Thanks Netgalley for a copy of this book. I loved this one. I really found it interesting that a 5 year old had testified to a murder that she saw 20 years ago. Is it believable? Did she really see anything? She’s doubting it 20 years later. I can’t imagine living with that guilt if you got it wrong. The character of Tamara was my favorite. Even though she was rich and popular with a famous mother, she still seemed like she was a good caring person.

One summer changes everything. Tamara Drayton was just seventeen-years-old when she was found dead in her family’s pool. She left behind a twin brother Blake and younger sister Nina. Nina was only six when she has to testify in the French murder trial. She accused their babysitter.
Twenty years later Nina begins to question her memories. Was she coached? False memories? A new crime documentary has been announced and this will force Nina to really thing back to that time. Was someone falsely accused or was it someone even closer to her?
A little long, but I enjoyed the novel.

A gripping tale. Young Nina was the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial at only five years old. Twenty years later she goes back to scene of the crime and begins to wonder if she really saw what she said she saw. Is it possible that the wrong person went to jail. The author does a very good job of showing us the different perspectives of three women affected by the crime interspersed with snippets of a true crime TikTok account. The book does a good job of keeping the reader on their toes regarding what really happened. It also offers a good critique of true crime content creation in the age of TikTok.

Nina was instrumental in putting away her babysitter for her sister's murder that she witnessed as a kid. As years pass and a new light is shined on the case Nina realizes that her memory is not as clear as it once was. Did the babysitter really commit murder?

Intense story of the death of Tamara and what happened that fateful summer Intense story of the death of Tamara and what happened that fateful summer twenty years ago. Nina was only five when her testimony puts Josie away in prison for the death of her sister. Told from all the major characters recollections and what was really happening under the surface. A fantastic read with great character development, in a fantastic location.
Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reading copy. Really enjoyed reading and giving feedback. twenty years ago. Nina was only five when her testimony puts Josie away in prison for the death of her sister. Told from all the major characters recollections and what was really happening under the surface. A fantastic read with great character development, in a fantastic location. Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reading copy. Really enjoyed reading and giving feedback.

Thank you NetGalley and Katie Bishop for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

High Season follows the lead up to filming a documentary on the 20th anniversary of Tamara Drayton's death. Josie Jackson was convicted of the murder after Tamara's then 5 year old sister, Nina, claims she saw them fighting at the scene of the crime. Now Josie has been released from prison for 10 years, and a documentary uncovering what really happened is in the works. Chapters show the past and present through the perspective of Nina, Josie, and Hannah and the truth is slowly revealed.

This was a great read! I thought how everything ended up coming together really worked. My brain was turning the entire time trying to figure out the truth of what happened; some things I was right about but just in the wrong ways! I genuinely really enjoyed this and the format of the book and reveal.

This was a good read. It does take a bit to get into and I did consider putting it down, but I'm so glad I didn't. This is a tale of a murdered girl, the girl who was in prison for the crime and the remaining family of the murdered girl. Namely Nina, the younger sister who was six at the time and the "witness", and brother Blake. Some twenty years later, a true crime investigator is looking into the crime and Nina, not trusting her memories returns to the scene. New witnesses come to light, and it turns out there is more to the story. The story is told in past and present, and the atmosphere is amazing. I forgot to mention, the setting is this family's vacation home in the South of France. You will really feel like you are there. I did wonder at the competency of the police department back then, as it appears they took the word of a six-year-old as the only evidence to convict another child and there did seem to be other witnesses and POV's, as is shown in the later investigation. I did think the story could have been sped up a bit, but overall, a good, suspenseful read. Perfect for the beach on vacation!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Katie Bishop and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of August 12, 2025.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A tragic death at a party destroys the life of a teenager convicted of murder. A Podcaster reopens an inquiry into the case.

3.6
The first 3/4 of this book dragged unbearably, though it did redeem itself in the last bit. Overall, I'm not sure the destination was completely worth the journey.

This one was a little hard for me to get into, but the setting was beautiful and the characters were nuanced and well written.

good mystery about a death and the effects afterwards in this family. This also told in two different time periods of the past and present day. loved the girls friendship and also seeing what happened to the friends and who really ended up doing the murder.

High Season is Kate Bishop's second novel. I did not read Bishop's first novel, and so admittedly, this is a new author for me. The setting is Cote d' Azur, France. The narration is told from multiple POV, and over two distinct timelines, 2004 and 2024. Readers quickly learn that the death of one character, Tamara, in 2004 is the central plot point of High Season. Who murdered Tamara, which is not necessarily who was found guilty, is the focus twenty years later, when a producer arrives to film a true crime documentary. Since the producer finds so many new witnesses, I began to wonder if the local police were that incompetent? It just isn't believable. So why should the police have believed the story of a 5-year-old child and with no other evidence? What is missing in the narration?

