The Storm by Rachel Hawkins @ladyhawkins @macmillan.audio @macmillanaudio.bsky.social #FullCast #TheStorm

the setup…
Geneva Corliss is the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, a century-old beachfront property in St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama that is her family’s legacy and remained standing after four of the town’s deadliest hurricanes. She’s struggling financially when August Fletcher books space for an extended stay. He’s a writer who wants to research one of town’s most infamous deaths and trials…the death of the governor’s son Landon Fitzroy during Hurricane Marie and the trial of his accused killer, Gloria (Lo) Bailey, his teenage mistress. Geneva is stunned when August shows up with Lo in tow.

the heart of the story…
The Rosalie Inn, Lo Bailey and those four hurricanes (Delphine, Audrey, Velma & Marie) are the foundation for everything here. Geneva and those connected to her family, past and present, have some relationship to each of those storms. You can feel something brewing (Hurricane Lizzie for one) as August’s research unsettles not only Geneva and Lo, but the “facts” of the past. I loved the structure as it was sectioned by the storms with points of view from Geneva, Lo and people close to them.

the narration…
It’s a full cast narration, brilliantly performed as each made not only their characters come alive but brought a strong sense of atmosphere in the storytelling. Bravo!

the bottom line…
I was engaged from the onset and, as I have a morbid fascination with (and fear of) deadly storms, felt the rising tension early on. I thought it clever that the story structure was shaped around each of those storms, bringing forth the voices of those who were in the midst to reshape the beliefs of what happened. Be prepared for quite a few twists, some jaw dropping in the moment. Loved everything about this one.

Book Info

• Release Date: January 6, 2026
• Narrators: Alex Knox, Cathi Colas, Dan Bittner, Jane Oppenheimer, Patti Murin, Petrea Burchard & Stephanie Németh-Parker
• Audio Length: 7 hours, 48 minutes
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio

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(Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)