After the Storm

I loved this book.

I love a thriller anyway but love when it’s not predictable. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to read on!!

I’m going to need a minute after this my heart is shattered this is such an emotional read I didn’t realise I enjoyed it it was fast paced and kept me so focus I couldn’t out it down an amazing read

I wow what can I say about this book , absolutely loved it from the start to finish . The amazing writing style, the way the plot was executed and of course the story. Loved the characters and what desperate measures we have to deal with in a horrific situation. Not giving any spoilers but I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next from this author . 5 stars from me

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my early copy of After The Storm. As a parent who has lost a child I was rather nervous of how I would deal with the narrative and I have to admit I cried, a lot. The grief felt by Chris and Linda was palpable and the depiction of said grief was quite authentic. Although we are shown the effects of Joe's death on both sets of parents my sympathy never strayed from the Jamieson family. I was just so furious from the outset that Andrew and Sophie were so in thrall of their little 'princess' that they indulged her brattish demands and agreed to take her and Joe to the beach in the most atrocious of weather, absolutely criminal! Yes, I had a vague murmering of sympathy for Andrew having to live with the fact that he was unable to rescue Joe but....

I chose this as my first book of my Cornish holiday and read it in two sittings. I guessed the 'twist' at the start (it is pretty well signposted), but the manner of getting there with all the fallout from the original incident was interesting, full of emotion and anguish, and kept me reading. A decent debut, but the fact it focuses on the pain and aftermath of a child's death (handled sensitively), means it may not be for everyone.

What a gripping and emotional ride. The themes of tragedy, loss, and investigation in this book will keep you immersed. The dark and tense atmosphere, combined with the mysterious circumstances of the children's disappearance, will keep you on the edge of your seat, a fantastic debut, looking forward to more books by this Author.

Wow! What a story. Utterly compelling tale that had me on the edge of my seat.
The writing is exceptional. At its heart, it is a police procedural but with raw emotion.

I've seldom seen a better scene set for an impending loss.
The aftermath of the storm and the real emotion the author gets across is top-drawer stuff. An easy 5-star award.

When Andrew and Sophie take their daughter, Maria, and her best friend, Joe, to the beach in a storm, there is a tragic accident.
What follows is two families ripped apart by grief, suspicion and anger.
After the Storm is a book dripping with sadness. I sobbed in places!
A compelling story.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this book, and it wasn't how I imagined. But it was a brilliant read. It was heartbreaking but tactfully dealt with and a compelling thriller.

I thought the characters in this book were wonderfully created, very human, resilient but flawed and emotion was very well portrayed. It definitely had me a little choked at a couple of points.

I'd definitely recommend!

Fantastic book, couldn't put it down. Loved that I couldn't work out what was going to happen next it kept me hooked.

What a story.
After the first few chapters I stopped reading as I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. But I found myself thinking about the story so went back to it. I'm glad I did as even though it wasn't an easy read it was a compelling one.
I felt drawn into the emotions of all the characters as though I was living it along with them.

Harrowing story of a tragic accident at the beach! Although it is heartwrenching it is also unputdownable.... You will probably need tissues on standby!! Andrew and Sophie look after their friends (Chris & Laura) little boy Joe, it's a good thing their daughter Maria is best friends with him as they see a lot of each other. Andrew and Sophie take the children to the beach one day, but what happens whilst there causes their lives to change irreversibly, and sends them on a downward spiral, during which their friendship disintegrates.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Not for the faint hearted, this harrowing storyline follows a trajectory of engulfing tragedy after a calamitous decision destroys the lives of everyone in its wake. Two families, strong bonds and probability of life long friendships for both generations until one innocent yet foolish mistake of such magnitude there would, nor could be the emergence of any winner. Everyone damaged beyond redemption. Every parents worst nightmare: A weekend outing for two excited children becomes a fight for survival , their lives in mortal danger from which there is only one survivor. Excellent characterisation as the bonds of friendship and loyalty are tested beyond the limits of normal experience with the repercussions of the calamity dragging individuals away from the ties of friendship and decency into the depths of madness required to protect family from extreme exposure to external violence and danger. Many thanks to author with a note to research more books from this enthralling writer , publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book was fantastic and absolutely impossible to put down!

I spent the first half of the book in floods then the second half unpicking what was going on. This is a story you can imagine yourself in and how you would manage it.

Just brilliant!

