The Flood

Killer Thrillers

by Meghan O'Flynn

“Intense. Feral. Deliciously unhinged.”
~Kristen Mae, bestselling author of Underdog


Seven people. A locked storm shelter. Inevitable starvation.
What could you do to survive?

Victoria Larson and her husband, Chad, are sitting on their rooftop, waiting for the end. For three days, they’ve watched their coastal Louisiana town turn into a lake, battered by an unprecedented series of hurricanes. With the levees obliterated, the waters rise higher and higher—the next storm is sure to swallow their house whole.

Just when all hope seems lost, a rescue boat emerges through the driving rain; a woman named Windy plucks them from their roof and motors them to a waterproof bunker—to safety. There, with a ragtag group of other evacuees, Victoria and Chad bed down and prepare to wait out the storms.

But it isn’t long before Victoria notices a few things seem…off. The cement bunker has a door that locks from the outside. Many of the boxes of food don’t contain food at all. The bottles of water smell like rubbing alcohol. And everyone in the group has a secret; even Victoria’s own estranged husband seems to have known their captor prior to making the trek to the shelter. And some of her fellow evacuees are far too intent on defending the woman who locked them in this dungeon. Are they really storm victims like Victoria? Or are they accomplices in a sick game?

One thing is certain: none of them will survive if they can’t find something to eat. And if the stories the others tell about Windy are any indication, Victoria suspects their captor’s plans are far more evil than simply watching them die of malnourishment.

The blade Windy gave her is proof enough of that.

And it won’t be long until starvation devours the last of Victoria’s sanity.


Tightly plotted and deliriously wicked, this psychological thriller will leave you breathless. Fans of Nick Cutter and Paul Tremblay will love The Flood.

Genres: Thriller, Thriller Suspense, Horror, Drama, Adult

333 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2019

About the author

With books deemed “visceral, haunting, and fully immersive” (New York Times bestseller, Andra Watkins), Meghan O’Flynn has made her mark on the thriller genre. Meghan is a clinical therapist who draws her character inspiration from her knowledge of the human psyche. She is the bestselling author of gritty crime novels and serial killer thrillers, all of which take readers on the dark, gripping, and unputdownable journey for which Meghan is notorious. Perfect for fans of Dexter, Chelsea Cain, and Gillian Flynn. Learn more at https://meghanoflynn.com!

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was twisted. She grabbed my attention with the blurb, and it was as crazy as I expected it to be. Filled with suspense, terror, awful choices, and no one is as they seem. The creepometer is high.

I've read books by Meghan O'Flynn before, and they were all fantastic, in the way she unfolds the story, the way she makes you uncomfortable, but at the same time unable to put it down and walk away. The Flood is the same way. And it's even more messed up than it sounds. I loved it.

[M. Larose · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tedious "thriller"

This was my first reading of this author, and the book's premise intrigued me, so I bought it. I like to finish books I start, unless they're really bad, so I read this to the end. But the most interesting part of this story was the prologue at the beginning. After the first few chapters, the writing became tedious.
Stephen King could have made a great read with the same plot, however this author's writing was pretty dull with repetitive descriptions of the characters glaring at each other, moving back and forth in a small room, doing boring actions that were supposed to feel suspenseful but were instead just so tedious. Aside from a few good metaphors and similes, the writing felt mechanical. I won't be reading any more from this author.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars


The Flood is the latest release by Meghan O’Flynn- and what a mind-twisting and intense read this has been. Ms. Flynn’s books always leave me looking over my shoulder with their sinister and creepy tones- and this one was certainly all that and more. I don’t know quite how to categorize it, as it has a little bit of everything from psychological thriller, to suspense, and mystery with dark, twisted, gruesome, and nightmarish developments and situations that had me scrambling to stay on top of everything that was happening. There were so many scenarios running through my mind while I was reading, and I was trying to piece everything together and figure out what exactly was happening. But there was more going on than meets the eye, that’s for sure- and things become clearer little by little, as the story unfolds. I was left guessing, and I was never quite sure where Ms. O’Flynn was ‘taking’ me. As expected, Ms. O’Flynn has spun a brilliant web of intrigue and it’s certainly one story I won’t forget any time soon.
I did have a little trouble connecting with Victoria especially at the beginning, but as the story progressed and details were revealed, she grew on me more.
Another well-spun tale that made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention, and will definitely have me looking over my shoulder for a while to come.

