Dead Heat

by Sabine Durrant

Under the searing sun, secrets simmer and betrayal lies thick in this claustrophobic, explosive new thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Sabine Durrant.

'A real scorcher. You won't want to miss this one!' HARLAN COBEN
'Gloriously dark and wildly engrossing' LISA JEWELL
'Sun-drenched and dripping with suspense, this is the perfect summer read’ LUCY CLARKE

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Former journalist Matt Grimshaw's life is at a low ebb. He's been 'let go' by the paper where he's worked for years, and his relationship with his long-term girlfriend has come unstuck.

So when an invitation arrives from his two closest friends, Celia and Adam Murphy, to join them at their house in Greece, he jumps at it.

It may be harsh and unwelcoming on the Mani Peninsula but Matt determines to stay there for the whole summer and to write his much put-off screen-play.

But then the Murphys plus children arrive, and a wealthy newcomer to the area starts throwing loud and lavish parties in his big house across the bay.

As the nights become hotter and the parties wilder, everyone's motivations darken. Envy rises, resentments grow - until a terrible accident stops the summer in its tracks.

At least, it looks like an accident…

Set over one blazing Mediterranean summer, Sabine Durrant’s new thriller is tense, claustrophobic and utterly gripping.

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Praise for Dead Heat . . .

‘No one writes suspense like Sabine Durrant. Dead Heat is perfection’ Clare Mackintosh, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Game of Lies

‘I loved this book. The descriptions are so beautiful that you almost don’t notice the brilliance of the plotting’ Elly Griffiths, bestselling author of The Frozen People

'Better than every season of The White Lotus spun into one, and drenched with danger, sex, and revenge' Sarah Hilary, author of Black Thorn

'Classy, cinematic and truly chilling, Dead Heat is a thriller it's going to be hard to beat this year. With shades of Patricia Highsmith, Sabine Durrant is an author in her prime' Jennie Godfrey, Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

‘A deliciously dark, modern Greek Gatsby’ Julia Crouch, author of The Surprise Party

'Tense, clever and so vividly written' Ruth Mancini, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Woman on the Ledge

‘An unputdownable, unguessable, sun-drenched thriller’ Erin Kelly, bestselling author of He Said She Said

'Drenched in atmosphere and menace with a Greek setting to die for. Literally.' Tammy Cohen, The Wedding Party

‘Compelling, evocative and fiendishly smart, this unsettling literary thriller is a five-star triumph’ Isabelle Broom, author of The Orange House

‘I couldn't turn

Genres: Thriller

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2026

About the author

Sabine Durrant lives in London, England, with her three children.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The usual Sabine Durrant brilliant writing, I love her books.

The Court of First Instance, Sparta, February 2025
A trial with only one member of the old gang attending to watch proceedings, but where does it all begin?

The Mani Peninsula in Greece is a fairly remote area and a cottage retreat for Matt Grimshaw whose life has gone into freefall following a relationship breakup and job loss. The cottage belongs to good friends Celia and Adam Murphy and it’s in the grounds of the family holiday property of Villa Mimosa. Matt sets about writing a screenplay, something he has long put off. The Murphys duly arrive and to Adam‘s dismay, they discover that a billionaire has moved into the area with whom he has history. Reynash de Souza’s success incenses Adam and gives rise to envy amongst other things with his noisy, lavish parties being both an irritant and an irresistible draw. The scene is set, will it be a Greek tragedy?

The five stars says it all. I love Sabine Durrant’s books which have always appealed to me, being very well written with a vice like grip to the plots. This cleverly titled slow burner thriller is fabulously rich in atmosphere, something the author always does incredibly well. The searing heat, the building hot tension and suspense, at first uneasy and puzzling but which rapidly builds in intensity. There’s a terrific sense of place and time which adds to the dark, sultry and at times claustrophobic ambience. There are subtle and less subtle hints of the promise of a summer unravelling and the anticipation that at some point it’s all going to boil over, but to what?

The plot is extremely well thought out, there’s never dull moment as it’s a Russian doll style thriller with layers within layers and to add to it’s believability the author cleverly weaves fact with fiction adding gravitas to the plot. The characters around which it is woven are deeply flawed, not necessarily likeable, indeed, some are downright unlikeable but for me, that makes it much more intriguing and interesting.Some are entitled and rich, some are manipulative , devious, huge dishonest and way worse as their true colours are revealed. Around whose orbit is the web woven as some go head-to-head? The tone becomes increasingly ominous and there are premonitions of an impending Greek tragedy. Who is true and truthful? Only time will tell. As for the end, wow, what masterful, terrific twists.

