Detective Adrian miles is first on the scene of a body in the water which he presumes to be a corpse but just as he is calling it in she grabs his leg she is alive. Taken to hospital she claims to have amnesia and doesn’t know who she is. But Imogen Grey and Adrian think there’s more to this story.
Another body a male one is found further up the river he’s dead severely beaten. Adam & Imogen investigate this body asking the woman if she knows him. Shortly after the woman leaves the hospital.
Can they find her before something happens to her . A very good read
Thanks NetGalley

Adrian and Imogen are detectives and partners. Not long after starting to work together, they found themselves attracted to one another, but aren’t ready to go public with their relationship.

Driving into work early one morning, Adrian is attracted to a group of people staring into the water. It turns out to be the body of a woman. At first Adrian thinks she is dead. When he wades into the water to get her body onshore, he sees her move and realizes she is alive. She has obviously been badly beaten. At the hospital, she is examined by Dr. Hadley who is familiar with cases like this. Adrian is so touched by the poor woman, he is determined to find out who beat her. She claims to not remember her name, so they call her Jane Doe. Then she quietly leaves the hospital on her own.

The police then find the body of a male in the water just down from from where Jane Doe was found. He had also been beaten. When they investigate the man, they learn his name which brings them to the woman they had found whose name is Angela Corrigan. Angela is married to the owner of a large construction company. His demeanor when talking to the detectives is cocky. Adrian and Imogen know that he must be the one who beat his wife and possibly killed the other man, but how can they pin it on him?

This story at first appeared to be that of a woman who is enduring beatings from her husband, but as the detectives delve further into the Corrigans, they find some sinister things.

Prepare yourself for a rather shocking event that will certainly disgust you for it is hard to believe that some people can be so evil. I do think that readers will find this a well-written tale that slowly puts the pieces together to a terrific ending.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I got this book from netgalley. I really really liked it. There's one scene that completely got to me. It is graphic. It is raw. And it is rare. I read it on an airplane which made it even more difficult. I thought this was your typical detective Thriller but The Twist was definitely different. I was a little disappointed with one small part of the ending. I wanted a different resolve to the main character's story. But, overall, a very entertaining and well-written Thriller.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2988760924

I’ve only read one previous book by this author and after reading this I’m so wanting to go back and read her previous books. This was oh so good.

A woman is found badly beaten with no memory. A man is found dead nearby. Are they connected? Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey must find that out.

I really liked the characters and the storyline. I felt like when I started I was reluctant to put it down. It was the one more chapter kinda read.

Brilliant read.

I knew when I requested WOMAN IN THE WATER that was the sixth in the DS Imogen Grey series and, although I prefer to read a series in order and having only read the first book "The Teacher", it didn't deter me from reading it in this case. Why? Because Katerina Diamond always knows how to pack a punch! And I knew it would be worth the read regardless...and I wasn't wrong.

TRIGGER WARNING:
Domestic violence and rape.

DS Adrian Miles was on his way home one evening when he was sequestered by a group of women standing by a bridge. Upon investigating he discovered the body of a woman who had been badly beaten partially submerged in the icy water. What is even more surprising is that she is still alive! She is taken directly to hospital where she remains under police guard but when questioned they discover that she has no recollection of who she is, what happened or how she ended up in the river. But the bruises and marks on her body tell the tale of a woman in an abusive relationship. Having been the one to initially pull her to safety, Adrian feels somewhat responsible for the young woman and pledges to find out who she is and what happened to her.

When the badly mutilated body of a dead male is discovered in the river close by to where their "Jane Doe" was found, Adrian and Imogen are then tasked with the investigation into his murder. The similarities of their wounds and the close proximity in which they were both found leads the pair to believe they are related. After questioning Jane Doe in the hospital once again with the photo of the male, she claims no knowledge as to his identity or how he got there. A short time later, Jane Doe absconds from the hospital and, with no idea who she is or where she has run to (or from), Adrian and Imogen have no way of tracking her down.

When the male is soon identified as missing man Simon Glover, investigations lead them to Leon Quick with whom Simon had worked alongside at a construction company in Exeter some six months previously. But when Adrian and Imogen arrive to question Leon, he is so clearly terrified that instead of revealing why, he picks up a knife and stabs himself in the chest, bleeding out in Imogen's arms. What had Leon so terrified that he would much rather die than tell them?

Deeper digging lead them to Corrigan Construction, where both men were previously employed, and initial questioning at the company point them in the direction of their founder and managing director, Reece Corrigan. When Adrian and Imogen knock on his door they didn't expect to recognise the woman coming down the staircase as their Jane Doe. All traces of her battered body covered by expensive designer clothing, Angela Corrigan pretends to have never seen the two police detectives before. Her face is a mask of stony indifference. Picking up her silent pleas, Adrian and Imogen play along with her charade knowing she must have a very good reason for her pretense.

It is clear from the outset that Angela is a battered wife so the pair know to tread carefully in cases such as these. However, it also strikes somewhat closer to home for Adrian with his own family past and this causes him to take the case personally...especially when it comes to Angela's safety. He still feels responsible for her. So watching the house, they wait for Reece to leave before returning to question Angela alone. But they are up against years of conditioning to even come close to breaking down the walls Angela has built up around herself. And no matter how much they question her, or their promises to keep her safe, Angela refuses to help...knowing that there is nothing anyone can do. This is her life. This is her fate. Helping her will only cost other people dearly...just as it had cost Simon his life.

It is clear from this point on that Reece Corrigan is guilty as sin but the question is how do they get him without putting Angela in harm's way? His obvious methods of abuse have kept her in line for years, he knows she won't step out of it now. The man is a narcissistic piece of work who knows no boundaries when it comes to protecting his status, his life and his position. He really believes he is untouchable...and what's more important is that Angela also believes he is untouchable. When deeper investigations reveal that anyone who tried to befriend or help Angela came off second best...by losing a limb, through an accident on site, or even losing their life. Angela knew this and refused to help police for fear of what that would mean for them.

But Adrian refuses to back down. He will not let a bully like Corrigan intimidate him or get away with abusing his wife. He resolves to find a way to get Corrigan one way or another and sets about digging into his financials, his business and his past. But Adrian has underestimated Corrigan's power, just as Angela had feared he would, and one night when walking home from the pub he senses someone following him. Too late, he is beaten and bundled into a van. Who are these people? What do they want with him? When realisation dawns, Adrian knows he must accept his fate if is to get out of this alive.

In the midst of everything is the relationship between Adrian and Imogen. They are partners, they are best friends and now they are lovers. But it is still secret. Or is it? It seems more than one person has cottoned on to thei "not-so-secret" relationship, so what does this mean for their partnership? Even more so, what does this for their relationship? I did get a little irritated with Imogen constantly second guessing and questioning their relationship. It just seemed to go in circles and never go anywhere. It was a little annoying. But on the other hand, I wish Adrian would confide in Imogen. I really don't see why he doesn't. I know I'm not a man and don't think like they do, but doesn't it go without saying? Especially when they resolved to keep no secrets from each other.

One of my favourite aspects with this series, as well as Diamond's writing style, is that she gives us all aspects of the story while still keeping just enough hidden from full view. I love how we get not only the police procedural side of the investigation but also the various other players in the story. I feel it gives the whole story more depth rather than just a wooden procedural that tells readers nothing else but the investigation. And I especially loved the "alternate" chapters from Angela's perspective as we got to catch a glimpse into her world and just how confining it really is.

While I haven't read any of the books in between I still found WOMAN IN THE WATER easy to follow and completely addictive. I may not have all the backstory of each of the characters and I honestly don't remember DS Adrian Miles had he featured in "the Teacher", but even so, this did not deter my enjoyment of this compelling thriller at all. It has prompted me to try to find time to catch up on them.

A hard-hitting police procedural that pulls no punches, WOMAN IN THE WATER is gripping from the very start. It is fast-paced with short snappy chapters that leave you wanting more as you continue to turn pages long into the night.

It is incredibly difficult to review this book without giving away any spoilers and even though we know who the bad guy is throughout much of the story, we are still treated to a massive twist at the end with a surprise revelation most will not see coming! Admittedly, I had begun to piece it together...but only towards the end...and only through some weird coincidence in thinking that there had to be something else - something so shocking under normal circumstances that would seem right at home in a Katerina Diamond thriller. And she did not disappoint. That was a twist and it was shocking...but it was brilliant!

If you love your thrillers or police procedurals dark, disturbing and twisted, then you will love WOMAN IN THE WATER! It's Katerina Diamond at her best...even though I've only read one other. I loved this book, aside from the few flaws, as I think the rest of the book far outweighs them anyway. I look forward to seeing where her next book in this series takes us.

Highly recommend!!

I would like to thank #KaterinaDiamond, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #WomanInTheWater in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been aware of this author for a while, mainly from seeing their book covers, but not read any of their books until now, something that is going to have to change after reading this book. I loved the sound of the book, the blurb had that intriguing quality that tells you a lot but barely gives anything away. Clearly it worked as I read the book in a day, and I don’t mean 24 hours in total, I mean I started it on Sunday afternoon and was finished by the time I went to bed, so literally one day.

