The Heatwave by Kate Riordan masterfully explores the complex relationship between a Frenchwoman, Sylvie Durand, and her daughters, the beautiful yet troubled Elodie, who died young, and Emma, a teenager living with her mother in London. Narrated by Sylvie and addressed to her surviving daughter, The Heatwave explores the central mystery in Emma's life: What happened to her older sister and why won't her mother talk about it? What is Sylvie hiding about the family's past at their former Provence home, La Rêverie?
The story begins in the summer of 1993. Sylvie returns to La Rêverie with Emma after a 10-year absence. She is determined to sell the family home despite its charming setting and the abundance of memories accumulated within its sun-scorched walls. The blinding white heat of the sun mingles with the dark smoke of nearby forest fires as Sylvie confronts Elodie's eerie presence lurking at La Rêverie, her shadow cast in the pool's dark jade water. In flashbacks, Sylvie shares episodes of Elodie's destructive, psychopathic personality, her fascination with fire and her dangerous jealousy toward Emma. Eager for distraction, Sylvie finds herself falling for Olivier, the sexy real estate agent who is clearly interested in more than a business relationship.
Riordan (Fiercombe Manor) expertly heightens momentum toward a delectably dark crescendo, bringing the enigma of Elodie's death to a shocking conclusion. Readers who are partial to mysteries set in far-off locales will enjoy the suspenseful escape of Riordan's third novel available in the U.S., an author with the distinction of completing Jane Austen's unfinished work, Sanditon. --Shahina Piyarali, writer and reviewer