The Storm by Rachel Hawkins – Review

Published: January 6, 2026

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Series: N/A

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 258 (Kindle)

My Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:
St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

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While I declared 2026 the Year of Weird, January has been the month of mood reads. After seeing some great early reviews I decided to check out Rachel Hawkins’ latest book, The Storm. The perfect way to chase away the winter blues is with a book set at the beach during hurricane season. The last thing on my mind was the chilly temps because I was wondering who killed who!

The Storm is set in St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama (a fictional town)and follows Geneva Corliss, owner of a struggling inn passed down through the family. She catches a break from a slow booking season when a journalist reaches out about a long term rental . He’s writing a book on Lo Bailey, a local woman infamous for her supposed role in the death of her lover, Landon Fitzroy during a terrible hurricane several decades prior. Landon was the son of the governor of Alabama at that time, so his death was both high profile and scandalous because he was a married man having an affair with a nineteen year old. Much to Geneva’s surprise, Lo Bailey shows up as well. As Lo’s story unfolds and Geneva realizes just how close to home it actually hits, a tremendous hurricane is once again bearing down on St. Medard’s Bay. 

This is now my third Rachel Hawkins book, so as the cast of characters was introduced, I knew there was more to them than first appeared. The real question was what exactly was bringing all of these people together aside from the unfolding of Lo’s version of events. Despite expecting twists and incredible reveals, I still found myself wowed by Rachel Hawkin’s storytelling skills. The reveals were shocking but felt appropriate for the characters. I liked Geneva, I naturally mistrusted Lo even while I liked her vivacious personality, and I thought August Fletcher was something of a wildcard. Was he trustworthy or was there more behind his interest in writing this story than a mere paycheck?

I found The Storm to be an entertaining, fast paced read with excellent narration. I would definitely recommend the audio format! And like I said, there’s nothing better to beat away the winter blues than a book set during the height of summer at the beach. It had me longing for the gulf coast and long walks down the beach picking up shells, though perhaps without the level of danger that The Storm contained within its pages.