Absolutely unputdownable!! This booked gripped me from the start and wouldn’t let go until the last page. I kept thinking what would I have done? It was so easy to connect to the characters and feel what they were feeling. My heart broke on multiple occasions throughout but I had to keep going. I needed to know. The ending shocked me and what really happened that day at the beach I had never imagined. Amazing read and highly recommended

Wow , what a book. This is not an easy read, it is about the loss of a child who was with friends of his parents at the time. The incident is investigated and the events after what happened told from different viewpoints. The father of the boy, Joe is Chris and he is a policeman. Andrew and his wife Sophie who were looking after Joe and their own daughter, Maria are also changed by what happened. As the book progresses, the tragic plot emerges of what happened and the effect it had on both families. You are compelled to keep reading, even though their lives are disintegrating and you know it is not going to end well. The writing is spot on, triggering your own emotions as a reader and the viewpoints of the families are well portrayed so you understand their actions and the reasoning behind them.
Thanks to Net Galley for a great read, definately a book that you think about long after you have finished it.

A very challenging book based on every parent’s nightmare. I felt all the emotions portrayed and felt compelled to read to the end, shedding a few tears on the way. An excellent debut.

After the Storm is a fantastic achievement for a debut novel. It is a great story dealing with difficult subject matters. The characters are well written and very believable. I jumped from empathising with one parent to the other as I'm sure was intended. The police procedures were very believable, to be expected from an ex cop, but not too technical. Very well done. I'll definitely watch out for more books from G.D.Wright.
Thank you to NetGalley and the
publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Loved this. Was totally hooked from the beginning of the book

Thank you for the opportunity to review

After the Storm is an enjoyable debut novel that is different from normal police procedural thrillers as it is more emotion driven rather than focusing on the hows and whys of an investigation.

The book takes a little while to warm up and at times the writing didn’t quite flow but overall this is a good debut and I look forward to reading further books from this author.

'After the Storm' is a highly emotional book that deals with the aftermath of the tragic drowning of a six year old. At times it was not an easy read but it was always compelling. Told from multiple POV's the storyline steers us through the following hours, days and weeks and never lets up. My heart went out to both families and also to the police involved. A great debut novel. Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an early read.

After the Storm is about the storm of grief and the lengths you’d go for your loved ones.
It starts off strongly. Wright’s detailed descriptions of both the physical and psychological is gripping.
The bereavement and the personal are so potent that the investigative/detective and thriller elements of the book become secondary to the emotions conveyed and evoked. And glad this was so.
3.5 stars rounded up because of the author’s craft and skill at representing grieving humans, and the psychologically claustrophobic and loving communities.
Plot 3
Characterisation 3.5
Concept 4
Mood 5
Writing style 4.5

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of this book!

I don’t actually know if I can even put into words just how this book and story has made me feel!

The way the author wrote such a deeply emotional story is remarkable and has me feeling so many emotions. Tears were shed many times reading this.

I felt every bit of pain those characters felt, I was so connected to each and every character. There’s so much sadness but the whole story has been written in a way that doesn’t cause injustice to those with mental health, those who have lost a child or to any victims involved.

The way this was written was really good, I was held captive from the first few words, I have been so deeply moved by this book and honestly wish that anyone who is able to deal with the darkness this story holds to give it a read. I know I’m not the first and I most definitely will not be the last who sheds a tear reading this, who feels the anger felt within, who has also learnt a big life lesson.

I highly highly recommend reading because I’ve not been able to put this down! Definitely a 5 star read!

Let me know your opinions!

After The Storm is the debut novel G.D. Wright and - just like the waves on the front cover - his tale arrives with force.

There is a Content Warning before you start reading and if you are distressed easily, it's probably best to check these themes - although reading them does give spoilers. However, the cover itself prepares you for one of those themes and shows that this is a dark read.

The author states where he lives by the sea as his writing inspiration and I can see (no pun intended) how looking out on such a landscape would allow your mind to wander as - being a writer myself - I see stories in everything, everywhere!

The story opens with a Prologue, Before the Storm and delivers the first shock of the novel. Throughout, chapters go from how a days/how many hours before (the storm)/during it then to after the storm in hours, then in days. Ending with an epilogue that I was really not expecting!

Multiple characters are shown with different ones heading up the chapters where all perspectives being told through third person narration, giving the reader an overview of how they are feeling from the outside.

Description is used effectively throughout along with convincing dialogue (you can tell the author is both a family man and an ex-police officer) and I think Wright has played to his strengths. Occasionally, there is a touch of humour too.

Overall, it's a dark tale with a few surprises along the way and many a pull on the heartstrings showing how life can change so quickly and unexpectedly.

I enjoyed the unexpected turns that this took and know that it's a book that I will think about after reading.

