“Everyone brings their secrets to the island…

On the beautiful and windswept island of Tresco, two worlds live side by side. The wealthy visitors come by helicopter to stay at their lavish time-share properties. The estate staff travel by boat, and work all hours to keep them happy, to keep the money flowing in.

But while the blue skies and savage waves make the island seem a wild paradise, under the surface the inhabitants are concealing more than they dare reveal. The truths about their marriages, their love affairs, and what they do in the darkness while their neighbours are sleeping.

As black clouds come rolling in and a storm hits the island, truths and rumours begin to tumble out, wreaking terrible damage. In the midst of the tempest, two women are attacked and one goes missing. The secrets of this fragile community can no longer be hidden if it hopes to survive. The islanders must finally reveal what they did in the storm, no matter the cost.

From the #1 bestselling author of Call Me Mummy comes a dark and luscious thriller, perfect for readers of Harriet Tyce, Amanda Jennings and Louise Candlish.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of What We Did in the Storm by Tina Baker. What We Did in the Storm was published by Viper Books on 15th February 2024 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow later this year. I chose to read a free eARC of What We Did in the Storm via The Pigeonhole but that has in no way influenced my review.

Tresco, part of the Isles of Scilly and just off the coast of Cornwall, is a fair-weather second home to many wealthy and influential people. They arrive by helicopter looking for a few weeks of rest and relaxation. A home away from home. Leaving well before the weather really turns and island life becomes less than bearable. That’s not so much the case for the workers on the island who need to keep things ticking along, no matter how bad the weather or the pressing sense of isolation gets. Two very different groups of people, rubbing along together, hiding so many devastating secrets. And the approaching storm will bring them all out into the open…

What We Did in the Storm is another cracking, tension-laden read from Tina Baker. I’m a huge fan of this author’s books and this latest release firmly cements Baker on my ‘must-read’ author list. What We Did in the Storm had a different feel to the author’s earlier books though. They’ve always focussed on one or two main characters in the past, making the reading experience feel quite personal (particularly so with Nasty Little Cuts). What We Did… has a large cast of characters – a mix of staff and the more well-to-do visitors – and the reader gets to hear from many of them. Despite the large cast, I was able to keep track of who was whom. A small group rise above the rest as the main characters but there are plenty of juicy secrets to be discovered everywhere the reader turns. Baker has done an excellent job in bringing Tresco to life on the page. The beauty of the island coupled with the savagery of the tumultuous sea, the jagged cliffs and the ever-changing weather really add to the suspense of the novel. The surroundings are unpredictable and untameable. I loved how the setting really added to the overall tension of the story.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. What We Did in the Storm is a wonderfully written, character-driven tale with lashings of expertly delivered suspense and a finely tuned overarching sense of inescapable, impending doom. We discover early on in the book that two women have been attacked and one is still missing. The identity of both women isn’t revealed until the end of the novel. The reader watches as the events, which lead up to that fateful night, unfold before them. Relationships change, resentment and anger builds – the more I read, the more engrossed I became in the story. I had my suspicions as to whodunit and why, and I was proved correct. That didn’t spoil my enjoyment though. I did find the timeline a little confusing at times (not helped by reading the book via The Pigeonhole in ten predetermined staves over the course of ten days) and found myself getting a little muddled about the order of events. It all came together in the end though. All in all, What We Did in the Storm is a thoroughly entertaining psychological thriller with well-drawn characters, a superb, vividly depicted setting, Baker’s trademark humour and wit (which adds splashes of light to the darker moments), and a wonderful, pressing sense of impending doom. Very compelling, full of delicious atmosphere and overflowing with suspense. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of What We Did in the Storm. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

What We Did in the Storm was published in the UK by Viper Books on 15th February 2024 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Tina Baker, the daughter of a window cleaner and fairground traveller, worked as a journalist and broadcaster for thirty years and is probably best known as a television critic for the BBC and GMTV. After so many hours watching soaps gave her a widescreen bum, she got off it and won Celebrity Fit Club. She now avoids writing-induced DVT by working as a Fitness Instructor.