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The Storm
The darkest secrets just won't stay buried.
Red Springs. A tiny town in Georgia's northwest corner - 95 percent white. Five percent black. Utterly unprepared for the devastating tornado that rips and smashes through it one dark August day.
Sheriff Zandra Seagraves already faced an uphill battle. Elected by a fluke, Red Springs' first-ever Black female sheriff leads the recovery efforts, despite knowing how much the townspeople - and her own department - loathe her. But Zandra has no idea just how hellish things are about to get. Because one of the relief workers stumbles across a ghastly The tornado tore a long-abandoned house off its foundations, revealing a grisly, recently-used torture dungeon below it.
A monster has been dwelling in Red Springs. Undetected for years. Preying on the unsuspecting populace. His atrocities only brought to light because of the storm. Now, amid the tornado's wreckage and surrounded by people who want her gone, Zandra has to hunt this monster down before he disappears again. And to do it, she'll have to peel back all of Red Springs' dark, corrupted layers. One vile secret at a time.
The Storm is a new thriller from Dan Jolley, international bestselling author of The Gray Widow series, House of Teeth, and co-creator of DC Comics' Firestorm.
Red Springs. A tiny town in Georgia's northwest corner - 95 percent white. Five percent black. Utterly unprepared for the devastating tornado that rips and smashes through it one dark August day.
Sheriff Zandra Seagraves already faced an uphill battle. Elected by a fluke, Red Springs' first-ever Black female sheriff leads the recovery efforts, despite knowing how much the townspeople - and her own department - loathe her. But Zandra has no idea just how hellish things are about to get. Because one of the relief workers stumbles across a ghastly The tornado tore a long-abandoned house off its foundations, revealing a grisly, recently-used torture dungeon below it.
A monster has been dwelling in Red Springs. Undetected for years. Preying on the unsuspecting populace. His atrocities only brought to light because of the storm. Now, amid the tornado's wreckage and surrounded by people who want her gone, Zandra has to hunt this monster down before he disappears again. And to do it, she'll have to peel back all of Red Springs' dark, corrupted layers. One vile secret at a time.
The Storm is a new thriller from Dan Jolley, international bestselling author of The Gray Widow series, House of Teeth, and co-creator of DC Comics' Firestorm.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 13, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 13, 2019
This book was impossible to put down. Forget Instagram and Facebook; we're talking ereader-on-my phone-in-the-bathroom-at-work hard to put down. The action starts off right away, and it's not only fast-paced, but the sense of foreboding is masterful. From the first chapter you KNOW something bad is coming; things are going to get creepy. And if you've read his Gray Widow trilogy - you know Dan Jolley does creepy SO. DANG. WELL.
I was surprised at how invested I got in all the characters, even the ones I really didn't like (... REALLY didn't like...). Zandra, Colin, Pounder - they were relatable and believable, and I cared about who they were, what they were going through, and how they were growing and changing. And in typical Jolley fashion, they went through A LOT.
Woven throughout this mystery-thriller is a relevant look into impoverished white people in the Southern United States. Jolley's observations about racism, classism, and Trump-ism were insightful, and the many of the situations that the characters found themselves in were familiar to me - thankfully not all of them (looking at you, hidden dungeon). I read The Storm shortly after reading Hillbilly Elegy by J.D Vance, actually, and much of what was said in both rang true for me. I appreciated Dan's voice in this ever-evolving discussion.
And of course, in the midst of all that, Dan Jolley had to go and break my heart AND make me laugh out loud multiple times. Because that's just what he does. That's all I'm going to say about that because, you know, spoilers.
So if you're looking for an engaging, gritty, politically relevant, action-packed read, check out The Storm. It's dark at times, hilarious at times, thought-provoking at times - and enjoyable at all times.
I was surprised at how invested I got in all the characters, even the ones I really didn't like (... REALLY didn't like...). Zandra, Colin, Pounder - they were relatable and believable, and I cared about who they were, what they were going through, and how they were growing and changing. And in typical Jolley fashion, they went through A LOT.
Woven throughout this mystery-thriller is a relevant look into impoverished white people in the Southern United States. Jolley's observations about racism, classism, and Trump-ism were insightful, and the many of the situations that the characters found themselves in were familiar to me - thankfully not all of them (looking at you, hidden dungeon). I read The Storm shortly after reading Hillbilly Elegy by J.D Vance, actually, and much of what was said in both rang true for me. I appreciated Dan's voice in this ever-evolving discussion.
And of course, in the midst of all that, Dan Jolley had to go and break my heart AND make me laugh out loud multiple times. Because that's just what he does. That's all I'm going to say about that because, you know, spoilers.
So if you're looking for an engaging, gritty, politically relevant, action-packed read, check out The Storm. It's dark at times, hilarious at times, thought-provoking at times - and enjoyable at all times.
December 29, 2018
This book is quite something. I love thrillers and this was one that I quite literally couldn't put down until I finished it. It was one of the best kinds of books in that there was just enough foreshadowing for you to know something was coming, but not enough to really give it away until you got to the end and then suddenly everything made sense and you were kicking yourself for not having seen it beforehand.
Dan Jolley is very very good at setting the scene and his descriptions are so vivid, you sink into the book more like it's a movie instead of words on a page. As someone familiar with the area he's put Red Springs in, everything about that felt authentic. From the Piggly Wiggly down to the gym to the way that people talk, everything was familiar, nothing seemed out of place - it wouldn't have surprised me to know that Red Springs actually existed somewhere.
He's also very good at building tension and characterization. His characters feel like real people not caricatures and in this kind of story and this kind of setting they could have easily been just that. His protagonist, Zandra is quite possibly my favorite protagonist out of the books I've read this year - she's bright and vivid and amazing. She's no damsel despite the ton of distress that she has to deal with. The damsel in this case is this poor Yankee who's come down to help rebuild the town who gets involved and one thing leads to another...the feel of the book has this amazing Southern Gothic/Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil vibe. Jolley's craft is solid and you can see just how good it is in this novel. It's a enjoyable thrilling ride from start to finish.
Dan Jolley is very very good at setting the scene and his descriptions are so vivid, you sink into the book more like it's a movie instead of words on a page. As someone familiar with the area he's put Red Springs in, everything about that felt authentic. From the Piggly Wiggly down to the gym to the way that people talk, everything was familiar, nothing seemed out of place - it wouldn't have surprised me to know that Red Springs actually existed somewhere.
He's also very good at building tension and characterization. His characters feel like real people not caricatures and in this kind of story and this kind of setting they could have easily been just that. His protagonist, Zandra is quite possibly my favorite protagonist out of the books I've read this year - she's bright and vivid and amazing. She's no damsel despite the ton of distress that she has to deal with. The damsel in this case is this poor Yankee who's come down to help rebuild the town who gets involved and one thing leads to another...the feel of the book has this amazing Southern Gothic/Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil vibe. Jolley's craft is solid and you can see just how good it is in this novel. It's a enjoyable thrilling ride from start to finish.
February 1, 2021
Torn from the Headline story: Storm Tears Town Apart
The storm leveled the town, revealing an underbelly of racism and even deadlier secrets. A basement filled with unspeakable things are just part of the challenges facing Sheriff Zandra Seagraves, others include the color of her skin in her Southern sun-down town, her memories of her time in the military, and a way-too-cute white Yankee adult-child who has come with his sister's church group to help dig her town out. Can she find out the killer before everything else comes to head?
Full of real humans, real situations - at times this comes across more of a "you were there" real-crime drama, while never skimping on the drama inherent in good fiction (such a contrast from the bad acting of the television).
Read through Kindle Unlimited.
The storm leveled the town, revealing an underbelly of racism and even deadlier secrets. A basement filled with unspeakable things are just part of the challenges facing Sheriff Zandra Seagraves, others include the color of her skin in her Southern sun-down town, her memories of her time in the military, and a way-too-cute white Yankee adult-child who has come with his sister's church group to help dig her town out. Can she find out the killer before everything else comes to head?
Full of real humans, real situations - at times this comes across more of a "you were there" real-crime drama, while never skimping on the drama inherent in good fiction (such a contrast from the bad acting of the television).
Read through Kindle Unlimited.
September 23, 2024
In this thriller set in the Deep South, we see a town that never stamped out the the good ol’ boy mentality or the rampant racism. Meet Sheriff Zandra who is the first African American woman to be sheriff in this tiny town. When a really bad tornado tears up the town secrets will be uncovered and they are horrifying.
This was a hard read for me, the extreme racism and close mindedness were a lot to take. I felt all emotions: tears, joy, pride, fear, and more. Dan Jolley is an amazing author that knows how to captivate an audience. I did not see the plot twist at all I was totally going the wrong direction! My favorite character was Jordan, lol! I was ready to throw my iPad at one point but I didn’t because I had to know how this ended.
If you’re looking for a thriller be sure to check this out. Just make sure you read the author’s note at the beginning!
This was a hard read for me, the extreme racism and close mindedness were a lot to take. I felt all emotions: tears, joy, pride, fear, and more. Dan Jolley is an amazing author that knows how to captivate an audience. I did not see the plot twist at all I was totally going the wrong direction! My favorite character was Jordan, lol! I was ready to throw my iPad at one point but I didn’t because I had to know how this ended.
If you’re looking for a thriller be sure to check this out. Just make sure you read the author’s note at the beginning!
January 7, 2019
What a fantastic story! A small southern town gets ripped apart by a deadly tornado which uncovers a creepy secret. The local sheriff finds herself deep in a mystifying horror, and can only trust a few people. The story reveals several characters with nefarious intent, but the one behind the horror was a complete surprise to me. I did not see that coming.
Jolley describes racism in a variety of ways, from overt to covert, obvious to subtle, but ever present. The main characters are well developed, and with the threads he left hanging, I expect the sequel to expand these characters and develop others. The book didn’t so much end, as it did just stop. He isn’t finished. I’m eager for the next book in this series.
Jolley describes racism in a variety of ways, from overt to covert, obvious to subtle, but ever present. The main characters are well developed, and with the threads he left hanging, I expect the sequel to expand these characters and develop others. The book didn’t so much end, as it did just stop. He isn’t finished. I’m eager for the next book in this series.
December 27, 2018
From the very first page, I was invested in Zandra and her story and the mystery she is embroiled in. She is a wonderfully complex character and her journey as the first black female sheriff of a small southern town is beautifully told. The town of Red Springs in North Georgia is as visceral and integral to the story as New Orleans is to James Lee Burke's Robicheaux books. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
April 11, 2019
I didn't come close to figuring out who the bad guy was, but neither did the sheriff. I liked her character very much, but I thought it was a bit of a stretch that a guy in Vermont would have known anything about a sheriff in Georgia before they met. I was really sorry about her brother, and I didn't see that coming either (who did it, I mean). I'm glad the dog survived or I would have thrown the book down without finishing it.
Enjoyed the references to all the familiar places.
Enjoyed the references to all the familiar places.
November 6, 2020
audible:Wow!What a book!A black woman sheriff is being harrassed and ignored by the townsfolk and her co workers who are mostly white.When a tornado takes out a house and knocks over trees a group of do gooders come from away to help.One stumbles on much more than storm damage.I loved this book.A sequel would be a treat! Jk Gregg was a terrific narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
March 25, 2020
A really great story about a how horrible people can be.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews