Title: The Heatwave
Author: Katerina Diamond
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: June 25th 2020
Publisher: Avon
Finished reading: June 20th 2020
Pages: 400
“There are places I haven’t been yet because I am afraid. It’s not the places I fear though, it’s the memories that come with them.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I admit that I was curious about The Heatwave as soon as I first read the blurb, and after reading the first positive reviews I couldn’t resist requesting a copy. I still think that both the blurb and the premise of this story are rock solid, and The Heatwave is by no means a bad read… But somehow, even though I can’t put my finger exactly on the why, the story didn’t manage to convince me completely in the end. I’ll try to explain below why.
First of all I have to stress that a 3 star rating by no means turns this psychological thriller into a bad read, but rather represents my personal reaction to The Heatwave. It might just be that it’s time for me to take a little break from this kind of psychological thrillers, as I’m still not sure why I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I thought I would. The elements are definitely there, with an interesting premise, lots of secrets, plenty of lies and a missing girl cold case from 16 years ago. The story uses a dual storyline structure, where it switches between the present and flashbacks to 16 years ago to slowly discover more about what happened that summer. The past and present are linked both through the main characters and the two different missing girl cases… And it was interesting to see the two storylines collide and develop over time.
That said, I did found part of the plot to be quite cliche or at least nothing new, and especially the flashback chapters were slowgoing and could get pretty frustrating. Likewise, I didn’t like the present POV all that much either, as the main character was simply too frantic and mysterious about why she HAD to go back after 16 years away. I know the lack of explanation is used to try and add more suspense as well as increase the effects of the plot twists, but I failed to connect to the main character as a result and it made me enjoy the story less. I also thought that the final reveals were a bit over the top and they didn’t really match the pace and intensity of the rest of the story. Sure, they were shocking and mostly unexpected, but I didn’t really think it was a credible outcome to be honest…
I mentioned the main character and my lack of connection to her before, and this is basically what happened with every single character in play. I wasn’t sure about their development either, mostly because with more than one there were cliches involved and I wondered about the credibility of their actions and reactions to events. The whole seducing/grooming a minor in the flashback chapters left me with a bad taste in my mouth and overall the characters didn’t exactly make it easier to stay invested and properly enjoy The Heatwave.
In short, while I confess that still struggle to properly point out all of my issues, somehow I sadly wasn’t all that impressed by The Heatwave despite the promising premise. It might just be me having read too many similar psychological thrillers and needing a break from the genre, but it is what it is I guess.
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I have heard the same in other reviews. Yikes there is grooming… So not my favorite Trope. Ah well, I have the book, now it is pushed further down
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Good to know I’m not the only one… And yes, if you don’t like reading about grooming, this might not be the best book to pick up right now. xx
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Like you, I don’t see three star ratings as bad. What you write helps shape my opinion. Excellent review, Yvo💜
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I know right? A lot of people look down/complain about three star ratings, but I see it more as a book that is good, but some parts just didn’t work for me. xx
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Fab review Yvo too bad it didn’t work for you xx
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Oh well, we can’t like them all. 😉 I do think I might just not be in the mood for this type of story right now. xx
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Sorry it didn’t work for you, Yvo. You make some valid points, I guess these elements just didn’t bother me the way they did you 🤷♀️
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I think I’m just not in the mood for this type of story right now though? At least the psychological/domestic thrillers I’ve tried weren’t all that successful in general. xD
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Not being able to connect with characters definitely negatively affects my enjoyment level. I hope you find yourself enjoying your next thriller! Sometimes I need a break from a particular genre to really appreciate it again.
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Very true! I’ve decided to try and stay away from psychological and domestic thrillers for a while as I don’t seem to enjoy them much recently. xx
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