From The Storm

by Adrian J. Walker

We don’t know what his name is or where he came from, but he is living in my room.

In the near future, a young man seeks adventure in the French Alps. Lost, feverish and caught in a freak snowstorm, he finds refuge in a lonely mountain farm where he stumbles upon a young girl’s diary from eighty years before. Claudette tells of farm life disrupted by a blizzard and the arrival of a stranger with a terrible injury. With her father sick, the eight-year-old chronicles her struggle to look after the farm, and its unwanted guest, alone.

Present day London. Joseph Martin has screwed up. Once he was a lethal assassin, the best gun-for-hire. Now, in his autumn years, even he has to admit he is losing it. His failing skills have landed him in trouble with a dangerous client. Only the successful completion of an eerily familiar mission can save his skin; a mission which takes him into deepest Asia, where he must face a past he has long tried to forget.

He’s not the only one on the road in Asia. London city boy Ashley Gritten is travelling. Shedding the challenges of his privileged life in Kensington, he’s off to ‘find himself’ in the drugs, girls and debauchery of the backpacker trail. But something else finds him. Something much, much worse.

Who would have thought that a rich kid and an ageing hit man would have so much in common? And what does all of this have to do with Elmo, a pianist on his death bed in Venice?

From The Storm is a dark and humorous story of how selves are lost and lives are found.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Science Fiction

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 10, 2012

About the author

Adrian J Walker was born in the bush suburbs of Sydney, Australia in the mid '70s. After his father found a camper van in a ditch, he moved his family back to the UK, where Adrian was raised.

His second novel, The End of the World Running Club, is a post-apocalyptic running fable about hope, love and endurance. It is being published by Del Rey UK, in May 2016.

His third novel, Colours, is the first part in a dystopian sci-fi trilogy and is available now.

Reviews

[Paul Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. I was thoroughly reminded of David Mitchell (especially Ghostwritten and Cloud Atlas) in the narrative style of this book - the story flies around all over the place, in both space and time, until the apparently disconnected characters are drawn together into a single narrative at the end of the book. An undemanding and entertaining read, which led me on to another book by the same author, 'Colours' - which I definitely did not enjoy!

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not on a par with The End of the World Club or The Last Dog on Earth. I suppose it was clever when the different threads combined at the end of the novel along with the unexpected twist but it seem to take forever to get to that part of the journey. Read better, read worse.

Ray Smillie

[Christopher Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book by Adrian Walker, again. Not exactly post-apocalypse this time but a tale told in three time periods namely 1978, 2003 and 2058 with the same characters appearing in each period, particularly 1978 and 2003. It was initially hard to be sure who was who exactly. Thought it worked pretty well and this was the best written and best resolved of the three by this author I have now read.

[Rob Twinem · Rating 1 out of 5]

very disappointed with this story after a great start...bit too confusing...a story that did not appear to know where it was going :(((

[Judy Wise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was getting so confused to which century I was in and just who was doing the talking during that chapter. Too many books to read, no sense in struggling to read. Off to find a new one.

[Ann Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrian J. Walker has become one of my favourite authors since I read The End of the World Running Club and The End of the World Survivors Club. From the Storm met the same gripping high standard. It's an intriguing and complicated story that interweaves two generations of characters in the past and the near future, and traverses London, the French Alps and the Asian tourist trail.
The various plotlines are at first hard to connect but as the connections gradually fall in to place, they reveal a deep and complex story that gripped me from page one. The author has that rare knack of drawing in a reader from the first few lines. As with his previous books. Walker is excellent at character development. The characters are complex and intriguing and each one develops throughout the book in ways that aren't always predictable.
It's a beautifully written book, with real warmth. I look forward to reading more form Adrian J. Walker.

[Elsbeth Washburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare talent

I've read everything by Adrian J Walker that I can find in the last month. I've recommended him to many. His prose is eloquent & original. It's truly a gift to find new ways to describe prosaic things, but he does so. The beauty of his work lies not only in his excellent storytelling, his wonderfully developed characters or his turn of phrase but also in the way in which he connects all to the angst of living. Without beating the reader over the head, redemption & the beauty of human connection are the core themes of his wildly varied novels.

I have a new favorite author to add to a very small list. I like many authors, but few are as remarkable as Walker. I honestly expect him to be counted amongst the very best with time.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite new authors.

Great story, decent twist and just the right amount of literary gravitas.

You need to pay attention in an Adrian J Walker book, you don't get spoon fed, which I think is refreshing.

This story is all about small worlds, missed opportunities and misunderstandings - with a wee bit of voodoo hoodoo mixed in.

Lovely stuff.

[Abby Morton · Rating 2 out of 5]

AJW is one of my favorite writers, but I didn’t like this one. I got 2/3 of the way through it and still couldn’t see any connections between the different stories. I peeked at the upcoming chapters and it looked like they stayed separate for a long time. No payoff is good enough to invest that much time and energy.

[J.A. Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me smiling, a little sad and missing the characters. Adrian Walker is a good writer with interesting ideas that he weaves into refreshing plots. I also really liked his End of the World Running Club. Highly recommended for readers who like thrillers that tend toward the literary.

[Richard Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping novel

Loved the book, very well written too. Took me on a journey spanning different story lines and times. Also a pleasure to discover that the author also wrote The End of the World Running Club, another excellent novel.

