The Storm Reaper: A Violet Crisp Crime Thriller

by Kristen Van Nest

A storm is coming. And secrets will be revealed.

As a teenager, Violet Crisp almost lost her life in a storm. Her best friend was swept away. And she saw a man murdered. No one believed her sighting of a local legend, The Storm Reaper, but she’s spent the past decade trying to prove that a serial killer lurks on Fire Island.

Now a police officer on the island, Violet helps lost children in the day while obsessing over a murder board in the evenings. Until this summer. A storm washed a body onto the beach. A man with familiar injuries, from more than just a storm. The new police chief listens to Violet’s concerns. Recognizes her research. Agrees to let her investigate.

But another storm is coming. Another body is found. And Violet realizes The Storm Reaper must be local. Someone she knows. Someone she might care for.

And someone who realizes how close Violet is getting to the truth…

About the Author
Kristen Van Nest is a viral comedian and the author of Where to Nest (Dreamscape Media, 2024), a coming-of-age travel memoir about living all over the world and eating great cheese. The Storm Reaper is the first thriller in the Violet Crisp series, set on Fire Island, New York, where Kristen spent every childhood summer getting sunburnt, chasing minnows, and nearly drowning that one time. The book interweaves her love of nature, the beach, and small-town petty drama. She writes dark humor crime fiction about women who notice too much and get dismissed for it.

361 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 1, 2026

About the author

With a career spanning from New York to Luxembourg (as a Fulbright Scholar) to Shanghai (where she lived and worked for 3.5 years) to now L.A., Kristen has a unique perspective of the world and how humans relate. She brings this vision to all her projects.

Reviews

[Robyn Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real dangers lurk beneath the storms on Fire Island and Violet is the only one who sees them, but no one believes her…. Yet.

""I know who killed Bobby Vito. I know the pattern. I know the wound. I know the profile. "It’s the Storm Reaper," I blurt out"".

I have not read such a thrilling murder mystery in a long time. The storm aspect of the story and the way Violet's character was written to be very knowledgeable in regard to barrier islands, storms and the overall impact of such storms on a barrier island added a layer to the story that had me hooked from the first chapter.

Fire Island is a 31-mile-long barrier island in the state of New York, calling the island home her whole life is Violet Crisp. As a teenager, Violet claimed to have seen something disturbing, only, having the reputation as the town drunk's daughter, no one believed Violet, her reputation followed her into adulthood and her job as a policewoman. Violet sees patterns where no one else does and a new chief of police and a dead body discovered after a storm may be the breakthrough she needs for her and her theory to be taking seriously. With another storm bearing down on the island can Violet get to the bottom of her storm reaper theory before anyone else falls victim.

A dark, twisted thriller combining the dangers of storms and the danger of someone moving and disguising themselves under the storms.

Violet's character was developed well through the story, making her relatable in the sense of past mistakes following you around and trying to move on from them and be seen in a different light.

This was a thoroughly thrilling read. I enjoy weather phenomena so much which is why this book stood out to me in the first place, and it did not disappoint. It had some very interesting twists throughout which really added to the mystery of it all. I would really recommend Storm Reaper to those who enjoy murder mysteries and thrillers, but also those who enjoy weather phenomena. The story itself is suitable and enjoyable by most ages.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Estelle Bouldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

From its very first pages, The Storm Reaper pulls you under like the tide itself—relentless, disorienting, and impossible to escape.

Van Nest opens with a harrowing prologue that sets the tone for everything that follows: survival, loss, and the kind of trauma that doesn’t stay buried. What begins as a tragic accident quickly spirals into something far darker, threading together folklore, memory, and the unsettling possibility that the past isn’t just haunting the protagonist—it’s hunting her.

At the heart of the story is Violet Crisp, a flawed and compelling main character whose voice feels raw and real. Her obsession with the so-called “Storm Reaper”—a myth most dismiss as island lore—walks a fine line between paranoia and intuition. You’re constantly questioning: is she chasing ghosts, or is everyone else ignoring a pattern hiding in plain sight?

Fire Island isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing force. The author’s attention to detail—from storm surge patterns to small-town politics—adds a layer of authenticity that grounds even the most eerie elements of the story. The isolation of a barrier island, especially in the off-season, amplifies the suspense.

It’s part mystery, part psychological thriller, with strong threads of folklore and crime procedural woven throughout. The pacing is steady, building tension rather than relying on cheap shocks, and the storm motif—both literal and emotional—keeps everything tightly coiled.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hurricanes and Serial Killers, what could be better? Just in time for the start of hurricane season The Storm Reaper is released. When Violet and her friend, Cindy, sixteen-year-olds are swimming a major storm comes up. Violet survives, but her friend is taken. Cindy's dad comes out on the beach to find her and while Violet goes to get help, she sees Cindy's dad get hit over the head by a man she doesn't recognize. Fast forward 10 years, and Violet is a police officer in her hometown. She still lives with the guilt of Cindy and the fact that no one believes her about the man she saw. Now with a new chief in town, the wheels start to move and old theories she had, start to catch on. This story has a very small police force, an executor (Asha), that is wanting to run for governor, buried secrets and hidden corruption. This book had me sucked in from the beginning and I am very excited to learn that this is #1 in a series. I actually loved all the characters. (I mean except Asha, but there has to be that one in every story, right?) I can't wait to see what the next chapter brings about for the residents of Fire Island. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tarina Kofoed · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

The Storm Reaper was a fast paced easy read that kept pulling you in with the “who done it” theories.

Violet Crisp is a police officer in her hometown called Fire Island. When she was younger she witnessed a murder and has been trying to get all the townspeople to take her seriously. When another person is found dead after a hurricane, Violet knows the storm reaper has hit again and hopes to find the killer before another hurricane hits Fire Island.

I really enjoyed this book and was able to finish it pretty quickly. It pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading to see what happens next.

I will say it was repetitive at times and made me think I was reading the same paragraph over again.

Overall, it was a really good book and would recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A body washes up after a storm, and then it happens again. Violet (cop) is putting the pieces together, and thinks it's a serial killer

(over the years) of missing people.

This story sucks you in and holds you hostage until the last word. I couldn't stop reading. Unputdownable! I wanted more clues and answers. I felt like I was in a frenzy for information, and Violet is forever tenacious in her searches for truth and justice. The lies, betrayal, and corruption was astounding. This was a very dynamic, gripping story and author , and I can't wait to continue the journey .

I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am in two minds about this book. Maybe the way it started with a bang, built up an unrealistic expectation that the rest of the book would follow with the same intensity.

At point I found myself struggling to push through, and at other points not being able to turn the page fast enough.

So perhaps it is a situation of "It's not the book, it's me"?

This is my reason for my middling rating. Read other reviews and then decide whether you would want to read this book. I can't recommend it as I can't even decide whether I enjoyed it or not.

Thank you to the author and Book Sirens for this advance review copy that I received for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The setting and twists. A unique story that kept me interested.
Stayed up too late to see what happened.
Look forward to more books by the author.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily

[Hannah Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing read. Could not put the story down once I started it. It gave just enough at the right times to keep you turning the page.

[Melinda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gripping plot that I couldn't put down, great characters and twists I didn't seI received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.e coming. A must read