The POV veering between then and now felt discombobulated at times, and it made for some whiplash as the past was in 3rd Person past, and the now was in 1st Person Present. Really made for some mental juggling throughout. The pace was very slow, but the whole book which felt a bit like a slog was 'redeemed' by the revelations at the end/in the last 80-100% of the book. It's strung up and far-fetched, but I could actually see it happening so that saved the read for me

This book is wonderfully full of twists that made sense but I didn’t see coming until the last minute! I found the middle a little weak and was almost ready to give up on this one but I’m glad I didn’t, all the action and reveals are saved for the last third!

I think my initial difficulty with this book was a result of it being told from two different points of view set 16 years a part. I find these sort of setups are really hard to to well, often one point of view is more engaging than the other and it can be a bit jarring switching between the two. This example isn’t jarring but I definitely preferred one over the other! What saved it for me though was the convergence of the two at the end which was really well done and pretty clever.

I found most of the adult characters a little run of the mill but Diamond did a great job of writing the teenagers. They can be really hard to write well but Diamond doesn’t fall into any of the usual traps, accurately capturing the experience of being a teenager and their reactions to the situations they’re put in feel realistic.

I do like a bit more suspense in a thriller but a some good twists almost make up for it! If this had a stronger middle I’d have rated it much higher but this book is certainly worth reading just for the ending!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

This is a great novel from a writer who knows how to develop a multilayered psychological thriller. Felicity ran away from home and vowed never to return when hears hears of a young girl missing in that community in a similar way to another when she originally left home. Suspicious, she is drawn back, in a timeline and in reality to see if they are connected. Easy to read, one of those just-one-more-chapter books that are perfect for a sunny afternoon beach read or a cold stay at home winter day. Heatwave is hot for sure.

I loved the synopsis of The Heatwave and wanted to read with interest.

I enjoy a psychological thriller, but one that’s fast paced. This is quite a slow burner for at least two thirds of the book.

But I’m glad I continued to read to the end as it’s ending does not disappoint

Thank you Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the copy of this book.

Felicity, our main character, sees a shocking news story that brings a past she'd rather forget flooding back. So overcome to find out what happened and much to the bewilderment of her husband and children, Felicity returns to a town she hasn't set foot in for 16 years.

This story is told in the present from Felicity's point of view and her friend Jasmine's point of view 16 years earlier, culminating in the two worlds colliding.

What follows is a dark psychological thriller that has a rather slow build up but leads to a shocking and disturbing ending.

I enjoyed this book. It was slow but the last 20% of the book made up for that. Highly recommend for the twist ending.

Heatwave is Katerina Diamond's first standalone novel. It is a slow-burn thriller spanning over two time periods. The pacing is quite slow in almost 75% of the book. After that it picks up and culminates with a shocking ending. Though very different from the author's previous books, I really enjoyed this one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Avon Books UK, for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Woah! Set in two time periods and told from two viewpoints. Jasmine as a teenager and 16 years later Felicity as an adult. This book was fast paced, and was clearly leading somewhere throughout. The twist when it came was a shocker. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

As usual from Katerina Diamond, an incredible twisted tale that has you gripped from the first page to the last word!

When Felicity hears of the disappearance of a young girl in the coastal town of Sidmouth, she knows she is the only one who can hekp. After having avoided the place for sixteen years, ever since she fled her family and her past, she heads back, desperate to try to help try to find the missing girl.

Written with the events of the past intermingled with the tale of the prrsent, you are left guessing again and again as to what occurred in Thatcher sixteen years ago, when another girl went missing, only to have your expectations subverted again and again.

An absolutely incredible story from a fantastic author.

When Felicity watches a news story about a missing 16 year old girl in her hometown of Sidmouth in Devon , she immediately heads back leaving her husband and kids behind. She is convinced that this disappearance will somehow give her a clue to what happened all those years ago.

Heatwave by Katerina Diamond is a stand-alone psychological thriller .A slow burner it's a compulsive, enjoyable read full of suspense and tension.. Solid 5 stars

I would like to thank Avon Books UK & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

I hadn’t read a Katerina Diamond book in a while so was really looking forward to this and it didn’t disappoint. She kept me asking questions and wanting to know more all the way through and it wasn’t the ending I expected! A real good page turner.

I've never read a Katerina Diamond before but I definitely shall in the future. This book starts dramatically with an abduction, and possible murder, of a teenager in Sidmouth. The story cuts to Felicity who hasn't been back to Sidmouth for 16 years but on hearing this news returns as the same thing happened all those years ago to another girl. She feels she needs to confront her past so she can move forward. I like the way the story goes from past to present and I love the twists and turns in the plot. An addictive read!