Overall, in my opinion, this is a superb slow burner thriller with moments of high tension that keeps me engrossed from beginning to end. Highly recommended as are the author’s previous books.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a struggle for me right from the start. I have enjoyed this authors previous work but this was a disappointment.
I think there were a few big things that stopped me enjoying this one.
First off, I really disliked our main character Matt, I found him to be very unlikable and irritating. And the fact that we see the story through his eyes only, really ruined it for me.
I also thought before starting this that it was going to be more of a literary thriller, when I found it to be more like literary fiction.
I thought the plot was unbearably dull and so boring that I really had to force myself to finish the book.
Because of these reasons, by halfway through, I had lost all interest in the story and the characters. I was so bored.
The characters all felt very surface level to me and I just couldn't connect to the writing or the story throughout.

Thanks to Random House for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review

[Heather Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light murder mystery story in Greece. A well written slow burner

[Leigh Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book not knowing very much about the author or their style of writing. I have not been left disappointed.
I really felt like I was in the life of Matt Grimshawe and found myself heavily invested in the way things he was seeing and his perspective. I actually enjoyed seeing his true colours come out for the further into the story you got.
Sabine Durrant has a brilliant descriptive writing style and sets the scene spectacularly. You develop a love-hate relationship with each individual character which is a very clever skill. Sabine is able to show that every person has a flaw, and how well this can be hidden. From being entitled, to dishonest, but also show a side that softens you at the same time.
Initially, it was a slow burner, but it always left you wanting to read more, and I was hooked from the beginning.
I would recommend this book and will be looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House UK, for the ARC

[KellieH]

This was too much of a slow burn for me. For about 85% of this book, I was waiting for a big twist or an increase in pace but it never came.

Please know this is not a bad book. It's fine. But I prefer fast-paced thrillers. If a book is going to be a slow-burn thriller, then I am expecting the "big reveal" or "big twist" at the end to take my breath away, or the feeling of dread leading into the story's climax to be intense. For me, the ending and "big twist" in this story fell flat for me and the tension never got there.

The story is set in Greece, which I loved. I have been to Greece and the rich imagery transported me back to the sights, sounds and smells of Greece.

One of the characters in this book is one of my top 10 most hated book characters. He was diabolical and terrible. I respect authors who insert terrible, toxic or diabolical characters into their stories. Even though I'm left seething mad because of their toxicity, arrogance or shallowness, I appreciate the skill in making me feel this way about a fictional person. I do wonder sometimes whether diabolical characters are based on real-life people from an author's life. I hope I never meet an 
"Adam Murphy" in my life.

3 Greek sailing boats out of 5 ⛵⛵⛵

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Slow Burn of Dead Heat! ​Sabine Durrant never fails to paint a picture that draws the reader in from the start. In 'Dead Heat'  Matt retreats to a cottage on the grounds of his friends’ Greek home, intending to write and recover after losing his job and partner. However, the sudden presence of wealthy Rey from his host Adam's past, a man once bullied by him, shatters the peace.
Durrant expertly transports us to the Mediterranean, where the shimmering heat mirrors the rising friction.
She brilliantly illustrates the dark corners of the human psyche envy, lust, and betrayal.
A true talent of hers is how the characters become increasingly complicated and unlikable as the story progresses; it is this deepening moral complexity that kept me turning the pages faster than a hamster in a wheel.
Against this beautiful backdrop, the story races to a stunning conclusion I could never have predicted.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for the ARC. This is my own opinion.

[Rachel Sargeant]

Washed-up journalist Matt accepts an offer from old friends Adam and Celia Murphy to spend the summer at their villa in Greece.. But it's not the opportunity for rest and recuperation that Matt anticipates. First, the Murphies arrive with their children, then the whole group is distracted by a noisy billionaire neighbour with whom they discover they have shocking and unexpected history.
Another sultry and evocative thriller from Sabine Durrant. Ideal for fans of the genre.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabine Durrant has done it again with Dead Heat, a scorching psychological thriller set against the unforgiving sun and shadowy secrets of the Greek Mani peninsula. What starts as a seemingly idyllic summer getaway quickly spirals into something far more unsettling, as resentments simmer and truths start to slip through the cracks.

The narrator, Matt Grimshaw, is a former journalist hoping to reset his life by retreating to a remote villa with old friends. But instead of peace, he finds himself entangled in a web of envy, obsession and deceit, magnified by the sweltering heat and the eerie sense that something isn’t quite right. When tragedy strikes, you’re left wondering if it really was an accident.

