THE DIVE

TITLE – THE DIVE

Author- SARA OCHS

PUBLISHER – BANTAM PRESS

PUBLICATION DATE- JULY 2023

OVERVIEW

Escape to paradise.
Scuba diving instructor Cass leads her students out for their first dive off the beautiful coast of Koh Sang, Thailand’s world-famous party island. It’s supposed to be a life-changing experience, but things quickly spiral out of control…

Leave your secrets behind.
By the time she gets back to the shore, one of her students is dead, another badly injured, and she knows that her idyllic life is about to be smashed to pieces on the rocks.

But don’t get lost for ever…
Because someone is making sure that backpackers never leave paradise – one murder at a time. And Cass has a feeling she might be next…

MY REVIEW – STAR RARING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Described as “The Beach” meets “The guest list” this locked tropical island thriller excited me immediately- How could I resist the idyllic , tranquil beauty of that cover knowing the premise will be a paradise island setting mashed with a hell on earth, murderous situation !?!

The Dive is utterly divine- a sinister, twisty thriller that kept me up all night reading. It’s the epitome of a page Turner and I delighted in every single twist and turn of this tropical nightmare. Secrets, lies and betrayal end in murder and throughout the book I trusted absolutely no one!

The Alternating POV of Cass , a diving instructor and Brooke a social media influencer were perfect. It kept the momentum and I loved learning their backstories. I was heavily invested in both characters, and loved how the author flip flopped seamlessly between the two, leaving each chapter on a cliff hanger, that made putting the book down impossible.I’m a huge fan of short, fast, snappy chapters and this delivered. It kept the plot moving forward at breakneck speed, with a sense of intense urgency .

The cast of characters on the island was a really interesting, multicultural mix – think surf / beach bum and yogic instructors , And It was the fact everyone on this island was running from something, and keeping secrets they would be willing to kill to keep, that lent the darkness and the claustrophobic paranoia to the storyline, questioning constantly who you could or couldn’t trust when coupled with the dreamy perfection of the idyllic setting that made it so much more of a dynamic, intriguing storyline.

( Warning – just remember this when making friends on the beach or poolside when you are all relaxed sipping cocktails on your next holiday 😳😮- No one is who they seem! )

Sara is a talented and well travelled story teller not only does she whisk the reader away to the lush tropics of the island , and paint the landscape so vividly, she also ensured my mind didn’t stray for a second and that I literally had my eyes glued to this book, not wanting to blink. When I had no choice but to put it down, I really resented real life intruding on my reading time, and all my thoughts revolved around carving a few mins here and there in my day as I was so desperate to read on. Breadcrumb clues and red herrings peppered throughout the book kept the tension and mystery ramped up from start to finish .

The Dive was the perfect blend of tropical location, intriguing characters and an insane plot- The perfect recipe for a read that is thoroughly entertaining and so truly compelling . This action packed thriller contained many a gasp out loud moment which I adore, closing the book momentarily taking a deep breath to appreciate the twist and soaking in the reveal. I didn’t think I could be shocked much more, but boy was I wrong – the final reveal and WOW what a finale. I want to share and I fight so hard in my reviews not to sing like a canary as I promise they will always be spoiler free but 🤐🤐 but I hope you appreciate the struggle!!

The Dive is the ultimate escapist summer thriller – A locked Island mystery that transports you to the sultry climes of Thailand , it’s a must read travel thriller for 2023.

Ps – This is a DEBUT!! Wow, I cannot wait to see what Sara OCHS comes out with next, my eyes will be peeled.

Pre order the book, clear your schedule , dive in 🏊🏻‍♀️ ( couldn’t resist) and prepare the chill – axe 🪓 🩸.

Its perfect for you if ….

🏝You love to be whisked off to an atmospheric, tropical location ( pure escapism)

😳You like your thrillers gripping and action packed

🧘🏼‍♀️🏄🏻‍♂️ You enjoy interesting, diverse characters

🔪🩸 You love twisty, murderous plots

📖 You’re a fan of short snappy chapters

HUGE Thankyou to @bookishbecky and Bantam press for my gifted copy.