Series Of Unfortunate Events....
A series of unfortunate events leads to Felicity leaving her hometown. Some years later she returns when she hears news that echos the events of that long ago Summer. Will Felicity find the truth? A reasonably paced suspense but with a protagonist that is not so likeable. A slow burn.

WOW! Thoroughly enjoyed this one 👍 two story lines again the present told from Felicity’s point of view and the past by Jasmine her best friend. I’m finding a lot of plots are written like this these days, anyhow, great start to a gripping and dark psychological thriller. It grabs you straight away. The end of the prologue goes like this:

‘She knows she is in trouble. She struggles to stay awake, aware that once her eyes are closed, they may never open again. As her lids draw together she tries to speak, but all she hears is an unintelligible gargle. ‘You’re coming with me,’ the driver says.’

A girl disappears, a community is shattered and Felicity left her hometown knowing a lot more than she let on. However, 16 years later, after building a new life, she is shocked by the news that a second young girl has gone missing in Sidmouth. She must go back, as only she knows the truth about what happened all those years ago. So off she goes, leaving behind the life she has built up in the Lake District.

This is a very cleverly developed plot and leads to quite a disturbing and shocking end. The two timelines come together very nicely. Great crime, mystery and suspense tale.

Diamond crafts and spins together dysfunctional upbringings, loads of suspicion, plenty of mind games, sexual abuse, murder, friendship, young girl activity, relationships, deceit and plenty of red herrings throughout the book. She keeps you guessing.

Jasmine didn’t pick up on what Tim said about her parents about they’re not what she thinks. Tim was staying with Jasmine and her parents, lodging with them in return for helping them around their home. He knew more than he let on too. Tim was a pleasant addition to the plot.

People need to consider the consequences of their actions. There is a lot going on however it all falls into place.

I would highly recommend.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this eARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

I did enjoy reading this book but by the time I got to the end I realised there was a massive plot hole and it really bothered me - the story doesn't make sense once you notice it!!

Other than the plot hole the writing was great, the story built up well and was suspenseful. I didn't see the twist coming which is always great as I read many psychological thrillers and often work out the twist well in advance. I also really liked the characters. I felt the were well developed and I grew to like both Felicity and Jasmine.

I will definitely give other Katerina Diamond books a chance as the writing was great and without the plot hole I would have given 4 stars.

The story is told in two timelines. In the present Felicity is returning home after leaving sixteen years previously with lots of dark secrets. When she left a young girl had gone missing and Felicity is returning now as another young girl is missing. Sixteen years ago Felicity was best friends with Jasmine and the story is told from Jasmine’s point of view and some shocking revelations are revealed, I found this book very slow, quite implausible and a disappointing read, I have enjoyed Katrina Diamond’s previous books and I will certainly read her next one, but I am sorry this one wasn’t for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fast paced psychological thriller set in Sidmouth, Devon. A missing girl sends a woman back to the sleepy seaside town she escaped sixteen years earlier. A satisfying twist at the end made this a great read.

I have loved all of this authors books and this one is up there with the rest. I can't wait to read more from Katerina.

Twist and turns galore in this summer set thriller that casts a decidedly dark shadow. I loved the way in which the author built up the tension, creating all manner of suspects in what was a complex and tense missing persons case. There were a varied cast of characters who I didn't always feel i could trust and enough misdirection to leave readers a little blindsided by the ending. I certainly wasn't expecting it.

There is an uneasy quality to the whole read, something that leaves you a bit uncomfortable. The author skirts around the theme of grooming and of older people taking advantage of teenagers. The book opens in a manner that immediately spells out a sense of doom and that keeps the tension dripping into the narrative right to the last. With an unreliable narrator who is clearly hiding something, and chapters moving from past to present day, this is a gripping summer read that psychological thriller readers will love

I have been a huge fan of all of Katerina Diamond’s books since I read ‘The Teacher’, loving the series. So reading The Heatwave I was a little apprehensive as to what it would be like with it being a standalone thriller. But I was not disappointed! It kept me gripped from beginning to end.

I enjoyed the way the book kept jumping from the present to the past and how the life’s of the characters were slowly revealed. I warmed to the characters of Felicity and Jasmine and despite reading many crime novels, I did not predict the ending.

I would highly recommend this page turner, it will keep you intrigued. It’s style is easy to read and was very enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read one of my favourite authors and review this book.