A wonderful kickoff to my summer reading, High Season is a story about family, secrets, and loyalty. This story transported me to the French Riviera and did a wonderful job at immersing the reader in the European high season. While I found the alternating timelines and the number of characters confusing at times, I very much enjoyed this story and I know that other others will as well. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy for review consideration.

I thought this book was great, but it was really slow. Once I got over the hump at the beginning, I was hooked on the characters and plot!

I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. The best parts of it were the characters and the setting (which was basically a character). And the mystery was great, too!

I really loved the setting of the South of France - the heat, the ocean, the fancy houses, the cafes/excursions. Ms. Bishop clearly knows the area! And then another aspect of the setting, which is hugely important to the plot, is the haves vs. have nots/ rich vs. poor. Josie & Hannah's friendship was completely believable, as was their teenage behavior and heartbreaking wanting to belong.

I enjoyed the multiple POVs and multiple timelines. I would have liked a little more detail about Tamara's life and also Josie's life after prison. I think both of those could have been included while shortening some of the other chapters.

The outcome was pretty surprising, and I think it was revealed at the right time/ after a proper amount of build up.

I would definitely read more by this author.

4.5/5

This was so good! I loved the way this was told, with all the different perspectives and the dual timelines. I was so invested in every character that I hardly had time to try to drum up my own theory. I couldn’t put this down, and I will absolutely be reading more from Bishop!

Well Katie Bishop does it again. I loved everything about this book. The characters were beautifully written and made it so easy to slip into the story. Deliciously dark and gritty. Don’t let this one pass you by. Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley, Katie Bishop and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this book early!

This book has all of the makings of a great summer mystery: rich people behaving badly in the French Riviera, a murder case from 20 years ago that might not be what it seems, and alternating timelines between the past and present. To be fair to this book, I did stay up late to finish it and find out what happened!

Unfortunately, the overall execution fell a little flat for me. There are a lot of POVs within the alternating timelines and lots of characters randomly introduced but not fully fleshed out. I think the author was trying to tackle too much (family dynamics, toxic relationships, female friendship, child psychology, some romance, reflections on class and wealth, true crime TikTok, etc) so there wasn’t space or time to really dive into all of those topics.

Setting-wise, it’s a good summer read, but I did find the pacing to be a bit slow in the first half, and I wanted more tension to draw me into the intrigue. Ultimately, I think I’m more critical of thrillers/mysteries as a reader now, and I wanted it to focus in on a few storylines more deeply, rather than trying to do so much.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for providing the copy of High Season by Katie Bishop. I was engrossed with the question of whether or not a six-year-old is competent to testify in a murder trial. Twenty years later, she has only hazy memories of what she saw, but then finds out that a true crime documentary about the case is being made. The characters were well-drawn, both past and present. The past chapters made the teenagers come alive in a realistic way. Early on, it was obvious to me who the culprit was, but I knew who it was, not why they did it, so that was a surprise! I was entranced by the characters' stories and the gorgeous writing. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you Netgalley and the author/publisher for a copy of this book. This was a little boring for me but I normally tend to go for YA instead. I feel like people that like this genre will still enjoy.

Twenty years ago, Tamara Drayton is found dead in her family's Cote d'Azur swimming pool with her 5yo sister Nina the only witness. Her testimony puts babysitter Josie in prison, but now, on the 20th anniversary of Tamara's death, as a sensational true crime podcast and documentary investigate what really happened, Nina doubts her own memory. As Josie is released from prison and attempts to reclaim her life, the women's paths intersect once again, both hoping to get to the bottom of what really happened all those years ago.

The shifting POV and dual timelines make for a compelling read, and while, for me, the answer to the Tamara's mystery isn't quite unexpected, the deep character work, and thorough examinations of guilt, forgiveness and familial expectations, give the novel a great emotional weight that I really enjoyed.

High Season was okay. I didn't feel like there was anything pulling me in. I think I wanted more drama... pull me into the riches and the high life. Give me more details. All the characters fell flat and I kept getting Hannah, Josie and Nina confused. There were a lot of elements happening but no intense detail to make it suspenseful. I don't think we needed the interview process or the background from the "true crime" fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. This was a fun character driven suspense. I’d love to see it as a movie, and I also think the audiobook will be great!

this was so intriguing and suspenseful. I loved how my name was in it too. I loved seeing what would happen

Excellent read! The characters were well developed, the story was engaging and well-paced, and the writing was fantastic. Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this advanced copy!

