When Sylvie receives a letter calling her back to her crumbling family home in Provence, she is reluctant, but knows that she must return.

Sylvie is French but has lived in London for more than ten years. She returns to her family home in France with her teenage daughter Emma. While there Sylvie has to confront her past and the loss of her first daughter Elodie.

.In every corner of the house, Sylvie can’t escape the ghost of Elodie, her first child.

Elodie with the golden hair. Elodie, who knew exactly how to get what she wanted.

Elodie, whose death the villagers still whisper about.

Against a backdrop of oppressisve summer heat and little fires everywhere, Sylvie must deal with her past before she can move towards the future.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A fascinating book that keeps you wanting more. It is a real page turner. I throughly enjoyed this book I didn’t want it to end .

A suspenseful family drama with a dual timeline, a fab debut.

Perfect to read in a hot sunny day, preferably near a swimming pool!

The writing was atmospheric and very descriptive. I felt like I was in France.
I thought the pace was good but the ending was a disappointment.
Overall though, a decent read

A fantastic read, full of tension and suspense. I couldn't stop reading and it only took me a day to get through. Highly recommended!

A really enjoyable , fast paced read. I really enjoy how the chapters flip between past & present. This book was packed full of twists and turns and really keeps you thinking throughout each chapter.

I was drawn to this book by it's beautiful cover initially - but don't be fooled, that pretty cover conceals a truly disturbing story inside!

I won't go into too much detail about the plot here, as I think that this definitely one best discovered for yourself. Suffice to say, there are adequate twists and turns throughout to keep you guessing and keep you interested. The story is told across two different time frames, and I found this aspect of the story very well done. It takes a while for the two timelines to tie together, giving this book more of a slow burn feel, but the pay off is very much worth it.

If you enjoy family sagas and/or psychological thrillers, then this one is definitely well worth a read!

Never been to France but after this book I feel I have! Totally makes you think you’re there it’s so descriptive and you honestly could be there. Loved the plot and characters and thought it was a slow burning but fabulous psychological thriller, will look out for more from the author for sure!!

Sometimes slow burn works fantastically; sometimes it's awful. Sometimes it's just all right. This falls somewhere in the latter category. it was "ok" but nothing spectacular. I found Sylvie's perspective a bit tiring and wished there had been other POVs

A really unique read. Set in Provence in the height of the summer you can almost feel the heat through the pages. Sylvie and her daughter Emma go from London back to the house she grew up in and lived in until 10 years ago. On arrival we learn there was another daughter Elodie who they lost. Why didn't she want Emma to come to such a stunning home, what happened to Elodie. An absolute fascinating, dark story is revealed. A really good read.

Atmospheric and haunting, this tale brings to life the beautiful region of Provence... but not in the romantic way we're used to. Instead here it is the setting for a psychological thriller...
An intense and memorable story, skilfully written.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

In The Heatwave, Kate Riordan gives the reader an absorbing family drama and a simmering psychological thriller.

It is the summer of 1993 and after a ten-year absence Sylvie Durand and her teenage daughter, Emma, return to their home, La Reverie, in the South of France after a ten-year absence. Learning there is evidence of a fire and vandalism, Sylvie decides it's time to fix it up to sell. It is difficult for her as the house evokes painful memories of a tragedy involving her troubled firstborn, Elodie. Emma doesn't really remember her older sister, and Sylvie's not sure how much longer she can shield her from their disturbing family secrets.

The Heatwave was certainly a thrilling read! Kate Riordan's writing style was beautifully descriptive and atmospheric, and I could easily picture the rustic old house and feel the sultry heat, en Provence. The story unfolded gradually, told using a dual timeframe and the plotting was pitch-perfect. The level of tension was superior and from the outset I knew there would be a hidden tragedy as I followed Emma, trying to complete the picture.

All in all, a brilliantly taut, clever and dark thriller that had me wondering what was going to happen next. It was a real page-turner that has a place in my best reads for 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I found this book to be a little bit disturbing and also a little bit compulsive.
I didn't like the main characters very much at all and found the, irritating, but never quite sure if this genre is meant to do that to you.
I do like a dual time line in a book though and I think that helped the book grow on me.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I think that I would

This book manages to find the balance between a well written thriller and an easy summer-style read. With Sylvie trying to find the truth that she already has the pieces to put together. The pacing was somewhat disjointed but it was an enjoyable, read that is easy to imagine recommending.

This is the story of Sylvie and her youngest daughter returning to France in order to sell their home there. It is told through dual timelines to help us build a picture of why Sylvie is keeping so many secrets.

It has a real feel of lazing around a french chateau by the pool which to begin with I found a bit slow but ended up really enjoying. The writing was really atmospheric and even though I haven't been to France I could completely picture the setting in my mind and really felt the heat steaming of the pages from the intentness of the situation. I loved when the pace started to pick up towards the end but felt the ending left a little to be desired.

Over all it was a good read, perfect for an afternoon by the pool!

I really enjoyed "The Heatwave": it's the perfect mix of thriller, mystery and easy summer read which leaves you guessing right from start to finish. The characters are really well-written, and you'll find yourself trying to guess all sorts of absurd permutations of situation and blame - much like the main character has to! Highly recommended

This novel is a great example of a claustrophobic read. A French house, a scorching summer, stifling memories that give every scene a distorted image. I could feel the burn of it all while reading. Jumping from memories starting in the late 60s to 1993, we discover Sylvie Durand’s life. It was both fun and weird for me to read about the south of France and see those little French sentences here and there. I am familiar with those hot summers, and thought the author did a nice job capturing the atmosphere.
The heat is not the only thing wrapped around the characters and the house. Memories are intoxicating Sylvie as she re-enters the house of her past with her teenage daughter. It is clear from the start that she doesn’t want to be there, as if the house itself represented something bad. So bad that this Frenchie decided to move to England years ago, while her very British ex-husband lives in Paris. This detail made me smile. I can see the appeal of my home country, but I would pick the UK a million times!
Back to the house… something happened, and it takes a while to know what. Oh, I had my suspicions, but the revelation came really late. The slow place matched the rhythm of the days when the sun is so strong all you can do is wait for the respite offered by the evening. After a while, though, I felt it started to drag too much and was hoping for more action.
The emphasis in this book is about the psychology. Sylvie is forced to deal with what happened to her first daughter, her ghost still very much present in the house. When things finally started to happen, I was relieved, but the tension was never strong enough and I failed to connect to the characters.
I would say The Heatwave is perfect to take on holiday!

Sylvie hasn't been back to her crumbling French family home in years. Not since the death of her eldest daughter Elodie. Every corner of the old house feels haunted by memories of her - memories she has tried to forget. But as temperatures rise, and forest fires rage through the French countryside, a long-buried family secret is about to come to light. Because there's something Sylvie's been hiding about what really happened to Elodie that summer.

'The Heatwave' is the ultimate atmospheric read. Riordan creates such a stifling, claustrophobic and intense atmosphere which continues for the whole read. Add to this the setting of a French summer and this results in the ultimate summer thriller. At least it does atmosphere wise.

The read is split into two parts, the second part for me is the strongest, Riordan has a big reveal and the latter half handles the spectacular fall-out. However, the book does not really go anywhere. Riordan spends the whole read building this intensity and stunning atmosphere and then the book just ends. Do not get me wrong, of course there is a resolution which I will not detail but this was seriously lacking something and I found myself very disappointed.

Riordan's characters on the other hand are phenomenal. Sylvie is likeable, clearly flawed and very clearly hiding something. I adored getting to know her and learning about her troubled past and the impact it has on the present. Likewise, Emma is a very strong character. For a young character, she has a very strong presence and again I found her likeable and wanted to spend time with her, learning about her family. For me, the characters and the atmosphere are the strongest aspects of this read.

'The Heatwave' should be an intense, electrifying summer thriller, however I was left disappointed by Riordan's ending and needed more from it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an advance copy.

I was drawn to this book by the setting in rural Southern France.

Early on I was drawn in by the descriptions of the landscape, of the region. Add to this the carefully crafted characters and I soon found myself engrossed in this family saga.

Kate Riordan tells this story through two time frames which are slowly brought together as the novel progresses.

I will not go into detail about the story. It is the quality of the writing which really made this an enjoyable book to read. I found myself intrigued by the relationships between sylvie and her two daughters. This is what gives this novel a sense of purpose and a sense of changing and at times challenging aspects of parenthood.

There are sufficient twists and turns in the narrative to maintain interest until the interesting conclusion.

My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK (Michael Joseph) for a copy in exchange for an honest review. If you like an interesting family saga which is well written and develops a haunting sense of time and place then this is a book you will probably enjoy.