I have given a four-star rating as I initially felt the different characters needed to be more distinctive and I would like to see presentation features used for the police reports and text messages - although the inclusion of these were a good inclusion to add to certain elements of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and AVON (a division of HarperCollinsPublishers) for my electronic ARC.

Andrew and Sophie are parents to six-year-old Maria. They are looking after Joe while his parents are working. Maria insists on a trip to the beach, despite the bad weather. A paddle on the shore ends in disaster when the children get swept off the beach. In the struggle, Andrew can only save one of the children from drowning.

With such a hugely tragic and traumatic opening I wondered where it could go from there. I need not have worried as the plot unfolds brilliantly, highly unpredictable and emotionally fraught.

Andrew has to deal with his own guilt along with the heart-breaking reaction from Joe's parents, the Police investigation, the local social stigma and much, much more.

The plot never lets up, I was hugely impressed, and the Police matters are written with an easy confidence.

I was reminded of the quality of BA Paris and Sally Hepworth’s novels with the captivating unpredictable, 'real life' feeling, character-driven story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK

This is the story of two families, Andrew, Sophie, daughter Maria and their good friends Chris, Linda and son Joe.
Andrew and Sophie often look after Joe when his parents shifts clash.
One such day Joe is due to stay, it happens to be a very wet and windy one . Maria is a very determined child and however much Andrew wonders at the wisdom of her demand to go to the beach, he agrees.
On arrival the children quickly change into wet suits, desperate to go in the sea.
Nothing they say will make Andrew agree and they are told they should only play in a natural pool that forms above the sea line.
Andrew suffered a traumatic rescue from the sea when he was a child so hes always keeping an eye on them.
When a loose dog jumps at Sophie he rushes to her aid.
However it only takes a second for their whole lives to change.
When he turns back, Maria and Joe have disappeared from view, taken by the sea!
This is an extraordinary debut novel.
Powerful and emotional.
A tale of loyalty , families and the lengths a father will go to to protect his family.
A brilliant read I would recommend easily.

After the Storm by G.D Wright

A very well written thriller , even better to find out is the first by the author.
Lots of twists and turns throughout. Can't say too much as I feel it would spoil it.

This is a very good thriller/police procedural from the author. I really liked the cast of characters, especially Andrew a man who would do anything for his family. It is about love, loyalty, families and grief in small communities. The pace is fast and it is filled with tension until the end. I was hooked until the last page and my only complaint is I felt it dragged a bit in the middle. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

After the Storm is an exceptional first novel that deals with grief in it's rawest state. The characters are all well written and you feel and understand the pain in all of them. An emotional, difficult, but compelling read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advance copy of this book

"Sophie, where are they?"

Just minutes earlier Andrew and Sophies six year old daughter and their friends son Joe had been playing together in a tidal pool on the beach, now they're not and as he scans the thunderous waves crashing down on an empty beach fear grips him.

Where to even start! Superb scene setting and characterisation brought to life the sheer terror that parents Andrew and Sophie felt in those moments. This novel hit hard, dealing blow after blow it wasn't an easy read but it was certainly a compelling one.

A gut-wrenching look at two families destroyed by the events of one day, friendships lost, scars that linger. The multiple person narrative by family members and those involved in the police investigation added depth and I found it flowed well. An extraordinarily powerful and moving novel that had me soul searching asking myself what I'd have done. Totally recommended.

As an aside this would be a really good bookclub choice; the characters, behaviours and consequences giving endless discussion opportunities.

Absolutely brilliant! This is a really well written book. I couldn't put it down.
Lots of twists and turns throughout. Can't say too much as I wouldn't want to spoil it! Reccomend this one.

This is an incredibly heart wrenching book. It's very well written but worth warning that it's bleak and emotionally hard going in terms of subject matter. No spoilers.
An accomplished debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for my copy of After The Storm by G D Wright.
I feel like I’ve been through the washer and hung out to dry.
This has to be the book of the Year. Heart wrenching and raw, this book really has it all.
You’ve entrusted your most precious possession your son, to your best friends Andrew and Sophie as you have many times before but this time he doesn’t come back. Five minutes is all it takes for you life to change forever
But what happens next. Don’t miss this absolutely brilliant book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

Considering this is a debut novel I think After The Storm is a beautifully written, heart wrenching and poignant read that will stay with me for a good while after finishing it. It is about the loss of a child - and the emotions, feelings and thoughts two families face after a tragic event. The author deals with grief, bereavement and mental health issues very eloquently, sensitively and with much care. I really like Mike and Sue, the two police officers who investigate and support Chris and Linda in the aftermath of their young sons death. This is a read that really got to me, the writing certainly touched on my emotions and I had so much empathy for Chris and Linda and could resonate with their feelings and how they were coping. I love how the chapters are told through different characters and their perspectives, and think this complements the story and gives it so much more depth. I won't say this is an easy read because it isn't although it is a very absorbing and compelling one. I think the author is spot on with his writing describing grief, bereavement and the effect and consequences it has on individuals. I'd recommend this read and hope to see more of Mike and Sue in future books.

4 stars

This book wades headstrong into the trauma and grief felt by two families when an accident at the beach changes everything.
The characters are empathetically written and the difficult subject matter is treated sensitively.

This is a heart wrenching debut novel. Andrew and Sophie often look after Joe, the 6 year old son of Chris and Linda, while they are busy working as a police officer and a paramedic. On a wet, blustery day Andrew and Sophie take Joe and their daughter Maria to the beach to play with a kite, they venture into the sea and get into difficulties Andrew goes in to rescue them but can only save 1 child. The repercussions that follow affect the whole town and brings tragedy further for one set of parents.
The writing in this book is so strong and powerful, its raw emotion brought me to tears on more than one occasion.
There are some very difficult subjects covered in the novel which could be a trigger. Grief and loss feature predominantly.
I'm grateful to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, my opinions are my own and not expected

This book had me gripped from the beginning, and if this really is a debut then well done to the author. The descriptions and emotions portrayed were wonderful, but oh so sad. I was on the verge of tears several times. The only thing I didn’t like was the (very) overuse of tag lines and use of names where ‘he’ or ‘she’ should have been used. How many times do we have to hear ‘DS Willmott replied/said/asked/thought/sighed’? In many cases the tag line could have been left out, or at least changed to ‘she’ instead of her full title. I spotted many examples of this, eg ‘… Andrew whispered. Andrew stretched …’. Use ‘he’!!!! I don’t mean to sound negative because I’m not. I really enjoyed the book even though it so very, very, sad, and with a bit of editing this could have been a 5 star review. Good luck for the next one, and thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy.

After The Storm is a good police procedural with a highly emotional edge. A tragic drowning leaves a two families shattered and the novel follows the aftermath. Without spoilers, it's deeply emotional with some very difficult themes.

The novel is well written, if a little overlong. The middle section drags a bit, with repeated internal dialogues from the point of view of different characters. More "show don't tell" could have seen this cut.

The ending comes quickly, as the bereaved father's fragile mental state deteriorates. The pace is high leading to the final scenes. Overall, After The Storm is a good read with a simple plot and some excellent character development.

Thank you to Netgalley & Harper Collins for the Arc.
This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter and never really let go. I'm still thinking about it now.
It wasn't at all what I thought it would be but in a good way. The direction that the story took surprised me.
The novel pulled on my heart strings a lot and definitely left me feeling very confused as to which family I should feel the most empathy for.
I love reading debut novels, I've read some really great ones over the years. This is definitely one of them. I'd highly recommend you read it.

This was an Auto approval for me but it looks like one I'll be right into always interesting to see what a auto approval has to offer ... FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW

This is one of my top reads so far for 2024. It's a harrowing story but amazingly well told. I cried in parts and was glued to the page to see what was going to happen. I loved that we get chapters from each of the main characters and the author did a fantastic job of keeping the reader inside the character's head. Very up close and personal and this was really prevalent in the chapters from Linda.

This is a tragic story about family and loss and it delves deep into the emotional impact on all of the main characters. Without giving away any spoilers, I want to say the topics covered are done sensitively but real and the author did a great job with this. It is a page-turner that is set to take you on an emotional rollercoaster and definitely one that will have an impact and stay with you long after you close the book.

A very emotional read that deals with some incredibly difficult situations but one that has empathy and compassion for all the well crafted characters. The author obviously loves the sea as his descriptive language when it comes to any scenes set around the water is absolute perfection. This isn’t one of your run of the mill police procedural or crime thrillers, it’s much more of a crime drama set around believable characters that you can truly appreciate especially in their reactions to their emotions. A tough read for some but the author understood the whole point perfectly by putting in trigger warnings at the back but saying that there were some spoilers if you did read them. I’ve never seen this done before and thought it was very thoughtful.

An absolutely brilliant debut novel. It’s not for the faint-hearted but wow, it’s gripping!

Two families - Andrew, Sophie, and Maria, and Chris, Linda, and Joe – are best friends. Chris is a police officer and Linda a paramedic so, when their shifts clash, Andrew and Sophie look after Joe. One wet, stormy day, the children beg and cajole Andrew and Sophie to take them to the beach, against their better judgement. Joe and Maria are desperate to go in the sea, but they are told that they can only go in the ‘little sea’ which is a natural paddling pool.

Andrew was rescued from the sea as a child and it still terrifies him, so he’s keeping a very watchful eye on the children. Sophie is pregnant and, suddenly, an off-lead dog comes racing along and jumps on her. Scared for his wife and their unborn child, Andrew takes his eye off Joe and Maria for a split second so that he can manhandle the wayward dog off Sophie. When he turns back, the children have vanished – into the sea.

Lots of unexpected twists and turns kept me hooked, and I read this in record time. I hope that this will be the start of a ‘Beachbrook’ series and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

This story deals with death, bereavement, suicide, mental illness and violence.
Andrew and Sophie take their daughter and her friend to the beach on a day when the sea becomes very rough and stormy. After a moment's loss of concentration, the children disappear into the water and only their daughter, Maria survives. How the bereaved parents react and how Sophie and Andrew cope as the police investigate whether a crime has been committed tears the two families apart.
This book was quite an emotional roller coaster read for me. I was initially very annoyed by how weak Andrew appeared where his daughter was concerned - I wanted to scream at him that he was making a rod for his own back and what was going to happen when she got to be a teenager, but the story quickly moves on from that and becomes tied up with the actions and reactions of the four parents. Who knows how far a bereaved parent will go or what people will do to protect their family.
The tension ramps up as the story progresses. The characters are emotionally stretched, and the text becomes quite harrowing. I enjoyed the characters and found them all well written and realistic (apart from Andrew at the beginning perhaps). Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different person which keeps the reader in the loop as to how each is feeling and dealing with things.
The book is described as a police procedural, but I felt the emotional content was stronger than the crime side of the story. The police point of view was interesting and shows a different side of police work with the emphasis on those in uniform rather than CID.
I'm not sure I actually enjoyed the book, but the story will stay with me for a while. Descriptions such the gut-wrenching panic which a parent experiences when they look round for a child that suddenly isn't where they are supposed to be are particularly well done.
With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishers for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Wow. Such a great book. Very good debut.
So many twists and turns plus I love the characters. Can't wait for more books by this author

This book was quite a mixture for me. Overall I enjoyed it and the ending was really fast paced. It portrayed very well from so many characters perspective how death is dealt with, evoking a number of emotions as families dealt with the death of a child alongside its mother. It also portrayed very well the depths a grieved parent will go to in order to seek revenge, alongside a father's drive to protect his own family, come what may. This book pulled me in and had me down many rabbit holes as to how it would end.

Highly recommend reading, although potentially may benefit from a trigger warning at the beginning for readers.

This book is a difficult read, especially for anyone with children. There were places where I literally couldn’t read because of the tears in my eyes, it’s that powerful. It follows two close families, each with one child, and the guilt that one set of parents, police officer Chris and paramedic Linda, feel as they leave their son with their friends, Andrew and Sophie, when they have to work.

This tells of the guilt that parents feel when a child dies, how ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ are questions they ask themselves constantly. It explores the depth of that grief and the different ways it’s dealt with. The Police officers, Mike Adams and Sue Willmott, have a really difficult job trying to find out what happened, whilst trying to support their colleague through the grieving process. For Chris, he needs to know what really happened and who he could blame, and will do literally anything to find out, whatever it takes. A powerful book, I can’t say I enjoyed it but I certainly needed to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow this was an absolutely incredible read. It literally started with a bang and carried on that way from start to finish. It has definitely made my top three books of 2024. The writing quality is top notch. I loved it.

AFTER THE STORM GD WRIGHT

The story starts 35 years before the storm and gives the perfect foundation as to what I was about to unfold and read.
Then went on to explain what happened the day before..... And had the perfect ending in the epilogue
I was really drawn into the story as the writing was so real and I felt that GD Wright had actually lived the story of all the different characters Andrew, Sophie, Chris, Linda DS Sue Willmott, Sargent Mike Adams and the children Maria and Joe. There was one tiny area that I thought was a bit far-fetched and could do with improving which was in the hospital near the ending I am sure it could happen but not to her in any circumstances. I am so pleased I have found a new author I enjoy that is not afraid to write about real life events and make it feel real Thank you Gary

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.. It was a good read, although quite harrowing at times, showing how so many different types of people from all backgrounds deal with a tragedy. This book will stay with me for a long time.