Oh my goodness, what a book. From the start, I felt the narrative pull me into a different time and plsce. All the grit and grime of Sheffield in 2010 laid bare on the page. Diane is a detective, recently moved to Sheffield and the gruesome discovery of a severed head in a locked filing cabinet on the site of a demolished school is the beginning a a very memorable time in her life. A black Detective, subjected to harassment both verbal and sexual by her make colleagues. Her mother trying to close her eyes to the past, certainly not proud of Diane's career choice or achievements. MaMa, her beloved grandmother, living with the very terrible memories of the 'Mau Mau uprising' and the atrocities she witnessed. The poverty, drugs, corruption and stench; secrecy of clans and gangs. Female genital mutilation carried out by women in women, for their families to 'belong'. This is a hard book to read, but I am very glad that I did.

I enjoyed The Day of the Roaring but it was quite hard to follow as others have said. A lot was going on and after a slow start, it did all piece together in the end.

I found this book a bit tricky to follow the multiple subplots of. I suspect one fewer might have made the story flow more fluidly. I liked the main character, DI Walker- she was well depicted although also fairly chaotic in her approach to life and work.

Crime and police procedural books are my absolute favourite kinds of books to read. This one had so much potential, but for me, it was just too chaotic. There were far too many subplots and way too many characters to keep straight. It was a slow burning story that just did not hold my attention. On top of that, there was a slang sort of language that just confused me even more. I wanted to enjoy this but it was a miss for me.

Thanks to the publisher on Netgalley for the chance to read this book, our in late January 2025

I enjoyed this first book set in Sheffield. DI Diana Walker is trying to solve the case of a teacher's dismembered body found on the derelict site of an old school. Her investigations lead her to have dealings with all sorts of nasty people. Consequently, there are some disturbing themes running through the book, not least the subject of FGM. It's a long read but worth it.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

The synopsis of this sounded intriguing. However I just couldn't get into this. Throughout the book there were brief moments of enjoyment but overall I just couldn't stay invested long enough.

There's so much I want to say about this book, but I just don't know where to begin. I'm going to assume that you've read the blurb, so I'm not going to give you a synopsis of the book. I am, however, going to tell you that this book may be triggering for you, dealing, as it does, with some sensitive subjects.
The Day of the Roaring is first and foremost a police procedural, but it also deals with the issues of racism, sexism, misogyny, and female genital mutilation (FGM) and the wall of silence that surrounds this barbaric practice.

This is quite a busy book, told from multiple POV's, and with quite the cast of characters. It can feel overwhelming at times, but trust me, it's worth sticking with this thought provoking, gritty read.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

This is a very busy book with lots of leads and crimes commited that from the start feel as though it could be one or two novels. However by the end the trail comes back to one path.
DI Diana Walker is a diligent police officer, unfortunately for her, apart from Robertson, she is surrounded by incompetent misogynistic colleagues who completely disregard her thoughts and feelings related to the case.
However she persists in her motion to get justice for all the victims.
A strong debut novel

I absolutely love a crime novel especially when it’s a thriller. I did think it was a very slow paced thriller but still engaging enough to keep you interested.

I enjoyed the multiple POV and the female lead, I mean who doesn’t enjoy a strong female character.

DI Diana walker finds a dismembered of a headmaster at a former school in Sheffield but everything leads to chasing shadows and not finding any answer but unraveling secrets, Diana knows something isn’t right and is determined to find out even though it reveals horrible truths and secrets.

Diana Walker is a police officer in Sheffield living in the Derbyshire countryside. Her grandmother has just arrived in England to testify at the Kenyan Human Right Commission. Diana's mother Rehema was sent to England as a child and the relationship between the three women is difficult; Rehema is closer to her friends in the Black Sistah's book club.
Diana investigates the murder of the former head of a school that was closed down unexpectedly. There are other deaths and missing people with links to the school, and problems with the former pupils. Another ex-teacher has died and she was a member of Rehema's book club, so Diana has questions for them too. It's a complicated plot with lots of characters and side stories, which are all linked to the case.
I couldn't see how Diana would have ever been in a relationship with the obnoxious Phillips. There were so many horrible characters, mostly the men, including some of the police officers, it was hard to read about their behaviour and treatment of Diana.
An interesting book, with a broad scope.

I was keen to read this 'award-winning' novel. The plot was sound enough but I became annoyed early on with two things. I thought it was overly descriptive, particularly at the beginning of the story. An author has to set the scene but this went too far for me. The other annoying thing was the grammar. A sentence has a subject and a verb and usually an object. There were far too many non-sentences in this book.

Despite the above, I still enjoyed the story, particularly as it is a debut.

