Sezonowa dziewczyna

by Jenny Blackhurst, Łukasz Praski (Translator)

To będzie niezapomniane lato..

Martha’s Vineyard – malownicza, niewielka wyspa na Atlantyku, zaledwie sto kilometrów od Bostonu, jest od lat miejscem wypoczynku amerykańskich elit. Tutaj też spędza lato Holly, młoda Brytyjka, która pracuje w marinie, cieszy się imprezami na plaży i flirtuje z miejscowymi bogatymi dzieciakami. Jednak pod pozorem beztroski kryje się dramat – Holly rozpaczliwie próbuje odnaleźć własną ścieżkę po tragicznej stracie rodziny.

Kiedy dziewczyna wysyła starszej siostrze zagadkowy SMS, a potem przestaje się odzywać, zaniepokojona Claire wsiada w samolot, by ją odszukać. Na miejscu nie ma śladu po Holly, a miejscowi, z policją włącznie, zdają się bagatelizować sytuację. Wszyscy są przekonani, że wiadomość, którą otrzymała Claire, jest niepodważalnym dowodem na to, że siostra jest bezpieczna.

Ale Claire wie na pewno, że wiadomości nie wysłała jej Holly. Wkrótce odkrywa, że siostra nie jest pierwszą młodą kobietą, która zaginęła tu w ciągu ostatnich lat.

Czy Claire zdoła odkryć, co stało się z Holly?
A może jej ostatnie dni na zawsze pozostaną tajemnicą?

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2023

Reviews

[Lit with Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

BEEP BEEP! HONDA CIVIC RELIABLE READ COMING THRU! 3 STARS IS NOT A BAD BOOK

Writing: standard | Plot: fun | Ending: lowkey controversial in a good way!

SYNOPSIS

Claire travels from England to Martha's Vineyard to find out what happened to her sister.

MY OPINION

This is my third from Jenny Blackhurst, and she hasn't let me down yet. She's definitely my go-to for an easy, breezy popcorn thriller. I just love her dry wit and satirical approach to amateur sleuthing. This approach makes her books 100x more digestible than similarly written books that try to take themselves waaayyy too seriously. Blackhurst has nailed the popcorn thriller formula: juicy but straight forward mystery + FMC with self-deprecating humour + fast-paced dual timelines.

I really have nothing bad to say about this one. As with the other books of hers I read (The Girl Who Left and The Hiking Trip) it did what it came to do: entertain and keep in engrossed. Is this a literary masterpiece? No. But is it fun to read and doesn't rely on the fmc being a stage 5 dumbass? Yes. If you like Lindsey Kelk, this is kinda like if Kelk wrote a thriller. Same vibe, different genre.

There was one questionable moment, but otherwise this was enjoyable. I liked it better than The Hiking Trip; especially the ending. It stayed the course and didn't make me cringe. I do think the last 25% of the book will spark some good book club debates; it's a tad controversial and some people may feel passionately about how it all played out. I think it raises some good questions, chiefly: 'does the means justify the end?' Andddddd debate!

PROS AND CONS

Pros: fun read, great dry humor, emotional aspects as well without being too stressy n depressy, solid ending, entertaining, easy to read

Cons: one part was never fully explained, predictable

____________________________

For some sick reason, do you want to hear more of my nonsense? Check out my podcast: Novels & Nonsense streaming everywhere.

[Meagan✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A whole lot of nothing

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book that I pretty much read in one sitting. It centers on Claire, whose younger sister Holly decides to spend the summer traveling to Martha’s Vineyard from England after the death if their mother. Claire feels abandoned and is not happy with Holly, but when Holly stops answering her phone, Claire knows something is wrong and travels there to find her. The book is told from both Claire’s current timeline and Holly’s from before her disappearance.

The book is tense and twisty and the author does a great job of making sure the reader doesn’t know who to trust. I went back and forth a couple times about who I thought was hiding the most. Both Claire and Holly are likable and believable characters. I found the book to be so very sad, with terrible decisions made by characters in the heat of the moment having irrecoverable consequences for the lives of those around them. I have a feeling the book will stick with me. There was one tertiary loose end that I wish had been tied up, but overall I was satisfied with the way the story ended.

Overall, really engrossing read that provides a great mystery along with tugging at your heartstrings. I plan on going back to check out the books by this author that I haven’t yet read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Logana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dość prosta historia, która rozgrywa się w kameralnym otoczeniu, w kameralnym towarzystwie. Claire leci do rajskiego miasteczka w poszukiwaniu siostry, Holly, która przestała dawać znaki życia. Na miejscu okazuje się, że lokalna policja oraz mieszkańcy bagatelizują sprawę, a wyspa podporządkowana jest bogatym braciom.

Bohaterki zachowują się infantylnie i zdaje się, że są pozbawione instynktu samozachowawczego. Wiedzą, że nie powinny wsiadać do samochodu, iść na imprezę, zadawać się z potencjalnie niebezpiecznymi osobnikami, a i tak to robią. Domyśliłam się rozwiązania intrygi. Mimo tego książkę czyta się przyjemnie, może dlatego, że jest lekka i niewymagającą.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire's little sister Holly has been working on the millionaire's playground of Martha's Vineyard for the summer, all barefoot parties and flirting with the local rich kids. But now she's missing and none of the locals seem to care, including the police. They think a message Claire received is proof she is safe. But Claire knows for a fact that's impossible. What will she have to risk to find out the truth? Who are the locals protecting? And what does it have to do with another girl who went missing five years ago?

The pace was on the slow side for the first half of the book. The story is told from Claire and Holly's perspectives. Claire was upset when Holly left England to work in Matha's Vineyard. But when Holly disappeared, it turned Claire's world upside down. I never knew who I could trust in this twisted read. There is some dry humour which made me laugh out loud. The story has a dual timeline - Holly tells us about the days leading up to her disappearance and Claire tells us about her search for her sister. I was kept guessing and the ending was interesting.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #JennyBlackhurst for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Summer Girl" was a summer letdown.

I am a Massachusetts native and loved the book's Martha's Vineyard setting.

Even the Martha's Vineyard setting could not save this book.

The book was painfully slow with repetitive text.

Jenny Blackhurst's "The Final Wife"(2025) was a 5-star Audible Plus freebie.

Jenny Blackhurst's "The Summer Girl" was also an Audible Plus freebie.

"The Final Wife" was a full-cast audiobook.

"The Summer Girl" unfolded from different POVs and timelines with one narrator.

Perhaps this made a difference?

UGH!

DNF. Soooo disappointing!!!!!

[Karen Chong · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 / 5

This book is ok, it’s standard good book- nothing that will scream banger but not bad it’s an average book.

Claire’s sister Holly managed to get a summer job in Massachusetts at Martha’s Vineyard after their mom passed of cancer. One day, whilst Claire is working at a bar job Jess her cousin lets her know she couldn’t get a hold of holly and get sent a strange text. They both know that her sister didn’t send the text, leaving Claire to investigate. The police were nonchalant about it doing a very basic welfare check, but Claire is not satisfied and begins to uncover some secrets.

I have to admit, the twist at the end did catch me out. I did not expect it to happen, but I kind of felt the ending was a tad strange. I did enjoy the different perspectives, as Claire is in real time figuring out what happened, we have holly’s perspective of the events. Overall it’s ok, it’s a book you can’t go wrong with!

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

******Happy publication day!!!!!******



Holly is not answering her phone and that’s not like her, her sister Claire flies to Martha’s Vineyard to look for her. Seems there may be some history of the people of wealth there getting away with certain crimes, so Claire is forced to do the investigating on her own. She meets Gina who swears 5 years earlier her sister was murdered on the Island and it was covered up. Who can Claire trust? Who is leading her astray? Two brothers seem to be at the center of it all, but it’s hard to figure out who is genuinely good and who is the deceiver. Have to say their characters were written so well, has me guessing til the end!! Story alternates between Claire and Holly’s perspectives mainly. Really enjoyed the writing, story and great character development. Came close to a five star for me. Ending definitely wasn’t what I expected!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo publishing for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!!

