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Before the Storm
Face her demons? Or run?
After being double-crossed by a devious colleague, career woman Ellie Conlan quits her job on principle. With no idea what to do next, she retreats to Storm Harbour, an idyllic Victorian beach town.
Ellie's grandfather runs The Storm Harbour Chronicle, the trusted local newspaper. As Ellie is drawn into a story about a development which could split the coastal community - and involves her with the influential O'Neill family - an event she has long suppressed threatens to overwhelm her.
Dark clouds gather as rumours fly and tensions mount. And when a violent storm breaks and rages, Ellie will finally have to confront her past.
'There's no denying the beauty and opulence of Morrissey's rendering of place . . . She is a master of the genre.' Weekend Australian
After being double-crossed by a devious colleague, career woman Ellie Conlan quits her job on principle. With no idea what to do next, she retreats to Storm Harbour, an idyllic Victorian beach town.
Ellie's grandfather runs The Storm Harbour Chronicle, the trusted local newspaper. As Ellie is drawn into a story about a development which could split the coastal community - and involves her with the influential O'Neill family - an event she has long suppressed threatens to overwhelm her.
Dark clouds gather as rumours fly and tensions mount. And when a violent storm breaks and rages, Ellie will finally have to confront her past.
'There's no denying the beauty and opulence of Morrissey's rendering of place . . . She is a master of the genre.' Weekend Australian
432 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
159 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Di Morrissey
77 books379 followersDi Morrissey (born 18 March 1943 in Wingham, New South Wales) is one of Australia's most popular female novelists. She grew up in the remote surrounds of Pittwater, north of Sydney, Australia.
Growing up she counted famous Australian actor Chips Rafferty as a close mentor and friend who helped provide for her and her mother after the death of her father as a child, sending them overseas to California to live with family.
In her later years, Di went on to become a journalist on London's Fleet Street, and worked for CBS in Honolulu, where she lived with her husband who was in the foreign service, and even had a small role in the series Hawaii Five-0, a guest role in season three, episode seven, 1970 starring as 'Alicia Anderson'.
After moving back to Australia, Di published her first book 'Heart of the Dreaming' which instantly became a bestseller. Since then Di has published another 17 bestsellers, her latest being 'The Silent Country'.
Growing up she counted famous Australian actor Chips Rafferty as a close mentor and friend who helped provide for her and her mother after the death of her father as a child, sending them overseas to California to live with family.
In her later years, Di went on to become a journalist on London's Fleet Street, and worked for CBS in Honolulu, where she lived with her husband who was in the foreign service, and even had a small role in the series Hawaii Five-0, a guest role in season three, episode seven, 1970 starring as 'Alicia Anderson'.
After moving back to Australia, Di published her first book 'Heart of the Dreaming' which instantly became a bestseller. Since then Di has published another 17 bestsellers, her latest being 'The Silent Country'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
June 6, 2022
EXCERPT: Kathryn looked at Ellie. 'Cynthia showed me the story in your paper about our mayor. Remarkable woman. Her honesty embarrassed me. Not because of what she said, but that she was brave enough to tell the truth.' Kathryn was still looking at Ellie. 'Secrets steal your soul. Even those you keep from yourself. I've kept a secret for most of my life and now I've finally come to understand how it eats away at your heart, even if you don't admit it.'
'What are you talking about, Kathryn?' asked Heather quietly.
'I want you to know what I have ignored for decades, Heather. And what I should have told you, Ellie, when I did the interview here with you when Heather was still working on the portrait.'
'I don't understand,' started Ellie. There was something in Kathryn's eyes, in the tone of her voice, that was slicing through Ellie's tightly wrapped inner self. The part of her that hurt.
'Keeping things to yourself is not brave. It eats you up,' Kathryn said. 'I see that now. Let me share this now with you, young woman. And Heather, I've kept this from you, from everyone, for decades, and suddenly I see there was no reason to do so.'
Ellie sat clutching her tea cup. This elderly woman couldn't know how she felt and what she suffered in her dark hours. Or could she? Did she want to hear what Kathryn had to say? Ellie didn't move, she simply stared at Kathryn, who had turned her head and was looking at the sheet covering the painting. Then go ahead, Kathryn. Get it off your chest.'
ABOUT 'BEFORE THE STORM': Face her demons? Or run?
After being double-crossed by a devious colleague, career woman Ellie Conlan quits her job on principle. With no idea what to do next, she retreats to Storm Harbour, an idyllic Victorian beach town.
Ellie's grandfather runs The Storm Harbour Chronicle, the trusted local newspaper. As Ellie is drawn into a story about a development which could split the coastal community - and involves her with the influential O'Neill family - an event she has long suppressed threatens to overwhelm her.
Dark clouds gather as rumours fly and tensions mount. And when a violent storm breaks and rages, Ellie will finally have to confront her past.
MY THOUGHTS: I needed this visit to Australia, although I have never visited the region in which Di Morrissey has set Before the Storm.
Ellie has gone to visit her Poppy in order to regroup after being shafted in her career. A normal thing to do, we all head for 'home' when we're hurting. What Ellie doesn't bargain on is finding the corruption and trolling she thought she'd left behind in the city, rearing another equally ugly head in Storm Harbour.
Di Morrissey conveys a great sense of place, I could see this wonderful little town quite clearly in my mind, just as I could it's characters. And there are some wonderful characters! It would be hard not to like Ellie. She's a little stirred and shaken by the events in her life, and coming back to Storm Harbour has reignited a few memories she would rather forget, but she moves on with her life helped, inadvertently, by the new friends she makes.
There are a couple of minor 'mysteries' regarding the backgrounds of Storm Harbour's Mayor, and also that of the local matriarch and doyenne Kathryn O'Neill. There's nothing shocking revealed, just things that people thought they had to hide, either through embarrassment or fear.
Before the Storm is essentially a story of friendships, both old and new. I loved the friendship between Heather and Kathryn which has lasted over fifty years. It's also the story of the good people can do when they band together to give their support, or to fight something they know is wrong or damaging to the community.
I don't think that Before the Storm is the best book Di Morrissey has written, but I enjoyed my time in Storm Harbour, and I need to catch up on the books this author has written that I haven't yet read.
⭐⭐⭐.8
#BeforetheStorm #NetGalley
I: @dimorrisseyauthor @macmillanaus
T: @di_morrissey @MacmillanAus
#australianfiction #contemporaryfiction #smalltownfiction
THE AUTHOR: Readers always ask me how I started writing and where did my ideas come from? Although I have always enjoyed telling and writing stories, it was a long journey to become a published and successful author.
I was born in Wingham in the Manning Valley NSW and at five moved to Pittwater, a remote and magical part of Sydney, which in those days was populated by rather bohemian characters.
After living in many exotic locations, I realised I was not happy. I missed Australia and I still wanted to write. I had to come home.
Eventually I settled in Byron Bay, and wrote my first book, 'Heart of the Dreaming.' Twenty years and twenty best sellers later, (plus a children’s book – “Buster and the Queen Bee” )it’s still hard work, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything differently.
Initially my books were all about Australians living in Australia, but I realised that Australians had made their mark in other parts of the world, and so I began to set my stories in more exotic overseas locations where Australians live and work. I still always visit the places where I set my books, talk to the locals, and absorb the history and culture as well as the ambiance of every location.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Before the Storm by Di Morrissey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon,Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'What are you talking about, Kathryn?' asked Heather quietly.
'I want you to know what I have ignored for decades, Heather. And what I should have told you, Ellie, when I did the interview here with you when Heather was still working on the portrait.'
'I don't understand,' started Ellie. There was something in Kathryn's eyes, in the tone of her voice, that was slicing through Ellie's tightly wrapped inner self. The part of her that hurt.
'Keeping things to yourself is not brave. It eats you up,' Kathryn said. 'I see that now. Let me share this now with you, young woman. And Heather, I've kept this from you, from everyone, for decades, and suddenly I see there was no reason to do so.'
