I do love a good thriller when I am in the mood, and this one had the added bonus that it is set in a city local to me (Exeter). This is not truly scary and isn't a horror novel but it is not for the faint-hearted and I would never recommend it to my Mum for a multitude of reasons.

The pacing was excellent, short scene length chapters with alternating viewpoints from Connor (the teenager), the Police and an increasingly horrifying tale of a woman in an abusive relationship. The three stories seem quite separate at first but gradually converge near the end.

There is a first-person account from an unidentified woman leading a horrible life. It is a harrowing tale of abuse after abuse and the terror that goes with it.
On the whole, all the characters seem pretty three dimensional and realistic, it does sometimes seem a little overly grimy and depressing at times but maybe I just lead a sheltered life.

I figured out the identity of the murderer about 75% the way in but I was fooled into suspecting another for most of the story.
( )

I absolutely loved Katarina Diamond's first book in the DS Grey and DS Miles series, The Teacher, but I am guilty of reading The Promise which is book 4 before books 2 and 3. It definitely reads well as a standalone because there are references to earlier events that made me want to find out more, rather than feel as if I had missed something crucial.

With many of us singletons turning to online dating these days, The Promise is very relevant and a little scary. It is very well written and clearly well researched as it is always a fear of mine that the person you are talking to online is somebody entirely different in real life...aka a catfish. This is what is happening to the women in The Promise as they are chosen and groomed into meeting their perfect man who kills them on the first date. DS Imogen Grey is so determined to catch the killer that she puts herself on a dating site as bait...but will hers or the killer's trap be sprung first?

There's also a dual storyline about a teenage boy, Connor. Connor is a very troubled teen and he has moved to the UK from America with his Dad who beats him. Under times of stress, Connor has seizures and you can't help but feel for this young man. He has been written with a huge heart underneath his cool exterior and I loved how he was drawn to his neighbour, Selina, who isn't one of the popular girls at school. It was so sad to see how his character has evolved due to his family history and it's scary to think how events in our past can shape us.

Fast-paced, current and gripping, The Promise is another fabulous page turner from Katerina Diamond that has me frantically back peddling to fill in the gaps between The Promise and The Teacher.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )

Got to 35%. Could not follow it. It is part of a series, book 4. I struggled and even re-read about 20% of it. So I bought the first book in the series from Amazon. After 25% of pure gruesomeness I just could not continue.

Although this is the fourth book in the series featuring DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles, and I might happen to have two of the previous three waiting to be read, I knew that if I didn't pop my Katerina Diamond cherry soon I never would. So I took the risk that comes with starting part way through a series and decided I wanted to read The Promise. Not only does it work very well as a standalone (past events are referred to but explained in enough detail), but I also had myself a cracking good read. Of course, I'm now kicking myself for not getting on and reading The Teacher, The Secret and The Angel before now but never mind.

In this book, Grey and Miles are investigating a man who is going on a date with a woman and then strangling them to death. Surely no date can be that bad! Obviously there's more to it and as it turns into a hunt for a serial killer Grey puts herself at risk to try and find him.

A story running alongside it is that of Connor, a 16 year old American boy who has just moved to England with his father. Things are not as they should be and their relationship is difficult to say the least.

There's also a less prominent story, told in a kind of journal by an unnamed woman. She tells of her abuse at the hands of a man and for much of the story it's unclear where this storyline fits in. Towards the end it all slotted into place and I got a dawning realisation of how the three strands fitted together. I think it was extremely clever plotting by the author to leave it open enough that it wasn't obvious straightaway. And those last few chapters! Looking at the few pages that were left I couldn't imagine how she was going to tie it all up, but then wham bam it was suddenly and very effectively wound up in a thrilling way.

I found The Promise to be a fast-paced and exciting book. I was completely engrossed from the moment I picked it up and didn't want to put it down. The dynamic between Grey and Miles is fascinating and I really must go back and read the other books to see how their partnership has come about and been built up.

Every character is well drawn, the plot is gripping and lively and the writing is excellent. I absolutely loved it. ( )

Katerina Diamond is being hailed as the new "Queen of Crime", and for good reason. Full review at: https://thelastpageturnedbookblog.blogspot.com/2018/09/review-promise-by-katerin... ( )