Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A heart breakingly sad story but extremely well written. Impossible not to shed tears during this book.

I have left a full review for this book on Goodreads, linked below.

The book took a long time to warm up. It was an emotional book with the storyline being told from various aspects and a difficult subject matter. It was drawn out but a good for a debut. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Difficult to believe is a debut. The writing is accomplished, the characters plausible and the plotting absolutely bang on. It’s the worst nightmare; a day at the beach, two youngsters go into the water and only one comes out. What follows is a twisty psychological thriller and part police procedural. Works at both levels and the lead police characters are personally involved in the aftermath of this tragedy. Clever and compelling. .

Two small children go into the sea during a storm and only one comes out alive. Two families, once best friends have their friendship and lives ripped apart after this tragic accident - but was it?
This was a fast paced book and on the whole I enjoyed it. I liked how each chapter started with the days/hours leading up to and following the storm - it really built the tension. However, I just couldn’t accept that intelligent parents would succumb to a child’s pleading to go to the beach on a day with such bad weather. But without this happening, there wouldn’t have been a story!
A heartbreaking look at how people deal with grief, guilt and anger in the aftermath of death.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot of books and with probably most of them, even when I enjoy them, I’ll struggle to remember the plot when I read the title again a couple of months later. But some books are special - they have the writers’ X Factor. After the Storm has the writers’ X Factor! That’s not to say it was a lovely and joyful reading experience.. most of the reviews I’ve read so far have described it as ‘harrowing’ and I can’t get that word out of my head - it’s definitely the right word for it. Another good description would be ‘devastating and emotionally draining’.

However, it was fantastic. So beautifully written, the feelings of the bereaved parents in particular were so raw and vivid that I cried several times imagining what they were experiencing. It must have been traumatising to write but G D Wright has clearly put everything into bringing to life such genuine emotions in his words - he is a true talent.

I read the first half in almost only one sitting - I only stopped because my eyeballs were hurting and it was becoming too unpleasant to continue.

The story itself centres around two couples whose six year old children - Maria and Joe - are best friends. The two couples are great friends but there is a tension there as Andrew and Sophie are very well-off whereas Chris and Linda are balancing long hours in their demanding jobs as a police officer and paramedic with devoting their time to their son. Andrew and Sophie look after Joe for them a lot and it’s hard for them to hear that so many of Joe’s best days ever are spent without them. One day, Andrew and Sophie take the kids to the beach, there is a terrible storm and only one of the children comes home.

What happens next can only be described as an onslaught. The story absolutely spirals and is intensely gripping. We also hear the story unravel from the points of view of the detectives looking into the case and examining whether what happened was truly an accident.

As we near the end, the chapters get shorter and the pace gets more and more intense until we reach its devastating end. And the ending - wow! I burst into tears!

The book throws up a lot of intriguing questions - what more could the police have done at each stage? Did Andrew do the right thing? He wasn’t the most likeable character, but by the end I really felt for him as much as all of the other characters. As a mum to a five year old I couldn’t help imagining every part of the book in real life and wondering what I would have done.

Absolutely brilliant and a clear 5-star book - but, I’m sorry G D Wright, I don’t think I’ll be able to read it a second time! It will certainly stay with me though. If they’re not lining up Suranne Jones for a tv adaptation right now then someone is missing a trick!

Wow. What a book.

A gripping story about how an outing to the beach ripped two families worlds apart and the chain of events that followed and which had me racing to finish to find out what really happened. So well written and my review doesn’t do the book justice.

I thoroughly recommend that you read ‘After the storm’

You’d never know that this was a debut novel, the writing is gripping, and tight, and it paints believable characters in a compelling story.
All human emotion is here. Your heart breaks for each of the characters and while some of their actions might be despicable in context they’re all quite understandable.
A brilliant read that would make an excellent TV drama series

I can't say I enjoyed this book - it had me in tears and was a tragic story. I found DS Willmott so determined to apportion guilt despite it obviously being a tragic accident. The story dealt with so many issues - parents being responsible for another child on a regular basis out of the goodness of their hearts; defence of one's offspring; depression; mental health - none of them easy subjects, but sensitively handled.
Sometimes a little repetitive but on the whole a solid read.
Three and a half stars for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley/G.D. Wright/Avon Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a heart rending, harrowing story of two families falling apart. It rightly comes with a warning that the story covers several traumatic themes. I found myself picturing the story more than I would with other novels. I felt that I was a spectator. Great writing, fast pace but thoughtful passages too. I changed my mind about the characters several times. The last chapter, though short, confirmed my suspicions . The clues had been there all along. Not a book for a cosy night in rather one to read in instalments when you feel able to. I will look for more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC ebook

4.5/5

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook.

An accident causes two kids to end up in the sea but only one of them comes out alive. Who’s fault really was it?

Grab the tissues as this is a real tear jerker! 😭I sobbed so much while reading this book which so very rarely happens!

The plot was refreshing and deviates from the repetitive thriller formula which can become boring over time. If you’re new to the thriller genre, this is definitely one I’d recommend you try. And if you’re a hardcore thriller lover like myself, I would also recommend you read this!

I didn’t give this 5 stars as there were loads of little clues scattered throughout the book. I think these needed to be more subtle as when I got to the plot twist, I wasn’t shocked!

#AfterTheStorm #NetGalley For a debut novel this certainly packed a punch. An emotional rollercoaster from the first page and a tragic and harrowing story. The build up of tension kept me reading way into the night. I really felt for both sets of parents at the beginning but as the story unfolded, I quickly sided with Joe's parents and I ended up disliking Andrew by the end. There was an explanation at the end but I still don't believe it excused Andrew for his actions. Whilst I hesitate to use the word enjoyable due to the subject matter it was a very great start to this authors career and I will certainly look out for more books by him in the future.

Mae yna rybudd o ran cynnwys y nofel hon, ac yn sicr mae hi'n dorcalonnus a theimladwy. Dilynwn stori dau deulu sy'n ffrindiau da ac yn magu eu plant gyda chymorth ei gilydd, ond yn dilyn ymweliad i lan y môr ar ddiwrnod stormus, a'r ddau fach yn mynd i'r dŵr, dim ond un sy'n dychwelyd. Mae'r stori'n adrodd yr hanes o safbwynt y ddau deulu ac yn dangos sgil-effeithiau'r golled ar bawb wrth iddynt geisio darganfod beth ddigwyddodd ar y diwrnod trasig hwnnw. Mae'r stori'n datblygu'n gyflym a'r cymeriadau yn apelio at y darllenydd wrth i ni brofi'r un emosiynau â nhw wrth ddarllen. Stori glyfar gyda throeon annisgwyl gan ddangos gwir rym cariad a phwysau galar ac euogrwydd. Nofel sy'n sicr o ddod â dagrau ond sydd hefyd yn gwneud i chi fod eisiau dal ati i ddarllen er mwyn gweld beth a ddaw nesaf.

There is a trigger warning for the content of this novel, and it certainly is heartbreaking and touching. We follow the story of two families that are good friends and are raising their children with each others support, but following a visit to the seaside on a stormy day, and the two little ones entering the water, only one child returns. The book shares the story of both families and shows the impact of the loss on all of them as they try to discover what exactly happened on that tragic day. The story develops quickly with characters that draw you in and share their emotions with the reader on this rollercoaster ride of a story. A clever story with many unexpected twists that shows the true power of love and the weight of grief and guilt. A novel that will certainly bring tears to your eyes but also makes you want to read more to see what comes next.

The pace and tension in this book kept me reading till the end but ultimately I found it frustrating. It seemed unrealistic to me for two families to exist in a vacuum, with no other family or friends to call on them in their time of need. Surely the school would have reached out? Or the neighbours ? At times it was terribly sad but I found the characters lacked depth.

Wow. If you trusted your child to your best friends for the day, you’d expect to see them again at the end of the day. Not the case for the two families we meet in After the Storm, after two children go into a stormy sea and only one comes out alive. After the Storm is a well researched portrayal of grief, secrecy, people unravelling, and the emergency services. The tension builds throughout and I was hooked right until the last word. A brilliant book.

Page turning debut that is both gripping and harrowing in equal measure.

Told from multiple character view points the author engrosses the reader in the tale of a tragedy at sea, with all the after shocks that brings.

Do be aware that some of the subject matter can be upsetting.

My experience of reading this book is a funny one that makes me chuckle every time I think about it... I originally requested this book on NetGalley because it sounded like a book I have read and loved previously. But while reading it, I couldn't get passed how similar it felt. I was absolutely loving it and it had reduced me to tears by the halfway point, but I was still disappointed that this author had quite obviously ripped the plot from another book.

Turns out I have actually read this book before! It was bound to happen at some point, I suppose. But in my defence, the book was titled something else when Gary first self-published it, so it wasn't completely my own fault!

I rated it five stars back then, and I'm rating it five stars again now because the editor's tweaks have only heightened the emotions, character development, and aching tension throughout. I connected with the story even more on a second time, and it's definitely a story that sticks with you.

I'm so happy that GD Wright has been able to get this brilliant book published, and I'm very thankful to get a second opportunity to shout about how amazing it is! Part detective thriller, part mystery, and part family drama, it's a powerfully effective and harrowing read, and one I implore you to go and buy!

Absorbing, engrossing, and arresting just a few words to describe this book.
Heart-wrenching and despairing in parts nevertheless I could not put this book down.
I so felt for the parents and the devastating impact of a moments distraction.
This read was very thought provoking and had an impact on me.

No way is this a debut novel. Oh, my days, the writing, the story, the plotting, pacing, characters. They were all phenomenal.

There are times I'll read a book in a day, because I'm swept up in the storyline (and I get the peace) Luckily I had the peace to read After The Storm in a day. I don't think I could have put this down and waited to see what happened next.

The storyline is that of two families. Two children go out to play in the sea. Only one came out alive. Yes, this story is hard-hitting. G D Wright's writing gives it more depth and the raw emotion in the words. I'll admit I was in tears a few times.

You'll find yourself torn at times in this story. You will feel emotion towards both families. Their actions in the aftermath are borne of pure parental emotion.

"To lose your child was to lose your reason."

As a mother myself, I did find myself putting myself in their shoes and wondering what I would do. You never want to be in their situation. Hence why I found it very emotional.

‘Assume nothing, believe no one, check everything,’

A great motto from DS Sue Willmott, who headed the investigation. As a parent herself, she made it her mission not to let anything pass her by.

I don't think I can fault this book. For a debut, it's just amazing. I would urge you to find out about the content warnings in the story.

I look forward to reading G D Wright's next novel.

Hard to believe this is a debut! This is not my usual genre of choice but I’m so glad I read it. As a parent, this is my absolute worst nightmare and I think the author captures that perfectly! A must read.

A devastatingly tragic story, that gripped me from the very start and I really struggled to put it down and sleep!

It is harrowing and heartbreaking, but it is so brilliantly written, it reads like a compulsive thriller, which to a degree, it is, as well as being a very character and community driven story.

I just can’t say enough about how brilliant this book is, even though it was also very triggering for me, as I was caught in a rip ride when I was in my early 20’s and, like Andrew, I’m very lucky to still be here. Utterly terrifying.

The unimaginable pain that a family goes through at the loss of their child and the
repercussions to everyone involved is heart wrenching.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, G. D. Wright and Avon for an ARC in return for an honest review.