The Storm King

A Novel

By: Brendan Duffy

Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom

Haunted by dark secrets and an unsolved mystery, a young doctor returns to his isolated Adirondacks hometown in a tense, atmospheric novel in the vein of Michael Koryta and Harlan Coben.

Burying the past only gives it strength - and fury.

Nate McHale has assembled the kind of life most people would envy. After a tumultuous youth marked by his inexplicable survival of a devastating tragedy, Nate left his Adirondack hometown of Greystone Lake and never looked back. Fourteen years later, he's become a respected New York City surgeon, devoted husband, and loving father.

Then a body is discovered deep in the forests that surround Greystone Lake.

This disturbing news finally draws Nate home. While navigating a tense landscape of secrets and suspicion, resentments and guilt, Nate reconnects with estranged friends and old enemies, and encounters strangers who seem to know impossible things about him. Haunting every moment is the Lake's sinister history and the memory of wild, beautiful Lucy Bennett, with whom Nate is forever linked by shattering loss and youthful passion.

As a massive hurricane bears down on the Northeast, the air becomes electric, the clouds grow dark, and escalating acts of violence echo events from Nate's own past. Without a doubt, a reckoning is coming - one that will lay bare the lies that lifelong friends have told themselves and unleash a vengeance that may consume them all.

©2018 Brendan Duffy (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Brendan Duffy owes me several nights of sleep, because once I finished the first chapter of his novel, I couldn’t stop turning the pages until I’d read every last thrilling, unsettling, heartbreakingly lovely last one of them. Duffy’s novel is, on the surface, a gripping murder mystery - but beneath that lies a love story, a cautionary coming-of-age tale, and a devastating meditation on violence and loss. A whirlwind of intrigue, vengeance, and wild longing, The Storm King will sweep you off your feet and blow you away." (Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire)

"Narrator Jon Lindstrom's clipped, precise delivery heightens the story's noirish elements. From the harrowing opening passages to the last gut-churning twist, Lindstrom cultivates an almost oppressive sense of foreboding. His narration remains strong through the many narrative strands, characters of all ages, and even when reading from the diary of a teenage girl. It's a versatile, pitch-perfect performance of an audiobook that thriller fans won't want to miss." (AudioFile)

I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP READING IT!

I cannot say enough how much I truly LOVED this book! I could not put it down! There's a lot of twists and turns and secrets that are so good they'll keep you wanting to read more. I'm almost sad that the book ended. I would love if there's a sequel! 10/10 would recommend!

Great Story!!

Kept me hooked until the very end. I read House of Echos first and then this one. They are both fantastic.

Involved plot, not an easy one

The book started off okay but went into an involved plot that sometimes left me confused. And several times I wanted to give up. But like the plot I hung in there to the end. But hardly worth it.

Had a great time seeing everything come together!

I thought that this was a rather interesting book. I have had this one in my review pile for some time but hadn't yet worked it into my reading schedule for one reason or another. I decided to grab the audio and give it a try. I was initially drawn to the book by its description and the mysterious cover. I did enjoy the story and am glad that I finally had the chance to read it.

Nate is at the center of this story and while I liked his character, I was never quite sure if he should be trusted. We see Nate as both a teenager and an adult. As an adult, Nate is a pediatric oncologist and a husband and father. His life seems very upstanding but as I worked my way through the book, it seemed that he had a few things that he might be hiding.

As a child, Nate's family were in an accident at the lake which left his parents and sibling dead. He grew up with his grandmother after the accident and grew close to a group of friends which included his girlfriend, Lucy Bennett. This was one of those books that the more you read the more connected the events in the story seemed to become. Everything seemed to be tied together in one way or another.

As an adult, Nate returns to town when Lucy's remains are found and events from the past are brought to the forefront. The story did keep me guessing and I was never quite sure which direction things might end up going. I really liked the way that the story was laid out giving the reader just enough of both the present and the past to really keep the story moving.

I thought that Jon Lindstrom did a fantastic job with the narration. I believe that this was my first experience with this narration and I have no complaints at all. He did a wonderful job with all of the character voices and I thought that the dialogue flowed nicely. He had a very pleasant voice and I thought that he was able to bring a lot of excitement to the story. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to his work again in the future.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a well-done mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. It was interesting to see how interconnected the events in the book were and how everything came together in the end. I look forward to reading more of Brendan Duffy.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House - Ballantine Books via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

This was a terrific story!

Really fun listen. the narrator is a little intense at first, but you get used to it quickly. Fun listen :)

Honestly, This Review is Generous

It's just not believable. And the characters are unsavory. And the violence is unrealistic. And it's good thing this is not a real town because THIS is a town without pity. Stay on the highway and skip it.