Description

Elodie was beautiful. Elodie was smart. Elodie was manipulative. Elodie is dead.

When Sylvie receives a letter calling her back to her crumbling family home in Provence, she knows she has to go. In the middle of a sweltering summer marked by unusual fires across the countryside, she returns to La Reverie with her youngest daughter Emma in tow.

In every corner of the house, Sylvie can’t escape the spectre 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.

As the fires creep even closer towards the villa, it’s clear to Sylvie that something isn’t right at La Reverie. Because there’s something that Sylvie hasn’t admitted about what happened to Elodie ten summers ago . . .

Publisher Review

Rich and atmospheric -- Rachel Hore A beautiful and intriguing page-turner -- Dinah Jefferies I didn't want to put it down -- Katherine Webb Held me rapt until the very end -- Lucy Diamond The perfect summer read -- Rachel Rhys Had me absolutely gripped -- Louise Candlish Praise for Kate Riordan - * - * Escape from lockdown to the scorching French sun [with] The Heatwave * Surrey Life * A seductive summer read, dripping with suspense and intrigue. Utterly unputdownable -- Lucy Clarke Engrossing, heady, thrumming with heat and tension - I absolutely loved it -- Jenny Ashcroft So tense and atmospheric; chilling, despite the heat. An exciting, satisfying read. Superb -- Tracy Rees Beautifully written with exquisite prose that pulses with heat, scented air and an underlying unease that builds with every page. A book to escape in -- Amanda Jennings It's just SO GOOD on every level and ticks every box. Atmospheric, lush writing that will appeal to fans of literary fiction, but a story that draws you in instantly and really doesn't loosen its grip, right up until the last little twist on the final page -- Iona Grey Never has a book about a heatwave been so chilling. You won't want to miss this -- Julie Cohen Gripping, utterly convincing and deeply unsettling -- Katherine Webb Wow! Just finished reading The Heatwave by Kate Riordan. I actually resented mealtimes and bedtime for interrupting my reading of it! Beautifully written and skilfully plotted, this is a THRILLING masterpiece . . . A bestseller -- Jane Bailey A beautifully woven tale that explores the enduring relationship between mother and daughter. You'll not consider putting it down for a moment until you know the outcome . . . * Cotswold Life * A taut and stunning novel about a toxic mother-daughter relationship. The writing is rich and multi-layered, but it's the subtlety of the characterisations that hook you and won't let you go. Powerful -- Gill Paul, bestselling author of 'The Secret Wife' Totally gripping. A classy and compelling novel * The Bookseller * A scorcher of a novel. The evocative French summer setting crackles and simmers with foreboding. I adored it -- Hannah Richell Haunting, evocative, emotionally astute, and seriously beautiful writing. -- Emylia Hall Captivating and compelling -- Penny Parkes Intriguing characters, haunting descriptions, and pages humming with heat, secrets and suspense. I loved it -- Dinah Jefferies Kate is at the height of her storytelling powers in this dark tale of a mother's love for her child at any cost. The heat soaked through every page. Lyrical and edgy, it bridges the gap between the literary and the hottest of summer reads with ease -- Amanda Reynolds A clever, compelling story. I loved it so much. Such beautiful writing and an atmosphere that builds in tension until its explosive end. This will be everyone's summer read. -- Clare Empson A fiercely compelling, gorgeously atmospheric story of fierce, impossible love. It gets you into its grip and will not let go. The beautiful writing and rich understanding of a mother's scarred relationship with a long lost child add a unique power to the tense mystery. Haunting -- Gytha Lodge Evocative, compelling, intoxicating and - despite the scorching Provencal sun - utterly chilling. I loved it -- Tammy Cohen Vivid descriptions of the French setting and a gloriously unsettling feeling that keeps on intensifying. -- Emily Koch Tense and deliciously atmospheric, it unravels a mother-daughter relationship with a growing sense of menace. -- Emma Rous A sultry, gorgeously written and hugely atmospheric thriller with a dark, compelling mystery at its heart -- Lucy Foley * bestselling author of The Hunting Party * I cannot stop thinking about The Heatwave. The writing and the atmosphere, the darkness, the beautiful French setting, the characters...Outstanding. An absolute page-turner -- Rosie Walsh Takes the summer thriller to the next level. Beguiling characters and a plot that will make your blood run cold play out against a sweltering Provencal summer Exquisite writing and a compelling story that will keep you up late into the night! Sultry, atmospheric and unsettling - a book to lose yourself in this summer -- Erin Kelly