This was a fast pacer thriller/mystery that I enjoyed. I have not read the others in this series and didn’t realize it was part of one. But it can read as a stand alone book and I didn’t feel like I am missing out on anything. But I probably will read the others now. I will warn people it was pretty violent in a few scenes, and this is coming from someone who often reads crime fiction.

To begin I must say that Katerina is a great writer with a good understanding of characterisation. The way she deals with the emotional side of this story is mature and with an obvious need for care and compassion. However this is a brutal read! It is not a book i would recommend for recreational pleasure unless you have sadistic tenancies! Be warned and be aware - I certainly would not have this in a school library for example!

For the writing and story line I would have given this novel 4-5 stars but with the explicit content, I cannot recommend it so highly.

This book was phenomenal! I have read all of Katerina Diamond's books and absolutely love her as an author - she is so engaging and I am always hooked. This book was no exception. I was hooked from the start and read this book in one sitting. I can't wait for it to come out so that I can recommend it to my friends and family!

Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey are back! This time, investigating an assault and a murder that are most likely related. But how can they solve both crimes when their only witness and victim disappears? This is also a hard case for Adrian, since it involves domestic violence and reminds him of his own mother. I loved the first part and I couldn’t stop reading but then… something happens to someone and the effects take over the rest of the novel. Now, I understand how such an event would change a person’s life forever and it’s hard not to sympathize with the character in question. I wanted the culprit to pay and yet this whole subplot seemed a little too long. I should probably add the disclaimer that I like action over character development, so all this talking about someone’s feelings eventually became tedious. I hate saying this because when something like that happens in real life it must be devastating, but I just wanted to know what was going to happen with the investigation and this got in the way. I can’t be more specific and I hope I’m not veering into spoiler territory. Anyway, back to the plot, it’s actually very interesting in that you know whodunit, but it seems impossible to prove. The final twist left me speechless so, overall, this was a solid read for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Avon!

Although this is the sixth book in the Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey series this is the first that I have read, although whilst reading the characters of Adrian and Imogen did feel somewhat familiar – or perhaps their relationship was a bit clichéd. Adrian is hailed as a hero when he discovers the body of a woman in the water, when he tries to pull her out of the water he discovers she is still alive, barely, she has been severely beaten. Emergency services are called and he accompanies her to the hospital. Meanwhile, the police searching the river discover the dead body of a man, also severely beaten. Adrian feels compelled to stay with the woman as though he is responsible for her life. Then she disappears. Adrian and Imogen are tasked with discovering who she is, and what happened.

This is a fascinating read but not without shocks. The subject matter includes domestic violence, abuse, incest, rape and PTSD and of course murder. I was thoroughly shocked when I read about the attack and the consequences of the attack which led me to tears on several occasions. What powerful and emotive writing and how sensitively handled was the subject matter – incredible. A well-written book with good characters and certainly good plot structure and surprising twists.

Any negatives? Well I did find Imogen a bit irritating. Clearly she is a good detective but just get on with it, stop pussy footing around about your career and Adrian’s mood. Actually is she a good detective? Just think of Adrian’s flu – I hope I would be a bit more perceptive than her – but then again, I’m not tracking down a murderer.

Would I recommend it? You bet your life on it, but be prepared for some very nasty episodes which I can imagine will offend many people. You have been warned – but it is an excellent book.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I always struggle to write reviews for books like this, they're so twisted and dark and sooo hard to read that I shouldn't love them but I seriously cannot stop reading them. This series has had me hooked from the start. I became obsessed with Katerina's writing from the very first book and I have not been able to shake them since. I'm dying to get my hands on the next one already. I NEED Imogen and Adrian's story to carry on, especially after this one, that is for sure. I am way too attached to these characters now, it cannot end.

The series as a whole has been pretty violent and very dark but this book was on a whole other level. I definitely struggled to get through some bits simply because it was so hard to read, especially after growing so connected to the characters throughout the series. But I won't mention what because I don't want to spoil anything, but I definitely don't recommend this series to everyone, and would really suggest looking into the series before starting them if you're a bit worried about it.

But aside from that, everything else about this book was incredible. The plot line seriously surprised me, it was super fast paced as always but it was so different to the other 5 books. It seems too straight forward for a Katerina Diamond book, but of course it's not. The twist is huge and I did not expect it at all. Perfectly sick and twisted for this series.
The characters were of course amazingly done. The progression for the main characters is brilliant throughout each book, but it delves much much deeper in this one. Again I can't say much more without giving anything away. But TRUST ME.
If this sounds like you're thing, READ IT.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC copy to review.