[Nikki Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure this author has any idea how people from the US actually talk and that was really annoying

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting: Martha's Vineyard, USA; modern day.
Following their mother's death from cancer, Claire's younger sister Holly decided to travel to the USA where she had acquired a summer job working at a marina on Martha's Vineyard. Holly soon fell in love with the place and made some good friends - but now she has gone missing and the local police, when contacted by Claire from their UK home, seem unwilling to take her disappearance seriously. So Claire travels to Martha's Vineyard to try to find her missing sister. What she finds is a friendly community in a lovely setting set against a background of privileged young men who seem to regard young women as fair game. Notable amongst these are Bobby and Ryan Slayton, cousins of the Kennedys, who both had some involvement with Holly. Claire also meets Gina, whose younger sister Natalie was found dead in the marina a few years earlier - circumstances were suspicious but police ruled it as a suicide at first, then an accident, but Gina is sure that Ryan Slayton was responsible for her death and has spent several years trying to prove it...
A twisty and thought-provoking mystery as told by Claire and Holly, the latter outlining her time at Martha's Vineyard up to the time of her disappearance. I almost expected the twist at the end but there were certainly several 'suspicious' characters throughout the story to keep you guessing. I must admit to being a bit surprised that Claire was able to suddenly decide to go to America and fly out the next day - um, U.S. visa?! But this was a minor issue in an overall good read, following a couple of others from this author - 8.5/10.

[Catbytheseareads ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, loads of twists, turns and heart pumping suspense.
I don't know quite how I feel about the ending, if I agreed or feel it was unrealistic but it was still an amazing thriller, mystery.

Summer time in the Hamptons! Summer help mixed with the rich kids, parties, boats and bonfires.
Holly flies over for the summer from the UK to work at a marina in Martha's Vineyard only to go missing. Claire is Holly's sister who flies to town in search of her sister, the story picks up pace and interest at about 20% in, give it time it's worth it.

4/5 Because of the mistakes in words not used in the US, there was quite a few of them like Mum, Lads, certain saying and foods we don't use etc... but it's understandable knowing the Authors mistake.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Holly and Ryan would never be more than a drop in the ocean of one another’s lives."

What would you be willing to do in the name of justice? How far would you go to protect your secrets?

The Summer Girl addressed these questions and more as Claire was determined to find her missing sister, Holly, on Martha's Vineyard and the illusion of the safety of the island nestled in paradise began to crumble. What dangers and risks might underlie the false sense of security in this small town? What were the costs of perfection?

Had the prologue been eliminated or moved to a later part of the story, this book could have been a suspenseful thriller but it only takes a few pages before finding out what had happened to Holly and it felt rather anticlimactic. Instead, the story followed the progression of events as Claire struggled to catch up while the reader also learned the events that led to that fateful day on the island from Holly's perspective. Chapters were narrated alternately between Claire and Holly but the use of the third person for Holly instead the first person as used for Claire created a disconnect from the narrative. Furthermore, the language was off-putting in the ways British wording was often used even by characters who did not hail from England.

I would have liked to see a trigger warning for sexual assault mentioned in advance and that was lacking here. In many ways, this story seemed to be just another recycled cautionary tale set in the spirit of the MeToo movement. Of course, this was a very important message to send but it also greatly reduced the tension and the suspenseful nature of the twists through its predictability.

There were, however, other positive aspects of this book that made it worth reading. I liked the focus on the different ways people grieve, on how they deal with the pain and guilt inherent in grief and loss based on their individual experiences. I also liked the look at the dynamics and complexities of sibling relationships and the idea of living one's life to the fullest without any regrets.

How do we hold people accountable for their actions?

Power, privilege and entitlement were key issues throughout and they made a statement on class structure and societal imbalance. In the quest to solve the mystery behind Holly's disappearance, most characters were not what they seemed and discovering their lies and secrets kept me interested in continuing to read. Culminating in an ending that could certainly be deemed controversial, I was left unsure if I was truly satisfied with the way justice was ultimately served.

"So why did he feel he had to take her life? And to that I’d say because he could."

** Special thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available July 13, 2023. **

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author & I can tell I’m going to be a fan. The writing and the characters were superbly written. When Claire’s sister hasn’t answered her phone in a few days, she sets out for America at Martha’s Vineyard. Holly hasn’t been seen nor heard from in a week & nobody seems to be bothered by this. So Claire takes it upon herself to start her own investigation. This had a great pace & engaging dialogue. Plus, a twist you never seen coming. Can’t wait to read more by her.