Ellie sat clutching her tea cup. This elderly woman couldn't know how she felt and what she suffered in her dark hours. Or could she? Did she want to hear what Kathryn had to say? Ellie didn't move, she simply stared at Kathryn, who had turned her head and was looking at the sheet covering the painting. Then go ahead, Kathryn. Get it off your chest.'
ABOUT 'BEFORE THE STORM': Face her demons? Or run?
After being double-crossed by a devious colleague, career woman Ellie Conlan quits her job on principle. With no idea what to do next, she retreats to Storm Harbour, an idyllic Victorian beach town.
Ellie's grandfather runs The Storm Harbour Chronicle, the trusted local newspaper. As Ellie is drawn into a story about a development which could split the coastal community - and involves her with the influential O'Neill family - an event she has long suppressed threatens to overwhelm her.
Dark clouds gather as rumours fly and tensions mount. And when a violent storm breaks and rages, Ellie will finally have to confront her past.
MY THOUGHTS: I needed this visit to Australia, although I have never visited the region in which Di Morrissey has set Before the Storm.
Ellie has gone to visit her Poppy in order to regroup after being shafted in her career. A normal thing to do, we all head for 'home' when we're hurting. What Ellie doesn't bargain on is finding the corruption and trolling she thought she'd left behind in the city, rearing another equally ugly head in Storm Harbour.
Di Morrissey conveys a great sense of place, I could see this wonderful little town quite clearly in my mind, just as I could it's characters. And there are some wonderful characters! It would be hard not to like Ellie. She's a little stirred and shaken by the events in her life, and coming back to Storm Harbour has reignited a few memories she would rather forget, but she moves on with her life helped, inadvertently, by the new friends she makes.
There are a couple of minor 'mysteries' regarding the backgrounds of Storm Harbour's Mayor, and also that of the local matriarch and doyenne Kathryn O'Neill. There's nothing shocking revealed, just things that people thought they had to hide, either through embarrassment or fear.
Before the Storm is essentially a story of friendships, both old and new. I loved the friendship between Heather and Kathryn which has lasted over fifty years. It's also the story of the good people can do when they band together to give their support, or to fight something they know is wrong or damaging to the community.
I don't think that Before the Storm is the best book Di Morrissey has written, but I enjoyed my time in Storm Harbour, and I need to catch up on the books this author has written that I haven't yet read.
⭐⭐⭐.8
#BeforetheStorm #NetGalley
I: @dimorrisseyauthor @macmillanaus
T: @di_morrissey @MacmillanAus
#australianfiction #contemporaryfiction #smalltownfiction
THE AUTHOR: Readers always ask me how I started writing and where did my ideas come from? Although I have always enjoyed telling and writing stories, it was a long journey to become a published and successful author.
I was born in Wingham in the Manning Valley NSW and at five moved to Pittwater, a remote and magical part of Sydney, which in those days was populated by rather bohemian characters.
After living in many exotic locations, I realised I was not happy. I missed Australia and I still wanted to write. I had to come home.
Eventually I settled in Byron Bay, and wrote my first book, 'Heart of the Dreaming.' Twenty years and twenty best sellers later, (plus a children’s book – “Buster and the Queen Bee” )it’s still hard work, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything differently.
Initially my books were all about Australians living in Australia, but I realised that Australians had made their mark in other parts of the world, and so I began to set my stories in more exotic overseas locations where Australians live and work. I still always visit the places where I set my books, talk to the locals, and absorb the history and culture as well as the ambiance of every location.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Before the Storm by Di Morrissey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon,Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 29, 2022
2.5★
“‘Warranghi National Park, a kid is lost. A little boy, four years old.’ Ellie stared at Patrick. ‘Oh no, that’s a pretty wild place. I remember we went for a picnic there once. And there’s a big lake up there.’
. . .
‘I recognise so many people here. Seems the whole town has come to help,’ he said. ‘Says a lot about Storm Harbour, doesn’t it?’ said Patrick. ‘We pull together when needed.’”
If there’s a cause or a theme that has been overlooked in this book, I can’t think what it is. I don’t remember the last time I felt this preached at, and I can’t believe I read the whole thing, skimming a fair bit of the time.
Development is bad, community is good, except when it’s appropriate development, of course. And some members of the community are landed gentry in cahoots with flash investors from the city, set to change this picturesque village.
“’So-called progress is sometimes viewed with suspicion and, as I see it, the paper’s job is to let people know what’s actually going on.’”
Ellie has gone to Storm Harbour on the Victorian coast after storming out of the high-stakes IT job in Melbourne. She’ll stay with granddad Patrick, the crusty newspaper proprietor, and by the way, get him a website, a Facebook page and bring him into the internet age, spunky go-getter that she is. Not only that, she can suss out the dodgy developers and lead the charge on environmental campaigns.
When invited to lunch and offered a big steak she begins one of her spiels.
“‘Thanks, Roly. It’s really kind of you, though I have to admit I don’t eat much red meat these days.’
‘Vegetarian, are you? Or one of those save the planet crusaders?’ Roly peered at Ellie.
‘Not really,’ Ellie replied. ‘It’s not so much about not eating any meat at all. I just don’t want to support those cruel, industrial-sized feedlots where animals are housed in massive indoor sheds and pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. For me it’s about encouraging small-scale, healthy and natural farming.’
‘Trendy indeed. But you can munch away guilt-free in this case as the beast is a new lowline breed, grass-fed, hormone-free, produces limited methane, and is environmentally friendly as it treads lightly on the land due to its size and appetite.’”
Yes, she really is one of those save the planet crusaders, and boy do we keep hearing about it. I have enjoyed a few Di Morrissey novels in the dim, dark past, but I remember them being plot and character-driven with some historical settings. This reads like a catalogue of tropes that I can’t bring myself to list.
If you want to read about everything that’s wrong in Australia (and the world) and how one young woman and her grandfather are going to fight the good fight (and expect you to cheer them along), this might be your cup of tea.
“Ellie reached for his hand and held it tightly, overcome by his words and the dawning realisation that she knew she would fight, tooth and nail, for all that Patrick and his country newspaper stood for – the right to call out cheats and liars, praise and promote the modest and those who did not ask for recognition for living life by simple rules: loving family, respecting others, helping in their community.”
As for me, I will continue to fight the good fight without, I hope, lecturing everyone within earshot. This is an old NetGalley book I kept postponing, and now I know why. The quotes are the same as in the published version.
“‘Warranghi National Park, a kid is lost. A little boy, four years old.’ Ellie stared at Patrick. ‘Oh no, that’s a pretty wild place. I remember we went for a picnic there once. And there’s a big lake up there.’
. . .
‘I recognise so many people here. Seems the whole town has come to help,’ he said. ‘Says a lot about Storm Harbour, doesn’t it?’ said Patrick. ‘We pull together when needed.’”
If there’s a cause or a theme that has been overlooked in this book, I can’t think what it is. I don’t remember the last time I felt this preached at, and I can’t believe I read the whole thing, skimming a fair bit of the time.
Development is bad, community is good, except when it’s appropriate development, of course. And some members of the community are landed gentry in cahoots with flash investors from the city, set to change this picturesque village.
“’So-called progress is sometimes viewed with suspicion and, as I see it, the paper’s job is to let people know what’s actually going on.’”
Ellie has gone to Storm Harbour on the Victorian coast after storming out of the high-stakes IT job in Melbourne. She’ll stay with granddad Patrick, the crusty newspaper proprietor, and by the way, get him a website, a Facebook page and bring him into the internet age, spunky go-getter that she is. Not only that, she can suss out the dodgy developers and lead the charge on environmental campaigns.
When invited to lunch and offered a big steak she begins one of her spiels.
“‘Thanks, Roly. It’s really kind of you, though I have to admit I don’t eat much red meat these days.’
