Bloody hell! What a book! Full of twists and turns, this is one thrilling ride! It's creepy terrifying and tragic. It will keep you hooked from the first chapter and keep you guessing until the last page.

I genuinely didn't want it to end but I needed it to... This is one hell of a ride!

First, the blurb I read on NetGalley is quite a bit different than the one on the retail sites, and while technically, both could describe this book, neither are exactly accurate. I also have to mention the cover. It's certainly eye-catching, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it has to do with this story. Our serial killer is strangling women, so I'm not sure where the blood comes in as I don't recall any in the book. As for the rest of it, I also don't recall any mention of a music box or a ballerina, so I used that handy little search feature on my Kindle and got nothing, not one mention of either of those in the book. Don't get me wrong, the cover is brilliant, but I don't see the correlation to the story. Speaking of which, I have to say that this one drove me a bit crazy. We have several characters throughout with rapid-fire jumps from one point of view to another. Off the top of my head, we have various victims of the serial killer, both detectives, a troubled and troublesome teenager, and what appears to be diary entries from an unknown woman. I would say that this is a police procedural, except they don't really do that much in the way of investigation. More time is spent on the fact that one is stressing over ending a relationship with a rather unsavory man that could cause problems in her job, and the other is grieving a girlfriend who was murdered while dealing with his ex and his son living under his roof because of some problem with the ex's current husband. I thought there may be some real investigation about to start when Imogen acts as bait, but even that was more about how Adrian felt about the whole thing. Then we have Connor and his father who have a rocky relationship that only gets rockier with each passing day while Connor apparently is completely irresistible to women of all ages. If it all sounds a bit convoluted, it is for much of the book. While I understand that the abrupt chapter endings are meant to build suspense and tension, the only thing that built in me was a growing aggravation over where it was all going. Things do eventually come together and the seemingly separate storylines converge, but not until quite late in the book. We do get enough breadcrumbs that I figured it out before the the big reveal, but that was little payoff for a story that took a somewhat circuitous route to get to a rushed and unsatisfactory ending. From glancing through the many high ratings on this one, I realize that I'm in the minority here, but it is what it is and my opinion is just that. The book did sound quite promising, but for me, it just didn't live up to its potential.

This is a great book that has well developed characters and draws you in from page one. I was loving the disturbing elements behind the whole case and will definitely look into more from Diamond.
Will use in a daily challenge and recommend to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!

This is a great book.
I’ve read the others in the series but you could read this as a stand-alone.
Imogen and Adrian are called to a murder where it looks like a date has gone badly wrong. They soon realise someone is targeting single women and the race is on to catch them.
Alongside this story are two others which really intrigued me as I was desparate to know if they all tied in together - you’ll have to read it to find out...
Imogen sets up a false profile to try and find the killer and whilst she feels uncomfortable doing this, her team are there for her when she makes the calls.
This is a really nasty killer and one which you just want them to find, but he’s quite a sneaky character so this is harder than the team realise.
There is a real nail biting final few chapters and more than one life is at risk.
This is a great series, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Promise by Katerina Diamond is a thriller, and apparently the 4th in the Imogen Grey Series.

Okay, first, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books UK, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:
There is a lot going on in this book.

Connor and his dad move from the US to England for a fresh start, to leave behind the stigma and after-effects of a school shooting. Connor wants to lay low, and not get into the wrong crowd again, and he needs to keep his father on an even keel. But he feels frustrated. He seems to be sliding back in with the same type of people even though he doesn’t want to, and his father’s abuse isn’t getting any better either. Why does his father hate him so much? Maybe his Uncle Joel can help, or maybe it’s time to stand up for himself, start atoning for past behaviour and moving on his own course.

Selina is not one of the “in” crowd at school. She lives with her Mom and step-father, in the house beside Connor. The walls are thin, and she can hear the fights between Connor and his dad. But Selina has her own problems. Her step-father won’t leave her alone.

