Anita Waller's "One Hot Summer" takes readers on a relentless journey through a city ablaze with danger, where the flames of a killer's vendetta threaten to consume everything in its path. This gripping thriller, deserving of a solid four stars, is a testament to Waller's skill in crafting a suspenseful narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

The story revolves around DI Laura Henshall and DS Will Peters, tasked with unraveling the mystery behind two teenagers found dead in a fire. Initially dismissing it as a revenge attack gone awry, the investigators soon find themselves entangled in a web of arson, with fires erupting across the city. The tension escalates as they realize they are dealing with a malevolent force capable of bringing the entire city to its knees.

Waller masterfully weaves a plot that keeps the reader guessing at every turn. The pacing is relentless, mirroring the urgency of the detectives trying to piece together the puzzle before the next fire ignites. The characters are well-drawn, each with their complexities and motivations, adding layers of depth to the narrative.

The author's vivid descriptions evoke a sense of the scorching heat and the looming threat of disaster. The city itself becomes a character, its pulse quickening with every new fire that breaks out. Waller's ability to capture the atmosphere contributes significantly to the immersive experience of the novel.

"One Hot Summer" is not merely a crime novel but a commentary on the fragility of societal order when faced with an unseen menace. The exploration of the motives behind the arsonists adds a thought-provoking layer to the story, making it more than just a whodunit.

While the resolution ties up loose ends, there is a lingering sense of unease that lingers, a testament to Waller's ability to leave a lasting impact. The only slight drawback is that some plot points may feel slightly predictable to seasoned thriller enthusiasts.

In conclusion, Anita Waller's "One Hot Summer" is a sizzling thriller that blazes through the pages, leaving readers breathless. With a well-crafted plot, compelling characters, and an atmosphere charged with suspense, this book is a must-read for anyone craving a thrilling ride through the flames of a city on the brink.

Thank you Boldwood Books and Netgalley - what a great read.
My first book by Anita and it certainly won't be my last.
Great storyline, characters and it kept me hooked.
Highly recommend.

One Hot Summer starts with a fire in a Summer house that results in the death of two teenagers. DI Laura Henshell and DS Will Peters begin their investigation into what turns into a series of arson attacks in Sheffield. The book started with a lot of promise to be a fast paced thriller.

With one attack after another and a deadline to meet a ransom request, I expected a nail biting and edge of the seat thriller with loads of action. But half way through the book, it fizzled out into a slow paced novel with too much mundane routine about buying coffee machines, filling paperwork and just assigning cops to do night checks. It also didn't help that I figured out the fourth arsonist who is supposed to be the leader of the gang.

I definitely appreciate the plot setting and how the storyline of the book is different from usual thrillers that I read. The writing was detailed and descriptive which made the first half of the book, a quick read for me. The author painted a vivid picture of the characters, but some lacked depth. Overall, One Hot Summer had all the elements of a good thriller but I think it had potential to be better.

Anita Waller’s One Hot Summer is edgy, chilling and nail-biting crime fiction at its most addictive.

When two teenagers are found dead in a fire, DI Laura Henshall and DS Will Peters are called to the scene to get to the bottom of this tragic accident. All the evidence points to this being a revenge attack that had gone badly wrong and claimed two young lives. However, Henshall and Peters shouldn’t draw a line under this case so quickly because fires begin to crop up all over the city, leading them to wonder that there is something far more sinister and deadly afoot.

With the emergency services barely able to keep up with all the fires that are suddenly overwhelming the city, it’s becoming clear that somebody out there is determined to cause maximum havoc and destruction. With innocent lives at stake and a crazed killer on the loose, the detectives are up against it as they do their utmost to catch a murderer intent on bringing the city to its knees.

With time not on their side, will Henshall and Peters find the perpetrator in time? Or will more lives be lost as they find themselves going down one dead end after another?

One Hot Summer is a fast, furious and captivating crime novel that I struggled to put down. Anita Waller is a master at writing complex, layered and intelligent crime novels that keep readers guessing and One Hot Summer is an exhilarating rollercoaster ride with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers hooked until the early hours of the morning.

Guaranteed to keep crime fiction addicts glued to its pages, One Hot Summer is another superb page-turner by Anita Waller.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel released on Aug. 25, 2022.

This is my first read by this author. It definitely won’t be the last. There is so much I’ve loved about this book. An initial love, was the uniqueness of this book- I have never come across fiction with petrol bombing previously.

Waller has transported me to the pages with this one. It’s definitely a book that has captured my attention and hooked me quickly.