Durrant is a master of slow burn suspense and Dead Heat delivers that creeping dread she’s known for. The Greek setting isn’t just beautiful, it’s suffocating in the best way, mirroring the emotional intensity of the story. If you enjoyed the unease of Lie with Me or the intrigue of Sun Damage you’ll be right at home here. This is the kind of book you stay up all night reading because you have to know how it ends. Atmospheric, claustrophobic and utterly addictive. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Heat’ by Sabine Durrant focuses on the hapless Matt Grimshaw and an eventful few weeks on the Mani peninsular where his oldest friends, the successful and wealthy Adam and Celia Murphy, have a beautiful Grecian holiday home. He’s invited to make use of a simple cottage in the grounds as he licks wounds incurred by a job loss and the ending of a decade-long relationship.

When Adam understands that Reynash de Souza, the improbably named billionaire across the bay, is someone he bullied at school, not only is he incensed that such a ‘loser’ has become so successful but he is also curious to find out more. At the same time, we are introduced to Sara whose missing brother works with Reynash. Matt takes pity on her and is keen to support her hunt but is also honest enough to recognise his own ulterior motives.

As the plot develops, Durrant subtly reveals that few characters are as they first appear, not least narrator Matt whose lack of self-confidence/loyal friend performance should be carefully examined. The author captures the interests of the self-absorbed wealthy middle class precisely as she weaves a complex tale of deceit, danger, revenge and complicity. A gripping psychological thriller.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

[Mary Picken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sabine Durrant’s writing. She specialises in suspenseful, intense, character-driven novels and this one is a belter.

Dead Heat is set in the Mani Peninsula in Southern Greece, and most of the book takes place during the blistering heat of summer.

Matt Grimshaw has headed there to stay with friends, Adam and Celia and their family. He’s feeling jaded and down. His job as a journalist at the paper he works for has been axed and he’s just split up with his long-term girlfriend.

Matt knows Adam and Celia because Adam used to work for him, before taking the initiative and appearing on a cultural TV programme as a contributor in Adam’s stead. Since then, Adam’s career has gone on to greater things; he now presents the programme and is a successful TV personality. Adam is also ruggedly handsome and a serial philanderer, with an easy charm that works on pretty much everyone. Celia is largely a forgiving wife and a practising Catholic – her faith is very important to her and has played its role in keeping their marriage together.

Matt intends to stay in his friends’ rustic cottage in the grounds where they have their villa and to write a screenplay that he’s been tinkering with for ages. But even before Adam and Celia arrive, he meets Sara, whose brother has gone missing, apparently when out for a run, and the whole village is searching for him.

Sara works for Reynash de Souza, a wealthy entrepreneur whose newly built villa, Arcadia, across the bay now dominates the landscape. The sounds of lavish parties drift across the water, disturbing the tranquil peace of Matt’s Mediterranean idyll.

Sabine Durrant writes so evocatively of the Greek landscape, the shimmering heat, the blue sea, and she makes you feel just how the intensity of the heat matches the intense atmosphere that seems to hang over Matt, Adam and Celia.

Matt is our narrator, and his feelings towards his hosts are complex. In truth, he’s a little resentful of Adam’s easy success and perhaps also a little jealous. Adam, he thinks, does not deserve Celia, though even that is not the full story.

Reynash de Souza was at school with Adam, and the two did not get on at all. Matt can’t believe the pipsqueak boy from his class is now so successful and takes every opportunity to ridicule his ostentatious wealth.

Matt becomes increasingly irritated by the way in which Adam keeps involving him in his affairs and has no wish to keep his secrets, but he wants to stay on in the cottage and so reluctantly stays quiet. All of this leads to a slow-burning tension as this middle-class menage à trois becomes ever more secretive and destructive.

While Matt has growing suspicions about the missing runner, he also becomes resentful of Adam’s behaviour. All this simmers under the blazing heat, creating an intense, claustrophobic atmosphere that slowly comes to the boil.

Secrets and lies are at the heart of this beautifully told story of privilege, jealousy and resentment, and when the inevitable happens, it is shocking and explosive.

Verdict: Intricately plotted with some fascinating and unlikeable characters and a relatable, if not always reliable, narrator, Dead Heat is a real treat. This novel has a slow burn, but it is worth it. Layered and complex characters and pathogenic relationships make for an intense, immersive reading experience. Highly recommended.

[Mana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrative centers on Matt Grimshaw, a disgraced former journalist whose existence has unraveled. Devoid of employment, companionship, and purpose, he navigates his days in aimless drift. An invitation from close friends Celia and Adam Murphy to house-sit their exquisite, untamed retreat on Greece's Mani Peninsula offers a semblance of salvation. At outset, it promises respite; a sanctuary for reflection and progress on his long-stalled screenplay. Yet discord swiftly ensues with the unanticipated arrival of his hosts and an enigmatic, affluent neighbor across the inlet, dismantling Matt's precarious equilibrium.