[Mollie Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* - easy read - bit of nothing happening but then some twists, unsure how I feel

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

★★☆☆☆ (2.5)

This pains me because the prologue was SO promising. The writing style, the subtle nuances of danger, the set-up for an idyllic town hiding big secrets was done so well in literally 2 pages. And then it went completely downhill.

The first half of this books teaches you nothing - we know Holly has gone missing but we don't find anything out that's relevant until we get to the Natalie/Gina revelation. Also these characters are the worst and I don't mean that in a good way. Terribly written, incredibly stereotypical and also entirely unrealistic - Claire is a horrible sister (and definitely not 30?!), and the Slayton brothers speak like an AI robot. The dialogue is truly something else. It tries to mix humour into Claire's narrative but it does it at the most ridiculous times - like you've just found out your sister has been murdered and dumped in the harbour is now the time to joke about you calling the front garden a "yard"? What was the need for that?

It also jumps around perspective wise and that is a really big pet peeve for me - some chapters are Claire's perspective written in first person, but then Holly (and later Gina's) perspective are written in third...you can then just write all of them in third?? Or all first!! We know it's their perspective because their name is at the top!! And there's also no pattern to it - 4 Claire chapters and then two Holly ones, and then 3 random Gina ones right at the end...a mess. It makes everything wonky but I know that this is a very personal ick lol

The ending was also incredibly anticlimactic and very rushed - I would have loved to see some kind of police corruption-style, trafficking thing that the Slaytons had going with the "summer girls" they picked up. It would've worked really nicely with the opening set-up since that wasn't specific to Holly, and also how terrible the police are at their jobs at the beginning. But no...instead the people set-up to be horrible and abusive men are actually...innocent? And instead it was a grieving woman who suddenly turned violent for little to no reason. Poor Holly deserved better. Twists are only good if they are believable - a twist for the sake of it is poor planning.

I really did not gel with this book at all - I think if you are looking for a poolside easy thriller then it could be fine, just don't think too much about it.

Thank you to Tandem Collective and Canelo Co for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.

cw// murder, rape, sexual assault, mentions of cancer, mentions of suicide

[Asia (zupa.czyta) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ocena: 4+/5
Gatunek: lekki thriller psychologiczny
Motywy: siostrzana więź, tajemnicze zaginięcie + podobna sprawa z przeszłości, wakacyjny klimat, sekrety pięknych i bogatych
.
Dwie siostry: Claire i Holly. Gdy ta druga wyjeżdża, by spędzić lato na pięknej amerykańskiej wyspie, ich relacje stają się jeszcze chłodniejsze niż dotychczas. Wystarczy jednak jeden dziwny sms, by Claire zaczęła podejrzewać, że jej siostra może znajdować się w poważnych tarapatach. Dziewczyna wyrusza na Martha's Vineyard, by wziąć sprawy w swoje ręce, jako że policja wydaje się kompletnie niezainteresowana poszukiwaniami Holly.

Napięcie? Spore!
Dobrze skonstruowani, niejednoznaczni bohaterowie? Są!
Fabuła z nieoczekiwanym zakończeniem? Oczywiście - z tego znana jest Blackkhurst!
"Sezonowa dziewczyna" to niezwykle wciągająca powieść, wypełniona klaustrofobicznym klimatem, skomplikowanymi relacjami międzyludzkimi, miłością, nienawiścią i poczuciem winy. W centrum tego wszystkiego mamy bajecznie bogatą rodzinę, której wydaje się, że stoi ponad prawem. Czy zamożni synalkowie stoją za zniknięciem Holly i mają coś wspólnego ze śm*ercią 15-latki sprzed kilku lat?  
Rozwiązanie Was zaskoczy!