After the death of two teenagers, a police investigation begins. This then becomes a race against the clock before anyone else is hurt.

Add into the mix, a rogue cop- I definitely haven’t predicted who it could be. This makes a very exciting and gripping read. I have devoured page after page in just one sitting.

This is well written, perfectly paced and intriguing. I have loved this book and will definitely be recommending this.

Two teenagers are killed in a fire and this starts off a string of murders. I was disappointed in this book, it was well written and had great character development but it is a police procedural story and I thought it was going to be more of a thriller as it was presented as a thriller not a police procedural novel. If you do like police procedural stories then I think you will enjoy this one.

Grabs you from page 1. A city on fire. A killer who can’t be stopped. Who will be next?

When two teenagers are found dead in a fire, DI Laura Henshall and DS Will Peters are called in to investigate. They believe it was a revenge attack gone wrong.

But soon fires are cropping up everywhere, and the police suspect they’re dealing with something much bigger . . . something that could bring the city to its knees.

With time running out, can the detectives find the arsonists before the city goes up in flames?

One Hot Summer by Anita Waller
A city on fire. A killer who can't be stopped. Who will be next?
When two teenagers are found dead in a fire, DI Laura Henshall and DS Will Peters are called in to investigate. Soon fires are cropping up everywhere, and the police suspect they're dealing with something much more significant that could bring the city to its knees. With time running out, can the detectives find the arsonists before the city goes up in flames?
One Hot Summer is another compelling, well-written, fast-paced thriller by Anita Waller. The story has an explosive start and kept my attention all the way through to the stunning end.
The author's writing style instantly encompassed me. The characters are strong and assertive. It was also interesting to see how some of them combined their work and social lives. Sound, solid police procedurals certainly made the book realistic.
One Hot Summer is a clever, absorbing read that I am happy to recommend.
I want to thank publishers Boldwood Books, author Anita Waller and Rachel's Random Resources for the tour invite and a copy of the book to read and review.

I liked the mystery behind the fires. The police have no clue as to who is causing them or why. They come across a couple of dead ends while investigating but one thing's for sure... the perps mean serious business. Though it started as a harmless arson, it soon takes a turn for worse when body count starts to rise.

The identity of the killer was no surprise. There's a twist in the second half of the story - something to do with the police and the fires. A particular character ticked all the boxes of 'perp' and I did wonder if they were involved in the fires. Turns out, I was right.

The ending was a bit unexpected and shocking because Henshall has to face a brutal fact. I felt a little sad for the trauma that she had to go through.

My only niggle with this story was the relationship between DI Henshall and DS Peters. I don't mind when two detectives (in a story) are in a relationship but in this case, the detectives seemed overly eager to get to bed. (And the mushy talk... ugh!)

One other thing that caught my attention: when the fire incidents rise in number, Henshall asks for more policemen to join the search and her request is readily agreed. In almost all the police procedurals I have read so far, even in worst case scenario, the leading detective must work with limited manpower.

Overall, One Hot Summer by Anita Waller was an engrossing read.

This was an enjoyable, intense, crackling police procedural about a series of arson attacks. The heroine, DI Laura Henshall, is easy to root for. One minor quibble is that I didn't really like reading about her new romantic relationship with her partner DS Will Peters. Why are police partners in books always romantically involved?!? I suspect this is not true to life, but it didn't really detract from the story too much for me.

Two teens burn to death after trespassing into a summer house. Was the fire accidental and was the property owner to blame or the target? Henshall and Peters begin to investigate an emotional case which grows in scale as developments shock the community...
One Hot Summer is a police thriller set in Sheffield, England. It is the first book that I have read by this author but won't be the last!
We are dropped straight into the action as a fire spreads through a summer house. The deaths of the two teens is hugely emotive and the reaction of their families felt authentic. Sadly, these are not the only deaths and the arson attacks escalate rapidly. The whole police team are dedicated and determined to bring the killers to justice.
However, it is the fledgling relationship between Laura and Will that really captured my imagination. They are struggling to negotiate a romance alongside their professional lives but their colleagues are all supportive. I enjoyed seeing their softer sides which contrasted with their steely resolve to catch the killers.
The book is full of action and quite fast paced. I did guess the arson ringleader but this did not spoil my enjoyment of the book. The ending was totally shocking but I'm avoiding spoilers!
One Hot Summer was a gripping police novel and I loved the two main detectives.