‘Vegetarian, are you? Or one of those save the planet crusaders?’ Roly peered at Ellie.
‘Not really,’ Ellie replied. ‘It’s not so much about not eating any meat at all. I just don’t want to support those cruel, industrial-sized feedlots where animals are housed in massive indoor sheds and pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. For me it’s about encouraging small-scale, healthy and natural farming.’
‘Trendy indeed. But you can munch away guilt-free in this case as the beast is a new lowline breed, grass-fed, hormone-free, produces limited methane, and is environmentally friendly as it treads lightly on the land due to its size and appetite.’”
Yes, she really is one of those save the planet crusaders, and boy do we keep hearing about it. I have enjoyed a few Di Morrissey novels in the dim, dark past, but I remember them being plot and character-driven with some historical settings. This reads like a catalogue of tropes that I can’t bring myself to list.
If you want to read about everything that’s wrong in Australia (and the world) and how one young woman and her grandfather are going to fight the good fight (and expect you to cheer them along), this might be your cup of tea.
“Ellie reached for his hand and held it tightly, overcome by his words and the dawning realisation that she knew she would fight, tooth and nail, for all that Patrick and his country newspaper stood for – the right to call out cheats and liars, praise and promote the modest and those who did not ask for recognition for living life by simple rules: loving family, respecting others, helping in their community.”
As for me, I will continue to fight the good fight without, I hope, lecturing everyone within earshot. This is an old NetGalley book I kept postponing, and now I know why. The quotes are the same as in the published version.
October 27, 2020
Ellie Conlan lives in Melbourne, she’s a career woman and very good at her job. Suddenly out of the blue her boss decides to give Sophia a fellow work college her job as project manager, Ellie gathers her things from her desk and quits. After she leaves work she releases how stressed she is, to the point of having panic attacks and she decides to visit her grandfather in Storm Harbour a quiet little beach town and have a much needed break from living in the city. Ellie’s grandfather Patrick is thrilled to see her and he’s 80 and still works as the editor of the local newspaper called The Storm Harbour Chronicle. Ellie decides to take an extended holiday, she has no reason to return to Melbourne, do some volunteer work at the newspaper office and they certainly need some up to date IT help.
Storm Harbour is a beautiful little coastal town, everyone loves the amazing botanic gardens and the caravan park is situated close by. Ellie meets some interesting people, a real mixture of personalities and they all have one common wish and that’s for Storm Harbour to stay the same. Ellie is drawn into a new story and someone is trying to develop a large area of land in Storm Harbour and it’s all very secretive. The area in question is owned by the rich O’Neill family, their matriarch Kathryn is in her 90’s, she’s very attached to the gardens, she created them, why would she want them destroyed and it makes no sense?
Before the Storm looks at life in a small town, the people who live in it, they have all moved there for a reason and some have secret pasts. The atmosphere in town soon gets very tense; this makes Ellie feel very uncomfortable, she had a bad experience as a teenager in Storm Harbour, she never told anyone, and years later it still affects her. Ellie finally understands dealing with what happened to her will set her free, she needs to tackle her past front on, it wasn’t her fault; the same applies to finding out who’s behind the development, initiating the very low and nasty behavior and it needs to be stopped!
I enjoyed reading Before the Storm, I received a copy in exchange for an honest review and I gave the book four stars. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Storm Harbour is a beautiful little coastal town, everyone loves the amazing botanic gardens and the caravan park is situated close by. Ellie meets some interesting people, a real mixture of personalities and they all have one common wish and that’s for Storm Harbour to stay the same. Ellie is drawn into a new story and someone is trying to develop a large area of land in Storm Harbour and it’s all very secretive. The area in question is owned by the rich O’Neill family, their matriarch Kathryn is in her 90’s, she’s very attached to the gardens, she created them, why would she want them destroyed and it makes no sense?
Before the Storm looks at life in a small town, the people who live in it, they have all moved there for a reason and some have secret pasts. The atmosphere in town soon gets very tense; this makes Ellie feel very uncomfortable, she had a bad experience as a teenager in Storm Harbour, she never told anyone, and years later it still affects her. Ellie finally understands dealing with what happened to her will set her free, she needs to tackle her past front on, it wasn’t her fault; the same applies to finding out who’s behind the development, initiating the very low and nasty behavior and it needs to be stopped!
I enjoyed reading Before the Storm, I received a copy in exchange for an honest review and I gave the book four stars. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
October 28, 2020
Ellie Conlan headed for Storm Harbour along the Victorian coastline from Melbourne, to the safety and sanctuary of her grandfather’s home. Ellie had been betrayed in the job she loved and once she’d left, her thoughts were in turmoil. When Ellie’s grandfather, Patrick, invited Ellie to write a piece for his local paper, The Storm Harbour Chronicle, which he’d owned and run for many years, she was uncertain but excited. Ellie found new friends and a couple of old friends from when she was at school in Storm Harbour, but when rumours hit about a new development in the area, Patrick and Ellie were determined to find the truth about something that would potentially affect the locals badly.
With trolls doing their best to derail Ellie’s work, and the Mayor receiving threatening messages, it was time to still the voices. While Ellie worked her hardest on her feature article, the time was fast approaching when it would be too late. Could Ellie face her demons? And could they halt those who were only in it for the money, before it was too late? On the night of the party, and before the storm hit, they only had three days…
Before the Storm by Aussie author Di Morrissey is an absolute stunner of a novel. I loved it, didn’t want to put it down, and the author’s beautiful descriptions of the country, the seaside, Storm Harbour itself, had me there with Ellie and Sam, the aging Labrador; with Patrick and the team at the Chronicle; with Roly, Ben, Cassie and Steve at the caravan park – an absolutely delightful, engrossing story which left me a little sad to be finished. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
With trolls doing their best to derail Ellie’s work, and the Mayor receiving threatening messages, it was time to still the voices. While Ellie worked her hardest on her feature article, the time was fast approaching when it would be too late. Could Ellie face her demons? And could they halt those who were only in it for the money, before it was too late? On the night of the party, and before the storm hit, they only had three days…
Before the Storm by Aussie author Di Morrissey is an absolute stunner of a novel. I loved it, didn’t want to put it down, and the author’s beautiful descriptions of the country, the seaside, Storm Harbour itself, had me there with Ellie and Sam, the aging Labrador; with Patrick and the team at the Chronicle; with Roly, Ben, Cassie and Steve at the caravan park – an absolutely delightful, engrossing story which left me a little sad to be finished. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2022
There is so much to like about this novel. A wonderful summer read. The drama was perfect. It was what I expected from a family saga: envy, betrayal, backstabbing, secrets, greed. It was a super thrill! Like Louise Penny's fictitious village, 'Three Pines', I wanted to pack up and head out for Storm Harbor-town, four hours drive south of Melbourne, Australia.
It is my first encounter with this author and I would like to explore her novels more. The only gripe I had among the many (perhaps hundreds, lolol) 'attagirls', is the demeaning way of referring to working class citizens. It clashes with my belief of 'love thy neighbor as thyself'. Treat everybody with the same respect you wish to be treated with. Anybody who disagreed with her were diagnosed, by her, with Paranoid Personality Disorder.
Oh ok, another one: I didn't appreciate Ms Estelle Conlan(Ellie)"s tapping herself so constantly on the back ( like, she's going to save her grandfather's newspaper, the town, Australia and earth, if we will just allow her to deliver her little speeches as part of her dialogues. Nope, did not work for me, although I agree with so many of the -isms in the novel. I just don't want it to be pushed down everybody's throat as part of a story line. Perhaps her mother, a Melbourne psychologist, could have properly diagnosed her with a level of OCD, since Ellie's panic attacks form part of the disorder, as well as her constant crave to organize (read control), everything and everybody. Don't worry, she, sort of got over herself in a way at the end. Uh wait. no, she did not. Just ask her best buddy Mike. Oh she's still lovable. Don't fret.
