This is the 6th book in the Grey and Miles detective series. It could be read as a stand-alone book but you would be missing out on some much of the background between the two main characters so, in my opinion, you should definitely read the whole series in order.

A woman’s badly beaten body is found in the river, she is barely alive and has no memory of how she ended up there or who she is. Further up the river a Man’s body is found, are the two connected ? Adrian Miles found the woman and due to his past he is heavily invested in the case but will this help or hinder ? And can Grey stop Miles from doing something he may regret ?

One part of the story is very hard to read, you will know it when you come to it, and I actually found myself shedding a tear or two. The writing in this section is fantastic, it is just right, enough detail for you to know what is happening and to feel for the character but not to dramatic that it’s over the top !!

A great read as always and looking forward to seeing what is next for Grey and Miles.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey return in Katrina Diamond’s sixth book in her crime thriller series. Katerina immediately establishes an atmosphere of fear, mystery and danger when a Woman in the Water is found and pulled from a freezing river. Adrian Miles is the first on the scene of what he expects to be a corpse and he drags the body onto the bank. As he stands over the body of a badly beaten woman she reaches out and grabs his leg. Jane Doe is taken to the hospital where she starts to make a recovery while claiming amnesia regarding her name, assailant or reason for her attack. She also refuses to give any blood or DNA samples and the marks on her body are consistent with a woman in an abusive relationship.

A dead male was discovered close by, his body badly mutilated. While Adrian and Imogen start to investigate his murder, Jane Doe absconds from the hospital, and they have no means of tracking her down. Their investigation leads them to the man’s employer and it isn’t too long before they recognise the woman, still bruised but pretending she doesn’t know them. They play along, although this strikes a chord with Adrian’s family past and he takes the crime personally.

The main suspect is an imperious man who over the years has built a belief that he is untouchable and has no boundaries in what he would do to protect himself. The investigation reveals a number of people who have crossed him before but are terrified to speak out or provide any statement on what they have witnessed or his activities.

Katerina Diamond is certainly an author that doesn’t shirk from horrific details in her thrillers. She is bold with vivid images of violence drawn in many scenes. One scene, in particular, affects one of the detectives and is extremely disturbing. This incident with the physical and psychological repercussions define a significant theme for the majority of the novel. While the narrative was disturbing it was compelling reading and it was a brave call to introduce this aspect to a main character’s background as we will progress through the series. I found myself wishing the incident didn’t happen but recognising that Katerina had totally drawn me into her story and the empathy I’ve developed for her main characters.

The focus of the story moved from being described as a police crime investigation to a distressing psychological exploration of the mental turmoil and coming to terms with a violent life-changing assault. I felt the story lost its anchor and drifted in the core focus, unsure what elements were the background and what constituted the main thread. The relationship between Adrian and Imogen took centre stage and provided the context of an unsettling personal crime and the coming to terms within oneself and relationships with those around. The consequence, of course, is that the investigation plot lacked her previous depth and surprises.

I would recommend reading this book and I’d like to thank Katerina Diamond, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.

This was an excellent crime novel, that – apart from being a fast paced, riveting read – brings up some very disturbing subjects. You may forget the individual police characters (not that they are under-developed, or lacking in any way at all), but what happens in the book will remain with you a very long time.
A woman is found, severely beaten and nearly drowned in the water. Another body (not so lucky) is found nearby. She won’t tell the police who she is, who he is, or what occurred. She disappears from hospital – then pops up again, looking like nothing has happened.
You think you know what is going on – domestic abuse, bad husband, cop taking it all too personally – but that is not the half of it.
Throughout all the book is a pervading sense of fear. No-one will talk. The victims – and there are many – are broken by what they experienced (if they are still alive). They blame themselves: for not fighting back, for not taking warnings seriously, for not living up to expectations …. The horror of what the victims go through – not just the actual crime(s) which are thankfully not dwelt on so much, but the never-ending aftermath – is dealt with by the author with so much empathy, that you are forced to take part of it into your own being.
“Back then, I didn’t know the depths of R’s evil. I still had a rose-tinted view of him, as if somehow if I loved him enough that would change him, but it never did. All it did was change me into a person I can barely stand to look at. I am all but erased – changing a little each day to accommodate his demands but never being quite good enough”
The person behind the crime is one of the most evil people ever to appear in a crime novel. He believes himself to be invincible – and you feel that way too.
All though not everything is wrapped up at the end (could it ever be?), I could not have ever forgiven the author if she had not ended it the way she did.
An outstanding book – but a really distressing read.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is a dark, gripping thriller that deals with some disturbing events. I like the way the story behind the woman in the water is told, and it unfolds at a good pace. I was hooked early on and found myself racing through the last few chapters. There was a bit of a twist near the end (that I did not see coming!) that made the whole story even more sinister.

It is a graphic story, and without giving too much away there are scenes of violence, domestic abuse and rape, so this may not be to everyone's taste. I felt it was well written and I liked the way it explored how the characters involved felt & reacted to these events.

