This book started off pretty slow for me, and it took me longer than usual to finish. It did pick up after the first third, but I think part of the struggle was that I didn’t trust any of the characters, which made it hard to connect with them or feel invested in the outcome.

I liked the dual timelines, but I wish the big evening had happened a bit sooner—it felt like the buildup dragged on for too long.

Early on, I had a theory about the twist, but as more details unfolded, I second-guessed myself and thought I was wrong. Turns out, I was right in the end—but the journey kept me engaged because I was never completely sure of anything.

Overall I think this was still a worthwhile read. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

High Season is one of those books that sneaks up on you. It’s wrapped in a sun-drenched, retro-glam setting—South of France, private villas, luxurious pools—but don’t let that fool you. Underneath the sheen is a slow-burning psychological mystery that digs into family trauma, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

The story centers on Nina, who at six years old became the youngest person to testify in a French murder trial after her teenage babysitter was accused of killing Nina’s sister, Tamara. Now, twenty years later, Nina’s hazy memories are being pulled back into the spotlight thanks to a buzzy new true crime documentary. As old footage resurfaces and the public starts dissecting her story all over again, Nina starts to question whether what she remembered was the truth—or something more complicated.

Told in dual timelines, the book moves between that infamous summer in the early 2000s and Nina’s present-day reckoning. Katie Bishop does a great job creating a moody, immersive atmosphere, full of tension and emotional complexity. Nina is a layered character—flawed, uncertain, and deeply human. You feel her discomfort, not just about what happened back then, but about how her identity has been shaped by something she only half-understands.

What I especially liked was how High Season examines our cultural obsession with true crime. Through interviews, transcripts, and documentary scenes peppered throughout, Bishop subtly critiques how public narratives often strip away nuance in favor of drama. There’s a meta quality here that adds depth without feeling heavy-handed.

That said, some of the timeline shifts and perspective changes could have been a little smoother—I occasionally found myself flipping back to ground myself in where/when we were. But the final act makes up for any early confusion. It’s emotionally resonant, thoughtfully handled, and gave me exactly the payoff I was hoping for.

If you’re into slow-burn mysteries with complicated family dynamics, unreliable memories, and the kind of quiet tension that builds until it cracks, High Season is a great pick. Perfect for fans of Ashley Audrain, Megan Miranda, or anyone who loves a mystery with real emotional weight.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance reader’s copy!

Take this review with a grain of salt - the grain being that I'm becoming increasingly certain that books in the mystery/thriller genre in the last, say, three to five years are unfortunately not now what my bookish heart enjoys. Craves - I want to like them, probably, but it's rarely quite satisfying enough.

And the same is true with Katie Bishop's High Season.

It's a theoretically good mystery/thriller. There are a couple twists I absolutely did not see coming and the ending - if we pretend the epilogue doesn't exist, is really satisfying.

But I have moral/ethical issues with the whole TikTok/podcast/blogger true crime obsession in real life, as it were, in which random people treat tragedy like a game of Whodunit without concern for the survivors. So it was hard to get into a novel about it.

Story-wise, the biggest issue for me was the time skips back and forth between 2004 and 2024. The happened abruptly, and unless you're paying very close attention the years 2004 and 2024 can look pretty similar and you might miss that there was a jump. And then the 2004 stuff was written in present tense? Time is weird.

Anyway, if that's the sort of thing that you like to read, though, absolutely no judgments from me. I hope you like it.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for the chance to read an early copy of this book.

"High Season" by Katie Bishop is a captivating mystery that I devoured in a single day. The narrative unfolds at a brisk pace, alternating between two timelines. In the present, we follow Josie Jackson as she returns to the glamorous beachfront town where she was convicted of murder two decades ago. The story also delves into Josie's teenage years, depicting the summer leading up to Tamara's murder alongside her friends. Nina, who was just five years old when she witnessed her sister’s tragic death and testified during the trial, now grapples with doubts about her memories from that time. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the ending was truly exceptional. This book is a perfect choice for a beach read!

I extend my gratitude to Net Galley and the publisher for providing the advance reader's copy for review.