To taki thriller, który porywa od pierwszych stron - od samego początku czujesz, że coś tu nie gra, w połowie zaczynasz podejrzewać każdego, a gdy myślisz, że zagadka została rozwiązana, autorka szokuje potężnym twistem - no nie spodziewałam się takiego zwrotu akcji! Powieść idealna na letni relaks na leżaczku! Weź ją ze sobą na wakacje :)

[Coffee&Cliffhangers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Summer Girl
by Jenny Blackhurst
Publish Date 7/13/23

Claire travels from England to Martha’s Vineyard when her sister Holly stops responding to calls. Everything seems fine in Holly’s apartment and Her car is still parked in front. But no one seems to be concerned when she stops showing up at work, not even the police. Just another Summer girl that comes and goes. But the more Claire investigates the more she is convinced that the locals are protecting their own, what is she willing to do to find out the truth?


This was my first book by the author but it won’t be my last. It was an easy read with a lot of twists and turns that grip you right from the start all the way to it’s satisfying ending.
How far would you be willing to go to get justice for a loved one?

[Jola (czytanienaplatanie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wiecie co zrobiłam zaraz po skończeniu tej powieści? Zadzwoniłam do syna, który akurat przebywa w Portugalii. Chciałam tylko usłyszeć jego głos i upewnić się, że wszystko u niego w porządku. Oj, autorka potrafi zasiać w człowieku ziarenko niepokoju, albo nawet potężne ziarno.

Bo „Sezonowa dziewczyna” mogłaby być cudowną letnią powieścią z urokiem słonecznych plaż, beztroskich imprez i wakacyjnych zauroczeń, gdyby nie napisała jej Jenny Blackhurst oczywiście. Autorka słynie z odkrywania mroku w miejscach, w których - wydawać by się mogło - nie ma odrobiny cienia. I w najdalszych zakamarkach ludzkich serc.

Czasem jedna wiadomość potrafi rozsypać wewnętrzny porządek w pył. A czasem to, co miało uspokoić, budzi jeszcze większy niepokój. Clare, starsza siostra Holly, dobrze zna to uczucie. Jeden sms burzy jej dotychczasowe życie, choć lecąc na wyspę Martha’s Vineyard, nie przypuszcza, że wejdzie w sam środek kręgu tajemnic, milczenia i przemocy ukrytej pod uśmiechami bogatej młodzieży. Fasada cudownego, bezpiecznego raju na ziemi pęka, gdy wychodzą na jaw niepokojące zdarzenia z przeszłości, zamiatane pod dywan, by chronić ludzi z wpływami.

W powieści uderza to, co najbardziej ludzkie. Siostrzana złość, zazdrość, żal, ale i rozpaczliwa miłość, która nie zna granic. Autorka prowadząc narrację z perspektywy obu sióstr pozwala nam zajrzeć w przeszłość i teraźniejszość jednocześnie i po raz kolejny udowadnia, że potrafi z precyzją rozpinać napięcie między ludźmi, relacjami, tym, co mówione, a tym, co zatajone.

To opowieść nie tylko o zaginionej dziewczynie, ale i o systemowym przyzwoleniu na przemoc, o rodzinach ofiar, które bezskutecznie pukają do wielu drzwi w poszukiwaniu odpowiedzi. Ta historia może nie zaskakuje fabułą, ale jest niczym złodziej, który zakrada się w nasze myśli podstępnie, odbierając poczucie spokoju i bezpieczeństwa. Bo czasem wystarczy alkohol, młodość, brawura, zazdrość i poczucie bezkarności, by doszło do tragedii. Ta historia przeraża właśnie najbardziej tym, że mogła zdarzyć się naprawdę.

To kolejna powieść Autorki pełna emocji, zwrotów akcji i nieoczekiwanych tajemnic, które w połączeniu z mroczną, gęstą atmosferą i psychologicznym napięciem zmuszają czytelnika do wnikliwego śledzenia fabuły i ciągłego snucia podejrzeń. Jeśli lubicie thrillery, które trzymają w napięciu do ostatniej strony i jednocześnie skłaniają do refleksji nad ludzką naturą, to ta powieść jest dla Was idealna.

