A good Holiday based thriller which I would have given 5 stars to if it hadn't drag along in some places, I found myself saying get a move on but other than that it was a good read. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #Amazon.co.uk, #FB, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

Sara Ochs’ “The Dive” is a masterful thriller that takes readers on an exhilarating journey into the depths of suspense and intrigue. With its engrossing plot, well-crafted tension, and pulse-pounding pace, this book unquestionably deserves its five-star rating as a captivating and unputdownable read.

From the very first page, “The Dive” grabs hold of your attention and refuses to let go. The story follows protagonist Mia as she embarks on a seemingly idyllic getaway with her friends, only for their vacation to take a sinister turn. Ochs’ writing style is expertly crafted to create an immersive experience, pulling readers into the narrative with vivid descriptions and an unrelenting sense of tension.

The strength of “The Dive” lies in its ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The plot unfolds with a perfect blend of suspenseful twists and turns that leave you guessing at every corner. Ochs’ meticulous pacing ramps up the tension with each passing chapter, making it a genuine page-turner that you won’t want to put down.

Mia, the central character, is skillfully developed, providing depth and emotional investment for readers. As her past and present collide in a series of unexpected events, her resilience and determination make her a relatable and compelling protagonist.

Sara Ochs’ mastery of suspense shines through in the intricate web of mystery and intrigue she weaves throughout “The Dive.” The psychological elements of the story heighten the suspense, as characters’ motivations and secrets come to light, leaving you second-guessing everything you think you know.

In conclusion, “The Dive” by Sara Ochs is an enthralling thriller that delivers on every front. With its gripping plot, well-defined characters, and expertly executed suspense, the book easily earns its five-star rating. If you’re in search of a heart-pounding, roller-coaster ride of a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, “The Dive” is an excellent choice. Prepare to be immersed in a world of mystery, suspense, and unexpected twists that will leave you breathless and eagerly awaiting the next literary journey crafted by the talented Sara Ochs.

Cass is a diving instructor in Thailand and when one of her students turns up dead she’s shocked. Then a second person on the island dies. What’s going on?

This was such a refreshing thriller to read I really enjoyed the setting and the general creepiness of what was going on. It was really hard to put down and I read most of it all in one sitting. I really didn’t work out who was the killer at all I was so shocked and the ending had me gasping so good! This was a fantastic debut and I hope the author writes more as I’d be first in the queue.

I found The Dive to be a completely unputdownable read. Set on the paradise island of Koh Sang it soon becomes apparent that everyone holds secrets, some of which will turn deadly. It had so many twists and turns and an ending that I did not see coming. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for my ARC.

A roller-coaster ride of a book with more twists and turns than I ever thought possible, Sara Ochs' 'The Dive' transports the reader to paradise, but the fictionalised Koh Sang island is everything but.

Introducing us to diving instructor Cass and her group of expat friends, 'The Permanents', it quickly becomes clear that everyone on the island has a secret - and someone will kill to keep theirs.

By the time Cass and her students return from their first dive, one person is dead and parallels are being drawn to another "accident", and no matter how sure I was about whodunnit, nothing prepared me for how the book draws to a close.

Combining themes from Alex Garland's 'The Beach' and Charlie Donlea's 'Those Empty Eyes', 'The Dive' had me HOOKED from beginning to end. While the last two or so chapters felt like things were being tied off too neatly, there's one last hurrah that shakes things up once more and I absolutely loved it.

What an exhilarating rollercoaster of a journey! I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Koh Sang, a fictional Thai party island, famed for its scuba diving opportunities.

The island is an off-the-beat holiday destination, home to a group of 'Permanents', travellers from across the globe who have chosen Koh Sang to be their new home. They make a living by hosting other travellers who are passing through, and are a close knit group of friends, often to the envy of other visitors to the island. Cass offers scuba-diving lessons with Neil, her fiancé Logan runs the bar, their friend Greta gives yoga lessons and so on; its an idyllic lifestyle far away from everyday life.

Travel influencer Brooke comes to the island and connects with the Permanents straight away, hanging around with them in the evenings at night, trying to find her place. Her burgeoning romance with Neil helps draw her in too. But when she starts asking questions about a tourist who died in a tragic accident, she's quickly shut down and made to feel excluded. When this is followed by another freak death, Brooke's suspicions are raised further.

The story is told from two view points, Brooke and Cass. Cass came to Koh Sang to escape her past; we don't know what happened but its something that she is still trying to hide, even changing her name when she came to Koh Sang. As the story develops, it becomes clear that Cass isn't necessarily the clean-cut woman that she seemed at first, with a lot more complexity to her story.

