The End of Summer

by Charlotte Philby

Your mother is not who you think she is…

When the phone rings in Judy McVee’s Languedoc farmhouse, she knows her past has finally caught up with her. It’s her daughter, frantically asking why there are journalists on her London doorstep making terrible accusations.

Decades earlier, Judy was a girl with big plans – to ensnare a rich husband, to make something of herself, to rise above her upbringing and leave behind past tragedies. Wealthy young widower Rory Harrington seemed the perfect target – but Judy hadn’t reckoned on actually falling in love with him.

Now her daughter Francesca, who has secrets of her own, must come to terms with the realisation that the mother she thought she knew wasn’t real. Where has Judy gone – and was anything she told her family true?

Moving from Cape Cod to London, New York to the South of France, THE END OF SUMMER is a gripping, nuanced literary thriller from a writer at the top of her game.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Summer, Summer Reads, Mystery Thriller, Family Drama

363 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2024

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. What a GRIPPING and TWISTY multi-layered tale that features flawed characters in differing timelines. There’s multi-locales + wealth, con artists + thieves, and a whole slew of SECRETS. Whew. This takes a bit of time at first (to set up) with so much going on — but once it hits the second half it’s off and running. Is very character driven following four decades of mothers and daughters, and feels more of a mystery than thriller to me. Really enjoyed and read in one sitting. Pub. 6/20/24

[Dominika · Rating 2 out of 5]

The big mystery was neither mysterious nor big.

[Laura Spira · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must have read an enthusiastic review of this book to seek it out but I was disappointed. It is certainly quite gripping: I was gripped by The Da Vinci Code in a similar way. The structure of short chapters keeps things moving but a good thriller writer draws the reader along through the plot with the occasional sudden surprise to be relished, whereas this style is more like being pushed downhill through chicanes, not a journey to savour and admire.

Judy, the main character, was interesting but barely credible. I've never read Lady Audley's Secret so the plot hingeing in part on that fell flat for me. The other characters were two dimensional. I was deeply irritated by the women who blotted their lipstick on, rather than applying it and then blotting it. And even more irritated by the brand name scattering. For me, it's the sign of a lazy author who tries to ground their story in a specific period by such cultural signifiers. This may be because I'm old enough to remember times long before these authors were born and I think they could try harder to get it right. They could read David Kynaston's excellent histories for a start.

There is also much rather flaccid description of people and places. Overall, it's probably a good beach read (I hate beaches) and would make a good Netflix mini series. But this grumpy old woman didn't like it.

[Ellie Fitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

yeah readable, but not twisty enough it could have been more exciting at the end

[KBookblogger · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there’s one word I would use to describe this book, it’s immersive. A few chapters in, the book really hits its stride and I just couldn’t put it down. If I could have, I would have read it in just one sitting.

Judy McVee is a bit of a rough diamond — bubbly, fun and glamorous, but she also has a secret side to her that no one would expect. When she marries the charming and rich Rory Harrington, Judy is swept off her feet. But even though Judy is happily married and very much in love, her daring side always pulls her towards trouble!

As Judy’s life becomes messier and messier over the years, it affects all those around her, including Rory and their daughter Francesca.

From the city streets of New York to Cape Cod, London, France and even Mallorca, the story takes place across multiple locations and over many years. Philby describes each place with a superb atmospheric quality.

It was interesting to hear Judy’s point of view as the “villain” in the story — something you don’t always see. Vivacious Judy, with her passion and lust for life.

A complex, multi-layered mystery which will transport you all over the world as you read it.

“She was completely self-contained, never needing anyone or anything. My mother knew herself in a way that I’d never otherwise witnessed; she didn’t need people’s approval or even their company. She was always there for me if I needed her, and she gave me my freedom too. If I thought about it, it was hard to fathom a better mother.” - p.139

[Eline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Low effort crime, I saw most of the twists coming, but wasn’t too bothered about that as the storyline kept it interesting.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a superb book that was hard to put down. I’ve not read a book like this for a while so it was quite a thrill.

The book is split into three parts and each part changes between the voices of the two main characters and different time periods. Sometimes repeatedly swapping like this can be irritating or confusing but not here, it just keeps you wanting to read more. All of the characters are well-rounded and intriguing, the dialogue is believable and the prose easy to read. I didn’t see the plot twists coming. I would really recommend this book.