Thank you, Ms. Flynn!!!

[DAVID ALSPECTOR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

This was a masterpiece of twists and turns. Loved this book from cover to cover. Definitely going to have to read more of her books!

[Barbara Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! A little creepy, but well worth reading

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Flood by Meghan O'Flynn is a psychological thriller that will certainly make you want to run and hide. It will mess with your psyche and leave you looking over your shoulder and making sure the lights are on. Beware it is one story that is very, very twisted and dark and definitely mess with your stomach. It kind of reminded me of that movie Saw. The intensity of the situation seven unlikely people find themselves in is palpable. They soon realise that it is a fight for their lives and one that many may not win.

Meghan has done a great job of building the suspense and leaving you clueless as to what will happen next. This is one story that will not leave you with the warm and fuzzies, it will leave you with a chill and wondering what is around the corner.

[Leslye Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters in this book really come to life. It is like you are right there with them, seeing what they see, feeling the same things, living their fear. The plot has depth with twists and turns that you don't see coming, making you hate one person one minute - and considering them a hero the next. Don't miss this one!

[Heather Lovelace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heavens. What a spellbinding thrill ride! I wanted to read as fast as I could as well as I hide while I was devouring the pages. O’Flynn is simply brilliant, scary, meticulous, and engaging. This roller coaster is masterfully crafted to leave the reading screaming for their lives while screaming for more. Simply mesmerizing!

[Kimberly Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have one word for this book: Ew! With all due respect to the author, I had a hard time with this one. I don't even know how I finished it. I'm sure there is an audience for such things, but apparently I am not it. There should be trigger warnings all over this one.

The basic premise is that a group of people have been locked into an underground dungeon thing by a psycho for her own personal reasons. It's a twisted (very twisted!) sort of social experiment maybe. With no real hope for rescue, how far will they go to survive? Quite far, it turns out. Donner Party far, if you get my meaning.

Some of the writing here is hazy and disjointed, but that could possibly be attributed to the mental condition of the main character, Victoria, as she falls deeper and deeper into starvation and dehydration. I didn't find any of the characters sympathetic or compelling, and the constantly spinning arrow of suspicion was just exhausting. Everybody was the bad guy, then no one was the bad guy. I skipped over quite a bit of the lead-up to the ending because I just wanted it to all be over. I think the ending/epilogue was meant to be happy and hopeful but can you even have a happy ending after all of that?

I give it two stars only because there was a beginning, a middle, and blessedly, an end, and the author managed to compose thoughtful and complete sentences that included proper grammar and spelling.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with other reviewers that this couldve been a lot shorter. By at least 50 pages minimum.

Many, many swaths of text where we're told Victoria's guts are angry with hunger, or her lips are dry and her throat is dry. Again and again and again and again. Large chunks of chapters where nothing happens. Which made reading a lot of this a bit of a slog.

Yes it does pick up a *little* towards the end but i was starting to skim and skip paragraphs just to speed towards the end and to experience an uptick of pace.

I just wasn't invested in Victoria's relationship with her brother. I found Windy to be more interesting, but she doesn't appear enough so she felt kind of wasted. The gruesome stuff didn't bother me. The first little bit of the story was a nice setup, but the middle just drags and drags. I get that not a lot can happen in a tiny environment but it took me a while to finish even if it was 700-800 pages because the pace of it was agonizingly slow several times.

I didn't hate it, i've read worse, but this could've been so much better off of an interesting premise.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overview of The Flood got me intrigued enough to buy the book. After a quarter of the way through, I found myself talking myself back into reading it again just because I was really needing to know how this book would wrap up. The story begins with Victoria and her husband, Chad, trying to survive a hurricane by sitting on their house rooftop. Along comes a rescue boat, a lone woman at the helm, urging them to join her in her boat as she has an underground bunker with plenty of water and food. Windy states she has been plunking people out of the storm and taking all to her shelter. She and Chad join five others in this underground bunker, and these five are a strange lot indeed. A very diverse bunch. The next nearly 200 pages document suffering, starvation, death, and delirium. The climax is tense and satisfying.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm, this one didn't quite work for me. Certainly an interesting, if not disturbing premise, but I felt it kind of dragged on, included storylines that seemed unnecessary and relied too much on the main character being able to make deductions based on the slimmest of information. It also seemed a bit hard to believe that she could go from an angry/whiny person to hallucinating/starving victim to becoming some weird superwoman at the end. I kept thinking the whole time that the author was writing the book with the intention of it becoming a movie.