[Catreyna Cartorde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A feverish wanderer in the French Alps to a fading assassin, a wayward backpacker, and an ailing pianist, form a story both darkly humorous and deeply human, where hidden connections reveal how selves can be lost and lives redeemed.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

While it’s a fairly easy read, I liked the way it wove multiple across different timelines. Good story and well developed characters

[Wayne Buttery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Moving around different dates and gradually getting an idea of what’s going on. Liking a character. Then not. Then liking them again. Unexpectedly moving also. Go for it!

[Nick Sayce · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last half of the book is smart in how it winds together all the different threads. Unfortunately the second half tends to drag, with a lot of the characters not being fully fleshed out.

So it is ok, just not a story that will stay with me.

[Usha · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Storm is a very good first novel for author Adrian Walker. The story was complex and well written. It did start a bit slow but once the pace picked up I couldn't put the book down. The text was very poetic at times and quite easy to read. Despite the jumps from the future to the present and back, it was easy to follow the progression of the plot. This novel has all the elements of a good book - great plot, suspense, love, betrayal , empathy, compassion and hope(for Joseph, Catherine, Ashley and Sommai). It tells the story of three friends, Fidelio, Elmo and Anita, who get caught-up in something larger than themselves leading to betrayal and heart-break. It seemed like Fidelio and Catherine are the only ones who got closure at the end but the other two had fulfilling lives as well. I liked Claudett and wanted to know more about what happened to her and her father after Joe left? I also thought Catherine was a strong character and wanted to know more about her and her mother. How did she come to be a painter in Florence? One character that didn't bring much to the story was Ashley. With the novel switching from Claudette's journal to the present and back throughout the novel, his role was quite distracting, in fact it felt like someone else was writing his part. He is a convincing character with a lot of depth and he did have some merits, but I just didn't think he belonged in this book. That is the only reason I will be giving it 4 stars on Goodreads instead of 5. All in all a good read!

[Jon Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping

Felt gripped by the story from very early in the book. Plot seemed to drift a bit at times but I was still gripped right to the end.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read! The beginning took a bit to get use to with various characters and three different time periods, but the culmination was more than satisfying. You're dropped into the story and patiently wait to see how the characters are tied together and find yourself completely engrossed in an interesting story told in an unusual way.

The author beautifully describes the places, the grizzly dreams, and the action and scenes that unravel the story. I remained curious about the characters and couldn't wait to see where their physical and personal journey's would take them.

It's hard for me to characterize this book. It's kind of a snapshot in the lives of the characters, some showing more history than others, with no real reason why but it doesn't matter. Everyone has their own story and journey and this is just more than a peek into these characters. It was definitely worth the read.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I was going to be able to complete this one. Choosing to start it on a hot train with some sweaty, hairy man's elbow stabbing into my ribs didn't give me the best start to the story. And I found it a little slow and confusing at the beginning.

However, the intricate threads of multiple life stories begin to come together in a fine tapestry nearly halfway through. From the 45% mark onwards I was hooked.

An impressive debut. The story has some real soul and plenty of fine observations about life, living and the sorry mess people can sometimes get themselves into in pursuit of finding themselves.

[Jesse VanDeWalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Adrian Walker has taken disparate threads of story and woven them together to make an outstanding novel. While this type of book is not my normal cup of tea, it sometimes helps to step outside oneself; as some of the characters in the book find out. Mr. Walker also uses a variety of formats, switching from traditional prose to a diary to an online chat transcript to keep the narrative fresh. The pacing, development and plot all move at very enjoyable clip right up to the end. I give From the Storm 4/5. An extremely enjoyable book and I highly recommend a read!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story, and very different than the other book by this author I read. A couple parts were a little confusing - he had a lot of women with names starting with the letter c. At first I had trouble keeping track of story lines and years, but it didn't take long to figure it out. It did take me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out who was who - two story lines decades apart, and one character in both story lines but going by a different name in each.
I enjoyed this book and will look for more by this author.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I considered giving it three stars, but I just didn't enjoy it that much. The main characters I didn't care much about. There was an excessive amount of description of the surroundings and not enough about how their lives got from point A to point B. The two characters I liked were the ones whose stories got left out.
The action was pretty good. The way here wove the seemingly disparate characters into one story was masterful.
I didn't hate it, but I didn't enjoy it either.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Individually fascinating stories about several people's journeys. The narrative kept me engrossed in the different characters experiences, whilst not expecting the interlocking denouement one bit. I had barely digested its impact when my attention was hooked by the 'who, why and what happens next?' of the aftermath. Impressive author.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts out slowly and I was a bit confused as it jumped from one place/time to another. Glad I stuck with it as it turned out to be a really good book. Realised when I had finished it that I had read another book by this author - also really good. Will have to watch out for his future novels.

[Stella Bain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping read. The story has great flow, successfully integrating several interesting characters and story lines that initially seem unrelated. Lots of excitement with a one-legged hit man, a remote snowbound farm house, and scary dream demons. Read it!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd have given this three stars at the beginning as it started a bit slowly. But actually as the stories all start to weave together I found I really wanted to see how the connections were made. I did enjoy this ultimately, well worth picking up.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable. I found it a bit slow to start with but it's definitely worth sticking with it, as the story develops into a really exciting read. I particularly enjoyed Ashley's story and found his travels very funny at times.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author skilfully weaves a number of strands, separated by space and time, to a dramatic conclusion.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this. Started out a bit slow, but got better and better towards the end.