Meanwhile, there is a killer out there whose first date includes strangling his victim. DS Adrian Miles and his partner Imogen Grey are determined to find him. The victim was on a game website, and may have attracted the wrong man, so it is decided that Imogen should go undercover to flush him out. But both Adrian and Imogen are having personal issues, and their heads may not be in the game. Adrian is still grieving the loss of his girlfriend, while having his ex-wife and son move in with him on a “temporary” basis. It’s a lot to handle. Imogen is dealing with the aftermath of being in a relationship that may end her career. But the killer isn’t waiting for them to straighten out their lives.

Meanwhile, in the background, we are learning the story of a young woman who doesn’t seem to have any backbone, and finds herself in an abusive relationship which she isn’t sure she can get out of.


My Opinions:
Okay, this one took me a little while to get into, and I’m not sure why. The plot was good, the writing fine, but still I had issues. Until I didn’t. Early on, it was fairly obvious who the spineless woman was, but she just angered me. I am so sick of reading about women who don’t stand up for themselves.

Anyway, the book was about abusive relationships, and the author certainly didn’t shy away from descriptions. I’m not squeamish, and I felt that those parts were handled very well. The story was told from multiple perspectives, and everything read smoothly.

Until I went to do the review on Goodreads, I was not aware that this was part of a series, and although I’m a little annoyed at NetGalley for not making that obvious, I am also pleased to find a new author. Probably my own fault, because I usually investigate the author before downloading something new. This is the first book I've read by Katerina Diamond.

As far as I am concerned, this could be a stand-alone book. I don’t feel I missed anything. That doesn’t mean I won’t be looking up the first three books in this series…..I hate reading things out of order, and I probably won’t add this to my own blog until I’ve read the first three. Okay, that’s a little anal, but that’s me.

Anyway, it’s a good book!

A compulsive read although there were very few characters who were likeable. It took me till about three quarters of the way through the book before I THOUGHT I knew "whodunnit"

Katerina Diamond is one of my favourite authors and this was another fantastic read! These books work well as standalones but I love the character development of DS Imogen Grey. I found the book really gripping - couldn't put it down, devouring the pages to find out how the stories linked.

The story begins with a young woman who has been chatting to a man online and is about to meet him for the first time, what she doesn’t realise is that this will also be the last time as this man draws women in to have sex with him before killing them.

The story is told from three perspectives, DS Imogen Grey and her partner DS Adrian Miles who have been brought in to investigate and hopefully catch the perpetrator before he strikes again, Connor who has moved to England with his father to start a new life after a terrible incident in the States forces them to leave their home and friends behind and we have the diary entries from an unknown woman. What, if any, is the connection between these three stories and how will it all end?

I enjoyed the way the chapters switched between the different characters and pretty soon things began to fall into place and make sense.  This is the first I've read by Katerina Diamond and didn't realise it was part of a series until I'd finished it as it does read very well as a standalone.  I do have her other three books already on my kindle so will be pushing them up my tbr list, I wish I'd read them in the correct order as I like to understand the background of the characters from the beginning.  

I would like to thank Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

Loved this book didn’t realise it was part of a series I’m going to have to start at the beginning. Thought maybe there would be a bit much going on with 3 storylines but it worked perfectly. Really enjoyed this book read it in less than a day!

This is another series that I am a big fan of... so happy to have Imogen and Adrian back again. This is book 4 in a fantastic series and I urge you all to get on board if you haven't already. It has real characters that are not perfect, great, edgy stores and twists that shock you. What's not to love ?

We have 3 storylines going in this book but it is very easy to follow. You will have a lightbulb moment like I did when you see where it is al going. Teenager Connor has moved from the US to the UK after being involved in a school shooting. He wants to make a fresh start but the kids at his new school have other ideas. We also follow Imogen and Adrian as they hunt a serial killer who murderes his victims after dating them, in between all of this we have diary entries from an unknown woman. You will need to keep reading this to find out what happens.

Katherine Diamond has written a very dark and clever book here, and I am now waiting patiently for book number 5. Big thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
What started off so well in the Try a Chapter Tag unfortunately descended into a jumbled mess of bad writing, tired stereotypes and a mishmash of scenes and perspectives that frankly, made little sense. Guys, I really need to stop getting my hopes up, because this keeps happening and it's starting to piss me off.
Katerina Diamond's The Promise is a detective-centric mystery/thriller that is supposed to tell the story of a series of young women being murdered by a toupee-clad assailant but to be honest, there is little in this novel that makes it feel so. Instead, it offers more weight to innocuous, banal and sometimes even offensive plot points - the detectives' apathy towards the victims; their unconvincing and flat relationship dramas; their eagerness to jump right into a social media site with a concept that continues to baffle me (I mean, aren't there units that specifically deal with going on undercover? I can't imagine that, in real life, this would be done so flippantly); the unnecessary subplot concerning Connor and how women, young and old alike, just can't get enough of his sixteen-year-old hotness; the constant degradation and villianization of female characters.
Women in The Promise are fat; they're desperate; they're sluts. Everything they do is intended to attract men to them. The way that is portrays them is truly disgusting and I don't understand how the rest of the reviewers on Goodreads - all of which appear to be women - were able to leave a positive review after wading through page after page of misogynistic bollocks. Time and time again, I had to check to see whether this book was actually written by a woman.
Are we seriously falling back on the madonna-whore complex? Seriously? In 2018? I mean, is this really how we see one another?
Even in bloody death it seems that a woman can't be treated with any decency.

I thought that the first couple of books by this author were great and i keep hoping for the same from the next. However i never seem to feel the same. It was enjoyable don't get me wrong but just not to the same level

LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!
I am a real fan of this author and the D'S Grey series.
This is the fourth outing in this series but please do not be put off as this is a stand alone read.
The book hooked me from the start, the story is in three parts. I really do not want disclose any of the plot for this book. I have only one thing to say and that is don't take my word for it YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK.
The conclusion to this book is WOW WOW WOW and never in a million years would I have guessed right.
I really like a book that gets under your skin, makes you think and at the same time takes you down so many paths and all of them wrong.
This method of storytelling is a credit to this author and she does it so well.
I will say it again this book is A MUST READ !!!!!
I would like to thank the author Katerina Diamond, Avon Books and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

I didn’t realize this was part of a series and I don’t read books unless I’ve read the first in the series.

Last year I read and fell in love with the DS Imogen Grey series and The Promise was one of my most anticipated books of 2018. I’m so happy to report that it completely lived up to my expectations.

I just love Diamond’s writing style. The mysteries are always so well done and also really character driven. Even though the book was kind of long, I just flew right through it. I never wanted to put it down. I will say that this is the first of her books that I figured things out well before they were revealed, but I was so invested in all the characters that I didn’t mind not being surprised like I have been before.

While the story is told through several different viewpoints, we get quite a lot of Connor’s POV. I think we actually hear more from him than from Imogen or Adrian and while I expected that to upset me, it didn’t. As I mentioned earlier, I was heavily invested in the characters and that included Connor. I felt so bad for all that he went through and just wanted to see him catch a break. Though he plays an integral role in the mystery and the lead up to the resolution, I thought his own ending was left a little more open than I like. Though I don’t anticipate it happening, I really wouldn’t mind seeing more of him in future books.

There were a few developments in Imogen and Adrian’s personal relationships and their partnership, as well. Adrian is still grieving from the events of the previous book. Imogen struggles with making the decision between keeping her relationship with Dean or moving along in her career. In addition, their own relationship begins to change and neither of them are sure about what’s happening. I don’t want to get too spoilery, but I am very, very anxious to see how things develop in the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Promise. I’m afraid this little review doesn’t come close to expressing how much. I loved the writing, the mystery, and the characters. While this book still had plenty of dark content, it wasn’t as dark as some of the other books in this series and I liked that. Katerina Diamond has really become one of my favorite authors and I definitely recommend her to mystery and crime fans. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

3.5*

This is a really good police drama that, despite being one of a series that I'd not read, still kept me completely engaged throughout.

There's a murderer targeting women via the internet and it's so difficult to work out who the killer is, that's what really kept me hooked.

Thanks to netgalley, HarperCollins and the author for the opportunity to preview this good read.

Loved it, this is the fourth book in the DS Grey series but my first, although it can be read as a stand alone, I am definitely going back to read from the beginning of the series…. I just love a good detective series and this one is certainly up there in my top list!

The Promise grips you from the getgo, the story is told threefold, first is about Conor who has recently moved from California with his abusive father back to the homestead of Exeter after a school shooting in his old school.

The second is told from the perspective of a woman (which reads like a diary) who tells the harrowing story of how she met and fell in love with her first boyfriend, his abusive and controlling nature unfolding and when she thinks she’s escaped him with his best friend, he continually rapes and abuses her when the friend is not around.

The third is about DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles who are on the hunt of a serial killer who is strangling his victims during the course of sex, redressing them and bleaching them afterwards. He baited his victims through social media which gave it a modern twist and highlights the dangers vulnerable women can face in today’s society.

How do all these stories tie in together I hear you ask? To figure it out, you MUST READ! Suffice to say this is a fast paced thriller and the way the three stories are pulled together will blow your mind.

The chemistry between Grey & Miles was very interesting and I look forward to reading more about how this develops.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and of course the very talented Ms. Katerina Diamond for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Where to begin... this book has multiple threads that weave their paths through the book, eventually all coming together at the end.
Miles and Grey are hunting a killer. Several women have been found dead, the only connection between them being that they all played a particular dating game on the internet. Things take a bit of a turn when Grey enters into the game in order to trap the killer.
Meanwhile we follow the story of Connor who, along with his father, has relocated back to the UK after an incident forces them to leave the US.
And then there's the final thread, the diary of a young woman who bites off more than she can chew when she starts dating a customer.
Having read and loved each of the previous three books in this series, I was a little disappointed initially when I realised that this book was going to be a bit more about Connor rather than about them and their endeavouring to bring their killer to justice. But, then I cottoned on to a few things and realised that it had to be this way in order for it all to play out as it should. Sorry, I'm being deliberately obscure for fear of spoilers! There is also a fair bit of to-ing and fro-ing to be had with the multiple threads all being completely separate initially so I can understand this not being to everyone's taste.
Characterisation was, as always for this author, really well done. Even with those of dubious character, they were always, within keeping, congruent with how you would expect them to act. Connor was your typical teen, with ideas and ideals and frustrations of how his previous actions were shaping his present. But, at the same time, there were those moments where you saw glimpses of the man he could have been had things turned out differently. He also wasn't really helped by his father who was a bit handy with his fists.
Despite almost playing second fiddle to Connor's story, Miles and Grey had their work cut out for them with their investigations but they plodded on together very nicely indeed, especially when Grey was "playing the game" well, that's a new side to her! They also have their own personal shenanigans to deal with in the forms of their exes. To get the best of this side of things, you really should read the first three books before this one. With how this book ended, there are bound to be repercussions in the next and I am very much looking for ward to seeing how that pans out for everyone.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I enjoyed this immensely! It far surpassed her last title for me, and I literally could not put it down! A great mix oif flawed charaters, filling the pages with suspense and a desire to know why, and how!!

Katerina Diamond is being hailed as the new "Queen of Crime", and for good reason. With a well thought out plot, and easy to relate to characters, this book was an easy read. While some characters are from some of Diamond's previous books, this book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone.

When Connor and his father move from the US back to the UK, they hope to put Connor's troubled past behind them. But it can be harder to move on emotionally than physically. He quickly falls in with the popular crowd at school, but he never really feels like he has found his niche. His new friends don't know about his shocking past, or his father. As the story progresses, Connor's life is spiralling out of control, and the consequences could be dire.

Meanwhile, detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey are working hard to catch a serial killer, and Imogen is setting herself up as bait in a dangerous move. Can they figure out who the killer is before the killer finds out who she is?

This book had me engaged right at the beginning, and easily held my interest to the end. Multiple story-lines and sub-plots were woven into a single, cohesive work that was a pleasure to read.

Happy Reading,
Christine