The story focuses on the Drayton family.. As a child, Nina found her sister Tamara floating in the pool at their summer home. Now, because of a documentary, what happened that day has come into question, The book jumps between the events leading up to Tamara’s death and the present. I enjoyed seeing the perspective of Josie, who was accused of the murder. Overall this was a well done book that kept me turning the pages.

Read if you like:
- A past and present timeline
- A true crime element
- Child psychology
- A South of France setting

At age 5, Nina Drayton witnessed her older sister’s drowning and then gave evidence that convicted her babysitter of murder. Twenty years later, Nina has doubts about her memories of the event and sets out to find the truth about what happened.

This was a fun and intriguing story! I was drawn to it for the element of a child giving witness testimony and the psychology of memories of trauma. I liked how the story played out and was satisfied by the ending. I recommend to those who enjoy thrillers in a fun setting with a true crime element!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC ebook! High Season releases on August 12!

Thank you so much for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review! WOW this book was such a page turner! Completely bingable and such a good storyline. This one is a must read for the summer

Thank you to Netgalley, Katie Bishop, and MacMillan publishing for this e-ARC.

This story follows best friends, Josie and Hannah, and the rich family, The Draytons, they work for during high season on the Cote d'Azure. The Drayton family includes, twins, Tamara and Blake, their younger half sister Nina, and their once famous mother, Evelyn.

Tamara is murdered at one of Evelyn's wild birthday parties, and Nina, only 5 years old, claims to have seen Josie push her sister under the water. Nina is one of the youngest people ever to testify in court and her testimony sends Josie to prison for 10 years. But is Josie really guilty?

We find the answers through true crime podcaster, Imogen Faye, and the documentary a film crew wants to do about her podcast, and the Drayton family tragedy. Will they clear Josie's name and find another killer? Read this book to find out.

High Season follows Nina, who at 5 years old testified that a family friend killed her sister, and the search to find the truth 20 years later. This book is separated in multiple parts with two timelines and multiple POVs. I enjoyed the podcast chapters throughout the book.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of and the timelines were confusing at times. I felt like the second half of the book dragged a bit too. That being said, this book was really well done and the characters felt believable. I didn’t know where the story was going and the end was satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

High Season by Katie Bishop is set in the Cote de Azur, Southern France. Timeline alternates between 2004 and 2024 with multiple points of view throughout.
The Draytons are a wealthy English family with a summer home in France- twin teenagers Tamara and Blake, younger sibling Nina and mother Evelyn, who has too many ex-husbands to keep track of. In 2004, teenager Tamara Drayton is found dead in the pool. Josie Jackson , a local teen was tried and found guilty of her murder. Little Nina Drayton who was 6 years old at the time, was the only one who could testify to seeing it happen. She was the star witness.
Fast forward twenty years and Josie is out of prison, trying to resume a normal life and failing miserably as her name has too much notoriety. Nina is all grown up, about to embark on a career in child psychology, which is an interesting choice considering she has struggled with depression and anxiety since the trial.
Now, a true crime podcaster has picked up the story of Tamara’s death and is bringing up all the uncertainties and questions that went unanswered twenty years ago. This brings Josie and Nina back to France and brings up a whole lot of past that eventually leads to the truth.
This was a fun, fast paced read, and if you enjoy true crime podcasts, this will give you that little something extra. I could say it could have gone even a little heavier on the podcast parts, but I am a fan of them. I loved the setting and isn’t it always a guilty pleasure to read about horrible rich people?
Story was pretty intense and the whole way through I was really looking forward to finding out what really happened. Ending was the only letdown of the whole book because it wasn’t as much of a surprise as I thought it would be, but still an enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my ARC.

Nina Dayton sent a murderer to jail when she was only 5 years old. She’s the youngest person to ever testify in a murder trial in France after she witnesses her babysitter kill her older sister Tamara.

Or did she? Now 20 years later, Nina doesn’t remember what happened and is no longer sure what she saw back then. When a podcaster/documentarian contacts her to discuss the case she begins to look back. What really happened back then? Was her five year old memory trustworthy, or did the wrong person go to jail?

Told from the perspectives of several different characters, High Season dives into the world of crime podcasts, secret lives of the wealthy, and brings into question the reliability of memory.

I rate this book 4 stars. I found it engrossing and fast paced. I kept turning pages late into the night.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for making this book available in exchange for my honest review.

10 out of 10, must recommend! This story unfolds in four interconnected parts, weaving together a nonlinear timeline through the perspectives of multiple characters. Bishop expertly delivers pieces of this murder mystery in tiny doses that keep the reader yearning for more. I usually don't enjoy reading about characters from high society, but Bishop does a remarkable job making them both relatable and detestable at the same time. The author successfully humanizes the people who work for society’s elite, while also exposing the dehumanization these workers experience at the hands of their employers.