I’ll admit that I’m not a big mystery girl, but if they are all like this I could definitely get on board. The book alternates timelines between 2004 and present day. We also get short tidbits from a popular TikToker spreading light on the case. The variety really lets you understand the characters, setting, and relationships between it all.
I had so many theories while reading. Everyone was a suspect at some point in time which made it better as I couldn’t predict the ending right away. I enjoyed learning about all the characters and how each had their own unique personality. It kept me so intrigued and I can’t stop thinking about this book since I finished it.
Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free arc in exchange for a honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review on my Goodreads page. It comes out August 12, 2025.

Twenty years ago, five-year-old Nora was the sole witness to the death of her older sister. The sole witness who put away a supposed killer. Now, two decades later, a true-crime documentary dredges up the past—and begins to unravel everything Nora thought she remembered.

This novel delivers a compelling mystery built on a strong premise. The dual timeline, alternating between past and present, adds depth and tension, making for a well-paced and immersive read. While the final twist may feel somewhat predictable, what truly elevates the book is its nuanced, multi-dimensional characters. Their complexity gives emotional weight to the plot and keeps the reader invested until the end.

A solid whodunit that’s definitely worth a read—especially for fans of character-driven thrillers. 3.5 stars.

Overall I enjoyed the book, 3.5 stars.
I liked the inclusion of the social media influencer to bring the case back to the public interest - very current.
I had a feeling early on that the twin was involved but not how his character development would happen.
Overall a good read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All
Opinions are my own.

This was good! I enjoyed it. I read a lot of romance, but I always love new to me authors and this was one. I enjoyed the writing style and think this was super good! Definitely intrigued to read more.

When Tamara Drayton is found dead in her family's swimming pool her sister is the only witness, making Nina the youngest person in France to testify in a murder trial at just 6 years old. Her testimony put her babysitter Josie in prison, but twenty years later Nina doubts her own memory. When Josie is released from prison and a true crime documentary of Tamara's case is announced, Nina begins to wonder if now is the time to set things straight, admit she is unsure of her memories, and find out what really happened to Tamara.

There are multiple POVs in this book which can get confusing at the beginning, but once you know how each character is connected it becomes much easier to follow. There were twists but the ending made sense. I love mysteries where the author drops clues throughout and the reader can solve the case alongside the characters, and this definitely gave me that. This was exciting and emotional at the same time.

Trigger warnings include SA, mental health issues, and obviously murder, so keep that in mind before picking this book up.

This was the definition of slooowwww burn. The beginning is full of character development, the death of a young girl, and all the logistics. At 30% I was shocked it was taking me so long to read, but in hindsight it was a very good book after about 55%. I wouldn’t recommend this to the girl down the street, but I would give it to someone who enjoys reading.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 12, 2025
I loved Katie Bishop’s red-hot escapist, vacation getaway novel, “The Girls of Summer” and, just in time for summer 2025, her new novel, “High Season” delivers another glorious summertime scandal among the rich and (in)famous.
In 2005, the rich and powerful Drayton family were spending their summer at their palatial estate in the South of France. Tamara, her twin brother Blake, their young sister Nina along with their mother, the ubiquitous Evelyn and her fourth husband, Harrison. That summer was also the summer that Tamara Drayton drowned in the family’s pool. Five-year-old Nina was the only witness, and she stated that Tamara had been pushed into the pool by her babysitter, local townie Josie Jackson. Twenty years later, Josie is out of prison and Nina is still haunted by the memories of that day. When a local true crime podcaster reaches out, wanting to bring their story into the limelight once again, Tamara and Nina come face-to-face with their memories of what happened, or didn’t happen, that summer.
“High Season” is a multiple-viewpoint, dual-timeline novel, with each chapter rotating between Nina, Tamara, Josie and Hannah (Josie’s best friend from that time), both in the current year and twenty years ago, when the accident happened. Although it seems like a complicated format to keep track of, Bishop easily flows from one protagonist to the other, keeping the plot moving seamlessly from one suspenseful twist to another.
Bishop’s writing is delectable, and I love how she chooses exotic locations for her novels. From Greece (in “Girls”) to Cote d’Azur in France (in “Season”), I appreciated the sandy beaches, azure blue water and stick sweet temperatures that complimented the gripping plot.
The mystery in “Season” focuses on the death of Tamara Drayton. Was it an accident? Was Nina’s memory, at five years old, accurate enough to still be believed twenty years later, even when she doubts it herself? Throughout the entirety, I was devouring the novel for clues, determined to figure out what happened to the lonely, seventeen-year-old outcast and although I had my speculations, I was unable to predict what really happened. Bishop crafted an ending where everything came together and revenge was served.
I look forward to seeing where Bishop takes readers next (geographically as well), but one thing is for sure, I will no doubt be reading her next novel and I have no doubt I will love it as much as I have her previous two.