Reviews

Before the Storm by Alex Gray

lollybee's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Easy to read, fast-paced crime novel.
Several story lines running throughout the book, which all come together at the end.

katyhannah's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

2.0

This was a predictable book and the dialogue is not very natural - an easy read. Concerning that quite negative stereotypes about Syrian refugees formed the main plot of this book - the villains of  were very one dimensional 

lxurx64's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

chapter1_page1's review against another edition

5.0

⭐️ 5 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and Alex Gray for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Alex Gray, and it certainly won’t be the last.

If you haven’t read any of the other DSI William (Bill) Lorimer series, don’t worry - Before The Storm works perfectly well as a standalone.

Alex Gray’s fabulous attention to detail really allows you to visualise her characters. I became particularly fond of Netty and Daniel, and the heart-warming relationship they formed. The characters have great depth, and I was totally invested in their story.

The book wasn’t overly littered with characters either - allowing you to easily follow the plot, without having to digest too much information.

Overall, an excellent police procedural, with a gripping storyline and a few red herrings thrown in for good measure.

I will now be adding the other seventeen (!) in the series to my TBR list.

I would highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

tdk's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

bhumi_19's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.75

fibrojo's review

4.0

Three and a half stars. The book was fast paced and I am a fan of this series. However, it felt like the author had learned 2 new words this year, ubiquitous and obsequious. They kept cropping up to the point that I was getting annoyed. The editing process should have picked this up surely.

selinamaria's review

4.0

An enjoyable and easy read, with really relatable characters in a Scottish setting. The aspects involving refugees was so well done, and despite being a crime novel, it was quite a warm-hearted book overall.

clareb78's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

annarella's review

5.0

Another great addition to this exciting series.
It's gripping, entertaining and it kept me turning pages.
Great characters, a twisty plot, excellent storytelling.
Can't wait to read the next one.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine