THE STORM

A Gulf Coast hotel owner who loves true crime suddenly finds herself at the center of one.

When journalist August Fletcher reaches out to Geneva Corliss, offering to pay double for two last-minute rooms at her failing, century-old hotel, The Rosalie Inn in St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, it feels like the port in a storm she’s been praying for. August has partnered up with beautiful, no-nonsense Gloria “Lo” Bailey to co-write her memoir. In 1984, when Hurricane Marie struck St. Medard’s Bay, Lo, then 19, was accused of murdering her married lover, Landon Fitzroy, who was the son of Alabama’s governor. Although Lo was acquitted, and the death ruled an accident caused by the storm, the tabloids never tired of the salacious version of events. Now 60, Lo is eager to tell her own story. For her part, Geneva is excited for the financial boon their stay will bring, and harbors hopes that her inn will turn into a hotspot for true crime aficionados. But as Geneva grows closer to both Lo and August, she begins to develop theories about the crime and learns that her own life might be tied to this messy past. Hawkins deftly weaves together the voices of a host of intriguing characters, with August being the only mostly one-note miss. And while it doesn’t take a trained meteorologist to predict many of the twists and turns this quick-moving thriller takes, the story is gripping from beginning to end.

A sharp read for literary sleuths.