She Treads Softly: The Storm

Monday, November 24, 2025

The Storm

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
1/6/25; 288 pages
St. Martin's Press

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins is a highly recommended, atmospheric, Southern gothic mystery set in at the Rosalie Inn, a century-old Gulf Coast beach motel on St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, an area where hurricane season can be murder.

For Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, every day is a struggle to survive between maintenance and booking customers. When writer August Fletcher offers to pay double to book a two month stay, Geneva knows it can help save her bottom line. When August shows up, he brings the infamous Gloria “Lo” Bailey with him and books a room for her too. Now 60 years-old, back when she was 19, Lo was the mistress of political heir 30 year-old Langdon Fitzroy. During 1984’s infamous Hurricane Marie, Langdon died and his family presumed he was murdered by Lo. Lo claimed he was injured during the hurricane and was acquitted after a mistrial for lack of evidence. Now August and Lo are working on a book about the case.

Along with ties that interconnect many characters to each other through generations, the occurrence of hurricanes and their devastation is also a running theme through the novel. The story unfolds through the point of view of Geneva, events from the past, through the writings of Lo and August, and old letters, articles, etc. This is an entertaining, atmospheric, even-paced thriller that held my attention throughout.

The characters are all portrayed as realistic individuals with strengths and flaws. Geneva is the character with the most development, but all the others receive some further development. The setting is also comes alive and is an important part of the story. This generational tale is Southern to it's core and the mystery is satisfying.

The Storm is a great choice for anyone who enjoys Southern gothic mysteries with strong female characters. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.