This book gripped me from the start and I was so fascinated by the story, I finished the book in two readings. The story is about a teenage girl going missing. It reminded a young mother of a similar situation from her youth, of when another teenage girl from her hometown disappeared. She was never found. She wanted to try to help and find her.

Usually Jasmine and her family went on holiday during the summer, with some charity and helping out in a foreign country. This year, they had just moved house, her dad had his hip operation so was unable to fly so she was home for summer plus her parents had rented out the summer house in the garden to someone they knew but she wasn’t keen on. Better yet, she got to spend time with her friends. The summer was hot, there wasn’t much to do in Sidmouth but the fair was there. Tim saved Jasmine from Mr Morrell, her ex teacher, after she left the fairground. That night is when the teenage girl disappeared. It was awful, as we knew Hannah Torrence.

Sixteen years later, Felicity is shocked when she hears on the news that a second girl, Mandy Green has gone missing from her hometown. She decides that she has to return to see if she can save her as she thought she had already dealt with the problem once. She can’t tell her husband why as she hasn’t told him the truth about her past from the start. Can she face her demons though? It’s another hot summer and she finds that not much has changed in Sidmouth. She tries to plan how she can get information on the last sightings of Mandy Green and through speaking to various people, she finds Liz Green, Mandy’s mum. Mr Morrell’s old fiancee! This is a link back to Hannah Torrence, back to her and her past, just as she thought! As she wanders round the town, she sees the old brown car, is it the same car?

Then the news comes in, they are digging in the woods, a body has been found….

This book is like being on a rollercoaster ride with a lot of cliffhangers as you go through it later on! The book is written as a ‘now’ and ‘then’ style but it works really well and Katerina uses it to her advantage.

The book is set in 2 time periods - from Jasmine's point of view - where her and Felicity were teenage friends - and then 16 years later from Felicity's point of view in the present day.  Back in the day a girl went missing - and the same thing has happened again - and Felicity believes she is the only one who can solve this crime, and so leaves her husband and kids in the Lake District and heads back to her hometown in Devon.

Now there are some MASSIVE twists and turns.  I have to say I guessed a few of them very early on.  I felt quite smug and 'I'm just so bloody clever' - which I wasn't disappointed in - however when I read other NetGalley reviews, others said the same - so maybe I wasn't as smart as I thought!! However, even guessing these twists, it didn't ruin the book for me - and there were plenty of other twists I didn't get so I was still keen to keep reading. and find out what had happened then and now.

I found present day Felicity quite annoying, and it seemed ridiculous that she wouldn't share with anyone what was going on - although as the story progressed you kind of realised why.  I felt quite nervous with her back in her old stomping ground - and sad that she didn't appear to have any support from family or friends at all.

Back 16 years ago Jasmine and Felicity were both quite annoying - but they were 16 years olds so just perfectly written I suspect!  Their relationships with Tim 'the stranger' were complex and teenage and cleverly written - the teenage angst levels were high. 

Overall I really enjoyed the twisty, turny story - and devoured it really quickly - and was suitably shocked by the time I got to the end. 

I'm not sure 'The Heatwave' was really a vital component of the storyline - especially in the present day stuff - not that that detracted, but it's the second book I've read recently where the title wasn't really that relevant. 

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my advance review copy - it's out on 25 June 2020 so just a few hours to wait!

“The Heatwave” is written by the very popular author Katerina Diamond and is a stand-alone thriller set within a dual timeline. Although most recent reviewers of this book praise it highly, I’m afraid I must be the loner on this one, as for me it just didn’t work.
“One summer. One stranger. One killer…Two bad things happened that summer: A stranger arrived. And the first girl disappeared”
Basically that is it. ‘Flick’ returns to her hometown after sixteen years when she discovers a second girl has gone missing. The ‘now’ part of the story involving Flick returning home was a non starter for me and it was literally the last ten per cent of the book that we are privy to why she had to return home. She’s flawed, cliched and totally unrealistic and a character I just couldn’t relate to at all. I did however enjoy the ‘then’ story and was interested in what happened all those years ago but the denouement and revelation of the killer for me was just too far fetched and utterly implausible.
A few inconsistencies for me including a brown car and the sound it made that Flick recognised after sixteen years, spoilt it for me. I’m sure readers who love slow burn stories with flawed characters will like “The Heatwave” and although I would read more by this author again I can’t give this book more than 2.5 stars.