This book is definitely twisty. I’m not going to describe it as action packed or fast paced or anything so dramatic because there are scenes where the police are questioning people and retracing their steps because they hope they’ve missed something, nothing action packed about that. However, there is an underlying tension throughout the book, from the first page I was hooked and wanted to know more. The story starts with the woman being found in the water and instantly that raised so many questions. The writing pulls you in in a way that means you don’t even notice you’re hooked until you are and by then it’s too late to stop or get out, you have to see this through to the end whether you want to or not.

There is something about this book, it’s dark and twisty and when I’d read it I wanted to read something different, something to soothe my troubled brain. Although what I chose was more crime fiction, this time historical, I picked it because it is part of a series I know well and is something I can rely on to not leave me feeling slightly traumatised at the end. I’m not being naive, I’m well aware that the events in this book happen to people everyday, I’ve had experience of some of them myself. However, there’s a difference between being aware of them and reading about them, especially when the events and the characters reactions to them are written as well as they have been in the book.

I’m not sure I’m explaining this very well so I’ll try again. What this book does is draw you in stealthily so you don’t realise it’s happening till it’s too late. It also puts you in the shoes of the characters and makes you view their experiences from their perspectives so you get a deeper understanding of how they feel and why they are reacting the way they are to what is happening/has happened. It then throws out everything you thought was the truth and presents you with a new, unexpected one and then leaves you reeling from what you’ve experienced and with no support as the characters are getting on with their lives and don’t even know you exist. Hence why I went for something familiar and comforting (for me) for my next read. I think that’s a better explanation, if you’re not sure then maybe you should read the book for yourself and see if you can write something more coherent than this……..

Amazing! This made me want to read more by Katerine Diamond! My favourite part about mysteries and thrillers is when I'm caught completely off guard (in a good way), and this one did not disappoint!

This is book #6 in the Imogen Grey series. It can however be read as a standalone book without reading any of the previous books in the series. I have read some of the previous books, but to be honest I couldn’t remember Imogen Grey’s character. As soon as I started the book though, the previous storylines came back into my memory and I fell comfortably back into the characters and, of course, the story!

I really liked Imogen’s character and her relationship with Adrian Miles, both in work and as a couple, was really interesting and showed how difficult it is sometimes to work with someone who you are also seeing! This story does revolve a lot around DS Miles and how much he is affected by finding the woman in the water, Angela Corrigan. Finding her obviously brings to the surface feelings and emotions from his past which Miles had been keeping very deeply buried, and this then in turn causes problems in his relationship with Imogen.

This book is a tough, hard read and there are some subjects covered in the story which may cause upset to some, but it is all written and dealt with sensitively. It was obvious who the killer was early on in the story, but following all the characters through the story was interesting and emotional and held my interest right through to the very end. The story was fast paced and with quick chapters before I knew it I was half way through the book. This author has a definite knack of writing stories which twist and turn, make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and keep you on your toes following the story. The characters are great and many of them you can really relate to. Full of tension and suspense, this is definitely the book for you if you love a dark, twisted and shocking read. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to continue with Imogen Grey’s story.

I will be honest with you all and say I DNF'ed this book, which is the first time I have ever done this.
The reason I am still giving Woman in the Water a 3 star rating is because I was actually really enjoying the book. However, there was then an extremely graphic rape scene, which there were no trigger warnings for. Usually I can handle this type of thing while reading, but this time it was just too detailed, and incredibly upsetting, and I couldn't bring myself to carry on.
It's a shame, because I was loving this book, and really wanted to know what happened, but I just couldn't keep reading after that.
If you aren't effected by domestic abuse and rape storylines, then I would highly recommend this book, but if you are, I would definitely advise you to avoid it.

Woman In The Water is the first book I’ve read by Katerina Diamond and this definitely didn’t disappoint. I wasn’t aware for some reason that this was part of a series but having read it I think you can definitely read it as a stand-alone book.
Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey are the main characters and although there have been other books in this series I haven’t read I got the feeling I wasn’t left in the dark too much about there working relationship. The book starts with a bang really and from that point doesn’t really slow at any point. This is the first book for a while I actually wanted to pick up and finish which was refreshing. There is a horrific attack that happens and is quite upsetting to read but did make me think about others that have been in this situation and how time isn’t really the greatest healer.
I will be looking out for the next in the series as I can’t imagine it stopping at this one and will probably try and read previous ones as well.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited about this tour i have read previous works by Katerina and i forgot just how bloody brilliant they are.



Woman in the Water is a deeply dark horrific read that shocks the reader and that is what makes it so good.



