THE DIVE SARA OCHS ****
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 ****
Cass is a diving instructor in Koh Sang - a Paradise, party Island in Thailand, she’s newly engaged and to all those around her it really looks like she has her life together. Brooke is a social media influencer, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the island. However, when a body is discovered, life on Paradise Island may not be as idyllic as it seems…
The Dive is the perfect summer thriller read - ideal for reading whilst sitting on the beach and looking out to sea. It alternates perspective between Cass and Brooke, who both have their own secrets and agendas. Their narrative voices do feel a little similar at times though. The book is very easy to read, although there are some places where the author contradicts herself about her characters in the same page so perhaps the ARC needs another proof-read before publication.
The plot is fairly simple, although there is a really great ending (no spoilers!) which elevated The Dive for me from a 3-star read to a 4-star one. There are enough reveals and action as we go along to keep the reader engaged. I particularly liked the description of the Dive, although for a book using that activity as it’s title, I would have liked a little more action under the water than just one scene. Some of the events seems a little too unrealistic and are obviously just used as a convenience to the plot – the storm knocking out the phone signal, for example. The end reveal scene also felt very old-school, with characters all brought together in an almost Hercule Poiret-like denouement.
Overall, The Dive is a great summer holiday read, just perhaps don’t dive too deeply into it - stick to the surface! Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK & Transworld Publishers – Bantam for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Oh wow!!! What a cool read. This book has an intriguing storyline. Reading your post makes me want to read this book. I’ll add it to my TBR. Thank you for sharing your review.