2.5 stars

The Heatwave by Katerina Diamond is a psychological thriller.

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.


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

Felicity was 16 when she fled the small town of Sidmouth in Devon.  She has since married and has two children.

Now, 16 years later, another girl has gone missing from Sidmouth, and Felicity knows she must return to face what happened so long ago.  She is the only one who knows the truth, and she is the only one that has a shot at finding the missing girl.

But Felicity also knows that this could ruin her marriage, but she can't run any more.




My Opinions:   

I love Katerina Diamond's police procedural serial starring Imogen Grey, so I couldn't wait to read this stand-alone novel by a favorite author.

However, this was "almost" a bust for me.  First, my lack of compassion for Felicity - who leaves her husband and children with little warning, and no information, and then seems to be on an alcoholic binge, had me highly annoyed.  Then, the horrendously slow pace had me wanting to put it away forever.  It's a good thing I'm a tenacious reader who never gives up on a book (not yet anyway).  When the book finally took a turn, I was spinning with it.  The twists were extreme. One identity twist I saw coming early on, but there were a couple that really surprised me.  The book went from a blah, blah, blah, to OMG, OMG, OMG.

The story alternated between the two time-lines, the teenage years being told by Felicity's best-friend Jasmine, and the current time-line told by Felicity.  I think the author nailed the early relationship between the teenagers, although I think Jasmine's ability to understand and forgive Felicity's behaviour was a little too mature.  I think at that age if my best friend hit on some guy I was interested in, or blatantly made sure I was made to look foolish in certain circumstances, there would have been more repercussions.  However, that is a minor criticism that I can live with.

The real reason that this is not a 5 star book is that it took entirely too long to get interesting!

A fantastic twisty thriller. With Heatwave you think you know what's happening, you've predicted the plot twist, you've seen it coming...you don't stand a chance. Katerina Diamond has produced an intricately woven story and so well written, it flies along at pace making it hard to put down. I was busy congratulating myself on guessing one of the major twists🕵️‍♀️, totally missing all the others 🙈

A perfect summer thriller set by the sea. This is published tomorrow (25/06/2020) thanks @netgalley for this ARC.

#SurviveTheHeatwave #NetGalley #gifted #booklover #bookaddict #books #bookcommunity #bookworm #bookstagram #lovereading #readingchallenge #bookrecommendations #bookreview #booklife #bookblogger #booksofinstagram #ilovetoread

Oh la la, what a gripping thriller! This is definitely a page turner, fantastic British mystery set on the south coast of England.

Felicity is compelled to return to her hometown after hearing about the disappearance of a young girl on the news, Without much explanation, she leaves her family very suddenly to drive back to the seaside town. She feels and thinks that she can help somehow. The story is then told in a duel narrative between Felicity in the present (now) and Jasmine in the past (then). it is all linked with the disappearance or a girl then and now. A great thriller navigating between missing girls, lies, a stranger, desire and friendship. The denouement is fantastic and I did not see it coming!

Overall this is a great summer read, it got me tense and even got my hair to stand on the back of my neck with apprehension and excitement.

However I have to say that the excessive self pitying and reference to a Secret Big Dark Past, the repetitive thoughts and feeling towards Tim for example, I find very annoying. Also in the last section, you find out about some tragic incidents that happened in the past but never been questioned by the “apparently” small town, is a bit unrealistic.

I do recommend this book as it is very captivating and the twists are great. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a good psychological thriller! Loved the intensity of this book, and I thought the pacing was perfect. It was a great pick to read in the sunshine, and would definitely be a good beach read when holidays are allowed again! Loved the character development too, there was a real connection there and I found it hard to put the book down. Will definitely recommend this. Thank you so much for the review copy.

I had been looking forward to this book from the synopsis and I was not disappointed.
Although it was quite slow to start with I found the writing gripping and it soon had me hooked, I couldn't wait to get back to reading it.
The main character started off as quite bland and one dimensional to me but as I read on I saw this was deliberate, to slowly reveal more facets of her past and her character. The writing wove a creepy, menacing and chilling web that drew me in, I had an uneasy sense nothing was as it seemed. No spoilers but I did not see the climax of the book coming, and even at the very end another twist you could miss if you you aren't paying full attention.
A well written, atmospheric thriller with great conclusion, I enjoyed it and will seek out more of this authors books.
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and Katerina Diamond for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review.