Ellie found everything she needed in this little seaside town which the big city could not give her, including real friends, and people who really cared for each other.
I loved all the characters, warts 'n all.
* Grandpa Patrick Addison, with his The Storm Harbour Chronicle;
* the mighty O'Neills who worked their buds off as farmers to become as influential as they were. They practically saved the town, although their 'dark secrets' were just such a magnate for Ellie's mission to equalize everyone. Everybody deserved to know all the secrets, except her own, of course - yes therein lies a sad mystery.
* Roland 'Roly' Bolton QC─ my favorite character─fortright, smart and knowledgeable. He resided in the popular caravan park, with his verbal diarrhea: I abandoned my career in the law. It's a world of the pious and the pompous, numskulls in wigs and frocks, and dubious subterranean evil opportunists swilling at the trough of padded billable hours. Tt tt tt. It still made him a wealthy man who could comfortably retire anywhere in the world.
"Maybe it's time the octopi O'Neill clan had a spanner thrown among their nefarious tentacles. Then he ( Seamus O'Neill)'d be too busy to just sit around counting his shares and assets". - according to Roly.
But that was before Ellie met the formidable matriach Mrs. Kathryn O'Neill, who taught her about integrity, honesty and respect for others. She also told Ellie that secrets steal one's soul. Even those we keep for ourselves. Still, the O'Neills were regarded squattocracy(yep, Ellie again) and should become a target. Except for Ben O'Neill, the gentle, kind sculptor.
* Mayor Meredith Havelock - who had to figure out who's behind the selling of the caravan park, and is threatened for in case she might oppose the idea. Ellie to the rescue. As Roly would have it: Ellie should help her grandfather control some of the parsimonious wankers in town who think they own the place. There were more than parochialism at play in a town who were looking out for each other, as were demonstrated when a little boy disappeared one night. A deep sense of family and community bonded the townspeople.
* Tommy, from 'Tommy's Treasures'. His heart was in the right place. He gave everything away, for free.
So, it is established: farmers, lawyers, and working class people were sort of personna non grata. Oh yes, include the police. Artists, IT-people, media, and so on, was good.
* Heather Lachlan─the artist and lifetime friend of Kathryn O'Neill.
I loved the novel: the warmth, friendliness, and strong personalities; the scenic background; the backstories of all the characters; the dramatic thunderstorm which finally ripped open the secrets and scandals; and I loved Roly's cello.
I have a dear neighborly friend who shares a love for reading, and is even more green than I am, in fact she lives in her own bubble of greenness. She has 54 cats in her cob house up in the mountains, which she claims are vegetarians. While I am regularly accused of being so green I am a radical communist, she wrote a book in which she claimed to be from another planet and was sent to Planet Earth to destroy capitalism and the diabolical corporatocracy. Well, she whatsapped me, and said I should read this novel. I told her I'm kind of a romance-avoider (which she knows after sharing so much book-talk over the years. What's up with her?!, I thought). "Noooooo", she said. This is not chick-lit, and no smut, of any kind. It's just a wonderful village-drama. Your favorite."
She made me a bet. We will drive 200 kilometer and enjoy a very expensive Italian chocolate cake with coffee at a mutual friend's restaurant, her treat, if I enjoy this novel. If I don't like it, she will read all the boring non-fiction I pass on to her and promise to finally read and discuss it. (she so not appreciates it).
The last time she filled her car's tank at the fuel station in town, she called the police and told them she was robbed. When they arrived there and asked who robbed her, she pointed to pump no. 2. And as far as the chocolate cake is concerned - it is flown into town via a three hour flight each week by special order . My friend will need a fourth bond on her house to pay for it. So the challenge was big.
Well, what can I say, I really enjoyed this book. I will do this author again. Tough luck. Chocolate cake and cappuccinos it will be. Ruthlessly. There's some rubber hitting the road soon.
RECOMMENDED.
It is my first encounter with this author and I would like to explore her novels more. The only gripe I had among the many (perhaps hundreds, lolol) 'attagirls', is the demeaning way of referring to working class citizens. It clashes with my belief of 'love thy neighbor as thyself'. Treat everybody with the same respect you wish to be treated with. Anybody who disagreed with her were diagnosed, by her, with Paranoid Personality Disorder.
Oh ok, another one: I didn't appreciate Ms Estelle Conlan(Ellie)"s tapping herself so constantly on the back ( like, she's going to save her grandfather's newspaper, the town, Australia and earth, if we will just allow her to deliver her little speeches as part of her dialogues. Nope, did not work for me, although I agree with so many of the -isms in the novel. I just don't want it to be pushed down everybody's throat as part of a story line. Perhaps her mother, a Melbourne psychologist, could have properly diagnosed her with a level of OCD, since Ellie's panic attacks form part of the disorder, as well as her constant crave to organize (read control), everything and everybody. Don't worry, she, sort of got over herself in a way at the end. Uh wait. no, she did not. Just ask her best buddy Mike. Oh she's still lovable. Don't fret.
Ellie found everything she needed in this little seaside town which the big city could not give her, including real friends, and people who really cared for each other.
I loved all the characters, warts 'n all.
* Grandpa Patrick Addison, with his The Storm Harbour Chronicle;
* the mighty O'Neills who worked their buds off as farmers to become as influential as they were. They practically saved the town, although their 'dark secrets' were just such a magnate for Ellie's mission to equalize everyone. Everybody deserved to know all the secrets, except her own, of course - yes therein lies a sad mystery.
* Roland 'Roly' Bolton QC─ my favorite character─fortright, smart and knowledgeable. He resided in the popular caravan park, with his verbal diarrhea: I abandoned my career in the law. It's a world of the pious and the pompous, numskulls in wigs and frocks, and dubious subterranean evil opportunists swilling at the trough of padded billable hours. Tt tt tt. It still made him a wealthy man who could comfortably retire anywhere in the world.
"Maybe it's time the octopi O'Neill clan had a spanner thrown among their nefarious tentacles. Then he ( Seamus O'Neill)'d be too busy to just sit around counting his shares and assets". - according to Roly.
But that was before Ellie met the formidable matriach Mrs. Kathryn O'Neill, who taught her about integrity, honesty and respect for others. She also told Ellie that secrets steal one's soul. Even those we keep for ourselves. Still, the O'Neills were regarded squattocracy(yep, Ellie again) and should become a target. Except for Ben O'Neill, the gentle, kind sculptor.
* Mayor Meredith Havelock - who had to figure out who's behind the selling of the caravan park, and is threatened for in case she might oppose the idea. Ellie to the rescue. As Roly would have it: Ellie should help her grandfather control some of the parsimonious wankers in town who think they own the place. There were more than parochialism at play in a town who were looking out for each other, as were demonstrated when a little boy disappeared one night. A deep sense of family and community bonded the townspeople.
* Tommy, from 'Tommy's Treasures'. His heart was in the right place. He gave everything away, for free.
So, it is established: farmers, lawyers, and working class people were sort of personna non grata. Oh yes, include the police. Artists, IT-people, media, and so on, was good.
* Heather Lachlan─the artist and lifetime friend of Kathryn O'Neill.
I loved the novel: the warmth, friendliness, and strong personalities; the scenic background; the backstories of all the characters; the dramatic thunderstorm which finally ripped open the secrets and scandals; and I loved Roly's cello.
I have a dear neighborly friend who shares a love for reading, and is even more green than I am, in fact she lives in her own bubble of greenness. She has 54 cats in her cob house up in the mountains, which she claims are vegetarians. While I am regularly accused of being so green I am a radical communist, she wrote a book in which she claimed to be from another planet and was sent to Planet Earth to destroy capitalism and the diabolical corporatocracy. Well, she whatsapped me, and said I should read this novel. I told her I'm kind of a romance-avoider (which she knows after sharing so much book-talk over the years. What's up with her?!, I thought). "Noooooo", she said. This is not chick-lit, and no smut, of any kind. It's just a wonderful village-drama. Your favorite."
