Alison survives a massive brush fire that rips through her Australian town. She thinks she is safe after she realizes that she is still alive until she finds a dead woman in a car in her driveway. The woman has a note in her purse with Alison's name and address on it. The woman, Simone, and Alison have never met. But after some investigation, Alison recognizes that some parts of Simone's life has parallels to hers - including domestic violence and a past that she can't outrun.

While this book started out intense with the brushfire and the immediate aftermath, it ended up middling for me. Alison is a tough and troubled woman who's past helped formulate her present. Her decisions were frustrating at best and the emotional abuse that she suffered was sometimes hard to get through. I was more invested in the book in the beginning, but the ending was okay.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC. Radiant Heat is out now.

RADIANT HEAT was a story that sounded fantastic to me on paper. The synopsis and atmospheric setting initially reminded me of a Jane Harper novel, an Australian storyteller that I absolutely love. The issue of the wildfire is a timely one, and I appreciated the premise of the story. Overall, the story got a bit drawn out for me and could have been a bit tighter to make for a faster-paced read. Sarah-Jane Collins is a debut author and I give her some grace in that arena, and will give her another try with her next novel!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As Ginger Nuts readers know, horror comes in all manner of forms, whether on the page, on the screen or in real life,

In Radiant Heat, the debut novel by US-resident Australian journalist Sarah-Jane Collins, horror does not come in the form of a suave vampire, a frenzied werewolf or a gibbering Lovecraftian horror. Instead, the heart of this book lies with a more familiar, mundane evil, but that does not lesson the threat. It is more frightening if anything: this is a threat that could so easily be something faced by yourself or those you love.

Collins certainly knows how to craft an arresting opening as artist Alison King emerges from the cocoon of damp blankets she has wrapped round herself as she holes up in her bathroom to wait out one of Australia’s all too frequent bushfires.

Stepping out into a landscape of ash and blackened trees, Alison is shocked to find a strange cherry red car on her property. And in that car is the body of an unknown woman, seemingly untouched by the fire, but no less dead for that. A woman who looks like Alison, is the same age as Alison, lived in the same city she did. And carrying a piece of paper with Alison’s name and address.

As a narrative hook, it is a good one. The reader, like Alison, needs to know who this woman was, and why she has made the long journey from the north of Queensland to rural Victoria, and is beside Alison every step of the way as she tries to find out.

But Alison, still dealing with the loss of her parents and psychological demons of her own, is unsuited to being a sleuth, making clumsy attempts at finding out information and making bad decisions, the worst of them not leaving matters to that nice policeman who wants to be more than a one-night stand. But then, if she did that, there would be no book.

So instead, Alice leaves her home town behind and heads off in search of answers and a confrontation with her past, revisiting old haunts, old friends, old memories, but as she finds more answers, that quiet sense of menace builds to a real threat as she comes to realise what does connect her with the dead woman, and why she too might be in peril.

Alice is a complex and not entirely sympathetic character, but as Collins takes us into her head and shares her journey, we come to see why she has trust issues and the real story behind the death of her parents and why she has chosen her also hermit-like exile in the Outback.

Collins knows how to craft a sentence, building atmosphere and tension with a distinctly Aussie flavour that keeps you reading when the almost surreal opening in that apocalyptic landscape moves into more conventional psychological thriller territory. But it is really the character of Alice that gets under the reader’s skin and keeps you dangling on that narrative hook.

Maybe not to the taste of all Ginger Nuts readers, as it shuns the supernatural and would sit more comfortably on the bookshelf alongside such Assie Noir authors as Jane Harper or Chris Hammer than beside King or Campbell.

But watch out for a late page revelation that truly does earn Radiant Heat a place in in the horror category.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Radiant Heat is a story centering around a woman named Alison who survives a wildfire in the Australian outback. It was atmospheric and full of mystery, and I enjoyed it overall.

*many thanks to Berkley, Netgalley and prh audio for the gifted copy for review.

Radiant Heat sounds like SUCH an amazing fast paced thriller! After reading it, it isn't as much of a thriller as I thought it was going to be! I still really enjoyed it, but I went into it thinking it was going to be one thing and it wasn't so I got let down just a little.

I didn't love the main character and so it was hard to root for her when I really didn't care that much.

I do think if this book was a tad shorter it would definitely give the fast pace vibe!

A catastrophic wildfire spreads through a woman’s hometown and a dead body is discovered in her driveway. These events leave many questions and people searching for answers. This thriller will have you turning the page to find the ending. All of the characters in the book will leave you feeling doubtful about the truth. A really interesting read.

I enjoyed the setting and the writing, and it definitely grabbed and held my attention. But this book also made me understand all those people who give two-star reviews because they think the main character's decisions are bad.

Alison survives a wildfire only to find a woman dead in her driveway. As she tries to find out who the woman is and why she was there, she discovers a link to her abusive ex boyfriend. Overall, a dark mystery set in Australia surrounding Alison as she makes the connection between her past and the mystery woman. Many of the topics discussed are dark and Alison often makes confusing choices that seem to endanger herself or others.

Set in the Australian outback, Alison manages to survive the fire that rips through her hometown, only to find a dead woman in a car in her driveway. After further investigations, she realises that this woman has a very similar traumatic past. Good page turner, with a number of twists. Main character is slightly annoying in that she doesn't accept help from anyone and thereby puts others in danger.

When Alison survives a wildfire, she thinks she must be one of the luckiest people. When she finds a dead woman in her driveway holding a piece of paper with her name on it, she doesn't know what to think. She doesn't know who this woman is or why she was in her driveway. Alison is forced to look for answers. This mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat. Fantastic debut novel by Sarah-Jane Collins!

Disappointing. Unlikeable characters, except Sal. Dissatisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

Quick Synopsis:
After a wildfire rips through Alison’s hometown and literal backyard, she is left with the fire’s remnants. Amongst the ash, Alison discovers a woman’s body. The now deceased woman, Simone, was clearly looking for Alison. This knowledge inevitably leads Alison on a hunt for clues as to how the two women are connected.

Characters:
The MC, Alison, is a deeply flawed character who often makes questionable decisions. Through flashbacks, the reader discovers that Alison has survived serious trauma. I wanted to see how Alison’s story concluded despite finding her somewhat unlikable.

Storyline/Pacing:
This read was a bit faster paced than some of my other slow burn January reads. That is not to say that it’s a page turner, but the momentum was somewhat steady. I will say I rarely read books set in Australia and that may have been part of the draw for me on this one.

Overall:
I recommend this one to readers who:
-Enjoy unique settings
-Enjoy searching for hidden clues
-Enjoy atmospheric mysteries

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclosure:
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the Digital Review Copy of Radiant Heat. All opinions are my own.

This is such an intriguing story and I loved the Australian setting. The devastation of the wildfire is a difficult part to read and there are a few other uncomfortable moments in the story, but overall it's a really good debut. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters are well-developed. The pace is a bit slower, but adds to the confusing atmosphere and creates tension. The audiobook is a great way to enjoy this book, and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Radiant Heat was a thriller/mystery with an interesting hook. Alison barely survived a deadly wildfire that killed many around her town. When Alison goes to leave her home she finds a dead woman she doesn't know in a car in her driveway. The woman with her name and address on a paper in her hand, and as Allison learns more everything becomes more dangerous.

The opening chapter piqued my interest in made me want to keep reading, but the pacing of the story was really uneven. I struggled to get through the first 50%. The second half picked up, and I didn't want to put it down as things started to fall into place more. I'm glad I stuck with it, but it was hard getting through that first half. I also wish the story had been wrapped up a little more neatly. It felt like there were loose ends that would have been nice to have answers to.

This was an atmospheric slow burn of a mystery. I'm hesitant to really call this a thriller because I think it's too slow and character driven to call it that. In some ways this reminded me of The Dry by Jane Harper, but instead of just a drought we had roaring fires, which felt too real to how the world has been the last couple of years.

I never felt fully interested in Alison, but I did like the mystery she was trying to unravel. Now, I mentioned this being a character driven story, but this might be tough for some readers because Alison makes a lot of wrong choices and could be infuriating. I never felt anything for her in particular and was reading more for a resolution than anything else.

If you want atmosphere and mystery, pick this one up.

This is an interesting book set in Australia, where a woman who escapes a wildfire, finds herself, caught up in a mystery and worrying if someone is after her. The beginning of the book is set up very well, and the plot flows in a way that keeps you guessing, but intrigued at the same time. It’s a suspenseful book that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to Berkely for this arc! All thoughts are my own.

Cw: physical abuse, emotional abuse, death of a parent (off page)

Radiant Heat is an atmospheric mystery debut that takes place after a devastating bushfire in Australia. The reader follows Alison who just manages to escape certain death to find a woman dead in her driveway. Alison doesn’t know this woman, but after searching her purse for an ID, she finds a scrap of paper with Alison’s name and address on it. She soon sets out to figure out their connection while grappling with PTSD from the fire and other devastating events in her past.

I think this book described itself in its brief incorrectly as it makes it into a thrilling, murder mystery when it’s really not. Instead, we find ourselves following a woman who is rather unlikeable and you’re waiting for something BIG to happen when even around the 50% mark, you’re still wondering what the big reveal will be. And there is a reveal (and I won’t spoil it), but it’s rather lackluster and expected.

I ended up really struggling to read this book and had to take it in small chunks because I found myself kind of bored. I dropped some content warnings at the top of the review and while I don’t myself triggered by these topics, I do tend to avoid them because I don’t like reading them. If I had known that this book had those aspects, I don’t think I would have picked it up.

I still gave this book 3 stars as I did like the side characters such as Sal and Billy and I was intrigued by the setting and the premise of an Australian bushfire fallout. But I just don’t think this was a fantastic read unless you’re into these kinds of books.

Lots of drama! Alison survives a horrible bush fire. But now there is a body in her drive of someone that was coming to see her. She has no idea who this person is and proceeds to play detective. Alison has many personal issues stemming from a bad previous relationship, the death of her parents and now the loss of friends in this major fire. I expected more for the ending, unless there is more planned for a second book.

When a catastrophic wildfire suddenly rips through a woman’s hometown, she thinks she is lucky to have survived...until she finds a dead woman in her driveway, clutching a piece of paper with her name on it....

 

A horrific fire rips through Alison King's hometown of Lake Bend, Victoria, Australia. She is so thankful to be alive! The fire has changed direction and Alison is able to get out of her home. But she finds a dead woman in her driveway with a piece of paper in her hand. With Alison's name on it! Who is this woman and why does she have this piece of paper with Alison's name? This was an interesting book that grabbed my attention from the beginning.