First of all, huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher @avonbooks and the author @katerinadiamondauthor for an ARC of this book ahead of its publication on June 25th. After having read 'Woman in the Water' by Diamond as my first book of 2020, I was really looking forward to immersing myself in a new mystery. Diamond writes beautifully - her characters and settings are always so tangible. The main character is somewhat of an enigma and as the book draws to its conclusion it is very clear why Felicity is so mysterious. She returns home to Devon from her new home in the Lake District after sixteen years to solve the mystery of missing local teenager girl, Mandy Green. Questions are asked as to why the adult Felicity has packed her bags and left her husband and children. The story cleverly switches between Then and Now, with narratives being told by the teenage Felicity exploring alcohol and sexual awakenings and the adult Felicity who is desperate to face the harsh reality of her past. There is an intriguing cast of characters from Felicity's friend Jasmine with her strange parents and their new lodger Tim to the odd teacher, desperate for the attention of his teenage student. 'The Heatwave' is a scorcher or a read and I totally recommend.

When I heard Katerina Diamond had written a stand-alone I was keen to read it to see another element to her writing. I love the authors writing style and found this stand-alone to be very well written and tense throughout and as good as her series.

Full of suspicion and a great storyline which I found creepy at times, I liked the duel narrative which was well interwoven through the storyline.

I loved the characters. I connected to the past characters well and recognised many references to my childhood. I loved this and the fact I’d guessed a couple of elements this made the story tense as secrets were unveiled.

Fantastic book and would love to read another of this authors stand-alone novels.

Many Thanks to Net Galley, Avon Books UK and the author for a chance to review this book.

Kindly do yourself a favor guys, go blind into this one.

You believe you know where the story is going,

You think you know the twists

You feel this is the reveal

BUT NO, NOPE and definitely NOT!!!

A handsome and sinister lodger, two BFF’s Jasmine and Felicity, one whose home is a disaster and another whose life is as charmed as can be, a killer who waits 15 years, the story moves at a shocking pace that keeps the reader glued to its pages.

Addictive and riveting, The Heatwave by Katerina Diamond is a must-read thriller for this summer and I can’t recommend it enough!

Felicity left home sixteen years ago. She lives in the Lake District with her husband and two daughters. She has tried to forget the events that happened, but she can't. Her life had been turned upside down when a stranger moved into her home town and a girl disappeared. But now another young girl has disappeared. Felicity knows she must return to Devon and face the past.

The story jumps back and forth in time. The pace is steady with many twist and turns. Felicity feels she can solve the mystery behind the young girls disappearance. The story is told in the past by Jasmine and Felicity in the present day. I was quickly caught up in the story. I needed to know if there was a connection between the two girls who had disappeared. Thisnis a new standalone from Katerina Diamond and it does not disappoint. A dark, gripping and page turning read.

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

The Heatwave by Katrina Diamond
I enjoyed this book, it is the story of two friends told in a then and now format, the story starts to unravel with each chapter.
A girl has gone missing and this brings back a lot of memories from the past for Felicity, and she must go back to see if she can lay some ghosts to rest.
I enjoyed the storyline and format of the book, and have previously enjoyed other books by this author.
This book is a great summer read.

I found this book very intense throughout as I tried to work out just who the murderer could be and if it was related to the incident in Flicks past. I could not have ever guessed the reveal. Quite a disturbing read but definitely worth it.

To be honest, I have some rather mixed feelings about this book. Told in "then" and "now" sections, the seaside town of Sidmouth provides the backdrop for both. In the now, a wife and mother abruptly returns to her childhood hometown when she learns that a young woman is missing. The past sections go back to the summer about sixteen years earlier, when a different young woman went missing. The pacing for both sections is quick - especially since it seems that the narrator in the present has some big secrets with roots in what really took place that summer in the past.