[Marlis Steinke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled to rate this book. It was better than 3 stars but not quite 4.

I bought it because the synopsis was intriguing. The beginning half of the book was the most interesting part and the author had me invested enough in the protagonsit to continue reading to find out what happened. There was certainly tension and creepiness.

I think I might have liked a little more on the antagonist and how she formulated and began her plan.

I liked it well enough to perhaps try another of the author's more popular books.

[Karen Dolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Flood

Unusual story line, well written. I would recommend this book for the suspense factor, it is not what you exoy.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another terrifying tale from the scary imagination of Meghan O'Flynn. Her Ash Park series is something else but her stand alone novels give me the heebie geebies.

[Brett Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this one down . Just amazing .

[Ivy Murillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2. Good read!

[Goldie Herechuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gruesome story but very well written.

[Cardmaker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Victoria Larson and her husband, Chad, are sitting on their rooftop, waiting for the end. For three days, they've watched their coastal Louisiana town turn into a lake, battered by an unprecedented series of hurricanes. With the levees obliterated, the waters rise higher and higher - the next storm is sure to swallow their house whole.

Just when all hope seems lost, a rescue boat emerges through the driving rain; a woman named Windy plucks them from their roof and motors them to a waterproof bunker - to safety. There, with a ragtag group of other evacuees, Victoria and Chad bed down and prepare to wait out the storms.

But it isn't long before Victoria notices a few things seem ... off. The cement bunker has a door that locks from the outside. Many of the boxes of food don't contain food at all. The bottles of water smell like rubbing alcohol. And everyone in the group has a secret; even Victoria's own estranged husband seems to have known their captor prior to making the trek to the shelter. And some of her fellow evacuees are far too intent on defending the woman who locked them in this dungeon. Are they really storm victims like Victoria? Or are they accomplices in a sick game?

One thing is certain: none of them will survive if they can't find something to eat. And if the stories the others tell about Windy are any indication, Victoria suspects their captor's plans are far more evil than simply watching them die of malnourishment.

The blade Windy gave her is proof enough of that.

And it won't be long until starvation devours the last of Victoria's sanity.

The writeup above is on the back cover of the book. It's way more interesting than the story inside the book. If the author had given this idea to Stephen King, it probably would have been a fantastic story; however, it sure isn't King-worthy writing. It's boring and tedious. This is the first book I've read by this author and it is also the last book I'll read by this author.

[Yee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't stand with Victoria from the beginning until the ending of the story. She is full of rage and belittling others all the time. She always thinks that others are useless and have no contributions better than her. There was a part when she just wakes up and wonders how Chad can sleep during such a crisis situation. She blames everyone for whatever things that they do or even for doing nothing except herself. Another ridiculous part was Victoria has the strength of getting angry with Chad and questioning him about her brother Philip when she is in a dehydrated state. Being unappreciative of the water offers by Chad is one thing. But when Chad asks her whether their relationship will be fine, she feels that he doesn't make sense of thinking such a matter when they are locked in an underground bunker with a dying man lying nearby to them. This is just one of a few examples, and there were a few things seem unreasonable or wrong on so many levels.

I wish the ending can be sooner as the story is getting more draggy. There were so many questions in my mind, and I'm confused after reading the book. As if Victoria just suddenly traps in the bunker, and out of nowhere, she finds a way out after countless days, even though I had read the entire story. Maybe I have understanding issues, or I was trying to finish it in a hurry, rushing myself from the sea of descriptions? Some characters have connections with another character in the past, but they can't recognise them in the bunker. What? Or it's just some plot twist that the author tries to create to excite the readers?

Book Review: The Flood by Meghan O'Flynn.

[Diane Dachota · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a very exciting premise but fell apart in terms of logic, dialogue and characterization. Victoria and her husband Chad live in Louisiana and are stuck on the roof of their house after heavy storms and flooding. They are out of food and almost out of water. A speedboat comes by driven by a woman named Windy who offers them a granola bar, a bottle of water and the chance to ride out the rest of the storm in a shelter she found complete with blankets and sleeping bags, food and water.