[Izzy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚠️ trigger warnings ⚠️
- violence
- sexual assault
- drugs / drugging
- loss of family members
- grief

rating: ✩✩✩✩.5

*thank you to netgalley and canelo for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to the release date, all reviews are 100% honest and my own opinion*

🪦💔😮

i absolutely loved this book. its such a great feeling reading a thriller you literally cannot put down. this was kindly sent to me on @netgalley as an ARC so i had it on my kindle, and i took my kindle everywhere. even whilst sat in the car waiting for my friend to get in i would read a page or two. any spare second.

this book had everything you want from a thriller. it was fast paced, it had plot twists, it had characters you learn to love and characters you quickly despise, characters you misjudge at first and learn to like. i loved almost every second of reading this book.

i felt emotions with the characters, there were scenes in this book that made me physically cringe and tear up to, jenny blackhurst has the ability with her writing to make you feel the anger and uncomfortability with the characters.

i will admit there are some scenes that are a tough read, so please do be mindful of that, especially if you struggle with reading topics such as violence and sexual assault.

the only reason i didn’t give this five stars is because i am very picky when it comes to rating books that high. five star reads are saved for books that change my mindset or perspective of things and really stick with me.

loved this book, loved the twists and loved the ending. read this book!!!

❔what’s your favourite thriller you’ve read?

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire's sister, Holly, has decided to live her best life after their mom has passed away. In a burst of spontaneity, she travels from England to Martha's Vineyard in America, with a job in the marina and a place to stay all lined up. But then Holly goes missing, and the local police department can't seem to be bothered to start an investigation. After all, Holly is a summer girl. They come and go from the island every year. But Claire knows her sister isn't like that and sets out to discover what happened to Holly by herself.

Martha's Vineyard, while occupied by residents all year round, is very much a rich kids' playground. During the summer, two brothers in particular, appear to be running the community. Bobby and Ryan suffer from the stereotypical rich kid syndrome, and seeing as they're related to the (in)famous Kennedy clan, they seem to be able to get away with anything as the local police turns a blind eye to their shenanigans.

Basically, you're never really in doubt of these brothers being guilty of something. It's just trying to figure out of what exactly, and whether or not they're somehow connected to Holly's disappearance. It's obvious that nobody in this community dares to stand up to them, somehow feeling it's a battle they will never be able to win. But their reluctance to do so, and the brothers' notion that they are untouchable, has devastating consequences. Holly isn't the first girl to go missing in Martha's Vineyard. There was another one five years ago, who was tragically found dead a few days later. Nobody was ever arrested. Is the same fate awaiting Holly?

'The Summer Girl' is not just about Holly's disappearance and what happened to her, or why. It is about dealing with such a sudden and unexpected event, going over and over the last words that were spoken. It is also about dealing with the crippling grief of losing a loved one, how trying to find out the truth can turn into an obsession and drive you nearly crazy. It is about finding a way to move on, hoping for some kind of closure, seeing justice served.

On the other hand, it is also shining a light on people's reluctance to get involved. Sometimes keeping your mouth shut is far worse than speaking out. If the residents had been more outspoken, if they'd had the backbone to face these brothers .... if, if, if. What might the outcome have been? The ultimate conclusion in 'The Summer Girl' is also immensely thought-provoking and could quite possibly make a fascinating topic for a book club discussion. It's remarkably difficult to decide if the right thing was done. I know, vague. You should read it, then you'll know what I'm talking about.

'The Summer Girl' was just right up my street. Great characters, even the cliché ones. A mystery to solve. Sometimes even surprisingly witty, definitely near the beginning of the story. Claire's chapters in the present were equally absorbing as Holly's which were set a few weeks earlier, as the reader discovers what happened in the lead-up to her disappearance. All this ending in a satisfying conclusion. 'The Summer Girl', for me, is Jenny Blackhurst at her absolute best.

My thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Laura Theisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire und ihre Schwester Holly haben eine schwere Zeit hinter sich und gehen sehr unterschiedlich mit dem Erlebten um. Während Claire stumpf ihrem Alltag weiter nachgeht, möchte Holly am liebsten ganz weit weg und entschließt sich daher für einen Ferienjob auf Marthas Vineyard. Hier erlebt Holly einen aufregenden Sommer zwischen den Reichen und Schönen und findet neue Freunde. Doch plötzlich bricht der Kontakt zu ihrer Schwester ab und Claire hört nichts mehr von Holly – sie scheint wie vom Erdboden verschluckt. Da sie aus der Ferne nicht viel ausrichten kann, entschließt sie sich kurzerhand ebenfalls nach Marthas Vineyard zu reisen und dort ihre eigenen Nachforschungen anzustellen. Dabei findet sie erschreckendes heraus…

Wir lesen die Geschichte aus zwei Perspektiven. In der Gegenwart begleiten wir Claire, die zunächst etwas genervt ist von der Unzuverlässigkeit ihrer Schwester und nicht wirklich daran glaubt, dass etwas passiert sein könnte. Das Blatt wendte sich jedoch schnell und sie beginnt sich wirklich große Sorgen zu machen. In der Vergangenheit begleiten wir Holly, und setzen hierbei einige Zeit vor ihrem Verschwinden ein. Holly genießt das Leben in vollen Zügen und blüht regelrecht auf. Doch leider wissen wir als Leser ja bereits, dass irgendetwas passieren wird und können nur stumm dabei zuschauen.

Beide Perspektiven waren sehr gelungen und auch gleich spannend geschrieben. Ich mochte das Setting auf Marthas Vineyard total gerne und die Sommermonate müssen dort einfach wunderschön sein. Die Kluft zwischen den Reichen, die von Juni bis August die Insel bevölkern und den Einheimischen, die das ganze Jahr dort leben, wurde gut dargestellt. Für die reichen Sommergäste scheinen andere Regeln zu gelten und generell sind es einfach zwei verschiedene Welten, die dort aufeinander prallen. Trotzdem treffen sowohl Claire als auch Holly immer wieder auf freundliche und hilfsbereite Menschen.

Die Geschichte war von Anfang bis Ende sehr fesselnd geschrieben, auch wenn man durch die zwei verschiedenen Zeitebenen bereits vor dem Ende erahnen konnte, wohin die Reise gehen könnte. Die Hinführung zur Lösung und all die mitwirkenden Personen haben das Ganze einfach sehr spannend gemacht. Und natürlich sollte man nicht allzu festgefahren sein in seiner Meinung, denn das Buch hatte trotzdem noch die eine oder andere Überraschung parat.

“Die dunkle Spur” ist nun schon das sechste Buch, das ich von der Autorin lese und bisher waren die meisten in einem guten Mittelfeld angesiedelt. Die vorangegangenen Bücher waren meist sehr solide, aber eben nicht überragend. Für Thriller-Anfänger sind sie sicherlich gut geeignet, aber jemand der ausschließlich Thriller liest, der könnte sie vielleicht ein wenig zu seicht finden. Den meisten Stories fehlte immer ein wenig der letzte Kick – aber mit „Die dunkle Spur“ hat die Autorin es wieder mal geschafft, mich vollends zu fesseln. Die Mischung aus den Figuren und dem Setting, gepaart mit einer sehr modernen Story haben einen tollen Thriller ergeben! Bisher erwartet uns mit einer schönen Regelmäßigkeit jedes Jahr ein neues Buch der Autorin. Ich hoffe das bleibt so und ich freue mich schon auf das nächste!

[Kim Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5* rounded up!! Review to follow x

[Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Konnte mich von der Story her leider nicht so fesseln, wie vorherige Bücher von ihr.

[Selina B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne

[LadyMargharet · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this for what it was. I enjoyed the duel timeline and duel POV. I would have enjoyed it more had it been a dual narrator for the audiobook or even a more skilled voice actor who could differentiate better between characters.

My biggest issue other than It being very predictable (which didn’t really bother me as it was a fluffy mystery) was some technical details about Martha’s Vineyard . For instance having a trial happen in Boston for a crime that happened on the Vineyard is not reality. Or having a Boston judge sign a search warrant. A 3 second google search would have given the proper information and made it authentic.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wciągająca, szybko się czyta, ale niestety 100 stron przed zakończeniem domyśliłam się finału 🥺

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid free audio. The twist at the end I never saw coming. Totally enjoyed Claire and the sister relationship was very relatable. Def recommend.

[Sean Kilduff · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book felt quite repetitive, irritatingly so. I listened to it while driving around in about 3 days. The twists at the end felt forced. Also, I feel like a the author tried to redeem Bobby’s character at the end. He is still a creep, and his character did not need to be redeemed. Much better thrillers are out there.

[Kate Worthington ❤️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not get into this at all