Storm Island

The Kate Pomeroy Gothic Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Linda Watkins

Narrated by: Larissa Thompson

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

2019 Silver Medalist in Fiction-Suspense, Readers Favorite International Book Awards!

2018 Winner, First Place Award, Chanticleer International Book Awards (Paranormal Awards)!

A contemporary Gothic series to chill your bones and warm your heart....

A body found hanging from the ceiling fan in the tower room of the old manor house on Storm Island.

For 19 years, Kate Pomeroy has suppressed that memory. A second-year resident in surgery, she thinks she has her life under control. But a curious conversation overheard while taking a catnap launches her on a descent into a world filled with nightmarish visions that cause her to doubt her own sanity.

An unexpected romance battered by waves of terror, old and new

Sent to Storm Island to rest and recuperate from an apparent breakdown, Kate is forced to come to grips with memories of the summer her mother died as well as new terrors that plague her mind. Even the blossoming of an unexpected romance with islander, Jeremy Bradshaw, cannot keep her fears at bay for long.

A mystery of her own making?

The discovery of a strange little silo, hidden deep in the woods, spurs Kate to action as she tries to unravel its mysteries. But is the silo real or just another illusion created by her tortured mind?

Storm Island, A Kate Pomeroy Mystery, is the first book in the award-winning Kate Pomeroy Gothic Mystery Series by Linda Watkins.

©2018 Linda Watkins (P)2022 Linda Watkins

Critic reviews

"An engrossing and suspenseful mystery." (Kirkus Reviews)

5 conspiracy theory stars!

Second year medical resident Kate Pomeroy has a bright future ahead of her as a surgeon. Without warning, she collapses and wakes up to find herself a patient in her own hospital. From there she goes to Storm Island to recoup and get well. Storm Island is where she was raised so she should feel at home. But this town and her family are full of secrets. Secrets surrounding her mother’s death. Kate is also having night terrors and hallucinations. Is something wrong with her, or is there someone after her?

This story was well-written and intriguing. Complex yet easy to follow. I love the writing style and suspense. The romance factor is small and clean. It adds to the story and does not overshadow the mystery/thriller aspects, making it even more enjoyable. Some reviewers commented that it was predictable, or they knew what was going to happen from the start. I think that is an unfair statement though, because that is literally how women-sleuth books are written. Linda Watkins added more than enough unique factors in this story to make it engrossing, intriguing, and suspenseful. I thoroughly enjoyed how the mystery played out and came to its conclusion. Linda kept me on my toes with her captivating story telling ability. I must note, however, the cover. I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review from Fireside Audio, and I am very grateful. But regrettably, I did not notice anyone jumping to ALC this because the cover is not interesting at all. Myself included. Which is very unfortunate considering the high-quality story within. After listening to it, I understand why the author chose the cover. It makes sense and aligns with the story. But a cover is supposed to draw you in and make you read the blurb and/or purchase the book, whereas this cover does not do that. Don’t judge a book by its cover though. This who-done-it gothic mystery is a must listen/read, so I truly hope that more people take time to read the blurb and reviews to give Storm Island a chance. You will be so happy you did!

Larissa Thompson was cast perfectly for this role. Her timing, pitch, pace, and tones were spot on. I loved her characterizations for each person. She was clearly connected to each of them as well as the overall story. She was exceptional and brought the story to life. I would absolutely listen to more audiobooks narrated by her.

ISLAND OF STORMS

A RATHER INTERESTING GOTHIC STORY. NARRATOR WAS GOOD. WELL WRITTEN STORY.. FILLED WITH MYSTERY.

Storm Island

Sometimes it’s those we love and trust the most that really hurt us. Kate returns to the place her mother died for the first time since she was ten. On top of all her other issues she must now face this and relive her worst moments since finding her mother dead. This is a fantastic edge of your seat story and a can’t put it down book! I loved the plot twists and turns and look forward to book 2. Fantastic narration.

Contemporary Gothic must read.

I love Gothic mysteries. The narration was spot on and added to the story. A doctor overhears a conversation, possible mental breakdown, a buried memory, and an old inn all lead the doctor to doubt her sanity. this all leads to a great page turner.

Fantastic Gothic Mystery!

When surgical resident Kate Pomeroy begins having nightmarish visions, a leave of absence to recover her sanity is in order. A few weeks R&R at her aunt’s estate on Storm Island might have done the trick, were it not for the odd going’s on, a possible ghost, and some truly nefarious ne’er do well’s looking for a big score! “Storm Island” is a riveting gothic mystery that will not only keep you guessing, but will pull out all the feels! Beautifully written and narrated with a smooth flowing, well paced, yet eerie feel, I was throughly engaged, kept in the moment, and I was taken by surprise when all was revealed! I loved how Kate’s and Jeremy’s character’s were developed, and how their stories played out over the course of the book. I really came to care about them and I admit, I really waffled about Jeremy! No spoilers! I don’t want to give anything away! Listen and you will understand exactly what I mean. Storm Island also has some beautifully developed villainous characters. I can’t identify them for fear of playing spoiler, but I confess, I had some VERY strong feelings about them as I listened, and it was not pretty! The plot was fantastic! I found it dark, delightfully twisty, yet easy to follow and beautifully explained. My interest was held throughout and never wavered! I loved the narration. It truly brought both the characters and the story to life! I loved everything about this one. Five fantastic stars!

Kate Pomeroy gets on my nerves.

This is a modern gothic mystery mostly set on a windswept island off of Maine. Like the usual gothic books, there is lots of betrayal and drama. I initially liked the book in the first few hours, but over time the protagonist Kate Pomeroy repeatedly showed how incompetent she was at even recognizing a crime, much less solving it. The book is entirely told from her first-person perspective. Kate Pomeroy is a surgical resident, and she acts overly stupid. She is extremely easily manipulated by people around her, she often makes bad decisions, and she is easily distracted from important stuff. The couple of smart things she did early on were quickly overwhelmed by her incompetence in life skills. About halfway through the book, I couldn’t stand Kate anymore and gave up on the book.

Larissa Thompson did a very good job as the single narrator. She is versatile at men's and women’s voices and various accents. She successfully imbued the narration with the appropriate tension and atmosphere for a gothic mystery.

I requested and received a free audiocode from the Flock VIP Review Team, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review. #TheFlockVIPReviewTeam

Transparent

I am all for Gothic but so far this is extraordinarily transparent; we have to believe this physician cannot sort this out in the first half of the book? Love, love Victoria Holt & Phyllis Whitney, but this does not remotely compare. I had high hopes (no pun intended).