While the plot is definitely interesting and holds attention, the writing itself just feels a bit clunky. Large sections of the dialogue feel totally unnatural. And the characters are not deeply developed at all. Combined with the stiff dialogue, it almost feels like reading the advanced script for a Barbie storyline acted out with the dolls. And while the plot certainly does include some surprises, the characters feel too unrealistic so it really detracts from those plot twists. The book has its moments, but I just wish that its execution had been a bit stronger...

Wow this book was great, I read it in one four hour sitting!

Set in Sidmouth Devon a teenage girl goes missing and it draws Flick back home as it happened before and she thinks she can help.

The book alternates between current day and 16 years ago, the last time Flick was there. What happened all those years ago and why does Flick think its related to what has happened now?

The story is fast paced and there were reveals along the way, some that I had guessed and some that I didn’t. There was only one thing that I’m left wondering about!

Felicity's life is suddenly disturbed when she sees a TV news bulletin about a missing girl from the place she grew up. The similarity to what happened 16 years ago is such that Felicity feels compelled to return to find out what happened. From this point the narrative alternates between past and present. The real mystery is why she is so bothered about something that happened so long ago unless she knows something that wasn't revealed at the time. No trace was ever found of the missing girl.
There is a big shift half way through when something becomes clear and from then on the tension mounts until the final showdown.
Katerina Diamond certainly knows how to keep you hooked. This standalone is just as good as her Imogen Grey series. Highly recommended.

As a Katerina Diamond fan, I was excited to get the opportunity to read an ARC of The Heatwave and I was not disappointed.
This cleverly written novel about the then and now pulls you in wanting to know what happened that summer and why Felicity is desperate to put the past behind her.
On hearing the news a young girl has gone missing from her home town, Felicity drops everything and goes back to the town she left behind 16 years ago. Whilst there she battles the demons and actions that took place during that hot summer and confronts what she has kept hidden all this time.
A real page turner with twists and turns. Definitely worth reading. Another great from Katerina Diamond.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC and honest review.

"The Heatwave" is intriguing and fast-paced. Short chapters help to make it a compulsive read. The story unfolds across dual timelines, twisting the reader in knots throughout. Read in one sitting and loved it.

I admit that I was curious about The Heatwave as soon as I first read the blurb, and after reading the first positive reviews I couldn't resist requesting a copy. I still think that both the blurb and the premise of this story are rock solid, and The Heatwave is by no means a bad read... But somehow, even though I can't put my finger exactly on the why, the story didn't manage to convince me completely in the end. I'll try to explain below why.

First of all I have to stress that a 3 star rating by no means turns this psychological thriller into a bad read, but rather represents my personal reaction to The Heatwave. It might just be that it's time for me to take a little break from this kind of psychological thrillers, as I'm still not sure why I didn't enjoy the story as much as I thought I would. The elements are definitely there, with an interesting premise, lots of secrets, plenty of lies and a missing girl cold case from 16 years ago. The story uses a dual storyline structure, where it switches between the present and flashbacks to 16 years ago to slowly discover more about what happened that summer. The past and present are linked both through the main characters and the two different missing girl cases... And it was interesting to see the two storylines collide and develop over time.

That said, I did found part of the plot to be quite cliche or at least nothing new, and especially the flashback chapters were slowgoing and could get pretty frustrating. Likewise, I didn't like the present POV all that much either, as the main character was simply too frantic and mysterious about why she HAD to go back after 16 years away. I know the lack of explanation is used to try and add more suspense as well as increase the effects of the plot twists, but I failed to connect to the main character as a result and it made me enjoy the story less. I also thought that the final reveals were a bit over the top and they didn't really match the pace and intensity of the rest of the story. Sure, they were shocking and mostly unexpected, but I didn't really think it was a credible outcome to be honest...

I mentioned the main character and my lack of connection to her before, and this is basically what happened with every single character in play. I wasn't sure about their development either, mostly because with more than one there were cliches involved and I wondered about the credibility of their actions and reactions to events. The whole seducing/grooming a minor in the flashback chapters left me with a bad taste in my mouth and overall the characters didn't exactly make it easier to stay invested and properly enjoy The Heatwave.

In short, while I confess that still struggle to properly point out all of my issues, somehow I sadly wasn't all that impressed by The Heatwave despite the promising premise. It might just be me having read too many similar psychological thrillers and needing a break from the genre, but it is what it is I guess.