Matt proves profoundly relatable. Entering the summer weary and yearning for seclusion to compose in tranquility, he instead descends into suspicion and paranoia. The distinction between coincidence and design dissolves rapidly. Far from a self-appointed investigator, he primarily observes; nevertheless, the escalating tension inexorably draws him in, reawakening dormant journalistic instincts despite his resolve to remain detached.

Celia and Adam, the property's proprietors, provide narrative stability. Their outward facade of marital harmony conceals deepening fissures, revealed with alacrity. The neighbor, an ostentatious magnate whose opulent gatherings reverberate across the bay, ignites envy and discord within the circle. This configuration evolves into a volatile crucible, wherein minor grievances metastasize into profound malice.

Envy, wealth, and the precarious boundary between alliance and antagonism propel the storyline. The Mani Peninsula, remote, sun-parched, and austere, intensifies these elements. Oppressive heat, profound isolation, and trivial affronts assume outsized significance. Matt's professional stagnation and the Murphys' deteriorating union exacerbate the strain, evoking a pervasive modern anxiety: the specter of others projecting prosperity amid one's own facade of adequacy. Durrant adeptly illustrates how envy and resentment corrode swiftly in a society fixated on prestige and simulated fulfillment.

Durrant's prose excels in evoking a constricted atmosphere, with suspense mounting methodically; Greece's scenic splendor assumes an ominous undertone. Employing Matt's detached perspective, she meticulously delineates subtle cues, fleeting expressions, and pregnant silences as interpersonal strains intensify. Rather than hastening toward revelation, she sustains suspense through social functions, confrontations, and covert hostilities, rendering the climactic "accident" all but predestined. Fundamentally a psychological thriller, it doubles as incisive character exploration. Though aligned with domestic noir, it transcends suburban confines, poised perilously on literal and metaphorical cliffsides.

This novel immerses the reader in suffocating humidity and mounting dread alongside Matt. Its potency lies in exposing how commonplace frailties, jealousy, self-doubt, and insatiable ambition engender catastrophe. It compels reflection on personal relationships, unearthing latent animosities and reticent conflicts. Distinguishing it from conventional "vacation debacle" narratives, the work probes masculine vulnerability and the insidious erosion wrought by rivalry.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Sabine Durrant's writing for many years now. I think she is one of our greatest crime fiction authors, yet so understated. I think we really need to shout louder about how fantastic her novels are.

I've been looking forward to reading Dead Heat since the proof copy dropped through my letterbox and knowing that it is, once again, set in Greece, only made the anticipation greater!

I have not been disappointed! From its striking opening to its simmering, sun-drenched conclusion, Dead Heat is another masterclass in slow-burn suspense. This is a novel that quietly, confidently demands the reader's attention, drawing you into its world with a subtlety that is assured and utterly compelling.
The Greek setting is created with exquisite precision. The Mani Peninsula is not the idyllic escape one might expect; instead, it feels stark, remote, and faintly unforgiving. The author captures the harsh beauty of the landscape so vividly that you can almost feel the relentless heat pressing down on you as you read. It’s a setting that is at the centre of the story, shaping mood and behaviour in ways that feel entirely authentic.

At the heart of the novel is Matt Grimshaw, whose personal and professional setbacks make his retreat to Greece feel like both an escape and a reset. As the summer unfolds and familiar faces gather, what initially appears to be a chance for rest and reinvention slowly shifts into something far more unsettling. The arrival of a wealthy outsider and the decadent parties that follow add another layer of unease, increasing the sense that something is quietly slipping out of control.

What this author does so brilliantly is build tension, not through dramatic twists or menace, but through atmosphere and character. There is a constant, low-level hum of unease running through every page. Conversations are loaded and relationships are strained. It’s this quiet tension; this sense that something is not quite right, that makes the novel so gripping.

The characterisation is particularly strong. No one is entirely likeable, yet each person is fascinating in their own flawed way. As resentments simmer and loyalties shift, the dynamics between them become increasingly fraught, adding to the novel’s claustrophobic feel despite the wide, open landscape.

Dead Heat is a beautifully crafted thriller that proves that suspense doesn’t need to be loud to be effective. Instead, it lingers, it unsettles, and it leaves a lasting impression. A five-star read that is as atmospheric as it is absorbing.

[David Prestidge · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Matt Grimshaw, everything has suddenly become rather ‘former’. Thanks to being sacked by his long-term employer, he is now a former journalist, and Takara is now his former lover, he having discovered her cavorting with a colleague in his London flat. Adam and Celia, a well-off media couple, are still his friends, however, and they have given him the key to the cottage next to their villa on the Mani Peninsula, part of the ancient kingdom of Sparta.

Matt spends a few days on his own there before Adam, Celia, their teenage daughter Lydia and her friend Jasmine arrive. Adam is disconcerted that across the bay a former abandoned folly, Arcadia, has been converted into a luxury compound by a tech billionaire called Reynash de Souza. The problem is that Adam and de Souza have, as they say, history. When de Souza throws a party for all the neighbourhood, what Dylan called ‘a simple twist of fate’ intervenes and turns the azure Aegean into something far, far darker.

In the background is a missing person, a man called Marc Ashley, a guest at de Souza’s Arcadia. One morning, he set out for a run and never came back. His sister Sarah is desperately trying to find him by a leafleting campaign and organising volunteer search parties.At the heart of the story is the relationship between Matt and Adam. Matt is a talented writer, but insecure and, perhaps, too sensitive to the needs of others. His emotional antennae are fine-wired, but to his own detrimental. Adam is, to use the old word, a cad. Charming, persuasive, charismatic even, he uses people. One such is a young woman called Amira, a former intern at Adam’s production company. He seduced her and is subsequently horrified when she turns up at de Souza’s mansion. She blackmails him, and Matt, ever loyal, agrees to be part of the deception involving a pay-off that will deceive Celia.

The book begins with one of those enigmatic prologues, date stamped well after the events of the main story. A man sits in a Greek court, watching a prisoner being sentenced. Sabine Durrant drops a fairly hefty hint that the observer is Matt Grimshaw, but who is the convicted man? Sabine Durrant not only deftly recreates the enervating physical climate, but makes us sweat in the oppressive emotional climate created by infidelity, old sins returning to haunt the perpetrator, and dangerous atmosphere caused by money mixed with power. Dead Heat is an immersive mystery beautifully woven with the threads of cruelty, revenge and deceit. It will be published by Century on 12th March.

[BookishDramas · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me.
I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley and this review is my honest eedback about the story based on my completing the book.


Dead Heat is a slow burning psychological thriller set over one long blazing summer in Greece. The story follows Matt Grimshaw, a former journalist whose life is quietly falling apart after losing both his job and his relationship. When his wealthy friends Adam and Celia invite him to stay at their house on the Mani Peninsula he sees it as the perfect opportunity to reset his life and finally work on the screenplay he has been avoiding. What begins as a peaceful retreat slowly turns into something much darker.

The Greek setting is easily the strongest part of this book. The heat, the sea, the isolation and the long evenings create a heavy atmosphere that hangs over the entire story. Sabine captures the uneasy contrast between beautiful surroundings and the tension simmering between the characters. Lavish parties, old friendships, jealousy and hidden resentments slowly begin to build until one shocking incident changes everything.

Matt works well as a narrator because he feels flawed and uncertain about his place in the lives of the people around him. His complicated friendship with Adam and Celia adds an interesting dynamic to the story. At the same time many of the characters are difficult to like and that made it slightly harder for me to fully connect with the story. They are messy, selfish and sometimes frustrating but that also feels intentional and real because the novel focuses heavily on privilege, ego and complicated friendships.

The pacing is definitely on the slower side. Much of the novel focuses on character dynamics, quiet tension and the uncomfortable feeling that something is about to go very wrong. The first half builds the relationships and the atmosphere carefully before the story moves into darker territory later on. Readers who enjoy fast paced thrillers might find the middle section a little slow but the final portion of the book delivers a satisfying payoff.

Overall Dead Heat is an atmospheric and character driven thriller that relies more on tension and psychology than constant twists. While the pacing occasionally dragged for me, the vivid setting and the slowly unraveling relationships kept me invested until the end.

If you enjoy slow burn psychological thrillers with morally messy characters and a strong sense of place, this one is worth checking out.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Cornerstone for an advanced copy of Dead Heat in exchange for a review.

I’ve long been a fan of Sabine Durrant and her wonderful writing, and this is my favourite of her books so far. It was really outstanding!

Sabine is so skilled at using her carefully chosen words to create an atmosphere that is so tense and filled with a slowly growing sense of dread. The amount of detail poured into her settings, characters, and every observation brings them to life in a way that not many other authors do so well.

Dead Heat is set in the dramatic Mani Peninsula in Greece, where main character Matt’s long-standing friends, Adam and Celia Murphy, have a holiday home. Going through a divorce and recently losing his job, Matt takes them up on their offer for him to spend the summer there and re-set.

But the holiday is not the relaxing break he hopes for. The quiet cottage setting has been upturned by the arrival of a lavish new resort, whose owner Adam treated badly at school. And Matt’s relationship with Adam and Celia becomes more and more strained as the lies, jealousy, resentment and obsession reach boiling point alongside the unbearable and claustrophobic heat of the Greek summer.

Matt’s voice as the narrator feels so genuinely like he is talking to us personally, and the frequent references to something ominous happening later builds an oppressive and uneasy backdrop to the story of what should have been a peaceful summer with friends.

This was stunningly brilliant and set to be one of my favourite books of 2026!

[Ridgerunner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read from Sabine Durrant and I will definitely look out for more. The thriller has a clever title which made perfect sense at the end of the book. For ex journalist and a bit of loser Matt, the offer of joining married friends Adam and Celia in their holiday house in remote Greece sounds like a perfect opportunity to relax and finish off his screenplay. Adam is his long term friend although it is a bit of a one sided relationship and Matt idolises Celia. None of the main characters are likeable with Adam the most unpleasant and Matt the most wimpish. How on earth does Matt tolerate being treated so badly by Adam , but he really does not have any other friends in life.
A rich newcomer has upset the sleepy nature of the peninsula but building a flash new house close by and Rey was at the same school as Adam and was bullied by him.
As the characters see more of each other it becomes hard to tell if there is any genuine friendship or does everybody have their own agenda. And who is telling the truth especially regarding a Missing Person who had attended on of Rey’s parties. Matt naively investigates this missing person but deludes himself as to his real reasons and stirs up trouble. Jealousy , love and hate all become exaggerated and confused until a death throws everything into disarray. Was it an accident or murder ?
Several great twists at the end of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under the searing heat of the Greek sun, secrets simmer… and betrayal lies thick…

Former British journalist Matt Grimshawe heads to a remote villa on the Mani Peninsula in Greece, seeking refuge at his friends Adam and Celia’s secluded home after losing his job and going through a painful divorce. 🇬🇧✈️🇬🇷Hoping for a fresh start, he plans to spend the summer recovering and rebuilding his life. ☀️🌊⛱️

But what begins as a peaceful summer retreat quickly spirals into something far darker. 😱

While staying at the villa, Matt notices a new house nearby, Arcadia - owned by a wealthy man named Rey, who was bullied by Adam back in their school days. 🏘️

As the days pass, Matt becomes increasingly obsessed with a mysterious runner who has suddenly gone missing. 🤔 At the same time, he finds himself drawn into Adam’s secrets, agreeing to cover up his friend’s affairs and keep them hidden from Celia. 🫣

Before long, Matt finds himself caught in a dangerous web of obsession, love, deceit, and revenge… 🤯


I went into this book completely blind and it was my first time reading this author. 😵 Ohhhh my… I really enjoyed it! 😍

Tension, twists, claustrophobic moments, dark atmosphere, and suspense run through every page, keeping me completely hooked. Dangerously addictive! 📖👀

If you enjoy a slow-paced psychological thriller, this one is definitely for you. 🤪

A huge thank you to Sabine and Random Things Tours for the gifted early copy and for allowing me to take part in this tour. ♥️

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sabine Durrant’s Dead Heat is a slow-burning psychological thriller steeped in tension, envy, and the heat of a Greek summer that feels as oppressive as the secrets it conceals. A gripping tale of friendship, deception, and moral decay beneath the sun-drenched beauty of the Mani Peninsula.

The novel follows Matt Grimshaw, a once-successful journalist whose life has quietly crumbled. Out of work and newly single, he accepts an invitation from his old friends, Celia and Adam Murphy, to spend the summer at their house in Greece. Determined to make a fresh start and finally write the screenplay he’s been putting off, Matt instead finds himself entangled in a simmering web of social tension and unspoken rivalries.

When a charismatic newcomer moves into a grand house across the bay and begins hosting increasingly wild parties, the fragile equilibrium among the group starts to fracture. Durrant captures the escalating jealousy and moral drift with chilling accuracy, every evening feels like a prelude to disaster. And when a tragic accident shatters the idyll, the question lingers: was it truly an accident, or something far darker?

Dead Heat is an atmospheric thriller that is cleverly written.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about Matt and his friends, Adam and Celia Murphy, a couple who seem to have everything including wealth and a second home in Greece where Matt is visiting.
When a young man disappears near to Adam and Celia’s villa, Matt is convinced one of their wealthy neighbours is responsible and sets out to prove it.
However there are all sorts of tensions simmering under the surface with Adam having an over close relationship to both Celia and Adam who is not faithful and expects Matt to cover for him with Celia.
Matt is also nursing a broken heart after a messy break up and the heat of Greece emphasises all the burning passions in the main protagonists.
All that being said and as much as I have loved this author’s books in the past, this one did not do it for me and I had to keep forcing myself to pick it up. Normally I’m a fast reader but this took me a fair few days to wade through. I had no empathy for the characters- none of them had much to recommend them. I found it really difficult to get a handle on Matt, our first person narrator who was obviously an extremely flawed character and I certainly did not believe a lot of the things he was saying.
For me this was not a great book although the setting was well described and atmospheric. I need characters I can relate to and this book did not contain them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