Plus, it's just a good story.

I will say, the real killer is a bit cliche and I figured it out far too early in the book. However, it was definitely worth the ride.

While a murder mystery, this reads a little more like a women’s fiction or coming of age. It’s more methodical, more about the characters, but I didn’t feel it was too slow or drawn out. All in all I really enjoyed it.

The multiple perspectives of the characters, as well as the dual timeline, gave a really well done picture of the life of teenagers growing up with class/wealth gaps, fighting to figure out who they are and who they are to others. Then as adults, how all that plus irrevocable mistakes change who you are, and you’re given the choice to question, fight, or do the right thing when offered. Well portrayed and interesting progression into the whodunit of the murder.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Intriguing plot with some really complicated characters. I really enjoyed the quick pacing of the story and the way in which everything unfolded. Loved the switching timelines from past to present. Great and satisfying ending! Would like to read more from this author!

A slow burn that keeps getting hotter. You will get pulled in and think you know what happens but then you won't.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Twenty years ago Tamara Drayton was found in the family pool on the night of her mother's high class birthday party which was held at the Côte d'Azur in France. After everyone was questioned, it was Tamara's 5 year old sister who actually testified that she saw her babysitter, Josie fighting with Tamara in the pool. As a result of this testimony Josie is sent to prison for the murder of Tamara.. Now 20 years later Josie is back and a pod caster wants to investigate this case to see if Josie was in fact innocent. Katie Bishop did a great job of telling this story in dual timelines jumping between 2004 the days leading up to Tamara's tragic death and 2024 investigating the case further to see what really happened that night so many years ago. Enjoy!!!

Summer. Saltwater. Sun. Nouveau riche. Faded terracotta. Youth. Friendship. And a murder.

Overall I loved this book, such a great summer mystery set on the coast of France and spanning 20 years. The story was a bit of a slow burn, but stick with it, the ending is great and I blew through the last 150 pages so quickly. The scenery is gorgeous, and I felt like this book was well written and plotted. This was my first read by this author and I will be checking out others!

Thanks again to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel!

High Season by Katie Bishop is a compelling novel that explores relationships, personal growth, and the transformative power of summer. Hannah, dealing with the end of a long-term relationship, spends the summer in a coastal town seeking solace and clarity. Bishop's rich writing captures the beauty of the setting and the intricacies of Hannah's emotions. The story delves into themes of change, resilience, and embracing new experiences. With well-developed characters and an immersive coastal setting, It is a thoughtful and engaging read about renewal and self-discovery.

Tamara a 17 year old is found dead in the swimming pool at her mother's party. Her 5-year-old sister Nina said it was the babysitter Josie, who did it. fast forward 20 years later and Nina is questioning her memories

This book is ADDICTIVE! The characters (Josie in particular) are beautifully realized, and the story is so multi-layered, it definitely keeps you engaged the whole way through.

The only reason that this wasn’t 5 stars for me was that I feel like the POV for Nina (who’s the character you start with) feels like it gets a little lost/not as fleshed out as the others. Otherwise, I highly recommend grabbing this for a very fun and suspenseful summer read in August!

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7321025663?book_show_action=false

BookTok review: https://www.tiktok.com/@lucy_readss/photo/7471394060108844331

Bookstagram review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGEXX8rPPpL/

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I felt the first half was slow but the second half was fast paced. I had a feeling that I knew what happened early on, but along the way I questioned my original thought and it did keep me guessing. The characters were well developed, the plot was suspenseful.

Wow! My first novel by this author and I was impressed. If you’re fans of Charlie Donlea, you’ll love this one. The characters were so well developed and I loved the setting of the story. I was captivated with this story. You are so back and forth wondering who the good guys/bad guys are!

This was really good. It’s about a murder that happened 20 years prior. Tamara, at the age of 17 was murdered in her own pool on the night of her mother’s birthday party. She had a twin brother Blake and a much younger sister Nina who was 5 at the time. Nina apparently witnessed the murder blaming Josie (she was also 17 and looked after Nina). Jump ahead 20 years and Nina is struggling with her witness account. A crime podcaster is digging into the murder. It’s a really good story. Kept me turning pages late into the night. I definitely recommend this one!

ARC Review: From NetGalley:
Release Date: 8-12-25
Author: Katie Bishop

This was my first ARC review and let’s just say that I was super geeked that I was given the opportunity. High Season is a who done it murder mystery. The plot is great, and I love the twist at the end. However, I felt like there was a lot of over-describing in the beginning and a lot of over-explaining in the middle. I felt the story dragged in places, and some parts were unnecessary. There is also a lot of jumping around between different POVs and times, but it is not too difficult to keep up with. Overall, I liked it but didn’t love it. I’m giving it three and a half stars!