The Day of the Roaring by Nina Bhadreshwar isn’t your usual easy-read thriller, but I’m glad I stuck with it. It starts with a shocking murder—literally a head in a filing cabinet—and I was instantly intrigued. Set in Sheffield, the story follows DI Diana Walker, and what really stood out was how it wove in deeper issues like racism, corruption, and family trauma. I normally prefer straightforward thrillers with a twist, and while this one was heavier and more layered than I expected, it still delivered that slow-burn suspense I love. Some parts were a bit dense, and I had to really focus, but the characters felt real, and the story stayed with me after I finished. Not a quick, light read—but if you're up for something a bit deeper that still has mystery at its core, it’s worth giving a go.

*The Day of the Roaring* by Nina Bhadreshwar is a gripping debut crime thriller that masterfully blends suspense with social commentary. Set in Sheffield, the story revolves around DI Diana Walker as she investigates the discovery of a dismembered body on the site of a former school. Her relentless pursuit of justice leads her to uncover unreported crimes, missing teachers, and eerie silence among witnesses. Bhadreshwar skillfully explores themes of trauma, community, and the complexities of justice, creating vivid characters and an intricate plot. This novel is a compelling exploration of resilience and truth, perfect for fans of thought-provoking mysteries.

I enjoyed this book! The start was a little slow but it built up eventually even though I did find it a bit chaotic. There are a lot of names to try and keep straight by the end.

The severed head of a head teacher is found in a locked filing cabinet on the grounds of a school scheduled to be demolished! That was what piqued my interest because I knew there could be so many angles to play out in this!

There is however another story inside the story and that is one of our lead detectives Kenyan grandmother and I really enjoyed those parts that featured her or her story. I wish there were more of them.

Diana, our lead detective is a strong character who's instincts are spot on and whilst she is surrounded by a lot of men who think they know better purely because they're men she outshines them just by doing her job!

A great debut and definitely an author I would pick up again.

Narrators were great and I found this easy to listen to (I always tend to listen at a faster speed than most anyway) would happily listen to both narrators again

Dark debut crime novel that touches upon identity and heritage…

This is a richly layered and complex book that is part police procedural and part cultural exploration. Protagonist DI Diana Walker is of Kenyan heritage, working in Sheffield. She is called upon to investigate a case after a decapitated head is found in a filing cabinet on an abandoned school site. The initial premise was really intriguing and the case grabbed my attention. However, the plot quickly became increasingly complicated and somewhat chaotic. I struggled to follow all of the narrative strands, which meant that I lost some of the focus on the core criminal case. There is also a huge cast of characters amongst these pages, which added an additional layer of complexity to the narrative. It’s perhaps me, but I think I’d have enjoyed this more if there had been less noise around the core case.

Having said that, I did find the underlying key themes of the novel very interesting. This book is so much more than standard police procedural with its explorations of identity, belonging, cultural heritage, and the conflict between traditional values and a more modern outlook on life. Walker straddles multiple cultural identities, seeking to fit in with her British colleagues whilst also respecting her Kenyan heritage. Bhadreshwar really illustrates the complexities Walker faces trying to balance these and the impact it has on her own sense of identity. This also allows for an exploration of resilience and empowerment and as events progress we really see Walker find her strength and sense of self. If I had gone into this book expecting a novel which focused on these elements, rather than a faster-paced, dark police procedural I probably would have enjoyed it more. Perhaps if you pick this up to read it from this angle you will love it!?

Not really my kind of book OK story but not fast paced enough for me I prefer a thriller and this didn't grab me at all sorry

I found this audio a slow burner and couldn’t wait to get to the nitty gritty of the plot. There was so many multiple storylines throughout which got alittle messy, confusing and disjointed and I felt the audio should have stuck with the plot

I lost interest alittle, and decided not to pursue till the end but I still wanted to know the end, and read on

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK

The. Day of the Roaring by Nina Bhadreshwar is a debut book by the author and I would look forward to reading more in the DI Diane Walker police series in the future.
It was an ambitious first novel with the three women in Diane Walker’s life all playing a part in the storyline, including Diane.
Her grandmother is in Sheffield because she is reporting to the British Commission about events in Kenya when she was growing up and as a young woman in Kenya.
Then there is her daughter who plays a part as a member of the. Black Woman’s Book Club in Sheffield and knew two of the victims of the story and then there s Diana, a young black police officer in Sheffield and the Senior Officer in a murder inquiry.
There are many serious issues discussed as part of the story and it is only at the end of the story that you know that Diane has accomplished many closures in her case that other police officers discounted as irrelevant.
An accomplished first novel and I enjoyed the narration of the story by Netgalley Audio.
Highly recommended

A crime novel with a difference. Two stories over 3 generations are all linked by FGM and the general misogyny that is still rife in society.
A good but depressing read

3.5 stars.

When the dismembered body of a headmaster is found on the derelict site of a former school in Sheffield, DI Diana Walker finds herself chasing shadows. Her colleagues insist this is just another instance of gang violence, but Diana knows there’s something more.

This was one that sounded right up my alley, on paper. It was a police-procedural style crime fiction involving dismembered body parts and a strong main protagonist with mysterious family history involving hardship and abuse.

Unfortunately, I struggled a bit with names and pronunciations because of the rich Yorkshire x Nairobi accents in the audiobook. Obviously, this was completely on me and my own inability to comprehend accents I wasn’t used to, and not at all due to the narrators’ performance.