3.5 Stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought it started off really well, and the storyline grabbed my attention from the get go, but as it progressed, there were scenes that I felt didn’t add to the main plot or even took away from me enjoying the story.

As the title states, the woman in the water is the main focus of the book, and while the majority of the story and the investigation stayed pertinent to her, there were a lot of scenes that diverted away from her.

For one, Adrian and Imogen’s relationship. While they were integral characters, I felt that their relationship actually made me start to dislike the book. They were constantly arguing and criticizing how they handled their jobs, and it just got annoying after a while. I honestly couldn’t see any reason why they were together because there never really seemed to be any amorous feelings between them.

As far as what happened to Adrian, I actually got really invested in his part of the story, even more so than the woman he rescued in the water. I was disappointed that it was left so unresolved though. Even by the end, only one person knew about it, and I felt the book itself ended a bit abruptly too.

I think this book had a lot of potential, but because of certain aspects taking away from the story and so much being left up in the air at the end, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2989611219

When a woman’s body is found submerged in icy water, police are shocked to find she is alive. But she won’t disclose her name, or what happened to her – even when a second body is discovered. Then she disappears from her hospital bed. Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey follow their only lead to the home of the Corrigans, looking for answers. But the more they dig into the couple’s lives, the less they understand about them. What’s their connection to the body in the river? Why have other people they know been hurt, or vanished? Can they discover the dark truth of their marriage before it’s too late?

What a horrendous, roller-coaster of a read this was. Not horrendous in a terrible way, rather the subject matter that Diamond draws upon and some of the scenes made for horrendous reading. Diamond's books are always gruesome and I always state they are not for the feint hearted but this one really is not for the feint hearted! There is a scene in particular in this that will stay with me forever. Part of me wants to say Diamond went too far with it, the other part of me says it is an important subject and central to the plot. Either way, it makes for very dark, very disturbing reading so be warned.

This is a continuing theme for this book as well. This feels darker than Diamond's other books, again due to the subject matter. Do not get me wrong though, it is still incredibly gripping and I was still completely immersed in the plot and at its mercy. Another aspect that is different is this is not really a whodunnit, we have a good idea the whole way through as to the culprit, but even then there are twists and turns to fight through to get to the truth and it still makes for intense reading.

The characters are of course fantastic, I love Imogen and Adrian so could not wait to be back with them. Diamond ensures they never feel stale by constantly developing them and throwing in life twists for them which I absolutely loved. There are some great scenes in this for long-standing fans of the characters.

'Woman In the Water' is another incredible, thrilling read from Diamond but one that is extremely dark, darker than others and contains some very hard scenes. Despite this, I still loved reading it.

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

I enjoyed this book but also found it quiet disturbing, one particular event left me feeling traumatised and wasn't sure I could finish the book. Imogen and Adrian are investigating a man who appears untouchable, all those who cross him regret it, they're trying to save his wife but not all is at it seems!!
Adrian gets dragged into Angela's life but it brings back bad memories and leaves a rift between him and Imogen, can she reach him before it's too late.
I was shocked by the ending

This is the first book I have read by this author. I have mixed feelings. It has some very graphic scenes that I had trouble with. The villain in the book is one of the most truly psychotic I have ever seen. The ending took me off guard, I never guessed the direction it took. There is a cliff hanger at the end that I would have liked resolved. It will be interesting to see where the characters go in the next book. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

*spoiler alert*

Jeez. I read these kind of books for the save haven those broken but ultimately incorruptible men and women fronting crime series usually provide. I expect their - frankly predictable - trauma of missing family members, childhood abuse or addiction to be firmly in the past,
Except drinking, gambling, aggressively trusting no one and sleeping around, of course. Can’t have popular crime fighters without any of those.
However, this one floundered me somewhat. I learned from reading this book that I do not enjoy graphic descriptions of the hero being raped for hours and even less his all too human response of covering it all up.
I’m not saying it’s not realistic - just that I don’t want any of it in my recreational reading.
In conclusion I’m not sure what I think - heads up to the author for bringing it into the mainstream mind, or thumbs down for damaging a main character in such a horrible way. Not for the rape - but for his response. But then the poor guy has zero chemistry with his partner and girlfriend so where should he actually turn?
The rest of the novel is great - pacing, plot, setting, atmosphere,... all perfect.
I think, I chicken out on a four star and declare future offerings as ‘probably not for me’

When a woman is found in the river, the police can’t quite believe she has managed to survive. Later, in hospital she claims not to remember the incident that led her to this fate or any of her personal information. But when a second body is found, she mysteriously vanishes from her bed.

