Wow, I was not expecting that! This is an amazing debut for G.D. Wright, I’d love to know where he got the inspiration for the storyline?
It gripped me early on and I was morbidly fascinated to see where it was going to go! It was extremely moving in parts and I sobbed several times. It also made me think deeply about what anyone would do in the circumstances that Andrew, the father, found himself in……….in the sea (which terrified him anyway thanks to a childhood incident) in a storm with two children, one of which is his and one they are minding for their friends. He can’t hold both the kids and swim…………so…………??
You can’t say you enjoy a book with the topics that are covered and the distressing accounts but I can definitely say it kept me page-turning.
It definitely raised more questions than answers. I live near the sea and brought my kids up near the sea and I did question both Andrew and his wife, Sophie’s inability to stand up to their six year old daughter and simply tell her no, we’re not going to the beach in this weather…….but poetic licence has to be allowed if you want to read fiction.
As for the parents of the child who died, who knows how any of us would react given these circumstances. My heart ached for them.
I’m glad there was an explanation at the end and we weren’t just left thinking, ‘What really did happen?’
A really great debut novel, my thanks to the author, the publishers and, of course, to NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advanced reader copy of this book.

This was a very easy to read book with a clear storyline told in quite a matter-of-fact way. Couple Andrew and Sophie take their daughter Maria and their friends' son Joe to the beach on a stormy day - leading to tragedy.

Andrew has had a traumatic experience as a child in the sea when he almost got swept away. Now he finds himself in a similar situation. After Maria and Joe end up in the sea he only manages to save his daughter. But the truth about what happened in the sea haunts him, and we only find out what actually took place at the end.

The death of Joe destroys his parents, Linda and Chris, who is a cop. As the fallout goes on, Chris becomes increasingly disturbed and ends up targeting Andrew and his family.

This was an enjoyable read with characters who I found interesting. However, I thought they could've been developed a bit more. For instance, sometimes it felt as though I was reading about them and getting a surface impression, with less about what was going on underneath.

I liked the fact that the book did not shy away from the harrowing aftermath of Joe's death. But if the characters had had more depth, this would've been more powerful.

For a debut novel After the storm by G. D Wright has blown me away. This is a beautifully written, heart wrenching story that I read in a space of 24 hours I couldn’t put it down.
Andre and Sophia take their daughter Maria to the beach with her friend Joey whose parents are working. Joey’s dad is a Policeman and his mother a Paramedic. The two children want to fly a kite on a stormy day. The sea is rough, and the waves are climbing high. The two children are near the little pool enjoying themselves when Andrew gets distracted. When a man’s walking his dog nearby jumps on his pregnant wife Sophia. He goes to Maria’s aide and whilst distracted the two children get swayed out to sea. Andrew Jumps into sea to rescue them both but only Maria survives.
But the tragedy and Andrews actions has repercussions from Chris who blames Andrew for Joey’s death. Andrew is trying to protect his family and he will go any lengths to do it. But Chris wants to find out the truth.
This is a very moving story of death grief, and suicide and you can feel the emotions come off the pages. This is a brilliant read, and I can’t wait to see what else this author has up his sleeve in his future books. 5 stars from me.

What would you do to protect your family?

Joe and Maria are best friends as are their parents. Joe spends a lot of time at Maria's house as his mum is a paramedic and his dad a policeman.
Maria's parents take the children to the beach. It is stormy but the children are insistent. Somehow, they both end up in the sea and sadly, one dies.

The police are called and it seems something isn't right but finding the truth is difficult.

Then Joe's dad takes matters into his own hands with disastrous results which will shatter everyone's lives.
But who do you blame?

I loved this book.

I love a thriller anyway but love when it’s not predictable. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to read on!!

I wow what can I say about this book , absolutely loved it from the start to finish . The amazing writing style, the way the plot was executed and of course the story. Loved the characters and what desperate measures we have to deal with in a horrific situation. Not giving any spoilers but I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next from this author . 5 stars from me

I’m going to need a minute after this my heart is shattered this is such an emotional read I didn’t realise I enjoyed it it was fast paced and kept me so focus I couldn’t out it down an amazing read

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my early copy of After The Storm. As a parent who has lost a child I was rather nervous of how I would deal with the narrative and I have to admit I cried, a lot. The grief felt by Chris and Linda was palpable and the depiction of said grief was quite authentic. Although we are shown the effects of Joe's death on both sets of parents my sympathy never strayed from the Jamieson family. I was just so furious from the outset that Andrew and Sophie were so in thrall of their little 'princess' that they indulged her brattish demands and agreed to take her and Joe to the beach in the most atrocious of weather, absolutely criminal! Yes, I had a vague murmering of sympathy for Andrew having to live with the fact that he was unable to rescue Joe but....