Thanks to the author, publishers & NetGalley for access to this arc in return for an honest review.

[Elaine M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and absolutely whizzed through it.
I was sucked in and invested straight away with Judy's past and story. I loved hearing about what she got up to, it was entertaining and fun.
The relationship with her daughter was interesting, especially how things came together at the end.
The different relationships and crossovers were interesting and kept me thinking.
Really happy to have read it, great book.
My second by this author, totally different from the spy like book I'd read previously and I liked it much more.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Danni The Girl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks Netgally for my copy in return for an honest review

I thought this started off well and was intrigued to find out what the big secret is, then this was revealed early on and the story was more about how the events lead up to the big secret and if Judy really did kill her husband. I'm not a fan of books that flick between past and present and I can lose interest quickly if my attention was not held and that's what happened here. I just felt that this book was needed and could have been told in a more interesting way.

[El Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The End of Summer is one of those where I really wanted to love it. I’d seen the mixed reviews but the plot sounded right up my street, and to be fair it started off strong. It felt quite gripping at first and Judy was set up as a really interesting character.

But as it went on, it just fell a bit flat. The characters didn’t quite develop beyond that initial promise and everything started to feel a bit two-dimensional.

[Manon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for more intrigue. The beginning of the novel feels a bit whattpaddy. The last 100 pages seem to drag on the story somewhat needlessly? Otherwise, entertaining at times and easy read.

[RJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable. Lots of twists and turns along the way.

[Rachel Mcloughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story but found that I couldn’t really invest in the characters.

[Rudrashree Makwana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is compelling. Book is full of secrets, past tragedies, suspense and mystery. Characters have facades and the past is unsettling. Set in London, south of france and new york. The book has been divided into parts. There were perspectives of Judy and Francesca. The book is slow burn and it has twists. The secrets from the past, revelations and tragedy that consumed them all kept me on toes. There were so many heartbreaking moments and heart shattering memories.

Judy and Rory fell in love. They had a daughter Francesca. Judy had her own secrets while Rory was oblivion to them and as soon as he learned about them, he disappeared. Francesca is trying to find her father or get to the bottom of the mystery of his disappearance. While Judy is the one who might know the answers of Francesca’s questions. But she is afraid that her daughter will not approve her. Judy still feels the grief and unsettling emotions. The entire book was suspenseful and mysterious. The ending was shocking.


Thanks to Publisher and Author

[LeeTheGirlReads (Lee Holmes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio of this book. The dual timeline and POV gave part typical thriller vibes and part 80s retro escapades. A strong start but fairly repetitive. I found myself losing interest towards the end.

[Željka Novak · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first bit, lost interest by the middle, and hate-read the rest. It had unnecessary time jumps as a plot device, and the main character's motivation wasn't really strong enough to justify decades of lies. Two stars is being generous.

[June · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started well enough but didn’t live up to its promise. No surprises along the way, and fizzled out at the end. Predictable, over hyped and cliched.

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: Silence falling between each piercing ring, Judy settles back against the wall. Slipping off her sandals, she lets the cool marble floor soothe the soles of her feet as she focuses on the spiral staircase that leads up to the bedroom where she and Rory once lay entwined in soft cotton sheets, their bodies curved into one another's. Finally, she picks up the receiver.
'Hello?' The familiar rumble of London traffic on the other end of the line makes her yearn, briefly, for the city. For another life.
'Mum?'
At the sound of her daughter's voice, Judy's throat swells, her body intuitively understanding what comes next.
Her gaze wanders to the window, settling on a cluster of white flowers that have long since gone over. The sight of them evokes a memory - herself and Rory planting Asphodels on one of those first lazy weekends away from London after their daughter was born. Judy recoiling as her new husband enlightened her on the Asphodel Meadows in stories of the Underworld of ancient Greece: A place where ordinary souls are sent to live. Laughing, she had pleaded, Ordinary? Christ, anything but that.
'Mum, is it true?'
It is one of the hardest things imaginable, hearing one's only child in clear distress and being incapable of doing a thing to help. At least nothing more than she has already done.
'There are journalists on our doorstep. Tell me it's not true.'
Before Judy can reply, she spots it - the police car curving around the road at the end of the garden - and despite herself she is met with the strangest sense of relief.
'Darling, I can't talk now. I'll have to call you back. I'm so sorry.'
'Mum-'
Replacing the phone on its cradle, Judy slips back into her shoes and turns towards the main hall, hearing the thud of boots as the gendarme climbs the steps.
Closing her eyes, Judy inhales as she adjusts her cardigan and opens the door.

ABOUT ' THE END OF SUMMER': Your mother is not who you think she is…

When the phone rings in Judy McVee’s Languedoc farmhouse, she knows her past has finally caught up with her. It’s her daughter, frantically asking why there are journalists on her London doorstep making terrible accusations.

Decades earlier, Judy was a girl with big plans – to ensnare a rich husband, to make something of herself, to rise above her upbringing and leave behind past tragedies. Wealthy young widower Rory Harrington seemed the perfect target – but Judy hadn’t reckoned on actually falling in love with him.

Now her daughter Francesca, who has secrets of her own, must come to terms with the realisation that the mother she thought she knew wasn’t real. Where has Judy gone – and was anything she told her family true?

MY THOUGHTS: A delightful, subtle mystery.

Mothers and daughters. Do daughters ever really know their mothers? I think not. Daughters only know what their mothers want them to know. Judy and Francesca are a case in point.

I was totally entranced by the storyline. Constantly shifting time frames are difficult to pull off but Charlotte Philby has cracked it. The reader learns of Judy's life in a shifting kaleidoscope of vignettes; both Judy as she really is and Judy as she wishes to be perceived. Judy is a juggler, a chameleon; ethereal and elusive - a complex character, but a compelling one.

Judy's life is full of secrets and lies. She struggles to keep her present and her past separate. For them to collide would be disastrous. And yet throughout there is a frisson, a threat, that this may just be about to happen.

The End of Summer is not a fast-moving book. It is more a character study than a thriller. It is a book I lingered over, enjoying the subtle complexity of the characters and the easy flow of the plot. It is elegantly written and utterly seductive. I will be looking for more to read from this author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#TheEndofSummer #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: CHARLOTTE PHILBY worked for eight years as a newspaper reporter, editor and columnist. She is a former contributing editor and features writer and has written for many publications.
Charlotte has three children and lives in Bristol.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Haper Collins, UK, Harper Fiction - The Borough Press, via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The End of Summer by Charlotte Philby for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

The End of Summer by Charlotte Philby was published June 2024

[Katy's Book Den · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read with multiple layers, flawed characters, and a twist I didn't see coming!

Judy is a free spirited con artist and hustler, but her plan to seduce the wealthy Rory Harrington and run off with his money backfires as she falls in love with him. We are led through a tangled web of deceit, secrets and lies as the past tries to catch up with her.

The character of Judy is both interesting and intriguing in an unfamiliar way. She's not someone I can relate to but I loved the persona the author created. I didn't empathise with her per se, as all the issues are very much self-inflicted, but I enjoyed the character.

Judy was taught by her mother to be independent, to never rely on a man and carve your own way in life. Judy believes she is a grafter (page 129) and that she has worked hard for what she has and that she is better than the trophy wives. But is she any better, or is she in fact far worse? The reality is that she has never really done a true and honest hard days work in her life. Her work is deceiving people and then living off them. She almost believes she is a Robin Hood, stealing from the rich because it won't make a difference to them.

She claims she is happy in her life with Rory, but then she often talks of being free in her future in a place far away. She is a complex character. So many times she could have come clean about her past but she digs herself further in.

A novel that takes us to several atmospheric locations, from France and Cape Cod to London and New York.

If I could pick at anything it's that I had to occasionally flick back in the latter stages of the book to connect the timelines, of which there are multiple, and so at times you have to keep track. The author also keeps us distanced from the family as a unit, so we never really feel that connection with Judy, Rory and Francesca as a whole. Rory in particular is kept on the periphery. I never felt fully invested in them as a family but perhaps that was the intention. Perhaps this gives us more of an insight into Judy’s mind. Could she ever be fully invested in something like this?

Overall I really enjoyed this. It was well-paced and kept me turning the pages!

[Adrian Scottow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this clever layered novel from Charlotte Philby – it features two main characters – Judy and her daughter, Francesca – across 3 main timelines. 1985 - Judy when she was a young grifter on the make and how she meets Francesca’s father in Cape Cod. 2000 – Francesca as a teenager and Judy as a mother in London. 2024 – Francesca as a mother with her own teenage daughter in London, Judy in the South of France. I liked to think that to some extent we are reading the reminiscences of Judy from the South of France.

The timelines are interwoven in such a way that the story is slowly unveiled before you. It is a story about relationships and about truth and lies and secrets and about what a mother will do to protect her daughter and what a daughter will do to protect her mother. The prose is beautiful and at times very moving. The sense of place in the three locations is excellent you can almost smell the roses in the South of France, the grit and glamour of London and New York and the vineyards and privilege of Cape Cod. All of the characters are vividly depicted with Judy in particular being a wonderful character, she is at-once sympathetic and amoral – a female grifter in the tradition of Han Solo to Danny Ocean – somebody who will steal your heart and then your wallet. There is a little of the Robin Hood to her as well – she is stealing from the wealthy who won’t really miss the trinkets that she needs. If you’ve watched an enjoyed The Talented Mr Ripley or indeed Ripley but wanted the female characters to have a little more agency this is for you. I particularly enjoyed the way the threads of the story were cleverly brought to a poignant and satisfying climax.

Twists and turns, mothers and daughters, glamour and glitz, and, rough and tumble - a fabulous thriller that grips right to the very end.

[idil · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 This book really disappointed me because it had a great premise and it fell flat. My main problem was half ot this book takes place in 1980s and one of our main characters Judy is 19 at the time. However if I were given no information about this book I’d say that Judy is a 30 something living in 2020s. The historical part of the book doesn’t feel genuine at all so I couldn’t get into the story.
The plot became a bit repetitive as it went on. Also I really disliked the characters. I have nothing against unlikable characters and I actually prefer them most of the time but to give an example- Judy doesn’t want to rely on a man but she achieves this by stealing from men. So basically she doesn’t ask for help from her husband by being truthful but steals his things to sell and be free. And this makes her powerful? In fact she steals from everyone and it’s fine because she is a free spirit. She is actually a manipulating thief who gaslights people but ok. The daughter kills her father by mistake but in the end everything is fine and the thief and the murderer lives happily ever after on an island. You see this might actually work on a different well written novel like Gone Girl that is actually self-aware. Here it all ends like “my very own island of women” and it’s ridiculous.

[Alison Bradbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book this is!

Judy is living in retirement in her home in France when she receives a phone call from her daughter, Francesca. Judy feels like she has been waiting for this phone call her whole life. Answering the phone, Judy finds that a pack of journalists have descended on her daughter's doorstep making terrible accusations...and then Judy sees the police car making it's way towards her home...

Taking us back in time to 1985 we meet Judy as a teenager living in New York and working as a pickpocket. But she has bigger plans for her life, and the notification in the paper of the death of millionaire Montgomery Harrington gives her ideas about his recently widowed young son Rory. Over the ensuing years, we follow Judy as she climbs society and struggles to keep her own secrets buried, a matter that is complicated by her past just refusing to stay hidden.

This is a brilliant read. I loved the characters - no matter how deeply flawed they all were. I loved the beautifully portrayed settings and the twisty plot. Yes, it could have been twistier if you love complex mysteries but this was a beautifully imagined mystery that kept me guessing right up to the reveal. It's my first Charlotte Philby novel but it won't be my last!

[Maine Colonial · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can admire the intricate plotting, but the main characters, Judy and her daughter Francesca, disgusted me. I guess I’m supposed to understand what made Judy what she is (a lifelong conwoman), but I never bought the notion that circumstances limited her choices and that a series of events beyond her control is what really caused the tragic events at the center of the plot. Nope; I’m not into moral relativism, and there were so many other options Judy had that I couldn’t relate to her one little bit. Francesca doesn’t do anywhere near the kinds of things her mother does, but she does commit an unconscionable betrayal—one that isn’t necessary to the plot of the book, either.

I also rolled my eyes when the author twice (!) has the time difference between England and the US east cost run the wrong way; i.e., she has it be five house later in the US than in England, rather than the other way around. It’s a surprising mistake for the author to make, but more surprising that no editor caught it. This didn’t affect my rating, though.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Discover the locations in the novel here


A quirky read about a mother accused of killing her husband. You get to see her grow up in one timeline and get up to all kinds of situations. Then the other timeline sees her in France receiving a phone call that sets off a search for the truth. 

The sense of place is good as the locations help move the story on, show how people move around and move on. They aren't strong but they help you to see distance and time and the frustration of trying to find something out when you're far away.

This is a study of what happens between a mum and daughter when not everything is said and when secrets come out. I didn't know who to believe, who to trust and it got me good.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The End of Summer is a stylish thriller by Charlotte Philby.
In short, Judy was a girl with a plan. Taking on a new life meant living it and that was exactly what she was going to do, while keeping enough back that she could jump into another one if it went pear shaped. And this ‘new life’ she chose, there was no way she could have known then the sequence of events she was about to set off!
Oh I loved this book, The End of Summer is a must summer read, so well written with a very human and interesting storyline all orchestrated around a glamorous backdrop. It’s one of those special page turners which stay with you, refreshing different. I agree with Lucy Clarke’s review, it was a sultry and seductive suspense novel. I thought the epigraph set the book up perfectly too! Looking forward to reading more from Charlotte.
Big thanks to Charlotte Philby, HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

[Pam Hutley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a twisting and mysterious easy read- following Judy at at key points in her mad life. It was auspicious that that date of the prologue was the very date I collected the book from the library and read it!
Judy could be seen as an unfortunate woman- but her free spirit gives her a confidence to take her own life in her hands and make the very best of it. She is at heart a good person- a good mother etc . But she harbours so many secrets , and is so schemingly clever it is sometimes hard to understand why she can’t stop and accept when life becomes good. She is driven and the reader is enchanted by her escapades. There are mini denouements throughout as the novel flicks between a 24 hour period of the now - and several key moments in history -1985 and 2004 feature strongly. The epilogue pitches us into 2025 and ties up the last ends of mystery.
It is fast paced and exciting to read. I question why I’ve given it 4 not 5 stars?

[Julie Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an awesome story, perfect for fans of To Catch a Thief with Cary Grant and the badass female characters from E. Lockhart’s books.

It has a teasingly slow pace for the explosive plot that it delivers, masterfully building intrigue with every next chapter. While the prose flows easily and is somehow also very rich at the same time.

Charlotte Philby explores the beautiful complexities of a woman’s nature. A woman who’s not just someone who’s walked the thin line between the good and the bad, but who’s above all a real fighter.

Judy’s character development was simply superb. Charlotte Philby’s skilful writing has created the most admirable modern woman - strong, unabashed and driven by a self-imposed mission to succeed. She almost makes sin and vanity into an appealing career choice.

I am absolutely looking forward to reading more by this author!

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[Angie Annetts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite for me....
Although this isn't really my kind of novel, I saw it being highly recommended on Insta, so tagged it on to a bulk buy of books.
Alas, (and for my ten bob's worth) I just couldn't care one jot about Judy. And not much more for Francesca.
And although it's very common to read about 'flawed' characters, Judy's antics failed to get me cheering her on from the sidelines - regardless of my liking her or not.
That said, having briefly toyed with DNFing, it is testament to the author's skills that I got dragged further and further in, until I found myself flipping those pages with eagerness.
I didn't find the ending satisfying - but that happens a lot with novels I've 'got into' as you're always half-writing the conclusion you want in your head.
On balance, not quite for me - but I wholly understand its merits and why others have enjoyed it more than myself.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judy McVee's daughter Francesca is struggling to reconcile the knowledge of the mother she has always known with the person about whom there is currently a media firestorm underway.

With her past decisions now returning to haunt her, Judy must figure out who she really is and how to manage the fallout from her secrets and salvage her relationship with her daughter, who has issues of her own.

Divided into three parts, the story shifts between the voices of the key characters and different timelines. The characters are well-drawn, the storytelling engaging. This one is worth a read. It gets 3.5 stars.

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

[Saffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed the author's previous novels and The End of Summer is a little different to these. It's set over three timelines - 1985, 2000 and 2024 and moves between New York, Cape Cod, London and the South of France as the author tells the story of con artist and thief Judy and her daughter Francesca. It's a beautifully written, slow burn, multi layered novel that slowly drew me in. I loved the atmospheric feeling of the novel which really conjured up a sense of place and time. Judy is an intriguing character and far more interesting than Francesca. I did find the pace a little slow at times but was able to immerse myself in the characters and the settings.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.