*The Heatwave* by Katerina Diamond is a gripping and atmospheric psychological thriller that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Set in a sleepy English village during an intense heatwave, the novel expertly builds a sense of impending danger as tensions rise within a seemingly idyllic community. The plot centers on two sisters, Abby and Charlotte, who return to their childhood home, only to find themselves embroiled in a web of secrets, lies, and dark memories.

Diamond’s writing is taut and suspenseful, effectively creating a sense of claustrophobia and unease as the heat intensifies. The author does an excellent job of weaving between multiple perspectives, offering glimpses into the complex relationships between the characters. Abby and Charlotte are both well-developed and multi-dimensional, their personal struggles and past traumas adding depth to the story.

The pacing is fast and relentless, with twists that are both surprising and satisfying, though some readers may predict certain outcomes if they’re familiar with the genre. The tension in the book never fully lets up, making for a page-turning experience that builds to a shocking and emotionally charged climax.

While the characters' motivations could have been explored further, *The Heatwave* is an engrossing, darkly atmospheric thriller, and a must-read for fans of psychological suspense.

"The Heatwave" by Katerina Diamond is a captivating psychological thriller that delves into the complex story of Felicity, who returns to her hometown following the disappearance of a 16-year-old girl. She is convinced that the current events are linked to her own dark past. The narrative skillfully alternates between Felicity's present-day investigations and intense flashbacks narrated by her childhood friend, Jasmine. The seamless intertwining of past and present in this book is absolutely mesmerizing, drawing the reader into the characters' lives and their gripping experiences. If you enjoy immersive and suspenseful reads, "The Heatwave" is an absolute must-read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This is a dark twisty thriller which kept me on the edge of my seat.
It was filled with many twists and turns.
Really fast paced.

This book is vivid in its storytelling and really compels the reader to invest more time. From the offset i was hooked on the characters and what was going to happen next, I couldn't put it down, finishing it in one day. This is a thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish with lots of twists and turns, although the final twist did not seem to surprise me, i found it overall a great read

This standalone from Katrina is very well written. It keeps you guessing and offers lots of tension. Really well written and well paved.

Fantasists characters, fantastic writing! I could not believe the twists and turns in this one. Highly recommend for a summer beach thriller!

This was a relatively fast-paced, multiple point-of-view and dual timeline thriller. The reader is taken on a journey trying to uncover the disappearance of young girls in Devon. It definitely had a twisty narrative that built suspense and depth to the story, and I flew through the book eager to find out the truth. The ending had a great twist, which I enjoyed and hadn't seen coming, and I was kept on my toes in the few hours I read this.

The book did deal with some important topics, so trigger warnings for abuse, sexual assault, child abuse, paedophilia, and grooming. ⚠️ So please ensure that you are in the right space to read the book.

Dark and twisty, this is definitely worth a read!

An example of just wonderful writing and a great story. I really enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for gifting me this book

I started this two days ago on audio book and raced through listening to it.
Every spare minute I had it on. Even on the way to the office and back in the car, which I was more than happy to sit in traffic whilst listening to this.

I was hooked from the beginning.

The story was told from then and now. Which provided a great build up of the story that was a slow burn but in a good way. This allowed it to be easy to follow too whilst keeping you engaged!

It’s one of those ones where you think what is going on? What is going to happen? who did it? Just so many questions, but the story does unravel and you find out!

Not that I guessed that ending or see the twists! Which was so cleverly done.

I really enjoy psychological thrillers and I would definitely recommend this. It was brilliant, entertaining and intense in all the right places.

The Heatwave, by Katerina Diamond, is an exhilarating thriller perfect for any fan of crime and mystery fiction.

The story follows Felicity as she revisits her hometown during a long and hot summer. Though it’s been sixteen years since she fled the crime that rocked the community, a second girl has gone missing and the truth must be uncovered.

This gripping novel combines tension, suspense, and captivating characters, all under a sweltering sun that keeps the reader in a perpetual state of anticipation. Through sharp prose and engaging storytelling, Katerina Diamond puts the reader in the heat of the moment as Felicity pieces together the mystery of the missing girls.

The Heatwave is a masterfully crafted thriller that offers up surprises and secrets with each page turn. If you're looking for an addictive read to while away the summer, Katerina Diamond’s The Heatwave is just what you need.

Wow, such a gripping read! I was drawn into the characters from the off and the tension continued to grow throughout the book. Great twists.

When Felicity sees on the news that a girl has gone missing in her hometown she is scared history is repeating itself. She must go back to the town and face a past she had always tried to forget but she is the only one that may know the truth.

While it has been scorching weather I have been trying to pick books that fit the season so had to take this one down from my shelf. Unfortunately though apart from the cover and the title there is not much summery about it. These two factors are the only reason I would know the characters were in a heatwave other than them mentioning they were a bit hot occasionally. The story itself did not heat up until nearly the end either. I enjoyed the alternating past and present chapters but certain aspects helped me figure out what was to come and whether this was intentional by the author or not I can't tell. I know fictional seaside towns have a reputation for being gossipy but these locals took the biscuit as the protagonist barely said hello before they were telling her everything which was highly unbelievable and bordering on annoying. There were some surprises along the way and it wiled away a sunny afternoon but this was a very middle of the road read.

5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dam Kat you've out done yourself with this one! Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Was the the edge of my seat right up to the end of the book!
The twist at the end blew my mind! Like wasn't even a thought 😳
Certainly recommend!!!

I love Katerina Diamond books but this book took some time to develop and at one point, I was going to give up. Half away through, the story changed and then the twists came in thick and fast and this is what kept me reading. The book jumps between timelines from past to present however I did not like the main character of felicity as she appeared to be self-centred through the story. It is an ok read but enjoy Katerina Diamond series better.

I’m very undecided about this book! There were bits loved and bits I really didn’t like, but perhaps that was just my dislike for the main character.

The now and then narrative it great and I’m a big fan of those. It really helps the story unfold at a good pace and increases the suspense!

But the main character was so self centred that I just couldn’t get past that and I found myself rushing to the end to finish the book and see what happened. Such a shame when there are great elements to this thriller, just my dislike of the characters taking over.

A great stand alone from Katerina Diamond. Keeps you guessing the whole way through. The characters are wholesome and easy to invest in. A British feel to it. A fantastic twist to end with.

What a good read this was! Just when I thought it was going to be a bit of a middle of the road thriller it surprised me with twists I absolutely did not see coming. There was a couple of moments in this that I was genuinely shocked at the realisation of what was going on. I was definitely kept on my toes, even though I wouldn’t see it was a particularly fast paced read at all.

this has to be my favourite book of this author's so far. i loved it from start to finish, i love how it went between the present and the past. it was so atmospheric, i didn't want it to end.

⭐ This novel gave me that just-one-more-chapter-syndrome... I read it in a day!
⭐ Cleverly written with plenty of twists to keep you guessing.
⭐ The tension is expertly built up during the book.
⭐ I did not see THAT ending coming!
⭐ High recommend to all crime fiction fans.

This is my first book by Katherine Diamond, and it did not disappoint. There are enough twists and turns and surprises to keep the book interesting yet plausible. The author did a good job of making me feel the tension Felicity was experiencing, but for part of the book, I didn’t fully understand why it was there. The links between the characters and their storylines came together in the end.

Entertaining read that I would recommend.

Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.