Detectives Miles and Grey follow the only lead they have, taking them to the home of local construct5ion company owner Reece Corrigan. They are shocked to find that they instantly recognise his wife, Angela, as the woman from the water.

But the more they dig, the more frustrated and confused they become. Unsure whether this couple are exactly what they seem and the affects this case will have on them personally.

So happy to be back with Miley and Grey! I really love these Detectives and this series. I was a bit disappointed with he last book, as I felt Diamond and the characters had lost their mojo. Well I am disappointed no longer - this instalment is back to the familiar fast-paced and gritty subject matter we have come to expect from this author.

The chapters are once again short and snappy, making it extremely easy to keep turning the pages of this book. The I felt the main storyline was inevitable, and I did surmise the “twist” quite early on. But to was the secondary plot that really had me feeling a huge range of emotions. I was angry, shocked and so upset that I actually shed some tears. I’m not going to go into too much detail, but this is dark and could be quite difficult for some readers. Perhaps a warning for the graphic content wouldn’t go amiss here.

This is Katerina Diamond back at her best, and I’m so very glad. Cannot wait for part 7!!

This was not a book I particularly enjoyed. I felt I was missing the back story since I believe it’s part of a series. I found it hard going especially with some of the descriptions of violence. A story of domestic abuse and detectives with their own psychological problems.

This is my first book by Katerina Diamond, but apparently book #6 in the series. It appears that you do not have to read them all and this did read as a stand alone. I enjoyed it however there were a lot of gruesome parts that created a lot of mental images. Probably a good quality in a book! I would have liked to start with the first in the series.

After reading ‘The Teacher’ recently I was thrilled to download the new novel featuring the two down to earth and rather flawed, detectives, Imogen and Adrian (I feel like I’m on first name basis here) who attempt to solve another twisty, morbid, and gruesome crime. Los of twists kept me speeding through.

An excellent story that keeps you hooked from the beginning right through to the end. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

Now I wholeheartedly adore this series of books & have read all of Katerina Diamond's books and this one did not disappoint.

I must admit it's not the strongest of the series but it sort of took on a life of it's own.

This one tackled one hell of a serious issue of male rape, something that is so rarely covered and Katerina wrote about it with real compassion and you could feel how sympathetic she was in her style of writing.

Once again we see the relationship between Imogen Grey and Adrian Miles take another step forward but at times you feel such heart wrenching emotion for the both of them as the scenes unfold.

This is one book that will stay with me for a long time.

Massive thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Having followed this series from the start I've enjoyed all of Katerina Diamond's Grey and Miles series. I did ,however,find "Truth or Die" a bit weak and being,to my mind at least,a bit of a rehash of her first book, The Teacher, it seemed as if she'd run out of ideas.
Thankfully the latest episode, Woman In The Water, is a return to form. DS Miles sees a crowd looking in a river on his way to work and discovers a woman in the water. Saving her kicks off a series of events that he'd never have foreseen and has a life-changing effect on his life. His relationship with Imogen Grey progresses in this book,which possibly dwells on it a bit too much and as ever in one of Ms Diamond's books there are gory descriptions and an ultra-nasty villain.
Much of the book centres on one of society's more taboo subjects that in careless hands could have been sensationalist and exploitative. Ms Diamond handles this sensitively and uses her fiction to explore and advise on an issue that currently is rarely acknowledged,let alone discussed openly. This is a very brave move in a popular fiction series and she should be applauded for shedding some light on a difficult subject while risking offending some of her readership with a very raw and shocking act of brutality.making up a big part of the story.
Not an easy read by way of some of its subject matter, Woman In The Water is a great read that ends with a change of direction for one of the main characters and leaving readers in mouth-watering anticipation of things to come.

Big thanks to Katerina Diamond, Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

When I started reading this I didn’t know it was part of a series. I am really looking forward to the other books. This one was super good. The villain was super icky so it was satisfying to hear the end. The only thing that was hard to listen to was a pretty graphic rape scene but this book is definitely worth the read and I’m soo.n starting the others in this series. Thanks NetGalley.

A dark and twisted thriller with a truly vile antagonist. DS Miles and Grey know who is responsible but have a hard time proving it when everyone is too afraid to talk. The difficult subject of domestic abuse and rape was tackled with understanding and sensitivity. Having not read previous books in the series I was unsure of the personal relationship between the detectives and found Grey's constant musings cumbersome. All in all a decent read and worth going back to start at the beginning of the series.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.