What a powerful book on so many levels. Career, family, genocide, sexism but wonderfully written.
At the heart 3 females, daughter, mother and grandmother. Their lives, choices and how it affects the next generations.
Dealing with a murder as SIO, uncovers long buried secrets and pits mother and daughter against eachother. Grandma coming to stay whilst the government decides if they will look into historical abuse by soldiers against Kenyan natives.

The Day of the Roaring by Nina Bhadreshwar is a gritty, multi-layered crime thriller that weaves together social commentary, historical injustices, and a relentless pursuit of justice. Set in Sheffield, the story follows DI Diana Walker, a determined and resilient detective tasked with solving the shocking case of a severed head found in an abandoned school. What unfolds is far more than a murder investigation—it’s an exploration of systemic failures, generational trauma, and the silent battles women endure.

The novel tackles a myriad of serious topics, including racism, sexism, domestic abuse, and female genital mutilation (FGM), blending them into a deeply complex plot that keeps the reader both engaged and disturbed. The story also delves into the horrors of British colonial rule in Kenya, as recounted through haunting flashbacks from Diana’s mother’s generation. These elements add depth and historical weight, making the narrative more than a standard police procedural.

DI Diana Walker is a compelling protagonist, navigating a hostile work environment rife with misogyny while dealing with personal challenges, including her connection to the case through her mother’s book club. The group, composed of strong women supporting one another against a system that frequently fails them, provides a powerful counterpoint to the institutional indifference depicted in the novel.

While the themes are undeniably important and handled with care, the narrative occasionally feels overwhelmed by the sheer number of subplots and characters. The investigation touches on everything from organized crime and police corruption to community secrets and familial ties, which can make the story feel cluttered and disjointed at times. However, the writing is evocative, and Bhadreshwar’s vivid depiction of Sheffield adds an atmospheric quality to the book.

The novel is not an easy read, given its harrowing subject matter and the emotional weight of its themes. Yet, it is a necessary one, shedding light on issues that are too often ignored. Despite some predictability in the resolution, the journey to uncovering the truth remains gripping, with Diana’s tenacity serving as the emotional core of the story.

The Day of the Roaring is a thought-provoking debut that combines crime fiction with a deeper exploration of societal ills. While its complexity may challenge some readers, those who persevere will find a story that is as enlightening as it is unsettling. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this impactful book

This is so close to being a top thriller. The woman investigating the crime is an interesting character, and her battles with the men in her police station and her doggedness in solving the crime made for a good read. I enjoyed the setting and the other characters.

Unfortunately there is too much 'other stuff'. It reads as if the author had another book - about Kenya - that she was desperate to get out there so has shoehorned it in to this detective story. I am still not really sure why I had to learn about the grandmother and her trials and tribulations. I hope that the author continues to write but gets a more judicious editor and perhaps writes the Kenyan story in another form.

I'm not leaving a public review for this title as I don't want to hurt the author's rating but for me, the writing was so poor that I couldn't finish the story. I never DNF a book, buy this felt more like fan fiction, The accents, multiple points of views etc felt too jumbly. I'm really sad as the premise sounds awsome and it started amazingly well but I just couldn't get through it.

A debut police procedural novel set in Sheffield in 2010. Di Diane Walker is the protagonist.

The author includes many difficult subjects including FGM, of which the reader feels the subject has been written with knowledge and sensitivity.
Although the narrative is made up of various story lines they all merge together in the end.

I found this unfortunately a slow read, with multiple characters & narratives jumping between Sheffield and Kenya, with very little character development.
I discovered errors in punctuation & spelling, which surprised me at this ARC stage.

Thankyou to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whilst I enjoyed the main story, it was too much of a messy story to make it an enjoyable read. There were too many sub plots that started to lose the thread of the main story. Additionally it was written in a form of slang that I wasn't familiar with which was then making it exceptionally hard to read as I couldn't understand it!

There was some great potential with this story, it just got lost.

Enjoyed reading this, although at times it was a little confusing but was that due to differing police opinions of the crimes.

Highlights.a horrific crime that still happens to women , however doesn't make it the centre of the story..

I am so disappointed in this book to be honest!

I have persevered with what has felt like a never ending story! It started really great and reeled me in but unfortunately from there it went down hill.

The story went on for too long, had too much detail and too many characters. I also found the dialect difficult to read, having to re read over and over to understand what was going on.

I was hopeful that the story would reach a climax making the book worth reading but I felt it fizzled at the end.
There is a lot of deep and meaningful aspects to this book but as a mystery thriller it lacked the shock and plot twists as it unfolded.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for this advance copy to review.

I did not finish this book..

It started well but got a bit to triggering for me .. should come with a warning.... too distressing