This is the 6th book in a series following Detectives Adrian Miles & Imogen Grey, but if you haven't read any others in the series I don't think it would matter as I feel the story still works as a stand alone. It's the history of the relationship between the two detectives that's build up over the series, and I loved this latest installment.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is another great book in the series.
Adrian comes across a woman’s body in the river and goes to investigate, and is shocked when he realises she’s still alive. She’s been beaten badly and he wants to know what happened to her.
In the hospital she can’t remember her name or what happened and then disappears.
Another body is found in the river but this time, dead, and when Adrian and Imogen start investigating they come across the woman from the river.
It’s clear something’s not right with her relationship with the construction boss but can they prove it?
Reece is a nasty character and has a hold over many people and Adrian gets a warning he’ll never forget.
This is a gripping crime thriller that had me hooked throughout the book.
The relationship between Adrian and Imogen is tested in this book and I hope they come out of it ok as they make a great couple.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Woman in the Water is the 6th book featuring detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey. And follows them investigating follow Adrian’s discovery of a badly beaten woman in the river, followed by a body found further up stream. Who is the woman and who is responsible?
The twists and turns keep you reading, there is however a description of a sexual assault which takes place which some readers may find difficult, I do however think that Katerina Diamond wrote it in as sensitive a manner as such an assault could be written. It left me feeling shocked and wanting the victim to come through.
Cannot wait to read more from this author.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review

Warning -- this is not a crime thriller for the sensitive and delicate as it deals with some extremely graphic material that I can't elucidate as to avoid big spoilers. This book was, at times, difficult to read.

"People warn you about strangers, but no one warns you about the people you love, the people who say they love you."

DS Adrian Miles is driving along Glasshouse Lane when he notices a crowd by the wall of the riverside. He pulls over only to discover a woman in the water -- she's alive. The beaten and bruised woman is taken to the hospital where she refuses to give her name and says that she doesn't remember what happened to her. Soon after, the body of a young male is pulled from the same river and the woman vanishes from her hospital bed. Miles and his partner and lover, DS Imogen Grey, are very concerned over the fate of the abused woman and the police investigation into the murdered man (once he's identified) takes them into a situation that will change their lives forever. Their first shock is when they arrive at the home of a man they want to question about the dead male and find that the woman Adrian rescued is no other than Reece Corrigan's wife. Adrian feels drawn to Angela Corrigan because of his own experience with domestic abuse growing up and his reactions and behavior indicate he's close to going off the rails with this case. Things escalate quickly as the detectives discover that people who cross Reece Corrigan end up broken or dead. Can they get the evidence they need if no one will speak up or testify against him?

Wow, this was quite the intense read and I was almost gasping aloud as I sat glued to this book reading it cover to cover in a single sitting. I had no idea going into this one that it was part of a series as it's not listed as such so I had no previous exposure to either Adrian or Imogen. I didn't know their history or how their romantic relationship developed so it was somewhat difficult to relate to them as a couple given all their worries and problems being work mates as well as lovers. They were actually kind of irritating as they danced around their issues and insecurities, but I just sort of let that go since there were other overwhelming events that occurred to take the focus off romance. I must say that I have never read a story that contained this particular...I wish I could actually talk about it here, but I won't. I don't think I'll ever quite look at some things in the same way again having really not considered them before. The bad guy is really evil and the climax and conclusion were spectacular even as the end left room for a follow-up that I definitely want to read. There's a lot of repair and healing that needs to happen and I hope for the best! If you like a gritty thriller that makes you squirm, this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I definitely wish I'd started the series from the beginning rather to come in at book #6.

Woman in the Water is the 6th in the Imogen Grey detective series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books, 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.

  

Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DS Imogen Grey, and her partner DS Adrian Miles don’t always play be the rules, but they are both top-notch detectives.  They have learned to trust one another.  Their relationship is complicated.  Their boss, DCI Mira Kapoor is relatively new, but they have learned to trust her, but the jury is still out on DI Matt Walsh.



My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Adrian saves a woman who was half submerged in the icy river, but she is uncooperative, stating she doesn't know her name or know how she ended up in the water.  Her body shows signs of abuse, and she seems terrified.   The body of a dead man is found further down the river.

By identifying the man, they hope to identify the woman....who disappears from the hospital.  When they find the man's old boss, they discover that his wife is their missing woman.  They are sure that her husband is abusing her, but the woman still refuses to co-operate.  It is starting to look like the husband is a bully, in both his work and home life, and thinks he is above the law.

Adrian is having problems with this case.  All he wants to do is save this woman from any more harm.  Reminiscent of his own home, where his mother was the abused woman, this case quickly becomes personal, and Adrian starts taunting the husband, just as he had taunted his father in hopes that his mother would be spared.  This does not go exactly as planned.

Meanwhile, Adrian and Imogen have taken their relationship to the next level, but it is still secret.  However, this case may put an end to many things.  Secrets are never good.

 

My Opinions:  

First,  read these books in order, as the background of the characters is important.

Second, I think this is one of the police procedural series out there.  I love the writing, and the author's descriptions are graphic and leave little to the imagination.  I love the characters, who are gritty, and very "real".  I still don't like relationships between co-workers.  However, the author makes this work.