The chapters alternate between Cass and Brooke's perspectives; the relationship between the two women plays out well, with the initial friendship and developing suspicions between the two coming out in both stories.

The twists as the tale develops kept me on my toes, I didnt suspect the ending at all!

This is the perfect summer beach read and had me desperate to book a plane ticket despite all the murder!
Full of all the twists and turns I love in a thriller, I was hooked very quickly and second guessing everybody.
Definitely recommend!

A debut book for this author! It was well worth reading and had me hooked from the very first chapter!

The Dive is a very cleverly plotted, dual perspective thriller with an unexpected conclusion.

Scuba diving instructor Cass has made a new life for herself at a resort on Thailand’s world-famous party island,Koh Sang. Leaving behind her troubled past, and old identity, she has made new friends and is happily engaged to Logan. Her job is fun and going great, until one morning when a routine diving class is disrupted by the discovery of the body of a tourist who was supposed to be on the dive. Also on the island is travel influencer Brooke, who is looking for the perfect story to boost her followers, and is also pursuing her own agenda.

Frequently shifting the perspective between Cass and Brooke, Sara smoothly builds up the mystery about the dead tourist and another recent incident. The opening sections are a little slow, but Sara uses them to create a sense of underlying tension and suspicion, as well as making it clear that all the expatriate workers at the island resort have secrets that they want to keep hidden. Once I got into the story, I could not put it down, and the final stages are full of surprising twists, and a shock or two.

The resort and the location are beautifully described, and Sara creates a good sense of place, that also highlights the hidden dangers. The ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the operation of the resort is also well done, although you mainly see the expatriate European workers in action. The Thai workforce and population are largely invisible, apart from the predictably corrupt and lazy local police.

In all, The Dive is an enjoyable and fun read. Some of the events towards the end require a suspension of disbelief, but the final ending makes up for it.

How is this a debut novel???!! This story totally had me at HELLO 👋

Pitched as THE GUESTLIST meets THE BEACH ..this thriller was so my bag!

Set on an island in Thailand this compelling story told from dual POV of two girls, Cass a diving instructor and Brooke an Instagram influencer... throw in lots of cool characters, an incredible setting, cool beach bars, a couple of grizzly murders and BAM! you have a great story with many threads that come together with a twisty bang at the end.

The absolute perfect summer beach read. I tanked this beauty in two days.

I cannot wait to see what the Author comes up with next.

This was a bit of a roller-coaster. I was hooked during the telling and there is a really great unexpected twist but I had a slight feeling of 'was that it' by the end. With many of the characters undeveloped it seemed a little pointless as I didn't really understand the motivations. It also made it difficult to play along and guess who did it. An easy, enjoyable read but I wanted more.

I thought this was going to be the stereotypical thriller that guides the readers this and and that but for thriller fans the obvious killer would stand out by a mile. This was only partly this case which was a pleasant surprise.
I'm a sucker for beautiful holiday locations and live vicariously through these 20 somethings who work/travel abroad like I wish I had done. Thailand sounds beautiful, aside from the dead bodies!
The book focus mainly on 2 girl storylines in current time and how their pasts are linked, one thing I'm not a fan of is being kept in the dark about our main characters, I like to know them and believe we know their truths from page 1 which wasn't entirely true in this particular book however by the halfway point we're all caught up.
Despite parts sometimes being a little far fetched and predictable I did enjoy this and its an easy holiday thriller set in a beautiful location ( scuba diving is going on the bucket list now).
The ending was sad though but I guess you can't always have a happy ending. Thank you for the copy #NetGalley #TheDive

A murder mystery set in a beautiful paradise. I loved the setting and found the book to be a good pace, everyone was a suspect and I was invested from the start.

Cass came to the beautiful island of Koh Sang, Thailand, because she was running from her past. Now she is a scuba dive instructor and engaged to a handsome Scotsman who owns a bar on the island. They are living their best of lives, so it seems. But underneath lurks darkness and not everything is as perfect as it seems. When a girl is found dead on one of Cass’ diving classes, things begin to get ugly. This girl is not the first tourist who died recently.

At first I had some problems finding into the story. There was something about the writing. It was not a smooth flow and I could not connect to the characters. Actually, I mixed all the male characters up until half of the book. But slowly the story gets twisty and unpredictable. It was fun to read and follow the twists but don’t expect this to be very realistic. The motives of some of the characters did not convince me. But the end is spine-chilling and I did not expect that. “The Dive” is an easy summer read with an unrealistic but gripping story which I enjoyed.