[Deborah (debbishdotcom) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant is the first book I've read by the English author since 2018. I absolutely loved her very twisty Under Your Skin , which I read over a decade ago. Here 51-year old journalist Matt is staying in a guest cottage in Greece after losing his job and girlfriend when he becomes embroiled in a love triangle (or is that rectangle?) involving long-term friends, Adam and Celia, and a mega-rich newcomer to their usually peaceful seaside haven.

I didn't find the characters particularly likeable however so struggled a little to engage with them as much as I would have liked. Adam's akin to a big kid, Celia a purposeful enigma and Matt is the third wheel wanting a life that is not his. I was intrigued though and Durrant does a great job at foreshadowing a tragedy; a prologue lets us know there's a death resulting in a murder trial, but we're kept guessing for much of the novel.

3.5 stars

Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wrung out and attempting to recover from the devastation of his relationship with Takara falling apart, Matt decides to take his affluent friends Adam and Celia up on their offer to stay at their holiday home in the Mani region of the Mediterranean.

Excited to begin working on his magnum opus, Matt doesn't bargain for the distractions of lavish parties held at the neighbouring, newly-refurbished property of a billionaire, the secrets that Adam is holding, Matt's own feelings for Celia, and the other dark undercurrents of this summer in Greece.

The writer does n excellent job of portraying the lives of the wealthy and the super wealthy, shining a light on the frailties of human nature. My main issue with the story, which was well told and complex, was that the more I read, the less I liked the characters - including the main protagonist.

But it was an absorbing story, and delivered a number of surprises. This one gets 3.5 stars - for readers who enjoy deeply flawed characters, it would probably score much higher.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set beneath the blistering sun of the Mani Peninsula, Dead Heat is a slow-burning, exquisitely tense thriller that simmers with envy, obsession, and the quiet unraveling of friendship. Sabine Durrant crafts a world where the heat isn’t just atmospheric—it’s emotional, psychological, and deeply unsettling.

Former journalist Matt Grimshaw arrives in Greece seeking solace and purpose, but what unfolds is anything but restorative. As old friends reappear and new players stir the waters with lavish parties and whispered secrets, the idyllic setting becomes a pressure cooker of hidden motives and simmering resentments. Durrant’s prose is razor-sharp yet richly textured, capturing the claustrophobia of long summer nights and the slow erosion of trust.

This is not just a thriller—it’s a study in human fragility, where every glance and silence carries weight. Think The White Lotus with a literary edge, drenched in Mediterranean light and shadow. A perfect read for those who love their suspense sun-soaked and psychologically layered.

With thanks to Sabine Durrant, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Bodies in the Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first of Sabine Durrant’s novels I have read, and I definitely have a new favourite author! Can’t wait to dip into her backlist now!

I have to say, when I finished this one, I thought “That’s possibly the cleverest title I’ve ever come across - certainly for a very long time.” I can’t explain why without spoilers but suffice it to say I only *half* guessed the who- and the why-dunnits.

Set on a Greek island across the sinister events of the final summer of Adam and Matt’s decades-long friendship, we become willing observers of the sort of intimate middle class grouping imploding that Margaret Drabble did so well, but, of course, this time there is murder.

In fact there are two. And let me just tantalise you by saying the first is just as significant as the second.

Horrible people (except Andrea the shopkeeper) but a very lovely cat.

🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

🙏 Century Books for the proof (I think at Capital Crime?).

Dead Heat is out in March 2026. Highly, highly recommended.

[Claire Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully descriptive and totally absorbing. I read this during one of our hottest summers in the UK and I honestly felt like I was there!

It took me while to settle into the ultra slow pace of this novel. But ultimately the pace sets the scene and the pace of life for these characters who are on holiday sunning themselves and relaxing.

The characters are well constructed and have a lot of depth to their individual flaws. None of whom are particularly likeable and so I found it hard to empathise with any of them come the end. Other than a current need for escapism I couldn’t see why they were all still friends. Equally I often felt the main character, getting caught up in the drama, was a little less accidental and a bit more intentional. That said the layers of deceit and mistrust run deep in this book. The way in which Sabine constructs an imaginary line between the ‘have hits’ and the ‘havent hits’ is artful without cliche and all lends itself to the mystery of the supposed ‘accident’.

