At 5 years old, Nina testified in her sister’s murder case, becoming the lynchpin for catching the culprit. 20 years later, self doubt rises to a crescendo - are her memories what they seem?

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First, I love the cover. It’s idyllic but the color saturation gives an air of unease.

I loved the third person POV. Gives the underlying feeling that Nina (as well as every other character) is an unreliable narrator. We’re hearing her thoughts but it feels filtered, mirroring how she feels about her memories of her sisters’ death.

Intriguing plot and I’m a sucker for multiple POVs and timeline shifts. The book felt well paced.

Definitely a hit for fans of contemporary “true crime fiction”

3.5 stars

This is my first book by Katie Bishop. I had already had the book on my tbr list for 2025 thanks to a recommendation from one of my favorite #bookstagram accounts. When I logged into Netgalley and saw it, I jumped at the chance to read it early as an ARC (advanced reader copy).

The story follows a dual timeline - a summer in 2004 and a summer in 2024 - examining the lead-up to a murder, the aftermath, and revelations decades later. The catalyst for the reexamination of the case is a popular true-crime podcast. Fans of Listen for the Lie will enjoy this. However, similar to LftL, I think I would have enjoyed it better as an audiobook than print.

Overall, it was a good mystery, although I forecasted several of the twists ahead of time. I look forward to checking out more of the author's offerings.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

This novel explores themes of class, wealth, and privilege on the Côte d’Azur. The storyline alternates between the summer of 2004, when the teen daughter of the Drayton family was killed during her mother’s birthday party, and twenty years later. The testimony of the victim’s much younger sister sent a local teenager to prison (to me, an aspect that strained credulity), and now all of the people involved have come together to relive the past. Part of the story involves the production of a documentary about the case. I liked the premise, but the book really dragged and I struggled to finish. The conflicts between the wealthy Draytons (and their friends) and the working-class characters came across as tired and stereotypical in many places, and in the end I felt like all the pieces didn’t fit together. While some elements were explored over and over, at other points information was assumed. A dual-timeline story always involves a constant re-positioning, but most of the characters had evolved so little over the two decades that had passed that I sometimes had trouble remembering what year it was. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

I loved this book! :)
I now realise that I tend to like slow-paced mysteries set in France, especially if it's in some idyllic setting in the south. In the summer!
It's not always that I enjoy a dual timeline in a mystery novel, but I had no issues with this one. In fact, I'd even dare say it made the story more dynamic and intriguing to follow.
I enjoyed all the characters (including the unlikable ones), all the POVs, all the flashback moments and, more importantly, how the author chose to wrap it all up. I felt incredibly immersed in the story, it was atmospheric, agonizing at times, unsettling and even though I didn't relate to any of the characters, I cared for them. Rooted for them. Wanted to yell at some of them sometimes, too...!
I just loved it! Even the young tiktokker influencer that has an important part in this story didn't bother me at all! I was actually excited to read their chapters. lol

I'm pretty sure this book is not gonna please every mystery or thriller reader out there, but if you are into mystery and do not a mind a slow pacing start at all, consider giving this book a go.
I believe this is a perfect summer mystery book to read at the pool or by the lake. Highly recommend it. (this book will be officially published in August - perfect for the end of summer)

Thank you very much, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

This might be my favorite book I have read in years. Four electrically-alive female narrators tell us their stories, with beautiful and clumsy nostalgia for adolescence, and the growing pains that come with life, all surrounding a 20 year old murder mystery. The writing is stunning and flows easily. I absolutely ate it up = every word. This would make a gorgeous series - something like Big Little Lies, but in the South of France. I miss the book already. Cant recommend enough.

I greatly enjoyed this extremely well written and well paced novel. Intriguing yet realistic characters, a fun setting, and a detailed plot kept me reading.

I had an extremely hard time getting into this book. I was at about 30% when things started to get remotely interesting. I decided to tough it out and I'm glad I did. Overall I did like the story. The ending was very good. I did cry a couple of times. But the beginning was very long and drawn out and could use some shortening. If you like true crime podcasts/ youtube true crime content then tough it out I promise this one will be worth it in the end.

I am sorry to say that this book didn't really ring well with me. It was slow moving with little payoff. Set over two summers that are two decades apart, High Season is a dark exploration of human memory and personal conflict. I just didn't feel connected with the characters.

High Season was one of my favorite books so far this year! What a great premise and all the twists kept me hooked!

I enjoyed this book. Though it was a minor part of the book, I liked the weaving in of the true crime social media aspect - it feels very timely for today. While I wasn’t surprised by the ending and which characters were “bad” I found myself staying up late to finish the book and to see how it all unfolded and went down in the past flashbacks to the death.

This book was just okay for me. As other reviewers mentioned, I found the writing to be a bit juvenile. I won’t be thinking about this book for weeks to come, but it’s fine for what it is.

The various narrators were not reliable and it lent the characterization a definite mistrust in the plot. The central conflict was engaging and as a mystery the plot is suspenseful. However, I did not enjoy this novel as mulch as I’d hoped.

OVerall a good story told in alternating times. It centers around the death of a teen, and her sister, who was 6 at the time, and what she remembers about that day.
I did feel the first half of the book was a bit slow, and does take a bit to get into the story. I am glad I kept reading as the last half was more interesting and better paced.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

WOW! This book read like a drama miniseries, it’ll be like The Perfect Couple or Apples Never Fall someday.
I LOVE a murder mystery with interweaving plot lines. This one stands apart because we learned at the beginning what happened… but as the story goes on, we wonder, is that what really happened?! Details unfolded and my jaw was on the floor the whole last 25% of this book!
THANK YOU to Katie and SMP for the early copy!!!

3.5/5. I enjoyed this book but felt it was quite long and had a lot of moving parts with two timelines and several third person narrators.

What I liked:
-The setting of Cote D'Azur, especially in 2004 where we get to live in the world of the wealthy teens partying, which was reminiscent of Saltburn.
-I really liked the parts where Hannah was the narrator.

What I didn't love:
-The TikTok slang that will soon be dated and not particularly accessible to people reading this book five years from now.
-The middle dragged on a bit but it picked up once we got into Tamara's head.

Katie Bishop’s High Season is a gripping exploration of a 20-year-old murder case that continues to haunt its survivors. When media attention reignites interest in the murder of 17-year-old Tamara Drayton, her younger sister Nina, who testified as a child witness, begins to question her own reliability. As the story unfolds, readers are drawn into Nina’s journey of confronting past trauma while other key figures in the case reflect on the fateful night.

Though the story starts slowly, it quickly becomes unputdownable. Bishop seamlessly shifts between 2004 and 2024, crafting a narrative that remains clear and engaging. Written in third person, the novel provides depth to each main character, ensuring their perspectives shine. Just when you think you’ve pieced it all together, the second half delivers surprising twists and a powerful, emotionally resonant conclusion.

With strong character development, suspense, and a satisfying ending, High Season is a standout mystery.

“High Season” by Katie Bishop follows a twenty year old murder case of Tamara Drayton, a seventeen year old raised in an affluent family, who was murdered at their vacation home in a quaint beach town in France. Due to the murder’s 20th anniversary, the media starts digging into the case again and would like to interview key players in the case including the murderer Josie, who has finished her sentence.

Nine Drayton was just 5 years old when she had to testify as a witness to her older sister’s murder. As an adult she begins to question if she was a reliable witness as a 5 year old. This story will take you on Nina’s journey working through her childhood trauma as well as the other main characters recalling and discovering what happened on that fatal night.

For me, the story started a bit slow. But once it picked up more I couldn’t put it down. The story does jump between the year 2004 and 2024, but the author writes this in a very clear manner. This book is written from a third person point of view but still feels like each main player surrounding the incident gets their time to shine. The character development in this book is great for all the main characters. I thought I had most of the story figured out, but I hadn’t! The ride the author took me on in the second half of the story was great and pushed the boundaries on a great, but believable ending. I may have shed just a few tears in the final chapters, feeling empathetic for certain characters.

Truly a 4.75 for me, rounded up to a 5. I would recommend this to most, if not all, of my friends who like mysteries, thrillers, family drama, suspense, and women’s friendship stories. This book could truly fit into many subcategories and be enjoyed by many (as long as that audience likes books about murder that is)!

I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with the ARC of the book for free in exchange for an honest review. It was a joy to read “High Season.”

Katie Bishop crafts a haunting and suspenseful tale in High Season, where the past and present collide in a web of fading memories and chilling secrets. As Nina seeks answers to her sister Tamara’s tragic death, the tension builds with each revelation, drawing readers deeper into the mystery. The atmospheric setting of the French Riviera adds a striking backdrop to the story’s dark undertones, while Nina’s journey to uncover the truth keeps you questioning every detail.

High Season is a gripping story about Nina the sole witness to her sister Tamera's' murder at only 5-years-old. Josie Jackson is the convicted murderer of Tamera and a 20th year documentary to uncover what really happened is underway. Thank you Katie Bishop for writing this book. What an excellent storyline! The chapters alternate between Nina, Josie, and Josies best friend Hannah to give there unique perspective of the events. I love how real this story feels and puts you in the chair of an armature true crime sleuth! Can Nina trust her own memory? This starts as an intriguing a slow burn and once the fire starts you can't put out or put this book down! Thoroughly enjoyable! 5 stars!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

i think this was a pretty good book! it was a pretty standard story, nothing too unique or different, but it was still a good story and it was well written. I think the author did a good job

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!