I found High Season a slow read. The plot needs to be more concise. The pacing is uneven, but more importantly, the dialogue was weak and lacking complexity. The ending is predictable, which is not always a problem when a plot is otherwise gripping and the characters so appealing that just getting to the end is a fun journey. That isn't the case with High Season. The synopsis sounded good and promising, so perhaps, given the many months before publication, some serious editing would be of benefit. The plot just is not very believable in places, which is a shame because the setting is perfect and can be used to greater effect, if the plot is reworked and tightened.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my review. This is my honest review. I know that there are other reviewers who disagree with me, but I stand by my honest comments.

This novel was superb! It’s the epitome of a perfect vacation read. The setting was sumptuous, and the characters (there were a number of cast that I would consider “main”) were nuanced. It was nicely layered, and the multi POV was handled well. I had an idea where some parts of the story may be going, but I was happily along for the ride down that dark and twisty road. There was not a single point where this story felt unrealistic or a time when I thought something was overdone for its own sake.

This a “definitely recommend” from me for my friends and family once it comes out!

"High Season" by Katie Bishop was a good book & it did what I love most. The novel is set in France's beautiful Cote d'Azur - it transported me to a new place.
Josie & Hannah are best friends becoming teenagers in a place many affluent people come to vacation. As summer sets in, their beautiful little town becomes a playground for the rich. The Drayton family's Pink House is one of the most famous on the coast, Josie's mother works there as a housekeeper. Hannahs family has a Dive Shop catering to the summer people. The summer of their 16th year, as they were just learning about love and themselves, there is a tragedy that transforms their lives. On the night of Evelyn Drayton's annual birthday party her daughter Tamara was found dead in the pool.
Twenty years later a new look at the crime will set everything on edge.



Thanks to NetGalley & St Martin's press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

“High Season” by Katie Bishop is a story about the questionable tragic death of a teenage girl from a privileged family set in the Côte d’Azur.
Because of a true crime documentarian who is exploring the unsolved mystery, we learn that the person accused of the murder and spent 10 years in prison was convicted because of the victim’s 5 year old sisters testimony. The story is told in two timelines, the weeks leading up to the death and then 20 years later when all the players are back at the scene of the crime. In looking at the backstories we get a clear picture of the characters vivid lives, personalities and insecurities around not being sure their memories of what happened are correct and if possibly the wrong person was sent to prison.
This was an engaging domestic suspense mystery but a bit too lengthy and drawn out which causes the tension to drop in the middle of the book. However, I did enjoy the book and thought the ending was really well done.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This gripping tale of family secrets and buried truths will leave you breathless. The Summer’s Night masterfully blends psychological suspense with a compelling exploration of memory, guilt, and trauma.

Nina’s journey to uncover what really happened to her sister Tamara twenty years ago is filled with twists that keep you guessing. The lush setting of the South of France contrasts beautifully with the darkness of the story, making the atmosphere as captivating as the mystery itself.

Perfect for fans of true crime dramas and twisty family sagas. Prepare to be hooked until the shocking finale! 🏖️💔🔍

*High Season* has an intriguing premise—a little girl witnessing a crime and providing key testimony to convict someone of murder. This unique angle set it apart from the typical thrillers I’ve read. I also enjoyed the vivid descriptions of France, which transported me right into the setting. As someone who loves a good domestic, gossipy thriller, the book initially seemed promising.

However, the execution left something to be desired. The dialogue often felt overly cheesy, at times giving the story a YA romance vibe that didn’t quite fit the tone of a thriller. The plot, while entertaining, was predictable, and I found myself guessing the twists well before they were revealed. The writing, while clear and accessible, occasionally felt a bit simplistic for the genre.

Overall, *High Season* is a light, easy read that delivers on atmosphere but falls short in depth and surprise. It's enjoyable for fans of straightforward thrillers, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Part thriller, part family saga, this was a well paced drama that sounded like a book I had done before but it was completely unexpected

HIGH SEASON is a thoroughly enjoyable and suspenseful story. Structured in a dual timeline format, the narrative seamlessly weaves past (2004) and present (2024). Nina's struggles to understand the limits and potential fallibility of her memory are realistic and tension-filled. The different POVS also add texture. My one minor complaint is that the pacing drags at times, and the novel could have been tighter and shorter. However, overall I highly recommend HIGH SEASON for fans of dual timeline suspense novels.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

“There are so many pathways in life, so many unknown versions of ourselves that we might be, that she wonders how we don’t all go insane with the possibilities. How can anyone know if they’ve made the right choices? If another, better life isn’t one or two undone mistakes away?”

High Season by Katie Bishop

Thank you to @minotaur_books and @stmartinspress for the early digital copy. This one was a really fun read. The setting in the South of France had me wanting to book a vacation.

I always enjoy a thriller with a dual timeline so I liked that it alternated between the summer of 2004 and the summer of 2024.

I really enjoyed Imogen’s character as a true crime influencer. Especially at the very end but I won’t give that away.

This one is out in August 2025 so make sure to add it to your TBR for your late summer vacations!