She made me a bet. We will drive 200 kilometer and enjoy a very expensive Italian chocolate cake with coffee at a mutual friend's restaurant, her treat, if I enjoy this novel. If I don't like it, she will read all the boring non-fiction I pass on to her and promise to finally read and discuss it. (she so not appreciates it).
The last time she filled her car's tank at the fuel station in town, she called the police and told them she was robbed. When they arrived there and asked who robbed her, she pointed to pump no. 2. And as far as the chocolate cake is concerned - it is flown into town via a three hour flight each week by special order . My friend will need a fourth bond on her house to pay for it. So the challenge was big.
Well, what can I say, I really enjoyed this book. I will do this author again. Tough luck. Chocolate cake and cappuccinos it will be. Ruthlessly. There's some rubber hitting the road soon.
RECOMMENDED.
January 31, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
With an eye-catching newspaper overlay wrapping the front and back inside covers of Before the Storm, the latest release from Di Morrissey, the overarching theme is immediately established. A story of journalism, family, legacies, tension, small town politics, power, entitlement, greed, truth and secrets, Before the Storm is Di Morrisey’s fresh addition to her impressive back catalogue.
Di Morrissey’s Before the Storm introduces the key character of Ellie Conlan, a young woman who must consider the cost of confronting her past demons. This enterprising young woman is at a crossroads in her career when a fellow employee betrays her. Ellie is forced to quit and in frustration, Ellie decides to flee to the quiet seaside location of Storm Harbour. Hoping to find a sense of peace in the beachside community of Storm Harbour, Ellie reconnects with her grandfather and his local newspaper. Before long, Ellie is taken in by a development plan for the local town that appears to be incredibly divisive. This story leads Ellie to a powerful local family, which in turn results in the resurfacing of a secret event from her past. As Ellie is consumed by her dark past, Storm Harbour begins to feel like a pressure cooker, does Ellie have the strength to settle her past demons and help Storm Harbour overcome these tense community relations?
Di Morrissey is a family favourite. My mother and I always look forward to her once-a-year release. Traditionally, a new Di Morrissey book is published in the pre Christmas period, just in time for some holiday reading time. For me personally, Di Morrissey’s Before the Storm marked the very last book I read over the summer school holiday period. It was the perfect book to close my relaxing holiday period with. Before the Storm was undemanding, absorbing and enjoyable.
Filled with a good collection of colourful and diverse characters, Before the Storm allows Di Morrissey to delve into some interesting character dynamics. The lead of this tale, Ellie Conlan, has a great background to unpack. I appreciated the slow release of information pertaining to Ellie’s confronting past. As a journalist herself for many years, Di Morrissey has directly drawn on her wealth of experience to outline a main character with a similar career path to herself. There was a strong element of realism to Ellie’s character, her form of employment, her work at her grandfather’s local newspaper and her investigative approach to the development issues at Storm Harbour. This adds a great deal of substance and a high level of interest to the unfolding tale.
With her recent work in launching and producing a monthly local newspaper, Di Morrissey has directly linked this experience to her narrative. We are henceforth presented with a storyline filled with issues, divisions, conflict, opinion, conjecture, facts, simmering tension, power, influence, authority, investigation, greed, secrets, gossip and justice. Above all, Before the Storm is the tale of a community at odds and a woman facing personal conflict in her mission to settle a community at odds. In this fight to achieve a sense of peace to this tranquil community, those who are involved in this moving story face many roadblocks, which must be overcome using their own inner strength and sense of community.
As usual with any Di Morrissey novel the landscape is the central and shining feature, this is no exception with Storm Harbour, the local base for Before the Storm. With a stunning coastal backdrop which comes with stormy seas and fresh sea air, Before the Storm fully immerses the reader in a rich Australian feel setting. It was a joy to walk beside Ellie and the community of Storm Harbour for the duration of Before the Storm, thanks to Australia’s favourite storyteller, Di Morrissey.
*I wish to thank Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Before the Storm is book #5 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
With an eye-catching newspaper overlay wrapping the front and back inside covers of Before the Storm, the latest release from Di Morrissey, the overarching theme is immediately established. A story of journalism, family, legacies, tension, small town politics, power, entitlement, greed, truth and secrets, Before the Storm is Di Morrisey’s fresh addition to her impressive back catalogue.
Di Morrissey’s Before the Storm introduces the key character of Ellie Conlan, a young woman who must consider the cost of confronting her past demons. This enterprising young woman is at a crossroads in her career when a fellow employee betrays her. Ellie is forced to quit and in frustration, Ellie decides to flee to the quiet seaside location of Storm Harbour. Hoping to find a sense of peace in the beachside community of Storm Harbour, Ellie reconnects with her grandfather and his local newspaper. Before long, Ellie is taken in by a development plan for the local town that appears to be incredibly divisive. This story leads Ellie to a powerful local family, which in turn results in the resurfacing of a secret event from her past. As Ellie is consumed by her dark past, Storm Harbour begins to feel like a pressure cooker, does Ellie have the strength to settle her past demons and help Storm Harbour overcome these tense community relations?
Di Morrissey is a family favourite. My mother and I always look forward to her once-a-year release. Traditionally, a new Di Morrissey book is published in the pre Christmas period, just in time for some holiday reading time. For me personally, Di Morrissey’s Before the Storm marked the very last book I read over the summer school holiday period. It was the perfect book to close my relaxing holiday period with. Before the Storm was undemanding, absorbing and enjoyable.
Filled with a good collection of colourful and diverse characters, Before the Storm allows Di Morrissey to delve into some interesting character dynamics. The lead of this tale, Ellie Conlan, has a great background to unpack. I appreciated the slow release of information pertaining to Ellie’s confronting past. As a journalist herself for many years, Di Morrissey has directly drawn on her wealth of experience to outline a main character with a similar career path to herself. There was a strong element of realism to Ellie’s character, her form of employment, her work at her grandfather’s local newspaper and her investigative approach to the development issues at Storm Harbour. This adds a great deal of substance and a high level of interest to the unfolding tale.
With her recent work in launching and producing a monthly local newspaper, Di Morrissey has directly linked this experience to her narrative. We are henceforth presented with a storyline filled with issues, divisions, conflict, opinion, conjecture, facts, simmering tension, power, influence, authority, investigation, greed, secrets, gossip and justice. Above all, Before the Storm is the tale of a community at odds and a woman facing personal conflict in her mission to settle a community at odds. In this fight to achieve a sense of peace to this tranquil community, those who are involved in this moving story face many roadblocks, which must be overcome using their own inner strength and sense of community.
As usual with any Di Morrissey novel the landscape is the central and shining feature, this is no exception with Storm Harbour, the local base for Before the Storm. With a stunning coastal backdrop which comes with stormy seas and fresh sea air, Before the Storm fully immerses the reader in a rich Australian feel setting. It was a joy to walk beside Ellie and the community of Storm Harbour for the duration of Before the Storm, thanks to Australia’s favourite storyteller, Di Morrissey.
*I wish to thank Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Before the Storm is book #5 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
January 21, 2021
Before The Storm is a great Australian read by one of Australia's favourite Storytellers, Di Morrissey.
It is set in the coastal town of Storm Harbour a few hours west of Melbourne in Victoria.
I loved hearing about crayfish, bluestone buildings, the dilemmas and tribulations associated with running a local newspaper and radio station.
It came in a gorgeous pale pink hardcover edition with paper sleeve cover depicting the main character Ellie and her beautiful dog, Sam on the beach at Storm Harbour.
I'm always excited to receive the new Di Morrissey book every Christmas under my tree.
Great Australian holiday reading!
Thank you, Di Morrissey.
It is set in the coastal town of Storm Harbour a few hours west of Melbourne in Victoria.
