Nina’s emotional conflict felt so real, her role in the conviction of someone who might have been innocent haunts her, and you feel that weight with every page you turn. The shifting timeline really pulls you in, and by the end, I was left reeling, unable to put the book down until I had answers. What I didn’t expect was how this book would get under my skin. It wasn’t just the twisty mystery of what really happened to Tamara that grabbed me, but the fact that it made me question my own memories, too. The author did a brilliant job of creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the last page. So, if you love mystery and thrillers that make you think and really dive into the complexity of human experience, this is the book for you.

Katie Bishop’s second book is about a possible wrongful conviction. A young woman was found dead in a pool, in the grounds of an opulent house on the Côte d'Azur, and the nearest thing to a witness of the crime is a five-year old girl. The book is set 20 years on, and even the girl, now adult, is not sure of her testimony and the guilt and uncertainty continues to disturb her. What really happened?

High Season tells the story, skipping back and forth from the present to the past. The two perspectives gradually converge. Agatha Christie style, all the suspects arrive at the scene of the crime thinking about the past (or trying not to think about it), and piece by piece the truth emerges.

This is a better book than Bishop’s first, The Girls of Summer, though it shares some of the same themes, in particular how the rich and powerful take advantage of those less privileged, and the suffering of young women in particular, thanks to a toxic combination of romantic attachment and unscrupulous men.

It is a better book for several reasons. The plot is more interesting, and if you leapt to conclusions in the earlier chapters, they were most likely the wrong ones. The portrayal of the cruelty and dysfunctionality of a wealthy family is both compelling and horrific. The atmosphere of the book is richer: claustrophobic, sumptuous, affectionate with regard to the beauty of the location. Powerful themes are woven together: coming of age, prejudice, romance both doomed and otherwise, the intersection of privilege and hopelessness.

There is another thing too: there is a social media element which is both critical to the plot and non-judgemental; it is not the central theme but it is an important one and I enjoyed that.

I also like the matter of fact writing, super easy to read, and the book was just the thing to while away the tedium of a transatlantic flight.

Any weaknesses? The main one for me is that I found the failures in the original police investigation a little hard to believe, as so much evidence was apparently passed over. I would also have liked more variety and depth of character in the various people Bishop portrays. She needs to take care to avoid stereotypes and there is a bit of a sameness to them both here and in her previous book.

That does not take away from the high quality of the book, a great read.

After having absolutely loved Katie Bishops first novel I was keenly anticipating her second and I definitely wasn't disappointed.
This thriller was a real page turner as we discover more and more secrets surrounding the Drayton Family whilst trying to uncover what really happened to Tamara the night that she ended up being found dead in the swimming pool of their family home. Her sister Nina was the only witness and at the age of 5 years old was she really a reliable enough witness, with lots of twists and turns to keep us on our toes, I just flew through this one. I'm excited for Katie's next novel now.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for and advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well plotted, well written and a perfect example of a great thriller. I didn’t know much going into this, which I think was the best way to enjoy the story. Bishop weaves together two timelines seamlessly, just when you think you’ve figured it out, another piece of the puzzle falls into place. Josie and Hannah in particular were fantastic characters, I enjoyed their friendship and their story as the book reached its peak. This book also made me nostalgic for childhood summers and the innocence of friendships and relationships at the time. I saw the twist coming but still found the reveal exciting and satisfying. A real joy to read!

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

I really enjoyed her first book so I was looking forward to this one.

I liked the concept of it but unfortunately it just didn't grip me. I found it hard to get into and a bit slow throughout.

I really enjoyed this book. It was intriguing and although I guessed who did it way too early, it didn’t matter as there was still so much more to it.
Nina witnessed someone drown her sister when she was little and she had to testify to this. As an adult, she wants to work in psychology to help people. Lots of teenage bullying, dating, parties, drugs, hierarchy of rich teens and have nots in this book. What really happened that summer and is Nina remembering it right? It’s worth finding out.

I’m a little on the fence about this one. I felt it started kind of slow and couldn’t really get time into it. Nina witnessed someone drown her sister when she was little and she had to testify to this. As an adult, she wants to work in psychology to help people. Lots of teenage bullying in this book. Date rate drugs. What really happened that summer and is Nina remembering it right? It was ok. I had a hard time getting into her previous book as well.