The ending was good, but could’ve packed a bit more punch. Whilst it aimed to shock I felt the delivery was too swift before moving back into more mundane moments.

A perfect murder mystery for your sunbed next year.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Lianne Hare · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there’s one thing that’ll make me crave the summer, it’s a tense thriller set to the backdrop of a beautiful Mediterranean summer in Greece. Maybe I’d like a tad less lies and murder on my actual trips though. Sabine Durrant impeccably captured the tense and claustrophobic feeling this murder mystery really needed, it perfectly embedded the feelings of rivalry, jealousy, obsession and revenge, whilst watching Matt witness the web of lies and deceit woven throughout the story.

Dead Heat is a character driven thriller, and getting to know the characters through Matt’s eyes really relies heavily on his interpretations of them which I fast learnt wasn’t always the most reliable as there seems to be layer upon layer of history to unpack as well as getting to see how his own feelings for each character really shapes this. Whilst this is a slower burn thriller, the last section of the story really brings everything together seamlessly and tied in elements I hadn’t even spotted were pivotal at first. Overall an enjoyable yet morally messy cast!

[Nicola Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Heat is narrated by Matt Grimshaw. Down on his luck after both his relationship and his work as a journalist ended, he goes to Greece to stay with his best friend, Adam Murphy and his wife Celia. Adam is everything Matt is not. He’s a successful TV presenter, he is charming and congenial, a generous host and a fun person to be around, but tensions rise when somebody else arrives in the area who threatens to derail the summer and seriously muddy the waters.

To say anymore about the story itself would be to risk spoilers and I think it’s better to just let it all unfold, just as it would have done for Matt. I read Dead Heat fairly slowly because I wanted to savour every detail, every exchange between Matt and the other characters, and every move he made, all expertly set up by the author so that she could draw all the strands together for the finale.

For me, this is a masterclass in plotting and everything I want in a literary thriller. There is a languid build up, the edgy feel of a hot, claustrophobic summer full of resentment and covetousness, an unreliable narrator, and then the conclusion where it all converges to great effect. I thought several times throughout that I knew what had happened and that I’d guessed a twist, but I was wrong.

The writing is absolutely spellbinding, the story is quietly menacing and the characters are unstable and/or untrustworthy. Put together, Dead Heat is quite simply superb.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Matt is 'let go' by his newspaper employer and his relationships implodes, he takes his friends up on an offer to stay in the cottage next to their Greek villa. Matt tries to get on writing his screenplay but when Adam and Celia arrive at the villa old resentments start to rise. Adam has the career Matt wanted but failed to get, Matt loves Celia but she is a Catholic opposed to divorcing her errant husband. Then they meet Rey, a billionaire neighbour connected with Adam from school and who Matt suspects of covering up a death. Now the hot summer has become more intense.
This is a really wonderful thriller that builds the tension up and up. Matt is the narrator but he is not necessarily truthful. None of the characters are particularly engaging but are well-portrayed and the plot is deliciously twisty. Even the ending is somewhat ambiguous.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Grimshawe has lost his job as a journalist. He has also been dumped by his girlfriend. When his good friends Celia and Adam invite him to spend the summer at their cottage in the Mani Peninsula, he jumps at the chance. At least he'll get his screenplay manuscript finished.
But things don't turn out as planned. A new arrival, Rey De Sousa, a millionaire stirs things up big time.
And then there's a death that seems to bring out the worst in people. Was it an accident or something more sinister?
I read this in two sittings. It was a compelling, slow burn read.
The oppressive heat builds the tension, coupled with very unlikeable characters.
A great read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK/ Cornerstone for the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by Sabine Durrant, and I was not disappointed at all!

I’ve said it before but I love all things Greek, so the fact this was set in Greece as soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis I knew it was for me. 🇬🇷

What seems to be the perfect summer break away under the heat of the Greek sun, soon turns into something more sinister.

Matt out of work and recently single is set to spend the perfect summer in the cottage at the villa of his best friend Adam and wife Celia.

Whilst here, Matt is drawn into the secrets and lies of Adam and Celia, their past and infidelities catch up with them.

And a friendly reunion of the old school friends is not all that it seems.

A definite 4.5⭐️’s from me and thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for my ARC

[jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a couple of books by Ms Durrant and enjoy her writing style and how she sweeps you along with a twisty story. This one was particularly easy to read and transport a reader from a cold, grey UK to the heat, smells and sounds of Greece.
However, I didn't feel it was one of her better novels as I realised part way through that I wasn't really emotionally engaged with any of the protagonists or understood their character and motivation. The ending wasn't a particular surprise, but maybe that was due to the author's well placed clues rather than my cleverness.
I look forward to reading her next book though.
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars