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Dead Heat

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Dead Heat

By: Sabine Durrant
Narrated by: Rufus Wright
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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.

'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

© Sabine Durrant 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Crime Thrillers International Mystery & Crime Mystery Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense

Critic reviews

Expertly constructed and guilefully written, it inevitably reminds you of Patricia Highsmith, but also of The Great Gatsby
Incredibly atmospheric and oppressive - the heat, the relationships, the events - it’s all sticky and woozy and hot and sandy and salty and languorous . . . this is the perfect book to read on a sun lounger
With scintillating shades of The Great Gatsby, this intoxicating thriller is a superb study in menace
Durrant’s talent for conjuring the harsh beauty of Greece’s Mani Peninsula immediately immerses the reader . . . explosive
This slow-burn thriller gives White Lotus vibes thanks to the luxe setting on Greece’s Mani Peninsula
Durrant pairs taut psychological suspense with crisp, beautiful writing
Explosive
Durrant’s cast of characters are intensely unlikeable and yet utterly irresistible
I loved this book. The descriptions are so beautiful that you almost don’t notice the brilliance of the plotting
A real scorcher. You won't want to miss this one!
All stars
Most relevant
I’ve been eagerly awaiting another Sabine Durrant book and this certainly didn’t disappoint. Great storyline that kept me hooked, perfect narration. My only complaint is that I had to binge it and finished it in two days!

Another belter!

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Good tale, horrid entitled people behaving as you would expect, lovely descriptive setting and a good if not wholly surprising twist.

Delightfully dreadful characters, religious hypocrisy, snobbery…

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