Detective Adrian Miles pulls a woman from a river who is barely alive - she wont tell the police anything, her name, how she got there or what is going on. Struggling to locate her, when they find another body - it soon becomes a murder investigation. The police have very few leads but when they follow the one they have and come face to face with the woman from the hospital. Angela tries to warn the police off but its not something they are going to let go.



I forgot how dark Katerina can be and i did not expect this read to shock me, it was gripping, it was shocking and i didnt see it coming at all. Katerina writes characters that are evil, scary and just down right wrong but she also writes ones with good in their heart who only want to do right.



I was fascinated by the way she managed to write such dark things so well, and tackled them in a way that felt real but respected those who may have suffered themselves. She handled situations so well and as a reader you felt like it was a crime drama on the tv as you read through. If you want a thriller that doesnt give you answers until the very last page with shocking outcomes then this is the one for you.

I loved this police procedural. So well written despite the dark horror behind this story. A unique tale with a big strong wham of a twist. Strong characters and a wonderful side story of the two detectives on the case. A great read.

I was not aware when I requested this from NetGalley that it was the sixth book in a series, as it wasn’t labelled as such on GoodReads - and still isn’t. By the time I came to read it, and found out by seeing other reviews, it was too late.
I really don’t like reading series out of order, and this book reinforced all the reasons why. I’ll admit that sometimes I have been introduced to a new favourite series by reading one at random, and then going back to the beginning. Sometimes I then think that I would not have continued had I started with the first book, eg Jo Nesbo or Robert Crais, but this is not going to be one of those cases as I really didn’t like either of the main characters.

DS Adrian Miles is driving home when he notices a commotion by a river. Stopping to investigate, he finds a woman on the bank, barely alive, and after following her to the hospital, takes on the case alongside his partner and secret girlfriend, DS Imogen Grey. When another body is found in the river, the team suspect the woman’s husband, a wealthy building contractor, but she refuses to testify against him, out of fear for her life. How will they stop him when they have no evidence and everyone he encounters is terrified of him?

This book has lots of high ratings from both my GR friends and other readers, as to the earlier books, so I’m aware that the things that bothered me are clearly not a problem for most readers, but I’m going to report them anyway as that’s what an honest review is for, and you can then make up your own mind.
So, I can understand why a publisher might want a book to look like a stand-alone when it’s not, to not put off readers like me from trying it.

The problem is being introduced to characters with major history, both separately and together, with minimal recap - I get that too much gets boring when you have already read the preceding books - but we don’t even get a physical description of either of them. Imogen and Adrian are supposed to be in love but most of the time they don’t even seem to like each other. Early on, there’s a line about Imogen loving to watch him squirm. She spends an inordinate amount of time obsessing about their relationship, which was incredibly boring. They are both so immature and cowardly that the non-stop angst on both sides was just tedious. One stereotypical damaged detective is bad enough, but two just detracts from any enjoyment of the mystery.

Both Imogen and Adrian are completely unprofessional - putting their selfish desire to keep working together over their responsibilities as police officers. They lie, cover for each other and ignore obvious problems out of fear that their seniors will separate them. Their thinking is so dysfunctional that when a witness dies in front of them, her main thought is “oh no how will we solve the case now?” - not once but twice! Adrian is obsessed with saving the titular woman from the water, but doesn’t seem to care who else he puts at risk by his actions. Yeah yeah, I get it, traumatic childhood, transference, trying to undo past damage, I might’ve had more sympathy if I were more invested in the characters but this just felt like a replica of umpteen other broken protagonists. His seniors are hardly blameless, he should’ve been taken off the case as soon as he punched a suspect!

On the positive side, this is well plotted and paced, with some brave twists from the author that we don’t commonly see in crime fiction - I can’t say more without spoilers but something happens which will change the tone of this series forever - I would be interested to know what happens next, but not sure that I want to read more. The writing is pedestrian at best, and clumsy in places with words and phrases used that don’t mean what she thinks they do. As I said earlier, these criticisms don’t seem to bother all the people who made this a bestseller so if they’re not the sort of things you mind, please do give it a try.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Woman in the Water is available now.

I dont have enough words to tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It had everything I want from a novel; fantastic characters, a baddy to hate, well written plot with twists and turns, an ending you would never guess and writing that ensures even the most difficult topics are covered with sensitivity. A 5* review for a 5* book. One of my top reads of the year!

From the minute this book starts it really does not let up, I've been constantly surprised by the turns it has took and while this does deal with some uncomfortable issues I think the author has done a fantastic job of dealing with it in a very sensitive manner. About halfway through this book turns into a complete game changer of a read and it totally changes the tone of this book, it's dark and totally sinister and even though it is super hard and shocking to read it's done in a way that makes you feel so much for the characters.