High Season by Katie Bishop is a slow burn of a book taking place in two different timeframes and with multiple POV's. The big question in this novel is 'who killed Tamara Drayton?' Tamara's death occurred in 2004 and the main witness was Nina Drayton, a six year old child. As a result of her testimony, Josie Jackson is sentenced to 20 years in prison. It is now 2024 and, armed with a PhD in child psychology, Nina returns to her home in the south of France. Nina rarely visits her home as it triggers memories that she'd like to keep below the surface. She wonders whether she was too young to have testified and whether memory is the same thing as truth,

What happened on that tragic day in 2004.? Mostly, it had all been forgotten and laid to rest but in 2024, the murder is once again in the public eye, brought to light by a podcaster. And, importantly, Josie Jackson, the woman imprisoned for Tamara's murder, is free.

I enjoyed the characterizations and felt like they were nicely rounded out. I especially enjoyed reading about Evelyn Drayton, the washed out mother of the Drayton clan. Once a socialite and am 'it' person, she is now a slurring alcoholic who has gone through multiple husbands and boyfriends. She leaves the care of her children to paid home help and babysitters.

I thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katie Bishop for the opportunity to read this advanced review copy of High Season.

A read that is dual time, a time before the death of seventeen year old Tamara Drayton, and then twenty years later. Tamara and her family are old money in Côte d’Azur in France, and we are there for the mother's birthday.
Friends, or people who use others, and then someone is accused of murder. Did she do it? A pod caster gets involved twenty years later, and I did guess whom the culprit was, but the journey there was full of surprises.
I did love that there is closure for some and some justice for others, I did feel sorry for Nina, and more so after the facts are revealed!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

This book was so great! I enjoyed reading every word and my attention was kept at all times. I also really loved the writing style of this author. I am excited to read more from Katie Bishop. This book contained elements of mystery and suspense, and the ending was not "obvious" as it is with a lot of books in this genre. Well done!

Nina was only 6 years old when she watched her sister Tamara died in a pool. Josie was found guilty of this because of Nina’s testimony… 20 years later, Josie is out of prison which seems to have the interest of a podcast. They are bringing up questions Nina can’t quite remember anymore.

It was overall a great storyline but needed a little bit more of a few things to keep you engaged. If you have never read a book by Katie Bishop, I highly recommend you grab The Girls of Summer.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katie Bishop for the advanced reader.

Katie Bishop’s High Season was a ride from start to finish. I did not read her debut novel, but I will definitely be checking it out after what an impressive ride High Season was.

High Season tells the story of the death of Tamara Drayton, found face-down in the pool of the family mansion at the birthday party of her socialite mother Evelyn Drayton in the Côte d’Azur in France. The Draytons were high society, and the family included Evelyn, an interchangeable husband, twins Tamara and Blake, and the youngest, Nina. With staff maintaining the home, grounds, and care of the children, they wanted for nothing but love (so it seems).

The family’s occasional babysitter, Josie Jackson, was found guilty of the murder and jailed for a decade for the crime. The only witness? Five year old Nina Drayton, the youngest person to ever testify at a French murder trial.

20 years later, a podcast focusing on true crime brings the case back to the forefront, asking questions and casting doubt on what happened. This story is told in a dual timeline scenario, enhancing both the backstory and weaving the cloth of the story in present day.

In 2024, it finds the surviving characters in a variety of different ways - trying to navigate families, blazing a new trail after incarceration, and still attempting to answer the biggest question in the room - did Josie Jackson kill Tamara Drayton, or did something else happen that night?

While it was a slow burn at times, High Season was a beautiful ride through idyllic France, though a much darker ride than many would anticipate.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to check out what could be a top read for summer 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC.

One fateful summer that would change everything. We're first introduced to Nina then gradually we're introduced to her siblings and other characters who are all an integral part of the story. It's a slow burn to begin with lots of characters and scene building. Which I found a little confusing to keep up with trying to remember who was who. There's a lot of information to digest quickly as well as having past and present timelines. Despite the heavy amount of information, about a quarter of the way in it feels like it's building and the story really begins. We also have multiple points of view plus blog style chapters scattered in. We go between the past and the present (side by side) seeing where the twenty years in between has taken Nina and the other characters. Ultimately, arriving at the fateful night climaxing at where we end up today. I did however anticipate the ending. But it's a well written and exciting story of mystery, heartbreak, loss, secrets and lies. It beautifully shines light on the nostalgia of summer as well as the magic and beauty in the simple things that are often taken for granted in life.

Masterful writing with a unique direction. Characters were compelling, relatable and their situation was believable (which can be difficult to come accross.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s the 20th anniversary of Tamara Drayton’s murder & the case has been brought back into the spotlight because of TikTok & a new true crime documentary. The case was solved, yet many are questioning the testimony of Tamara’s sister Nina. She was 6 years old when she accused her babysitter Josie Jackson of the crime & that solidified the guilty verdict.

High Season will take you on a slow burn journey told between past and present with multiple POVs on how one summer night in the French Riviera changed the lives of many. Ultimately, finding out if Josie Jackson was Tamara’s killer or if it was someone else?

When I read this novel, I felt like I was there among the characters. Katie Bishop takes a summer setting and surrounds you in the environment. I could imagine the summer heat and the parties of the upper echelon. High Season is a thriller that will have you questioning everyone that was in Tamara Drayton’s life. I couldn’t stop reading because when I thought I was confident about what happened, a twist would occur. This summer thriller should be added to your TBR.

“High Season” by Katie Bishop is a twisty thriller set in the south of France. The Drayton family has returned 20 years after the murder of their daughter and sister Tamara by her sister’s babysitter. Or was she falsely accused and sentenced. The book was atmospheric and kept me in suspense till the end.

A solid murder mystery set in the French Riviera. This book has all the elements you'd want - a complicated backstory, complex characters, obvious and hidden rivalries, glitz and glamour, gorgeous setting - but somehow it didn't quite come together. Perhaps it was the lack of likable characters, the predictable ending, or the slow pacing. Worth a read, but didn't really do it for me.

Thank you to NetGallery and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you liked Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid or Night Swim my Megan Goldin you will probably like this.

TikTok true crime vids? Interviews? Down to earth writing? Compelling characters? This book has pretty much everything I love in a mystery/thriller.

I honestly loved this. I love how the author says so much without fully saying it. The way that so many time crime content creators speak disrespectfully about cases, forgetting that the people and victims involved are actually real people. I was interested in the way a case blowing up can really affect the victims, and not in the best ways. Many true crime content creators want to bring light to cases and get attention to them, but is that actually helping every time?

I loved how this was written as well. The multimedia format really modernizes this kind of story, making this a digestible read for members of any generation. I will say this is very much a mystery and not so much a thriller.

I only knocked off a star due to pacing and some repetitiveness.

Definitely give this one a shot when it releases! I very much enjoyed it.

High Season by Katie Bishop is an absolute gem of a novel that effortlessly blends the intrigue of a murder mystery/thriller with the depth and emotion of literary fiction. From the very first page, I was hooked by the well-developed characters and the engaging plot.

The main female characters are particularly noteworthy, each one likable and richly drawn. Their interactions and personal journeys add layers of complexity to the story, making it a truly immersive experience.

One of the standout elements of the book is the documentary aspect, which adds a unique and fun twist to the narrative. It keeps the reader engaged and adds an extra layer of realism to the unfolding mystery.

Overall, High Season is a must-read for fans of both thrillers and literary fiction. Katie Bishop has crafted a story that is not only thrilling but also deeply emotional and thought-provoking. I highly recommend it!

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

High Season was emotional, gripping, tender and tells a twisty story of truth, memory, coming of age, and kept me flipping through the pages till the very end. Nina , when she was 6, was the youngest witness to testify at her own sister's murder trial 20 years later, when she returned to the crime scene, as a true crime documentary is being made about the murder, Nina is forced to examine her own meomory no matter what the cost. Great pyschological thriller.

When six-year old Nina witnesses her older sister's murder, she becomes one of the youngest children to testify in a murder trial in France. Years later, the memory of that night still haunts her. When a documentary crew comes to town to highlight the case, she must confront her memories of that night and grapple with how reliable they truly are. I really enjoyed the commentary woven throughout High Season on true crime and social media, and the way that murder and death gets turned into content for attention, money, and fame.

Fantastic story with well rounded and fleshed out characters. Drawn into the finish and highly recommend

High Season was the best book I have read so far this year. I loved the variety of characters Ms. Bishop has created. While some characters were not necessarily likable, they were all 'relatable'. I usually like books that go back and forth in time, and Ms. Bishop has done a great job in this. Her shift between time periods was smooth and built stories and characters profiles in a wonderful way. There was always a feeling of suspense, even 'danger', that kept me reading. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next!