Once the couple arrive at the shelter they meet other people who say they are also stranded from the storm. After a short while, Victoria and the others figure out most of the shelved food is fake, there is little water (the water bottles hold rubbing alcohol) and they are locked in a hatch with no way to get out. The author didn't do a good job of setting the stage and we don't really understand much about Victoria's life besides her various dreams and hallucinations about her brother Phillip. We also get flashbacks and thoughts about Windy's brother and it becomes muddled and confusing as to what is real and what is not. The dialogue is clunky as well and the motivations of various characters don't quite make sense.

I liked the idea of the people stranded with no way to get out except their wits but I wish there were more of that instead of endless brother hallucinations and conversations that don't make sense. I also found it odd that Chad rarely spoke until the end. Some exciting parts but needed to be more clear with better motivations.

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flood by Meghan O’Flynn

5 ++++ Stars

I finished this book a few days ago and have not been able to find the words to put in this review, and I'm still not sure but going to give it my best shot.

I'm not sure if I would have chosen this book without this author’s name on it, she became a favorite of mine back while reading her Ash Park Series and now I think I'd read anything she comes up with. Choosing this book after reading the synopsis proves that.

This story affected me from word one, I was totally invested in Victoria’s character and I can not explain why but everything that occurred in this book opened up new sides to her and I truly felt like I understood her.

The rest of this story was a complete mystery that revealed itself little by little..One of those you get a whole lot of AHA moments and then immediately start trying to figure out more. I seriously had so many different endings going on in my head and was so amazed at how completely wrong I was from the start.

I thought this book would give me nightmares and thankfully it has not, but I still get chill bumps when I think about the story or even see the cover. It was AMAZING, written so that you could almost feel, see, smell, and hear exactly what these people were and I can't recommend it enough. This amazes me because again I wouldn't normally choose this genre but again I'll choose anything by this author!!

Loved It!

[E.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flood by Meghan O'Flynn was a dark twisted read, that had me hooked from start to finish.

Not my first read by this author, so I knew going in that I was in for something not only well written, but twisted, dark and trilling. I was not disappointed. This book starts out dark, and stays that way. It keeps pulling you more and more into its cold twisted hold of horror; that not only keeps you guessing, but will have you wondering, what you would do, in that same situation. Chills, just chills. There's just something about the whole thing, that will get you right in the darkness of your soul. I've seem movies like this, but I have to say, this version has been one of the best so far.

This book is crazy good, and I'm still consumed about how everything when down. How as you go back, you start making connections, start seeing the easter eggs that you missed. This psychological thriller will have you second guessing every character, every word, every decision, and it will have you trying not to root for the MC, while secretly rooting for her to survive.

Overall this read is not only worth it, this book will mess with your head, have you wondering about human nature, and of course, as I have said, have you wondering what you would do. So please take my super high recommendation and my golden stamp of approval, that you will get lost in the darkness and suspense that is this gem of a book.

Happy Reading

-E.A. Walsh

[Scarlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visceral, Brilliant, and Haunting Insights into Humanity.

"Humanity is tenuous. Life is tenuous. So is sanity." These are the words Victoria Larson thinks to herself as she is trapped below ground with her husband and a group of strangers after a hurricane and the subsequent flooding have ravaged her Louisiana home.

Weaving a tapestry in the way of masters like King and Koontz, O'Flynn's latest stand alone novel since she became a best-selling author with her "Ash Park" series provides a haunting look into the human psyche. How much can one person be expected to withstand in a locked down bunker with a group of eclectic and volatile personalities, particularly when it becomes evident that somebody brought all of those personalities together for a sinister reason.

Like a puppet master manipulates their marionettes, O'Flynn takes us through an intricate dance of the human condition, moral fortitude, and as always, the chilling question of "what exactly would you do to survive if survival is the only option you have?"

From the first word until the last, "The Flood" will leave you breathless and wanting more. O'Flynn's ability to weave characters who you not only root for, but feel like you could know makes you feel invested in their stories from the very beginning.

Why are you still reading this review? Go buy the book and see for yourself!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flood is one of those books that will suck you into a deep dark vortex of suspense and drama. This is nothing new to me from the ever talented Meghan O’Flynn. I have devoured the majority of her books and fell into a twisted sort of love with her Ash Park series. This one was something I held to a somewhat high standard since I did know what O’Flynn is capable. As you can tell I wasn’t let down in the least bit and actually flove this one just as much as her other dark twisted novels.

