliffhanger at the end of each chapter in such a heavy-handed manner that it distracted me. And as the parent of someone with an anaphylactic allergy, I'm really triggered by the anaphylactic death as a plot device. Despite these flaws, I enjoyed the story and the subtle social commentary. #TheNightoftheStorm #NetGalley

{3.5 stars}

A major hurricane is headed to Houston, and the city has ordered evacuations. And an affluent neighborhood and Indian family gathers to wait it out in the safety of their home. Soon the body start to pile up and everyone’s secrets start to surface.

I like a good locked room mystery. But we don’t get enough BIPOC focused ones. I really like the cultural aspects that impacted this story. The nuances of class, religion, gender roles and struggles that immigrants go through to assimilate and thrive added real depth to the story. I will say, I was able to solve the main mystery pretty early but the final chapter reveal was a surprise. Overall solid, pacey thriller with great atmosphere.

Thanks to Dutton Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above my own.

This is Nishita Parekh's debut and it's got plenty of tension and all the elements needed for a locked room murder mystery. The book follows Jia, a recently divorced mother of a 12-year-old son Ishaan. Jia is just trying to make ends meet and make sure Ishaan stays out of trouble. When Jia receives word that they must evacuate their apartment due to possible flooding from the storm. Seema, Jia's older sister wants her and Ishaan to bunker down at her house in Sugar Land. Against her better judgement Jia decides to go. As the flood waters keep rising and Vipul, Seema's husband keeps making advances at Jia she knows that she must tell Seema the truth or leave the safety of the house with Ishaan. When one of the guest's suddenly dies everyone in the house is a suspect, including Ishaan. This book had an unbelievable twist at the end that I didn't even guess. Nishita Parekh gave a beautiful history of the Indian cultural and how even living in America, women are seen with less worth. That surprised me the most. If you liked the following books, then you will love The Night of the Storm. The Guest List by Lucy Foley, Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson, The House Across the Lake and The Only One Left by Riley Sager, The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley, and She Started It by Sian Gilbert.

3.5 This was a fun thriller but a little predictable. This story follows Jia a recently divorced single mother who recently moved to Texas with her son to start over. Not long after a hurricane moves in the likes Texas has never seen before. To escape the storm Sima, Jia’s sister, invited them to come stay at their home in the suburbs that they thought would be protected from the storm. Sima also invited her husbands brother in law and his wife as well. All was going well until family drama soon takes over leaving them looking for a way to escape but the hurricane has other ideas.

I enjoyed this book it was a fun fast paced read. The writing was very easy to follow and the family drama was entertaining. As far as the characters go I felt that some were really well fleshed out but others relevant in the story were kind of flat and I wanted to know more about them. My main issue with this book was the ending wasn’t my favorite and it felt a little predictable. I hope to read more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the twists kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and will be reading more by this author!! Thank you for letting me read and review this book!

A fun, trapped-in-a-house mystery. It's bit slow to start, with light cliffhangers at the end of every chapter that led me to feel a bit like I was being led around without much to go on, but at some point the pieces started coming together. Really, the best thing about this book is the cultural aspect-- it adds a fascinating depth to the relationships and motives. Without it, the novel would fall flat.

I enjoyed reading this book, but it didn't quite capture my attention as I had hoped. It was an interesting premise and I empathized with the main character and all the issues she was having. Its totally relatable as a mother to be overworked, stressed, and feeling like you are just messing everything up. The ending at first was really good, but then it petered out a bit for me and the bit of back-tracking that happened was meh.

The Night of the Storm is Nishita Parekh's debut mystery novel.

When a hurricane threatens to flood their apartment, Jia and her son Ishaan flee to her sister Seema's mansion on the hill. Seema's husband Vipul swears it's impossible for their home to flood, so everyone will be safe there. Raj and Lisa also join the family for safety, with Grandma rounding out the cast of characters. When the new neighbor from across the street shows up needing help, they have no choice but to let him in. But before you know it, one of them is dead and the only possible culprits are in the house, and the rain keeps coming.

This was definitely a slow build for me, it didn't have much suspense until maybe the last 50 pages or so. Told from the perspective of Jia, she's focused on keeping her son safe, making the right decisions, and less on who the killer is. I didn't find any of the characters to be all that likeable. Jia was annoying, jumping to conclusions about anyone and everyone, and was too worried about her ex-husband wanting custody of Ishaan. Seema is a manipulative, passive aggressive wife, with no redeeming qualities. Vipul seems like the perfect husband, but he's got his own secrets and eventually shows his true colors.

For a debut novel, this was pretty good. The ending was unpredictable, I didn't really know how it was going to wrap up. There were multiple plot lines going, with clues here and there hinting at what was happening.

All in all, this was a good first outing for Nishita. If you enjoy a locked room mystery, multigenerational family drama, a whodunit, and secrets, then give this one a try!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @DuttonBooks for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

Jia’s life has taken a vast turn after deciding to divorce her husband and move to Houston, TX with her son, Ishaan. Struggling with being a single parent and behavioral problems with her son, Hurricane Harvey was the last thing Jia needed to happen. The use of a hurricane to set the scene for this thriller added to the urgency of discovering answers that Jia needed. We got a pretty thorough background on Jia and Ishaan as the book progressed, but there seemed to be less depth for the other characters mentioned in the book.

It was easy to support Jia and understand why she was “seeking” attention from her sister’s husband, Vipul. Vipul and his wife were at a rocky point in their marriage – especially because of Vipul’s mother. When Hurricane Harvey gave Jia no choice but to seek refuge at her sister’s house, more than the truth came out. Surrounded by family members and then the ominous neighbor, more and more kept going wrong (not even considering the mess that the hurricane was causing).

The beginning of the book had a slow start, but I couldn’t put it down once I was about halfway through. Parekh did a wonderful job building Jia’s story and character, but more about her sister Seema would’ve added another layer to the story. I would’ve loved to understand both sisters throughout the book and not just discover Seema’s motives in the last chapters. At one point, it seemed like the storm took a backseat and then it was all of the sudden detrimental to Seema’s home. I think the ending was predictable just because of the clues throughout the novel. Overall, the thriller story line can keep readers hooked through the end, but left feeling like something was missing. The book including a diverse group of characters was a positive and makes it stand out in comparison to the stereotypical characters in thriller novels. I am excited to read more of Parekh’s work in the future!

Hurricanes and family drama is definitely the mashup to make for a good story. A house full of family that is uncomfortable around each other and all keeping secrets? Even better. All good if the delivery was perfect.


The story follows Jia and her son as they go to stay with family during a hurricane hitting Houston. Everyone has secrets and some inappropriate behavior making others uncomfortable. I liked the group of characters and how different Parekh made them. You had many personalities with different beliefs, while also sharing some similar beliefs. I also enjoyed the way there were a lot of hard-hitting topics like divorce in hyper-traditional families, sexual harassment, and affairs. When an author adds in so many nail-biting topics, its almost guaranteed to keep you turning the pages.

While the story did keep me reading because I just had to know how this was going to end, there were a few things that bothered me. Being someone who lives in Florida, I know quite a bit about hurricanes and some of the information regarding the storm itself was off. The timeline was the biggest bother. It seemed like the storm was just approaching, but suddenly highways were under water and the city was JUST issuing evacuations. Cities wouldn’t tell people to evacuate if the highways were under water. They would have done it before. The flooding at the house also confused me because of timeline issues. The way the storm progressed seemed weird. I’m not saying it was completely wrong, but the timeline confused things and didn’t mesh with what was happening. This caused plot holes and that makes reading it harder.


With that said, I knew I was going to keep reading because the main storyline of what was happening with Jia was enough to make me want to know who was behind all the crazy things happening. The Night of the Storm was filled with suspense as I tried to figure out who was the bad guy and were these people going to live through this storm. Pick up a copy and give it a read. Let us know what you think.

I was so intrigued by this book being set during a Hurricane with an entire family forced together due to a storm. This being a mystery and all, there was sure to be plenty of family drama, dysfunction, and at least one murder. All of this did happen.

Jia Shah is staying with her son, Ishaan when she hears she must evacuate due to Hurricane Harvey. Her Sister, Seema insists she come stay with her. Family is everything she says. It just is not safe to be alone. Well, that statement does get tested many times. Jia brings her son to Seema’s gorgeous home in Sugar Land. Seema’s husband, Vipul, their young daughter, Asha, and her elderly mother-in-law. Vipul’s brother, Raj and his new wife Lisa will also be staying until the storm passes. Being of Indian descent means much is expected of the women and it is hard to always be the perfect person. Jia especially feels the sting since she decided to get divorced from her husband, Dev and in the Indian American Community one is judged very harshly for that. Yet, Seema and Jia have always been close.

Much dysfunctional family drama does occur. Too much actually. The events do not unfold naturally and it was hard to believe many of the story lines. There were too many and the family was constantly fighting with one another. Yet, big events happen and everyone is acting fairly normally. I thought I had figured out the story, but by the time I did, I wasn’t invested enough to really care about anyone.

This was the author’s first novel and it did provide interesting aspects of being part of an Indian Family. The novel was a fast read and easy to follow, but it needed less and more at the same time. I didn’t completely dislike this book, but it wasn’t one that will stay with me long. Except Grandma, I will remember her.

Thank you NetGalley, Nishita Parekh, and Dutton Publishing for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

2.75 rounded up. Jia is a single mother who must take her son to shelter at her sister’s home in Houston during hurricane Harvey. As the water rises, other family members and a mysterious and suspicious-acting neighbor arrive and soon the group is trapped by the flood. Everyone seems to have secrets and after one of the house’s occupants dies suddenly, the others become more paranoid and make bad decisions. Before the night is over, another death occurs and the survivors are sure that the danger is within the house.
This review is difficult because other than the creative setting during hurricane Harvey and the locked room mystery plot, I’m having trouble identifying positives about this book. The dialogue is sophomoric at best and the situations are very unrealistic. For example (and trying to avoid spoilers), while being rescued and in a boat, two of the characters ask their rescuers for a phone so they can look at a Facebook video. And this example is just the tip of a very far-fetched and unrealistic iceberg. The characters are not at all likable or realistic. This author has some good ideas so hopefully her writing can improve. I hate writing negative reviews and I’m no author but this book is a hot mess.
#NetGalley #PenguinHouseDutton

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book a third of the way through. This just wasn't for me. I felt it was a textbook explaining Indian traditions with a story mixed in. I wanted more story and suspense other than explaining and complaining from the narrator.

*Thank you @duttonbooks and @prhaudio for the #gifted galley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This review will not be posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

Unfortunately this book was not for me. It should have an exciting tense read but for the first two-thirds of the book it was all one big pity party on behalf of the narrator. She never had anything nice to say about anybody either. The hurricane should have brought a lot of tension but most of the time the characters were acting like everything was normal. It could have been a great closed room mystery but by the time it gets exciting, I didn’t really care anymore.

This is how you do a locked-room mystery! I just finished and I am stressed! This book had it all for me. I love fictional stories based around real weather events.

Jia is the single mom of Ishaan and fairly new to the South, as she fled her life in Chicago for Texas to be close to her sister Seema and her family. Her ex was a bad dude and she wanted to get herself and her child away before he could gaslight some more.

Trading in snowstorms for hurricanes, Jia is at a loss for what to do when Hurricane Harvey comes barreling toward them. Her sister offers for Jia and Ishaan to weather the storm at their house, which is higher on a hill, and let's face it- it's nicer than Jia's apartment.

Jia is reluctant because she's had some encounters with her brother-in-law Vipul that are less than savory and she just doesn't want to deal with it but she puts her big girl pants on and braves the awkwardness for her son's safety.

Soon after arriving, Jia can see that things might not be safer in this home after all and when the lights are out and the water is rushing in, there's no way to escape a killer, and worse, everyone there tonight has something to hide- including a mysterious visitor.

This book is why they say reading expands your vocabulary. I learned a lot of new words in this and a lot about the Indian culture, which is always interesting. I enjoy hearing about the customs and traditions of others. It was a tad wordy and that did make it take a little longer to get through but I wouldn't change it. At first I thought it was ostentatious but after a while I saw it for what it was, which is intelligent.

The first half moves a bit slow, we really get our characters backgrounds. Though it is slightly atmospheric due to the storm and environment, it's mostly character-driven. All of that Intel came together later on and I was happier for having known it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review! Can't wait for more from this author.

Jia feels like her life is falling apart. First her divorce, then her son getting into trouble at school. Now a massive storm has descended upon her hometown, and she and her son go to take refuge in her sister’s house.

But there are complications amongst the family. As the water rises, someone dies, and Jia worries it might have been murder. She must somehow stay above the riding tides and keep her son and herself safe, while figuring out just what is going on.

Parekh does an amazing job of making the book feel claustrophobic, taking what is essentially a mansion and making it feel like the tiniest apartment. She does this through her beautiful use of language, and also through the sheer amount of characters trapped in the house, and the increasingly terrible storm right outside the massive glass panes.

The mystery is also an excellent one. I did not call any part of it, it was like the rug was pulled right out from under me. I would recommend this book.

Now I love a good locked room mystery and I have to admit, I don't think I've read one set in a rainstorm that was exciting! This being a debut; it was a little rough but really not to bad. I would def read another book by Nishita Parekh. That said, there were a few things that really dropped the rating. We got a lot of side story on Jia and her struggle going through a divorce which I honestly could've cared less about. I think some early passages about it and helping us understand why she chose to bunk with her sister but after that it really didn't add anything to the story. The coming and going of characters felt a little off to me as well. The grandma sleeping all the time, like we got to understand that, but then what's the excuse for the two kids. No way a teenager and a young kid is going to sleep that much especially with a hurricane raging outside. Either put them into the story or not. Now, with all that said, I honestly liked the reveal of the final killer. Wasn't expecting that!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I got this book due to the fierce atmosphere of the cover and the plot centered around Hurricane Harvey. However, I wanted to DNF this book a few times, but I still wanted to see how the author would conclude the story. Nothing about this book felt realistic, and the writing was not engaging enough to enjoy the book. I did like how the author, Nishita Parekh, took her own experiences as a single Indian American while Hurricane Harvey hit her home as inspiration for this story. I also loved the sassy grandmother as it reminded me of my grandfather, who was notoriously famous for having no filter. I think ending the story with the last chapter from the grandmother’s perspective was a good call. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone but I appreciate Parekh's effort for her debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group Dutton for giving me a copy of the book.