Review of THE STORM by Rachel Hawkins (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

This book relies on the trope of “a storm is coming” in both a literal and figurative sense.

St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, is known for its hurricanes. After Hurricane Marie in 1984, 19-year-old Lo Bailey is charged with the murder of her married lover, Landon Fitzroy, the son of Alabama’s governor. His body was found near the Rosalie Inn, a century-old seaside hotel. Though Lo is not convicted, many suspect that Landon’s death was not caused by the hurricane and that she used it to cover up her actions.

In 2025, Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, plays host to August Fletcher, a journalist co-writing Lo’s memoir. He arrives with Lo for an extended stay while they work on the book. As Geneva gets to know Lo and August, she develops theories about what happened in 1984, but it seems obvious that the truth is more complicated than she expects.

There are some issues with narrative structure. There are alternating timelines with alternating points of view, and this approach can be confusing. For instance, Chapter One begins with a section where Geneva narrates some events (June 21, 2025), followed by an excerpt from a tabloid newspaper (1985), pages of an unfinished manuscript (Sept. 3, 2025), an excerpt from a book published in 1988, and then an email (Oct. 4, 1983). It’s not always clear what one is reading or whose point of view is being presented until attribution is given at the end.

Pacing is uneven. At the beginning, not much happens. There’s a slow build up to the approaching hurricane which the reader knows will be accompanied by a confrontation of some type. In the latter part, there are a lot of twists which feel rushed. Unfortunately, many of the twists are predictable. One character has early-onset Alzheimer’s and this inevitably means that she possesses an important secret. Another character is vague about her past and this signals she has secrets as well. Sometimes characters react strangely to each other or avoid each other and these reactions almost always indicate a hidden connection. These are all not-very-subtle clues that regular readers of mystery and suspense will notice.

Men are not portrayed positively. Men are either abusive (Linus Bailey), incompetent (plumber), alcoholic (the handyman), or domineering (L. B. Fitzroy). Even Geneva’s father, a good guy, seems to have been rather gullible. There’s more than one man who has a hidden agenda. It is Landon who is most unbelievable. He’s nothing more than a smarmy playboy using his handsomeness and charm to manipulate much younger women.

The book is entertaining, especially if one is willing to ignore its shortcomings, but it is not exceptional in any way.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of THE NANCYS AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING NECKLACE by R. W. R. McDonald

 4 Stars

This cozy crime story was a great way to begin the new year of reading.

Eleven-year-old Tippy Chan lives with her mother Helen in the small town of Riverstone in New Zealand. Tippy’s Uncle Pike and his boyfriend Devon arrive from Australia to look after her while Helen is on a Christmas cruise. Tippy is obsessed with her uncle’s Nancy Drew books and wishes she too could be an amateur sleuth. When the mutilated body of Tippy’s teacher, Ms. Everson, is found, Tippy and her minders form a detective club to investigate. The police arrest another teacher, Sally Homer, but Pike, having known her in the past, is convinced of her innocence. What begins as a bonding exercise and a way to help Tippy face her first Christmas without her father becomes dangerous. Tippy is even left symbolic messages to deter her from investigating what happened.

Tippy, the narrator, is a very likeable character. She’s inquisitive, observant, and intelligent and loyal to family and friends. She feels like an authentic pre-teen: she remains innocent in some ways as she tries to make sense of the world. There is, however, a vulnerability in her; because of the sudden death of her father earlier in the year, she needs reassurance and comforting.

I enjoy reading about dynamic characters and Tippy does grow in the course of the novel. With the help of Pike and Devon, she learns to open up about her feelings, something she has not been able to do with her mother who is overly protective. She also realizes that there is more to people’s lives than what they may publicly project. For instance, she learns that her uncle’s early life as a gay man in a small town was difficult, that teachers may be very different from what students see in the classroom, and that her father’s life was complicated.

There is also a motley cast of minor characters, Pike and Devon being the most memorable. Pike, for example, is definitely a unique personality; outrageous in his behaviour, he is anything but conventional in his interactions with his niece. He and the flamboyant Devon constantly banter back and forth. Tippy does not – fortunately – understand much of the sexual innuendo of their exchanges, though the reader will certainly be laughing. Some might question Pike’s approach to minding his niece, but there is no doubt that he loves her and wants to protect her. Pike and Devon also insert themselves into the life of Melanie, the neighbour’s teenage granddaughter. Melanie scares Tippy, but the men see beyond her spiky facade and reach out to help her. This decision speaks highly of the type of people the couple are beyond their campiness.

Though there is a mystery to be solved and a lot of comedy, the book also touches on some serious topics. It explores loss and grief and emphasizes the importance of family. Just like there is more to Pike and Devon than their appearance and audacious behaviour might suggest, there is more to the novel than just humour and suspense.

Anyone who grew up reading the Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys novels will enjoy this book. It’s witty and entertaining but also possesses some thematic depth. It is also heart-warming: at the end I reacted like Devon does when he receives Tippy’s Christmas gift.