WoW!!! One Hot Summer by Anita Waller was another excellent book. I was gripped from the beginning till the end. I just love the way Anita write's all her books. She has a way of pulling you into the book and once you start you do not want to out it down. This was no different. I loved it. Especially as it a great Holiday read

I highly recommend this book and all of her books They have been all 5 star reads from me

Big Thank you to netgalley and Boldwood books .who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Laura and Will investigate an outbreak of fires, which appear random, and people are being killed. Who are the killers and what is their motive? As the case escalates, there are tensions in the team. They race against time to stop further tragedies.
Fast paced, twisty thriller, a real page turner! Excellent book with great characters and an amazing plot. I loved Laura and Will's relationship and was totally hooked on this brilliant novel!

Two teenagers are killed when someone sets fire to the summer house of one of their neighbor's, Dave, backyard. DI Laura and DS Will are called to investigate. First they think that Dave has made enemies when he built the huge building. But soon, fires are set everywhere, and they need to find out who sets them before the whole city goes up in flames.
This was presented as a thriller, but it felt more like a police procedural. It was not very surprising, but I enjoyed it. The pace was good, the characters were good, and there was a great attention to details.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

One Hot Summer by Anita Waller.
A city on fire. A killer who can’t be stopped. Who will be next?
Wow. What a roller coaster of a read. Brilliant. Love this author. 5*.

WOW! This was one hell of an emotional roller-coaster. From page one I was gripped and desperately needed to know what happened, and even now I can't get my head around that ending.

This book is so well written, and the heart-wrenching narrative is dealt with beautifully.

The characters are so well written, and feel like genuine people we can all empathize with. All the characters in the novel gel together really well.

The twists in this novel made you constantly wonder who to trust, everyone felt like a suspect at one point or another.

I will definately read Anita Waller again in the future, and I want to thank @bookandtonic for sending me this to review.
#onehotsummer @anitawallerauthor

📖BOOK TOUR REVIEW📖

It’s been quite a while since I’ve read this author’s work but I have several of her books on my TBR list. She has an entertaining writing style. The first chapter pulled me in and I was kept entertained throughout the rest. While it’s not extremely graphic, it could be a trigger for some.

I instantly became attached to the two mothers that lost their children. They were the characters that kept me invested in reading this police procedural to the end.

The relationship between the two cops was a bit of a drawback for me. I don’t read romance and their new relationship, with its flirtation, was a little much for my liking. But if the fast-paced, head-over-heels falling in love is your thing, you’ll probably like Laura and Will more than I did.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for the complimentary ARC provided through NetGalley. And thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the tour invite.

#onehotsummer #anitawaller #boldwoodbooks #newrelease #policeprocedural #rachelsrandomresources #blogtour #blogtourhost #booktour #netgalley #advancedreaderscopy #giftedbook #honestbookreview #usbookreviewer #bookreviewer #crimeandcocktailsbookcrew
#mysteryandthrills #readwithme #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks#cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecommendations #readingintherockies

The novel begins with a shocking start as two teenagers are killed in a fire. The police become involved, with DI Laura Henshall and DS Will Peters from the Serious Crimes Unit in Sheffield investigating. But while they are working hard to solve that crime, another arson attack happens…
Wow! You’re right into the action with the dramatic first chapter. It’s all go! You want to find out what happened and who was responsible, while following the kids’ families too and seeing how they cope with such devastating news.
The police are great, Laura and Will have a wonderful chemistry and are instantly likeable. It’s always fascinating to follow how the police investigate – and hopefully solve – a crime and that also piqued my interest immediately. You want justice for the victims and their families. I found myself trying to solve it all alongside the police!
All the characters are very believable and I was instantly absorbed into their world and lead into the action. Even the little cameo appearances are beautifully done, especially Joanne the barmaid, the feisty Veronica and young Todd!
It’s hard telling you much more because I don’t want to give anything away – but be prepared for some surprises and shocks along the way! This was definitely a page turner and I’ll look forward to reading more of Anita Waller’s novels, maybe even another with DI Laura Henshall.

Fires are spreading across the town and the body count is increasing; a ransom demand has been made but when the council will not pay and there are only days left before more lives could be lost, it is down to Laura and Will, with their team, to find the arson terrorists before they strike again.

This novel will constantly stay with you, I found myself invested physically and emotionally through the writing; and had tears reading it.

I had guessed two parts of this storyline and it left me scared not wanting to read on, as I didn't want to be correct. Waller rights with control for the characters as well as the narrator giving the reader everything they could want but also shocking them at the same time.

Each character brought an individualness to this narrative and you couldn't help but like them, it is because of this, that the author will then slip the rug from under your feet; this shows great writing and skill at capturing the audience.

This is a really quick read and one I highly recommend, I can see this becoming a series and one I could easily have as a go-to.