I've loved getting to know Miles and Grey and seeing there relationship struggle while they're working this case I'm actually super intrigued about how they got together and think I will start this series from the beginning even though this can 100% be read as a standalone. Another thing I loved about this book was that it was a will they get enough evidence to put the killer away rather than a whodunit, which was a nice change.

I honestly think that first chapter will completely suck you in, and the rest is just such a read. I will say be prepared going in though It's a tough read.

Thank you so much to Sabah and the publishers at Avon for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

I just finished reading Woman in the Water, by author Katerina Diamond -
From Avon Books UK

First of all I must state that I have not read anything from this author before, and it will not be my last!

A great writing style, which kept me engaged throughout the book. Quite a few shocking elements, and some brutally hard to handle crime, that is very descriptive.

Fear, danger and control with lots of evil. All together a very good book.

Thanks to the author, and Avon Books UK for my advanced copy.

#NetGalley

This was the best book by far! I loved the whole build up of the book. The characters of Adrian and Imogen and their new relationship as a couple and not just work colleagues was explored well including the difficulties that can bring. The attack on Adrian and the aftermath was so well written I felt my heart ache for the problems it caused him emotionally and physically, how it affected his self belief and his relationships with colleagues, friends and lover. I am looking forward to reading the next instalment

This is another fantastic thriller from Avon Books. I’m really impressed with the standard of books I’ve reviewed for them recently. There’s so much I loved about this book. There is intrigue created around Angela, the woman found in the water and her dark and creepy home life. It’s clear to the detectives that she’s been beaten by her husband. However, she refuses to speak out against him and there are no witnesses so it’s a hopeless situation. Just how did Angela end up in the water? Is the second body connected to Angela? Exactly what is Reece hiding and why does he have such power over the people around him? This is one of those books where so much happens and there are multiple possibilities due to misdirection and clues that may be false. There are some harrowing scenes when one of the detectives discovers the price for rattling Reece’s cage. I’ve never read something quite like this and it’s handled brilliantly. I thought I knew what the book was about until the rug is pulled out right from under me towards the end and Angela and Recce’s dark secret is revealed. I got a severe case of the creeps and I’m still shuddering. I cannot fault one single thing about this. It’s a corker.

Another interesting dark and twisted murder mystery by Katerina Diamond. When a young woman is discovered barely alive in a river after a brutal attack and immediate investigation is launched to find out who she is and what happened. When the body of a man is also then found in a river and the young woman goes missing it sets off a chain of events and introduces the police to a very dangerous man who is not scared of the law and keeping more secrets and lies than they ever believed possible.

I am a huge devotee of the Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey series by Katerina Diamond and I think this could possibly be the one I have most enjoyed so far. The Woman In The Water is a dark and gritty police procedural with real characters and a punchy story-line.

In this sixth instalment, Adrian Miles is travelling home when he spots a body submerged in icy water, and is shocked to find she is alive. The battered woman is taken to hospital where she refuses to give her name and says that she cannot remember what happened to her. When a second body, a young male, is found further down the river, the battered woman disappears from her hospital bed. Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey follow their only lead to Reece Corrigan's home looking for answers. They receive an unpleasant surprise when they arrive, to find that the woman Adrian rescued is no other than Corrigan's wife.

The author's writing was powerful, and often graphic as the story-line encompassed all kinds of evil from murder, domestic violence, sexual assault, and physical violence. Whilst some scenes were quite difficult and disturbing to read, the tone was full of empathy for the characters.

Primarily the focus is on the woman found in the water, but a great deal of attention is also centred on DS Miles. He is vulnerable as dealings with the Corrigan family transpire, revealing his weaknesses and a difficult childhood, so that I became totally engrossed in the way events were affecting him. I loved that Imogen's loyalty to him was unwavering, especially as Adrian became something of a liability. The two story-lines are interlinked; if Adrian hadn’t stumbled across the woman in the water then he wouldn’t have found himself falling to pieces until he is no longer able to recognise himself.

This was a remarkable and captivating story albeit an emotional, heartrending one and the twists and turns were brilliantly executed with heaps of surprises and reveals throughout. The ending was explosive and totally unexpected. This super series continues to go from strength to strength and is up there with some of the most thrilling reads in the genre. If attention-grabbing, dark, and twisted crime thrillers are your thing, then Woman in the Water must not be missed! I longingly await book number seven.

This review was written voluntarily and was not influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Avon Books via NetGalley.