In true form, I’ll have a couple more reviews up before I post the official January Wrap Up!
Thanks to Dutton Books and Novel Suspects for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review
THE NIGHT OF THE STORM – Nishita Parekh (Released January 16th, 2024)
Book Description:
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
Hurricane Harvey is about to hit Houston. Meanwhile, single mom Jia Shah is already having a rough week: her twelve-year-old son, Ishaan, has just been suspended from school for getting in a fight. Still reeling from the fallout of her divorce—their move to Houston, her family’s disapproval, the struggle to make ends meet on her own—now Jia is worried about Ishaan’s future, too. Will her solo parenting be enough? Doesn’t a boy need a father?
And now their apartment complex is under a mandatory evacuation order. Jia’s sister, Seema, has invited them to hunker down in her fancy house in Sugar Land, and despite Jia’s misgivings—Seema’s husband, Vipul, has been just a little too friendly with her lately—Jia concedes it’s probably the best place to keep Ishaan safe during the hurricane. With Jia’s philandering ex scrutinizing her every move, all too eager to snatch back custody of Ishaan, she can’t afford to make a mistake.
When Vipul’s brother and his wife show up on Seema’s doorstep, too, it’s a recipe for disaster. Grandma, the family matriarch, has never been shy about playing favorites among her sons and their wives. As the storm escalates, tensions rise quickly, and soon someone’s dead. Was it a horrible accident or is there a murderer in their midst?
With no help available until the floodwaters recede in the morning, Jia must protect her son and identify the culprit before she goes down for a crime she didn’t commit—or becomes the next victim. . . .
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
Do you like family drama? Are you a fan of closed room and claustrophobic thrillers? How about a storm raging outside to amp up the tension? Well, this is the book for your TBR 📖
From the start, I loved how Parekh set the scene and the atmosphere for this novel. Jia and her son Ishaan are in Houston with Hurricane Harvey on the way. When their apartment building is under a mandatory evacuation order, Jia makes the decision to go to her sister’s house in Sugar Land. This will be the safer option for her and Ishaan, right?
Still reeling from her recent divorce, Jia is now ready to navigate the inevitable drama and disapproval, things go much worse than she could have anticipated. When there’s a body and no escape because of the storm, the intensity ramps up. I loved the character development throughout the book and seeing the intricate workings of the family dynamic and hierarchy. This was a really fun debut, and I’m anxious to see what Parekh releases next!
Jessicamap Reviews 