The book started reasonably well but the further it progressed, the more unbelievable yet ironically, predictable it became. Note - this review contains spoilers.

It was poorly written with numerous grammatical errors - the author should learn about semi-colons or conjunctions instead of comma splices.

The proof-reading was poor - a victim's boyfriend had a cast-iron alibi as he was on a stag weekend in Amsterdam yet a few pages later, his alibi was that he was in business in Ireland and then a few pages on, it was Amsterdam again.

Many of the premises were totally unbelievable. For example, would an experienced policeman really have never heard of a 'walking holiday'? Would a policewoman who had been told not to contact her criminal ex-boyfriend as her career would be in jeopardy really ignore this and invite him for Christmas lunch (of fish fingers!) because she felt sorry for him. Would a stabbed man, described as 'grey' and not moving, really miraculously climb out from under a bed and walk into another room? My list could go on and on.

I ploughed through though and couldn't believe the number of aspects that were left unresolved - Selina and Connor, Connor and his father, Connor and Selina's mother, Jacob discovering the truth about Joel, Imogen and Dean, Imogen and Adrian, Adrian and his ex.....

I'm sorry but I won't be looking for this author's other books.

The Promise is my first book of Katarina Diamond's and I enjoyed it a lot. An easy read, it tells the story of Conor, a 16 year old starting a new life with his dad in the UK following a major life changing incident in the States. Conor's mother left him and his dad 15 years earlier when Conor was just a baby. Conor has a hard time adjusting to life and school in the UK and his dad's erratic and violent behaviour doesn't help. Thankfully his uncle Joel is around to help Conor and his dad.

In a dual timeline, women are meeting a mysterious man from the internet and turning up dead shortly after. Detectives Imogen Grey and Adrian Miles are working the case.

In a throwback to a past, we meet Victoria who is committing to paper her life story. Who is Victoria and where does she fit into any of the above?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Promise and found it an easy read. I loved the chemistry between Adrian and Imogen and I thought the storyline was compulsive and addictive reading. I did guess the perpetrator towards the end but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I would definitely like to read more by Katarina Diamond.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ms Diamond and the publisher for the opportunity to read The Promise in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a good read, but a bit predictable. The characters were interesting and I would read the authors other books.

Though the ending was somewhat rushed and off-kilter, the story had a wonderful pace to it. It kept you wanting to read, find out more, learn what happened and what will happen. I enjoyed this book and have already recommended it to friends and family who I know enjoy thrillers. I found the Connor character fascinating and wish the book had been longer and explored his story further. What happened between him and Selina? Between him and his father? I wish the author developed this part of the story further. That’s the only reason I’m giving this book 4 starts - the ending was rushed and a bit clumsily executed for me. But still, it was an enjoyable read and I will continue to recommend it.

This dark and twisted page turner had me engaged from the first chapter. Really liked how the chapters were interwoven with different stories which kept you guessing until the end of the book. Will definitely be reading more by Katerina Diamond!

Thank you Net Gallery and Avon Book UK for this fantastic read.

This is a dark and twisted novel for sure. Grey and Miles are detectives that are trying to stop a serial killer. This story is interwoven with Connor and his high school friends not to mention his dad. Connor and his dad come to the states to get away from a school shooting that somehow Connor was or wasn't a part of. He likes that no one knows him here and he can start all over. This book has great character build up and a plot that is different from a lot of other books. I would read more by this author as I like how she puts words into sentences that go onto a great plot.

Cherie'

I loved this book, it keep me on my toes there was so much going on,and I loved the way the chapters darted around giving glimpses of stories to unfold.I seriously wondered how they were all going to come together .I thought it was a very clever book and I also liked the main police characters and some of the others.I was certainly invested in finding out what was going to happen to them all.Cracking book not going to spoil it for other readers by saying too much about the plot.All I will say is you will have to keep your wits about you and your thinking head on with this book,and its not every book that keeps you guessing like this one.I really enjoyed it ,its the second book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading more.Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

This book was fantastic. One as soon as you picked it up you were hooked from the word go. You just couldn't put it down. Loved the characters and plot

Imogen and Adrian are back with a new, shocking case. Someone is dating lonely women and killing them. With little to go on, the race is on to find the culprit before it is too late. As they both battle personal difficulties, can they keep it professional to solve the case? 

Wow, this is another shocker of a read from Diamond. We are quickly thrown into the case and there is exhilarating action from page one. The pace does not stop there and Diamond is relentless in offering non-stop thrills and action to keep the drama heightened. One thing I would say is this is nowhere near as gruesome as some of Diamond's other books - good news for some readers out there.

What I particularly loved about this are the various different plot threads that Diamond has. Side plots that seem unconnected are slowly connected together which was a real treat and incredibly satisfying. We learn a lot about what is going on from a notebook and again it heightens the excitement as we uncover the truth. I would not say this has shocking twists, I had this figured out early on but suspecting the result did not ruin it for me.

Another aspect I adored is Imogen and Adrian's development. We see them in very different times in this, fighting personal battles. As well as keeping the characters fresh it was interesting to see the new developments in them and their relationship with each other. I will be interested to see what happens in further books.

'The Promise' is another stunning, exhilarating read, one that I could not tear myself away from. The added plot threads only improve this further. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy.

Though I hadn't previously read the DS Imogen Grey series, I think after reading this book those will be put on my TBR shelf!! I did feel like I was missing some info just because I hadn't read the other books, but that didn't matter much- I read this in one sitting! Loved it so much!

I really enjoyed this book and it reignited my love for this series. It pains me to say that wasn't a fan of the previous book (The Angel) and although The Secret was great, it never matched up to The Teacher for me but The Promise definitely did! I loved Connor's story and despite the fact that I'd figured out who the perpetrator was before the halfway point (which I rarely do) I was still gripped until the end. Also, Adrian is a doll and I've always liked his character and he became more endearing in this book.

As per usual I will pick up a copy as soon as it's released. I'm thrilled to have received this advanced copy.

So glad to see Imogen and Miles back! This is a fantastic story based around a young American boy Connor who came to England with his father after a tragic episode in his former high school.
In the meantime Imogen and Miles are against the clock to stop a deranged seriel killer that finds lonely women on a online gaming site. Katerina Diamond is fast becoming one of my favourite writers, every one of her books have had me on the edge of my seat and guessing right up to the usually gruesome end. I highly recommend this book! 10/10

If you've been following Katerina Diamond's Grey and Miles series you certainly won't be disappointed in The Promise, fourth in the series. If you haven't read any of the earlier books in the series it's best to start with The Teacher, but The Promise works well as a complete story in itself.

In the opening chapters a young woman, Erica Lawson, is found strangled, sexually asaulted and bleached clean; then it happens again to another woman. When a third body is discovered, Grey and Miles know they've got a serial killer on their hands.

The book is written in three interweaving parts:
– A back story, almost in diary form, of a young woman first meeting her boyfriend who becomes very abusive. This part of the story, at first, doesn't seem to have much relevance to the main story but later on, it is the key main part.
– The return from America of Connor and his abusive father. This kid is such a mixed up, angry and impassioned character. Diamond writes so competently about the mental complexities of teenage children.
– Present day in the busy run up to Christmas, with Imogen Grey and Adrian Miles desperately trying to stop further murders which they know will take place if they don't catch this serial killer. These two have come a long way since The Teacher in their own individual relationships as well as their working partnership.

There's never a dull moment, hardly a chapter end you want to stop at even to go to bed. Katerina Diamond has fast become my favourite crime writer and I just know I will love every book she writes.

I absolutely love Katerina Diamond. While it’s not imperative that you read her books in order, it does give you a great insight into the main characters. The Promose did not disappoint, it could have carried on for another 20 chapters, I didnt want it to end. I kept me guessing, right on the edge of my seat. I loved the back story that was included with the present story too! Thank you for letting me review this title .