As I've noted before, the author has no problem dealing with difficult topics, but WOW.  She really stunned me in this one, she has made a gutsy move.  We went from spousal abuse, to bullying, to rape.  It's a somewhat dark tale.  Without giving anything away, to say that the twists surprised me is an understatement.  To say it made the book even more interesting, well, that goes without saying.  It was an emotional read.

I cannot wait to see where Katerina Diamond takes us next.

So far I have read all of the DS Imogen Grey series so was extremely excited to receive an ARC of this! As well as enjoying the investigations in each book I also enjoy the development of Imogen’s private life and after the ending of the previous book Truth or Die I was really looking forward to see what developed!
The plot gets going immediately with a woman being found in the water by Imogen’s partner Adrian. From there on out the plot of this novel thickens and thickens. You’re constantly wondering ‘why is everyone afraid?!’
Around half way through the book it takes a turn and if you have read all of this series you will really feel for the individual character.
The ending of this book shocked me to my core and I did not see that coming at all!
I already can’t wait for the next instalment!!

Detectives Miles and Grey #6

A young woman is found half submerged and badly beaten in an icy river. Shes still alive. She claims she has no memory of whom she is or what happened to her. But then a body is found close to where she was found. The difference in this case is that the police k ow who committed the crimes, they just can't prove it. No o e will speak out. They're too afraid.

This is a very dark and at times a disturbing read. The book covers domestic abuse, wape and violence so it wo t suit everybody. It's a difficult story to read in places. The story is full of twist and turns. There's not a lot more I can say about this book as I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. Katerina Diamond has truly did justice to the taboo subject matter. The final reveal shocked the socks off me. I do recommend this book but it's not for the faint hearted. Even if you are a fan.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Katerina Diamond for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another gripping crime thriller from Katrina Diamond, I was hooked from page one. Some uncomfortable events which add to the tension and kept me on the edge of my seat to the last page. I highly recommend it.

Let me get the criticism bit out of the way first.  For my tastes, the conversations between the various characters could have benefited from the addition of contractions, and sometimes it wasn't always clear who was saying what.  These things occasionally interrupted the flow of the story - but not my enjoyment of it.

When people use words like "gripping", I worry that a story won't live up to the hype.  This one did.  Gripping, unflinching, engrossing, edge of your seat storytelling.

The bad guy?  Not a secret.  But the route to the unveiling is an in your face, violent  and provocative read.   A book which may leave a lasting impression.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

I really need to pay more attention to when books are part of a series! Luckily, this book works as a standalone, but because I was missing some character backstory, I struggled to get into the romance plot-line - it was a little distracting from the main plot. BUT now that I know there are earlier books in the series, I do want to go read those and once I've been with the main characters from the start, I won't have the same struggles. Overall, this is an excellent thriller and the rating is due almost entirely to reader-error.

This book lacked the sophistication I was hoping for. Instead, it was an overly simplified read with lots of repetition and stilted dialogue.

Adrian seemed way too bothered by the case to feel believable as a detective. And Imogen apparently hasn’t ever read up on real-life cases since she chides Adrian by claiming no one actually kills someone to send a message to another person. Try telling that to Tyshawn Lee’s family. His real-life Chicago murder case discovered that he was, in fact, murdered to send a message to his father.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC.

Another stellar read from Kat Diamond!!
I literally read this book in one sitting for the first time in months, a totally gripping, unputdownable read!

*thank you to Netgalley, Katerina Diamond and Avon Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*


4 stars

Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence and rape


Woman In The Water was an intriguing read. I really enjoyed Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey. I felt an almost instant connection with this and it felt easy and light to do so. I could easily read this whole series about them. They are one of the more interesting duos in books such as these, that I've read in a while. You never really know which way the story will turn next. It keeps you on your toes and the ending felt satisfactory. I would definitely read more books written by this author, Katerina Diamond.

I really enjoy the twists and turns in this series, the characters are multilayered and interesting. This was a little too heavily tilted towards the relationship between the leads, rather than the crimes but still a good read.

At first I wasn't keen on the narrative from the victim's point of view as I thought it detracted from the tension, but, as the story progressed I realised how important it was. Hard hitting police procedural that is unafraid to tackle the problem of male rape. Great lead characters and such a twist at the end. Very, very clever.

I love this! Fast paced, twisting psychological thriller that doesn't hold back from exploring the darker side of the human psyche. This book continues the series featuring detectives Imogen Grey & Adrian Miles and follows their investigation into the woman found in the water. While it is part of the series, it can be read as a standalone novel.

NB: This book comes with a trigger warning, particularly for survivors of domestic abuse and male sexual assault. While it does go into detail about the attack, the aftermath is sensitively handled, believable and very well written.

5 solid stars. This book was one I found to be very riveting and hard to put down. Diamond did an amazing job at making sure that she used all the right mystery/thriller tools, which are sure to hook those who love that genre. Well written, fast paced, characters developed amazingly, and unputdownable!
Will make sure I buzz it up!