I won’t divulge a whole lot more than what you get from the gripping cover and blurb. The book begins with a massive flood swallowing the small coastal town of Louisiana. Chad and Victoria were stranded on the roof of their house when what seemed to be a hero, a nice woman that offers to take them to safety. But as with all good and dark plots things are never what they seem to be at first impressions. I can promise lots of twisted and dark comes and throughout it is all done with a masterful flow and never overdone. Prepare yourself for those aftershocks and nightmares. The ending is fantabulous and done in a way I never saw coming, but ever so perfectly! This is not one you want to miss out on. I can’t wait to see what else is roaming around that mind of Meghan O’Flynns!

[Tausha Treadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flood by Meghan O’Flynn. Let me start by saying Meghan O'Flynn is one of my very favorite authors. This book just goes right in there with her other amazing reads. Once you start this you can't put it down because you have to know what happens next. Its Louisiana and an unprecedented storm is occurring. Victoria Larson and her husband Chad are sitting on the roof of their home watching their beloved city turn into a lake with another massive storm heading their way. They've had no food or water for 3 days and don't see any way in site of getting any until Wendy shows up in a boat and whisks them away to a water proof bunker. Once they get there Victoria goes on high alert because there is a lock on the outside of the door and the food boxes are empty. What is going on? How are all these people going to survive if there is no food. She's also getting the weird vibe that everyone knows Wendy from before the flood. Are they all in a big plot together against her or is her mind just going crazy from lack of nutrition. This book poses the all important questions "what lengths would you go to in order to survive?" This book is a emotional roller coaster and I honestly didn't know what was going to happen from one chapter to the next. Its a great book!

[Laura Furuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flood
By: Meghan O’Flynn
5 out of 5 stars

The story The Flood by Meghan O’Flynn is a psychological thriller. It is a book that pulled me in from the beginning and I found myself lost in the storyline. This is a story that had me turning pages wondering what was going to happen next. It is like being on a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t end until the last page. I enjoyed reading about the many characters that are introduced in the book. Some of them I grew to care about what happened to them, others seemed to have their own agenda and plans. This is a story that asks the question “How far would you go to survive?” The characters in this story face a shortage of food and water. Then there is the feeling that everything that is happening is not as it seems to be. Are they part of some sick game? What does the future hold for them? Read this book to find out. This story has times of conflict and also emotional moments. The world that these characters find themselves in seems to spiral out of control and turn upside down. Don’t miss out on a thrilling story that you won’t want to put down until the final page. I highly recommend reading it.

[Kerry Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flood by Meghan O’Flynn is an exciting and intense psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. This book has to be my favourite one by this author so far. The whole way through I was trying to figure out what was going to happen. Each time I thought I had it susses the author would throw in another twist or a new bit of information that threw it all back on its head.
The book was such an intense read. I think partially because I could almost picture something like this happening – people stranded for days without food due to unprecedented storms. The author did a great job of basing the book firmly enough in reality that it gave the book an edge to it that most like this seem to be missing.
Meghan Flynn has fast become one of those authors that I don’t bother to read the book descriptions because I know how much I will enjoy it. This is one book that I cannot recommend highly enough. You really need to get your copy today.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flood by Meghan O’Flynn is a psychological thriller that leaves you speechless! I have read most of Meghan’s books so I thought I was prepared for the wickedness but I tell you, I was in no way prepared … she simply blew my mind and that from the prologue on … my goodness, the pictures she paints in your head using the words, I could not fall asleep the night I finished the book!
The writer has given us a story that is a mix of suspense and mystery that is so twisted and nightmarish that you start looking over your shoulder and jump at the weird sounds! There is so much more there that meets the eye, the massive flood in the small coastal town in Louisiana and a couple – Chad and Victoria – being rescued by a woman called Windy taking the to a waterproof bunker … and then it starts surfacing and be prepared as nothing will prepare you! Keep your light on and sleep with one eye open!

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about this book before I read it, but I have read other stuff by this author and I was excited to read more.

This book really blew me away. The way this author writes is so poetic and vivid. It makes the reader feel as if they are actually there. The various figures of speech she incorporates in her stylistic approach are spot on and paint a clear picture for the reader.

With that being said, the book itself was amazing. Some of the characters were dark and twisted but somehow at the same time likable. How she can make you root for the most unlikeable characters is a testament to how wonderfully written this book was.

The story was deep, emotional, and a psychological riddle you were trying to figure out all wrapped in one. I would recommend this book because it was unique and really kept you engaged all the way to the end.