I would like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Promise’ written by Katerina Diamond in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
When sixteen-year-old Connor Lee leaves the USA after getting into trouble he moves to Exeter with his father Jacob to start a new life. At the same time, Acting DI Imogen Grey and her friend and colleague DS Adrian Miles are investigating the murders of three women and the attempted murder of a fourth. Imogen and Adrian believe the women are being targeted by someone who contacts them on an internet dating game site and in an attempt to catch the killer Imogen puts her own life at risk by signing onto the site and acting as bait.
I’ve enjoyed reading ‘The Promise’ which had an interesting plot. I was a little confused at the beginning as there are three separate threads and it wasn’t until the end that the three combined and the story became clear. This is the first Katerina Diamond novel I’ve read and I felt that I’d missed out on what had happened previously in the private lives of Imogen and Adrian. At times I wondered where the rest of the police department were as, apart from DCI Mira Kapoor and the IT expert Gary, nobody else was mentioned. Nevertheless, it had a chilling and unnerving plot that kept me gripped as I needed to know the connection between the characters. The conclusion was a surprise that I hadn’t been expecting and caught me unawares.

This is the first book from this author that I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. And it was a tremendous read!

I found I more enjoyed Connor and Selina's story over the parts of Imogen and Adrian. I'm not sure why, I just think more effort went into writing their bit than any other part of this story. Imogen and Adrian's, to me, seemed a little rushed and repetitive in places. I absolutely LOVED the twist at the end when everything is unravelled, though I did start getting suspicious a little while before but I was still excited and driven to read every word.

The characters were okay, though I expected Imogen to be more Alpharess than she was. And I wished her and Adrian really did get it on before I thought they would be quite cute together. Maybe a little complicated but cute.

I loved all the drama and the revelations, Connor's characters and I really did enjoy the story as a whole. I definitely think I'll be reading this series from the beginning.

Excellent storyline. Wonderful main characters. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly.

This is my first Katerina Diamond novel and I am very eager to read all the other ones!

Imogen is a great character and I really love how she is written. The story flows great and was very interesting!

Thank you to netgalley for supplying me with a copy of The Promise.

I haven’t read the other books in the series (this is actually the first time I have encountered the author) but The Promise works well enough as a stand alone novel that you don’t necessarily need to read the preceding books.
The Promise follows three distinctly different stories - a woman recounting an abusive relationship, a boy who relocates to England following a traumatic experience, and two detectives investigating a serial killer. All three storylines are beautifully crafted, and gradually build to a thrilling climax. Diamond gives enough away to allow the reader to guess the guilty party before the detectives, adding to a sense of dread and tension that she builds throughout the book.
Habing read and enjoyed this book, I now intend to go back and read her earlier ones.

Thank you to Netgalley, Katerina Diamond & Avon Books for my ARC of The Promise.
Katerina Diamond fast became one of my favourite crime/thriller authors. This is the fourth book in her Imogen Grey series. I feel at this point that I've really connected with the characters and without giving anything away I'm absolutely loving where this book has started to take them! I need more already!

The story itself was so gripping that I started it at 10pm yesterday evening and finished it just after 1am. I was so tired as we've not long since come back off our holiday but I couldn't just put it down and leave it, I was completely in the story's thrall.

The premise of The Promise (see what I did there) is that there is a murderer on the loose killing women who are playing an online dating game. Imogen and Adrian are called into investigate and Imogen then enters the dangers of the game herself to try and trap him. The story is told from 3 POVs, Imogen's, a teenage boy Connor who has just moved back to England from the US and an old story about a crime long ago.

I did start to guess who the killer was about 3/4 of the way into the book but this in no way spoilt the story only made the reader feel more like they were in a race to the end before something dangerous happened!
Another excellent book from the new Queen of British Crime.