I loved hearing about crayfish, bluestone buildings, the dilemmas and tribulations associated with running a local newspaper and radio station.
It came in a gorgeous pale pink hardcover edition with paper sleeve cover depicting the main character Ellie and her beautiful dog, Sam on the beach at Storm Harbour.
I'm always excited to receive the new Di Morrissey book every Christmas under my tree.
Great Australian holiday reading!
Thank you, Di Morrissey.
December 1, 2020
It’s not a good sign when you find yourself skimming half way through chapter one.
The first 30 pages are completely unrealistic. There is no way that a breach of confidentiality would be handled that way, and the person replacing you would absolutely not be the person texting you to the meeting. In a large IT company that would have been a conversation with the heads of departments and the legal team. As a trained journalist the author should also know that media reps would contact the client or IT company for comment before publishing the article so it would not be a complete surprise to the project manager.
Psychiatrists do not diagnose panic attacks, which can have similar symptoms as heart attacks or strokes, over the phone and then be ok with that person driving.
I realise this is fiction but a little bit of research goes a long way in making a story believable and helping the reader connect with the characters.
The first 30 pages are completely unrealistic. There is no way that a breach of confidentiality would be handled that way, and the person replacing you would absolutely not be the person texting you to the meeting. In a large IT company that would have been a conversation with the heads of departments and the legal team. As a trained journalist the author should also know that media reps would contact the client or IT company for comment before publishing the article so it would not be a complete surprise to the project manager.
Psychiatrists do not diagnose panic attacks, which can have similar symptoms as heart attacks or strokes, over the phone and then be ok with that person driving.
I realise this is fiction but a little bit of research goes a long way in making a story believable and helping the reader connect with the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
It was a lovely little story with all the nice feels. Sweet characters. Occasionally the writing is a little, soap opera-ish? Baby-ish? Sometimes I felt like the author thought we, as the readers, were a bit simple and pointed out the obvious a bit too much. Overall though a nice pleasant story with a predictable outcome which is quite nice to have during the world's craziness right now.
January 7, 2021
3.5*
‘I bet everyone in this town has a story of one kind or another.’
A Di Morrissey book is always a guaranteed engaging read. On offer this time around is a well rounded tale about a rural community with all the family and friendships in small community living. A key and interesting theme Di gives to this tale is one of the importance of the media, particularly when it comes to shining the light on both freedom of speech and keeping those in power accountable.
‘Enough!’ bellowed Patrick. ‘I run this paper. Council runs the town. Let’s stick to what we do, whether or not we agree on the ways in which we do it. I don’t try to run the council, so don’t you try to tell me how to run my newspaper’
Before the Storm also tells the tale of Ellie who is searching for the life that fits her best - whether it be in the corporate city world or living with her grandfather in the rural community of Storm Bay assisting him with the publication of the local paper. So it is clear that there is much on offer here to entice the reader with a variety of themes and stories - personal development, lifestyle, family secrets, small community living and of course, the importance of the media.
‘... you’re not happy here, in your apartment, in the city. A minute ago you sounded so flat and worried. Now you’ve come alive with energy and passion. Ellie, you don’t want to be here, that’s all it is.’
I did enjoy this book, not so much as Di’s previous tale on ‘The Last Paradise’ but still a solid and engaging read. It goes a little slow in places and some of the characters and dialogue was stereotypical at times. Overall, however, this is another engaging and thoughtful story to lose yourself in for a few hours.
‘I believe one sees a place, no matter how well you think you know it, through the prism of past and present sensibilities, don’t you think?’ ... ‘Memories so often dictate emotions.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
‘I bet everyone in this town has a story of one kind or another.’
A Di Morrissey book is always a guaranteed engaging read. On offer this time around is a well rounded tale about a rural community with all the family and friendships in small community living. A key and interesting theme Di gives to this tale is one of the importance of the media, particularly when it comes to shining the light on both freedom of speech and keeping those in power accountable.
‘Enough!’ bellowed Patrick. ‘I run this paper. Council runs the town. Let’s stick to what we do, whether or not we agree on the ways in which we do it. I don’t try to run the council, so don’t you try to tell me how to run my newspaper’
Before the Storm also tells the tale of Ellie who is searching for the life that fits her best - whether it be in the corporate city world or living with her grandfather in the rural community of Storm Bay assisting him with the publication of the local paper. So it is clear that there is much on offer here to entice the reader with a variety of themes and stories - personal development, lifestyle, family secrets, small community living and of course, the importance of the media.
‘... you’re not happy here, in your apartment, in the city. A minute ago you sounded so flat and worried. Now you’ve come alive with energy and passion. Ellie, you don’t want to be here, that’s all it is.’
I did enjoy this book, not so much as Di’s previous tale on ‘The Last Paradise’ but still a solid and engaging read. It goes a little slow in places and some of the characters and dialogue was stereotypical at times. Overall, however, this is another engaging and thoughtful story to lose yourself in for a few hours.
‘I believe one sees a place, no matter how well you think you know it, through the prism of past and present sensibilities, don’t you think?’ ... ‘Memories so often dictate emotions.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
November 6, 2020
The Queen of destination fiction is back with a new location based story of family, greed, loyalty, love, friendship and confronting one’s past.
After being undermined by a devious female work colleague, Ellie quits her job and visits her family in Storm Harbour.
While deciding what to do with her future Ellie helps out at The Storm Harbour Chronicles, her grandfather’s newspaper business.
As she is researching a story about a local development that could shatter the community’s principles she also gets involved with the mysterious and wealthy O’Neill family.
The beautiful seaside town gets under your skin and what Ellie discovers could change everything.
A violent storm is about to hit the town and Ellie is about to confront her past.
I look forward to the annual release of a new Di Morrissey book, a solid story that will capture the reader and whisk them away to a coastal town of drama.
There’s many appealing features in this saga, the magic of a small district, the melodrama behind the facade of family, the charm of the people and the allure of the backdrop.
The characters have depth and realism all amongst the theatrics and actions of the plot.
From the stunning cover to the tale inside, to the picture perfect detail and the praise the author deserves, it’s another to add to your reading pile.
After being undermined by a devious female work colleague, Ellie quits her job and visits her family in Storm Harbour.
While deciding what to do with her future Ellie helps out at The Storm Harbour Chronicles, her grandfather’s newspaper business.
As she is researching a story about a local development that could shatter the community’s principles she also gets involved with the mysterious and wealthy O’Neill family.
The beautiful seaside town gets under your skin and what Ellie discovers could change everything.
A violent storm is about to hit the town and Ellie is about to confront her past.
I look forward to the annual release of a new Di Morrissey book, a solid story that will capture the reader and whisk them away to a coastal town of drama.
There’s many appealing features in this saga, the magic of a small district, the melodrama behind the facade of family, the charm of the people and the allure of the backdrop.
The characters have depth and realism all amongst the theatrics and actions of the plot.
From the stunning cover to the tale inside, to the picture perfect detail and the praise the author deserves, it’s another to add to your reading pile.
April 29, 2024
I'm not sure what made me buy this book several years ago, but I'm glad I did!
It is a wonderful, beautiful story of life taking us to places we never expected and to totally unexpected situations. Fired from her job in Melbourne after lies were told about her, Ellie leaves her home to reconnect with her grandfather in the small seaside, fictitious town of Storm Harbour.
While reassessing her life, Ellie helps her grandfather, who is editor of the towns community newspaper, and learns about family, friends, community, and trust. As Ellie settles in, she also learns of corruption and deceit that threatens to tear the community and one family in particular apart.
The last chapter has more drama and packs one hell of a punch than an episode of "Dallas" or "Dynasty."
It is a wonderful, beautiful story of life taking us to places we never expected and to totally unexpected situations. Fired from her job in Melbourne after lies were told about her, Ellie leaves her home to reconnect with her grandfather in the small seaside, fictitious town of Storm Harbour.
While reassessing her life, Ellie helps her grandfather, who is editor of the towns community newspaper, and learns about family, friends, community, and trust. As Ellie settles in, she also learns of corruption and deceit that threatens to tear the community and one family in particular apart.
The last chapter has more drama and packs one hell of a punch than an episode of "Dallas" or "Dynasty."
November 21, 2020
A fabulous read....small coastal town, deals being made, council, media amongst other topics and good food, wine and coffee! Loved it Di!
October 26, 2020
This newest offering from Di Morrissey follows the story of young Ellie Conlan, who after leaving her job at an IT firm in the city, retreats to sleepy seaside village of Storm Harbour. Ellie spent much time in Storm Harbour growing up and where her grandfather still resides and runs the local paper. As in most of Di Morrissey’s books, there is a crisis in the close knit community, and they all rally around to save the day. There is also the issue of a secret that Ellie has kept since her teenage years which she has to confront when returning to the town.
I have read all of Di Morrissey’s books. They are angled at a particular reader, but I have mostly enjoyed the storylines, the characters and the sense of community which is forever present in her books. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but sadly I didn’t. It was very predictable and the storyline was a bit too saccharin for my liking. Unfortunately only 2 stars from me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan Australia for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I have read all of Di Morrissey’s books. They are angled at a particular reader, but I have mostly enjoyed the storylines, the characters and the sense of community which is forever present in her books. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but sadly I didn’t. It was very predictable and the storyline was a bit too saccharin for my liking. Unfortunately only 2 stars from me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan Australia for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 11, 2021
For the very first time I was slightly disappointed with the book. I believe it had all the elements for a great read however it just didn't grab me. There was no real background to the story . It was more like a love story and the rest of the books I've read from this author has lots of information about where the book is written and in turn I have read bits and pieces of the places that the books have been written about.
November 30, 2020
I usually really enjoy Di Morrissey’s books but this one was nowhere near her previous books - it took me a month to read it and I kept checking how many pages I had left to read. The first half of the book seemed to go nowhere but improved over the second half. Too predictable and “sweet” for me.
February 16, 2025
Not as good as other Fi Morrissey books I've read
July 7, 2021
Di Morrissey’s ‘Before The Storm’ is a pleasant holiday read. Set in the idyllic Victorian beach town of Storm Harbour, this is a story of family, loyalty, friendship and community spirit.
January 14, 2021
Ellie comes back to stay with her grandfather after leaving her high powered IT job in Melbourne. A Morrissey family Saga and coastal town Saga. It is dedicated to her uncle Jim Rivett, ABC presenter, foreign correspondent and radio and T V announcer and to all Cadet Reporters. Loved this story and Di did not disappoint my expectations!
November 10, 2020
I absolutely enjoyed my time in the Victorian beachside town of Storm Harbour as Di Morrissey’s writing had me instantly drawn into the surrounds.
The story centres around Ellie who had spent time in Storm Harbour as a teen during which time she attend the local high school, then years later, following a blindside at work she quits her job and takes some time out, leaving Melbourne to stay with her Grandfather in Storm Harbour. Her grandfather runs the local newspaper, The Storm Harbour Chronicle, and he ropes Ellie in to help out with the paper, she quickly fits in within the small community.
Ellie is drawn into a story about a development which could split the coastal community, it involves the influential O'Neill family, but you get the sense that there is something else to the story, not only regarding the development but also involving Ellie and a member of the O’Neill Family.
I just adored the characters, some you are meant to dislike 😆 but for the most part the community is full of amazing people all with interesting backgrounds as you will discover throughout the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for kindly gifting me a copy to read and review.
The story centres around Ellie who had spent time in Storm Harbour as a teen during which time she attend the local high school, then years later, following a blindside at work she quits her job and takes some time out, leaving Melbourne to stay with her Grandfather in Storm Harbour. Her grandfather runs the local newspaper, The Storm Harbour Chronicle, and he ropes Ellie in to help out with the paper, she quickly fits in within the small community.
Ellie is drawn into a story about a development which could split the coastal community, it involves the influential O'Neill family, but you get the sense that there is something else to the story, not only regarding the development but also involving Ellie and a member of the O’Neill Family.
I just adored the characters, some you are meant to dislike 😆 but for the most part the community is full of amazing people all with interesting backgrounds as you will discover throughout the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for kindly gifting me a copy to read and review.
March 13, 2021
An ok read, but nothing to write home about. No mystery, no build up to this one.
Divorced lady loses her job, whole waiting to decide what to do goes to stay with her pop and help him out a bit. She quickly is taken into the hearts of some of the residents and seems to be told huge secrets very quickly by people who have never told another living soul these secrets.
Long term family have some leased land from Council, but rumours circulate that Council is going to sell that land for development.
The story is a bit about dealing with your past (but for Ellie that isn’t until about the 4th last page of the story!), some family backstabbing and some underhand goings on.
But as I said, no build up or mystery, it was all a bit boring.
I find with this author I either really love the book or I can barely finish it
Divorced lady loses her job, whole waiting to decide what to do goes to stay with her pop and help him out a bit. She quickly is taken into the hearts of some of the residents and seems to be told huge secrets very quickly by people who have never told another living soul these secrets.
Long term family have some leased land from Council, but rumours circulate that Council is going to sell that land for development.
The story is a bit about dealing with your past (but for Ellie that isn’t until about the 4th last page of the story!), some family backstabbing and some underhand goings on.
But as I said, no build up or mystery, it was all a bit boring.
I find with this author I either really love the book or I can barely finish it
February 1, 2021
I finished this book which surprised me as I really wasn't all that impressed. Not much of a plot. It reads like a fairy tale with a wonderful little community that just happens to have a number of very sophisticated/cosmopolitan places where you can eat and buy amazing produce.
The caravan park is idyllic and has a number of permanent residents - none of whom seem to be down on their luck or criminal in any way which is not how I usually find these places.
The alternate plan for another development is so unrealistic. Could go on but basically the author is using this novel as a platform for her beliefs which is, of course, her right.
The caravan park is idyllic and has a number of permanent residents - none of whom seem to be down on their luck or criminal in any way which is not how I usually find these places.
The alternate plan for another development is so unrealistic. Could go on but basically the author is using this novel as a platform for her beliefs which is, of course, her right.
November 16, 2020
A heart warming story about community, family, friendships and secrets. It also has some strong messages about the power of the media, silencing the investigators and about development. Lovely characters in the main, mixed with some nasty ones. I loved the wisdom of the older characters. A most enjoyable read.
June 5, 2021
Di Morrissey set the tone of this book in the beginning acknowledgements, it was an ode to regional news, and that is what we got. It was reinforced through the character's dialogue so much it began to annoy me. Aside from that, I enjoyed the storyline and was an easy read with a predictable ending.
January 16, 2021
Out in the boondocks of Victoria, the highlight of the year is often the Bachelors and Spinsters Ball. Locals, visitors and city friends gather to dance, drink and flirt. It ends at dawn with a hearty breakfast, sore heads and memories that are often exciting to recall. Seventeen-year-old Ellie Conlan, attractive and somewhat naïve, was attending an annual ball for the first time. Ellie’s experience of the night was not one she wanted to recall, ever.
Patrick Anderson, Ellie’s grandfather, owns the local free newspaper in Storm Harbour, an idyllic Victorian beach town. In her late 30s, Ellie wants a break from her punishing IT career in Melbourne. She decides to spend a sabbatical with Patrick and convinces him to allow her to put a digital edition of The Storm Harbour Chronicle on the internet.
With the emphasis on relaxation, visiting coffee houses, having long lunches, and meeting interesting people, Ellie finds time to work on her project. The digital edition is a success. She tries her hand at interviewing, writing copy and investigating a suspicious land deal that appears to involve local councillors. Then memories of an event from the past she had long suppressed threatens to overwhelm her.