I found myself attracted more to Diana’s grandmother’s background story than to the mystery itself. While the dismemberment of the headmaster captivated me at the start, the mystery lost its grip on me while Diana was busy talking to various characters about other characters who could potentially lead back to the main mystery. She even had time to attend book clubs in the middle of the case.

Fortunately, the suspense got there in the end after the long winded road, and I was pretty happy with the conclusion.

With a dismembered headmaster, missing teachers, unreported crimes, witnesses too scared to talk and a book club with secrets, it’s a good thing the school has been closed. DI Diana Walker is investigating the murder but is it a bit too close to home for her to be objective?
I found this book rather hard to follow, there were so many parts feeding into this story which for me over complicated it, making it hard to follow the progression of the investigation. In my opinion it is a book that really needs the readers full attention. There were some really sensitive topics that I felt were not given the sensitivity they deserved as there was too much in one book.

I had the audiobook version of this story, I found it very hard to get into and really struggled with some of the narration. This is not a light easy listen.

I would recommend this book to someone who likes a more complicated read and likes to give their full attention.

I struggled to listen to this as it was a slow burn so kept coming back to it. It did get better and I am glad that I listened to it.

An emotional and chilling tale so powerful that you hold your breath in terrified anticipation.
Written beautifully and exquisitely crafted, detailed characters and executed with a finesse unseen for a while this is a story that will horrify you and cause you to shout out to the empty room.
I highly recommend this perfection and the narration was sublime.

There's a lot going on in this tale, including some uncomfortable investigations into the practice of FGM, meaning you'll need to concentrate so the multiple narrators distinguishing the voices is a real bonus. The pay off for this is well worth it however, both in the multiple strands of this book and in the set up for the future of DI Diana Walker.

I have very mixed views about this book. The blurb sounds really interesting and I enjoy crime fiction. A new female lead, especially one with rank in the police, is always worth a try. A dismembered body is found in a filing cabinet and is initially thought to be part of an organised crime attack. DI Diana Walker has other ideas and challenges that view, undertaking a different line of enquiry. This leads down a very different route; one which is disturbing and involves a dark underside of female abuse. The subject matter is controversial as it involves significant cultural differences and illegal mutilation. I’m aware of legislation outlawing this practice, but I believe it’s ineffective and anything which highlights the problems is a big plus. Walker experiences negative attitudes from her colleagues, along with blinkered vision and the usual male dominated approach to the enquiry. Sadly, it’s doubtless an accurate reflection.

There is a big story here, both as a police procedural and an important cultural issue, but it all feels and sounds a little muddled. I’m reluctant to be critical, understanding the work that has gone in to writing the book, but it’s a bit of a struggle to follow. I admire the author for tackling an extremely sensitive and difficult theme in this way and for that alone, I’m giving this four stars.

A Police detective crime thriller. I especially liked the ending of this book as the threads are brought together, tied up and cut through. This is a story that travels from Africa to Sheffield. A story of the hidden abuse and mutilation of females, of police ineptitude and the ‘boys club’, a story of looking after your own. A story of the strength to stand up and be a friend, be counted. DI Diana Walker is about to find out that she knows little of her ancestral family history, when it becomes entangled in a murder case. Thank you to Harper Collins UK Audio and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

A dismembered body is found in a filing cabinet DI Diana Walker investigates. Some of her colleagues thinks it organised crime gang, Diana doesn't think so. A lot of themes in this book that can be confusing, Good characters and plotting. Overall I enjoyed this book and would read more from this author. The narrators really bring this book to life giving it an added dimension. Thanks to Harpercollins and Netgalley for this review ARC

Ughhh, I'm really reluctant to write this review because I do respect the work that goes into any book writing and I have learned to review from not completely a personal preference so to speak in that I am open to trying new genres, authors and the like with respect to the little comprehension I have of what is involved.

With that being said, Im sad I have to rate this just 2 stars because it had so much potential. The actual bones of the story had a lot of substance, and this could have definitely gone in a different direction to grip the audience. Sadly, for me, this one just really didn't. It really didn't feel like it fit the category of thriller either. Although there were aspects and areas that had it been delivered differently, it would have maybe been in that genre. I found myself feeling confused at times and conflicted with characters and where exactly the author was taking the story.

I generally always find something in each book a message of sorts, something relatable, and honestly, the best part for me was the last line, which was definitely poignant...

"When silence speaks it roars," so I'm taking this away from this book and saying yes absolutely agree this for me is where the story is and maybe actually begins everything before felt a little muddled..!

Although this particular book wasn't for me, I really appreciate the opportunity to listen to this ARC on behalf of Netgalley & HarperCollins Audio UK in return for my own open, honest review.

Two stars have always been very rare for me to dish out, I tend to be a fence sitter. However, this unfortunately just didn’t merit much more. It was clunky, chaotic and confusing. The plot was extremely loose, there was way too much unnecessary dialogue, and I found a lot of the derogatory language to be equally unnecessary.

Sadly it wasn’t for me, I didn’t enjoy the writing or the narrative. Usually I find with multiple narrators there is usually one that you are inclined to warm to, but not this time.

Apologies again. I hare a bad review. It seems I’m having an unlucky run.

My gratitude as always goes to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to review the ALC 🎧