Lucy should be in the dive group, probably hungover, so they swim out without her, but they come back with her, or rather with her drowned body. The dive took place off the shore of Koh Sang, a small island in Bali, home to a mixed bunch of ex-pats, known as the “Permanents” because they have chosen to live here, running a small dive centre, a basic hotel, and a wild bar. Cass, a relative newcomer, was the dive instructor, and saw that the body had been wedged down and that there are clearly bruises on her neck. Murder she says, but the police rule it an accidental death. Lucy is the second girl to ‘accidentally’ die at the hotel. Cass gets involved in trying to identify the killer, working with Brooke, a Travel Influencer, moving around the planet, settling in places for short periods, and broadcasting to her followers. They agree that the killer must be one of the Permanents, but can’t believe that one of their friends could do this.
This is a suspenseful thriller, although the first third or so is overwritten and drags in places. It does pick up as we reach the final showdown, which then swings too far in the other direction. It is told from the alternating viewpoints of Cass and Brooke, delivered piecemeal to maintain interest and, possibly, tension. Are all these people as they seem, what has brought them to this place? The ending resolves all of these issues but it is quite messy and I found it unsatisfactory, although I’m sure that many readers will get carried away with trying to identify the killer and their motivation, and ignore the many inconsistencies.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review. So 3.5 stars round to 4,

This is a cool summer thriller, perfect for holiday reading. 'The Dive' is about Cass, newly engaged and a diving instructor on Koh Sang. Her life seems to be paradise but after a dive goes wrong and a student dies, suddenly it doesn't feel so idylic. Surrounded by people who have all stayed on the island to avoid their own secrets and regrets, how far will they go to protect their pasts?

The book swaps perspectives between Cass and Brooke, a format of Thrillers that I particularly love. As the plot unravels, we begin to understand the secrets they are holding. The plot is pretty straightforward yet engaging but that ending! Wow! It really has a whodunit vibe that keeps you guessingnuntil the end.

"The Dive" is a fab beach companion perfect for your holiday read!

Thanks to the author Sarah Ochs, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

Brilliantly atmospheric and completely captivating!

I love a book that takes me somewhere else in the world. This one took me to Thailand and with its white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, I soon felt myself dreaming of being there. That was until the body count started piling up! 😬

Cass is a scuba diver instructor on the island of Koh Sang. Recently engaged, life is good and she couldn’t be happier. Sadly her happiness is short-lived when one of her students is found dead at the bottom of the ocean! Things then start to take a downward spiral for Cass and to make matters worse someone knows about her past. What is Cass hiding and does she know more about what happened to her student than she’s letting on?

Every character in this book seems to have some kind of secret from their past, making them all suspicious and untrustworthy. I love that in a book as it makes it difficult to work out who’s up to no good.

This story is extremely well-written, perfectly paced and incredibly atmospheric. I can’t believe that it’s a debut for this author! If this is her first book then I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

An action-packed travel thriller that might put you off backpacking 🤣 If you loved The Beach back in the year 2000 then you’ll love this!

Thank you to Sara Ochs, Transworld Books and NetGalley for my copy of this fantastic book.

A fast-paced, fun novel about a small island off the coast of Thailand, away from the main tourist areas, where everyone seems to have something to hide…

Firstly, this book’s name suggests it will be heavily centred around diving. Though this does feature, the book is more about the diving school’s staff, pupils and the people around the island and their reactions as yet another tragedy takes place.

The story is told from Cass and Brooke’s points of view. Both are intriguing in their own ways, and the fact we see inside their heads shows us that all is not as it seems. We soon realise that Cass, one of the diving instructors, has a history she’s desperately trying to hide from her new friends and fiance whilst her new best friend (for all of 2 weeks!) Brooke, who is Instagram-famous, has her own secrets too… but who can we trust?

The setting is beautiful – it takes me back to my trip to Thailand – but the author manages to infuse a real sense of danger into the scenic setting. There are plenty of twists and the plot moves along quickly, keeping me engaged with the story.

The Dive is a fun, absorbing thriller which I really enjoyed reading.

Bit of a slow start but really gets going towards the end! Scene setting was great, felt I was there! Loved the dual pov and it was so twisty it kept me gripped!

I could not put this book down! I had to know what was happening next throughout the whole book, a brilliant story with twists and an ending I DID NOT SEE COMING! A fantastic read, can’t wait to read more from this author