It’s a pleasure to read a novel that has no serial killers, no murders, and no-one is getting bashed to a pulp; one that deals with relationships – with family, friends, and pets. It’s easy-to-read and well-paced; information is given to the reader as the characters discover it. We can then make our own guess as to how the story will develop. I was right sometimes. I was pleasantly surprised with the turn of events when I was wrong.
Di Morrissey’s latest book is enjoyable and entertaining with a satisfying ending that kept a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
May 1, 2023
This was my first Di Morrissey book and I quite enjoyed it. I found the characters believable, the story authentic, the way the characters reacted to their situations felt real and reflected current society, plus it was a very interesting plot.
We have Ellie who is burnt out from a high-flying corporate IT career, and she needs to get away to sort things out. She heads back to her haven, Storm Harbour where her grandfather Patrick lives and runs the local newspaper, The Storm Harbour Chronicle.
Slowly Ellie starts to unwind and finds she is fitting into this small community, making friends, feeling as if she can make a contribution as she starts to help on the newspaper. What is great is this book highlights the importance of local, independent media. How many of our local papers no longer exist, even online? How do we access objective journalism when only a few people are controlling the narrative?
But things are happening in the background. It seems that a local development is being planned, one that will negatively impact the locals, but no one is talking. Ellie and Patrick investigate to try and get to the bottom of what is going on and who is to gain from this.
Ellie is also dealing with demons from her past and a chance meeting sets off a series of panic attacks and brings old fears to the surface and she needs to work out how to deal with these.
Certainly a book to curl up on the couch with.
We have Ellie who is burnt out from a high-flying corporate IT career, and she needs to get away to sort things out. She heads back to her haven, Storm Harbour where her grandfather Patrick lives and runs the local newspaper, The Storm Harbour Chronicle.
Slowly Ellie starts to unwind and finds she is fitting into this small community, making friends, feeling as if she can make a contribution as she starts to help on the newspaper. What is great is this book highlights the importance of local, independent media. How many of our local papers no longer exist, even online? How do we access objective journalism when only a few people are controlling the narrative?
But things are happening in the background. It seems that a local development is being planned, one that will negatively impact the locals, but no one is talking. Ellie and Patrick investigate to try and get to the bottom of what is going on and who is to gain from this.
Ellie is also dealing with demons from her past and a chance meeting sets off a series of panic attacks and brings old fears to the surface and she needs to work out how to deal with these.
Certainly a book to curl up on the couch with.
August 13, 2021
All of Di Morrissey's books are different and Before the Storm is no exception. Ellie Conlan leaves her job in the city and decides to take a break in the small town of Storm Harbour, living with her Grandad. The bond between Ellie and her grandfather is beautiful. Di Morrissey's characters are thoughtfully introduced into the story and the relationships of the protagonists are strong, loving and heartfelt.
Ellie's grandfather's newspaper, The Storm Harbour Chronicle shares stories within the local community and does so with integrity. Ellie finds herself writing stories for the paper and investigating an issue within the town. She becomes part of the community.
Before the Storm is a novel in which local people fight to maintain the beauty and history of the town. I love these types of stories and it was lovely to read about a community that would band together as they did.
Ellie's priorities change fast. She sees herself as part of a town that she begins to love. Her past trauma challenges her and her strength to face this trauma is courageous.
This is a lovely read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#beforethestorm #dimorrissey #stormharbour #victoria #trauma #bookstagram #bookreview #bookreviewer #chapterichi #bookblogger
Ellie's grandfather's newspaper, The Storm Harbour Chronicle shares stories within the local community and does so with integrity. Ellie finds herself writing stories for the paper and investigating an issue within the town. She becomes part of the community.
Before the Storm is a novel in which local people fight to maintain the beauty and history of the town. I love these types of stories and it was lovely to read about a community that would band together as they did.
Ellie's priorities change fast. She sees herself as part of a town that she begins to love. Her past trauma challenges her and her strength to face this trauma is courageous.
This is a lovely read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#beforethestorm #dimorrissey #stormharbour #victoria #trauma #bookstagram #bookreview #bookreviewer #chapterichi #bookblogger
October 23, 2020
Having read all of Di Morrissey’s books, I obviously enjoy her writing. Her latest novel, Before The Storm, did not disappoint me!
I loved the location - a coastal town four hours drive from Melbourne, Victoria in Australia with a fictitious name of Storm Harbour. The small tourist town with fresh seafood, local community issues and dramatic seaside landscapes.
A captivating story about Ellie who leaves her IT job in Melbourne having been undermined by a female colleague and decides to visit her grandfather Patrick in Storm Harbour while she thinks and feels through her options for the future. As Ellie’s grandfather runs The Storm Harbour Chronicle she becomes heavily involved in the newspaper, local events, people and issues.
The town is a safe haven but an undercurrent of tensions and rumours creates drama in the usually sleepy town!
A very enjoyable read!
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Pan MacMillan Australia for a copy to read and review.
I loved the location - a coastal town four hours drive from Melbourne, Victoria in Australia with a fictitious name of Storm Harbour. The small tourist town with fresh seafood, local community issues and dramatic seaside landscapes.
A captivating story about Ellie who leaves her IT job in Melbourne having been undermined by a female colleague and decides to visit her grandfather Patrick in Storm Harbour while she thinks and feels through her options for the future. As Ellie’s grandfather runs The Storm Harbour Chronicle she becomes heavily involved in the newspaper, local events, people and issues.
The town is a safe haven but an undercurrent of tensions and rumours creates drama in the usually sleepy town!
A very enjoyable read!
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Pan MacMillan Australia for a copy to read and review.
September 17, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and after struggling with the last book by this author it was welcomed.
I think I really related to this story as we all lead fast paced lives and at times forget about what’s really important. We live to work and not work to live. The experience that Ellie had with her work situation is one that I personally had also and it’s difficult to reconcile, as you often question your own abilities and competency in what you do. Going to see her grandfather was just what she needed to ground her and realise her worth and what was truly important.
But in doing this she also faced some demons from the past that had been unresolved for many years. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Ellie and her grandfather and feel that many young people don’t have that with their grandparents and can’t appreciate the wisdom that comes with age. It was so nice to see this further develop as the story went on and the encouragement that he showed her without pushing his opinions down her throat, he allowed her to come to her own conclusions.
I also really enjoyed the other stories that were woven in like the Mayor and heiress O’Neil they were both from very difficult backgrounds and didn’t have that family support but found their way in life to happiness and success.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt it made up for the last one that I struggled with.
I think I really related to this story as we all lead fast paced lives and at times forget about what’s really important. We live to work and not work to live. The experience that Ellie had with her work situation is one that I personally had also and it’s difficult to reconcile, as you often question your own abilities and competency in what you do. Going to see her grandfather was just what she needed to ground her and realise her worth and what was truly important.
But in doing this she also faced some demons from the past that had been unresolved for many years. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Ellie and her grandfather and feel that many young people don’t have that with their grandparents and can’t appreciate the wisdom that comes with age. It was so nice to see this further develop as the story went on and the encouragement that he showed her without pushing his opinions down her throat, he allowed her to come to her own conclusions.
I also really enjoyed the other stories that were woven in like the Mayor and heiress O’Neil they were both from very difficult backgrounds and didn’t have that family support but found their way in life to happiness and success.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt it made up for the last one that I struggled with.
September 9, 2025
Face her demons? Or run? After being double-crossed by a devious colleague, career woman Ellie Conlan quits her job on principle. With no idea what to do next, she retreats to Storm Harbour, an idyllic Victorian beach town. Ellie's grandfather runs The Storm Harbour Chronicle, the trusted local newspaper. As Ellie is drawn into a story about a development which could split the coastal community - and involves her with the influential O'Neill family - an event she has long suppressed threatens to overwhelm her. Dark clouds gather as rumours fly and tensions mount. And when a violent storm breaks and rages, Ellie will finally have to confront her past.
Enjoyable romance
Enjoyable romance
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