I chose this as my first book of my Cornish holiday and read it in two sittings. I guessed the 'twist' at the start (it is pretty well signposted), but the manner of getting there with all the fallout from the original incident was interesting, full of emotion and anguish, and kept me reading. A decent debut, but the fact it focuses on the pain and aftermath of a child's death (handled sensitively), means it may not be for everyone.

What a gripping and emotional ride. The themes of tragedy, loss, and investigation in this book will keep you immersed. The dark and tense atmosphere, combined with the mysterious circumstances of the children's disappearance, will keep you on the edge of your seat, a fantastic debut, looking forward to more books by this Author.

Wow! What a story. Utterly compelling tale that had me on the edge of my seat.
The writing is exceptional. At its heart, it is a police procedural but with raw emotion.

I've seldom seen a better scene set for an impending loss.
The aftermath of the storm and the real emotion the author gets across is top-drawer stuff. An easy 5-star award.

When Andrew and Sophie take their daughter, Maria, and her best friend, Joe, to the beach in a storm, there is a tragic accident.
What follows is two families ripped apart by grief, suspicion and anger.
After the Storm is a book dripping with sadness. I sobbed in places!
A compelling story.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this book, and it wasn't how I imagined. But it was a brilliant read. It was heartbreaking but tactfully dealt with and a compelling thriller.

I thought the characters in this book were wonderfully created, very human, resilient but flawed and emotion was very well portrayed. It definitely had me a little choked at a couple of points.

I'd definitely recommend!

Fantastic book, couldn't put it down. Loved that I couldn't work out what was going to happen next it kept me hooked.

Well, I'm disappointed (with myself, really) to say that this book didn't work for me so well.
In theory, the plot appeals to me: a big drama about one child being lost at sea and how their parents struggle to accept their loss.
Those parents start to blame the other parents whose another child was also playing at the beach.
What didn't work with me were the detectives. I usually dislike mystery or thriller novels with dectectives or cops POVs, and the ones in this book were, to me, particularly hard to swallow.
The plot twists were so not twisty, in my opinion. Some of the repercussions were very predictable and the ones that I didn't find predictable, were not surprising at all.
The author's writing was decent enough to hold my attention, but all in all, this book turned out to be just fine to me. Not memorable.
I'm sure it has its audience. Other readers might like this much more than I did.

What a story.
After the first few chapters I stopped reading as I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. But I found myself thinking about the story so went back to it. I'm glad I did as even though it wasn't an easy read it was a compelling one.
I felt drawn into the emotions of all the characters as though I was living it along with them.

Harrowing story of a tragic accident at the beach! Although it is heartwrenching it is also unputdownable.... You will probably need tissues on standby!! Andrew and Sophie look after their friends (Chris & Laura) little boy Joe, it's a good thing their daughter Maria is best friends with him as they see a lot of each other. Andrew and Sophie take the children to the beach one day, but what happens whilst there causes their lives to change irreversibly, and sends them on a downward spiral, during which their friendship disintegrates.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Not for the faint hearted, this harrowing storyline follows a trajectory of engulfing tragedy after a calamitous decision destroys the lives of everyone in its wake. Two families, strong bonds and probability of life long friendships for both generations until one innocent yet foolish mistake of such magnitude there would, nor could be the emergence of any winner. Everyone damaged beyond redemption. Every parents worst nightmare: A weekend outing for two excited children becomes a fight for survival , their lives in mortal danger from which there is only one survivor. Excellent characterisation as the bonds of friendship and loyalty are tested beyond the limits of normal experience with the repercussions of the calamity dragging individuals away from the ties of friendship and decency into the depths of madness required to protect family from extreme exposure to external violence and danger. Many thanks to author with a note to research more books from this enthralling writer , publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book was fantastic and absolutely impossible to put down!

I spent the first half of the book in floods then the second half unpicking what was going on. This is a story you can imagine yourself in and how you would manage it.

Just brilliant!

Two families, intertwined. Busy professionals Chris and Linda, who rely on best friends Andrew and Sophie to be on call for child minding duties for their little boy Joe. Luckily, Joe is best friends with Maria, Andrew and Sophie’s little girl. Maria is a child determined to get her way, Joe is a lovely little chap who quite willingly allows Maria to be boss, some would say they had the perfect friendship.

Told from various POV, this was a strong story from the start. A powerful debut and captivating read. Emotional and suspenseful, a story of loyalty and family.

For me the story did lose its way a little in the middle, and there was a fair bit of mansplaining at the start (acronyms in brackets!!!) and a lot of ‘family comes first’, but all in all a great debut, an author to watch out for.

3.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK.