The Sins of Summer Daughters: A Novel

by Lo Patrick

Sharp Objects meets William Kent Kreuger in this new searing southern mystery from acclaimed author Lo Patrick. When her granddaughter is accused of murder, a woman must confront the buried secrets of a summer long past—because she can try to forget, but the Georgia land remembers.

Meg Gregory never wanted to return to Tuskin, the small Georgia town she grew up in, as barren as the fields that surround it. But after her divorce left her wounded, she knew she had to quit running. Now, years later, as Meg watches her daughter and granddaughter navigate familiar dirt roads, Meg is bent on hiding from the memories that haunt her. Because she skipped town for a reason, and that reason runs deep.

But when Meg's unassuming granddaughter Lucy is suddenly charged with the murder of her boyfriend, everything changes. Meg knows Lucy couldn't have done it. Killing a boy will break a girl like that. She should know. She's seen it happen before.

As Meg fights for Lucy's innocence, memories from the past threaten to break free, and she's left to contemplate a different murder, a different dead boy, a different summer under the hot Georgia sun. And soon enough Meg isn't quite sure what is memory and who, in all of this, is innocent.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Crime, Contemporary, Audiobook, Summer

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2026

About the author

LO PATRICK is a former lawyer and current novelist living in the suburbs of Atlanta. Her debut, The Floating Girls, earned a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, was a finalist for the Townsend Prize for Fiction, and was a Reader's Digest Editor's Pick.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog


⭐⭐⭐
The Sins of Summer Daughters
Lo Patrick
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Sourcebooks Landmark
400 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers

I love Southern fiction, and this one was pretty dark and atmospheric. It's about a murder in Georgia. Meg left her hometown because she was running away from secrets, and she returns many years later after her divorce. When her granddaughter, Lucy, is accused of murdering her boyfriend, Meg is sure Lucy is innocent. Meg fights to prove Lucy's innocence and clear her name, and she has to deal with her own past while doing so.

There are two timelines in this story—1974 and 2024—and as usual, I liked the older timeline more. I would have preferred a whole book of just Meg's story. I loved the atmospheric setting of the South and the small-town vibes; it felt very isolated and oppressive (the heat!) to me. I always enjoy multigenerational stories as well, especially character-driven ones such as this.

Patrick's writing flows well and is easy on the mind, with no flowery prose or too many descriptions. BUT...the back-and-forth of the timelines chopped up the pace for me. And even though it claims to be a thriller, it is very slow-paced in parts and is very character-forward. I did enjoy this book; I just wanted to love it more. I usually connect with the characters in Patrick's stories, but I didn't this time around.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Alya ( 20 comments restriction ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨️ ARC REVIEW ✨️
The Sins of Summer Daughters by Lo Patrick
Publication date: August 14th 2026

Thoughts
This was okay, I'm a massive fan of small town mysteries, however this one didn't quite hit the spot for me when it came to the pacing which I think is the main factor in me saying this fell flat for me, the beginning was promising but unfortunately it was one of those "I was hooked until I wasn't" experiences. I was waiting to be invested in the mystery but instead it felt like family drama unfolding -- which again, I love me a bit of family chaos but this was just far too slow for me... This is my first reading experience with this author, I would like to give her books another chance in the future as I have one of her other books on my TBR

Plot Summary
After returning to her small Georgia hometown following her divorce, Meg Gregory tries to leave the past behind, but when her granddaughter Lucy is accused of murdering her boyfriend, Meg is convinced she’s innocent. As she searches for the truth, long-buried memories of a tragedy from her own past begin to resurface, forcing her to confront secrets she thought she'd left behind forever.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the ALC

My Bookstagram

[OutlawPoet]

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. It was rather slow moving. I liked the current timeline better than the older one, but neither was able to maintain my attention. Will likely work for others.

[Nikki Bogard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sins of Summer Daughters is a quiet devastation of a novel. It does not shock or rush; it waits, presses, and lingers. Lo Patrick tells a story about what happens when pain is swallowed instead of spoken, and how that silence becomes a legacy no one consents to inherit.
This is a book about memory as both refuge and betrayal. The characters cling to the versions of the past that allow them to survive, even as those distortions quietly shape their futures. Patrick examines the lie we tell ourselves—that silence protects, that naming trauma would do more harm than good—and exposes the slow violence of that belief.
At the heart of the novel is Meg, whose unresolved sexual trauma is not only hers to bear, but something that echoes through the lives of the women who come after her. The way her experience was dismissed and erased reflects a time when endurance was expected and suffering was private. The emotional weight of her reckoning is crushing, particularly when she questions whether her silence helped condemn her granddaughter to a similar fate. That realization lands like grief with nowhere to go.
Set within a Southern small town thick with judgment and secrets, the novel pulses with unease and sorrow. The Sins of Summer Daughters is not an easy read, but it is an important one—about inheritance, about regret, and about the irreversible cost of never speaking aloud. It is emotionally raw, quietly harrowing, and impossible to forget.

[Fictionophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told via the dual timelines of 1974 and 2024, this novel features Meg Gregory, a mother and grandmother who holds a decades long secret. Originally from the small Georgia town of Tuskin, she moved away as a young adult. Now, divorced and alone, she has moved back to Tuskin to live nearer her adult daughter and teenaged granddaughter.

Meg is shocked to learn that her beloved granddaughter, Lucy, is being charged with the murder of her boyfriend. Meg is certain of Lucy's innocence and does everything she can to help her.

The whole situation is bringing back distressing memories for Meg. As the lines between her current reality and her past trauma begin to blur, Meg questions herself, her granddaughter, and her memory.

The character of Nina, Meg's adult daughter was not a person I could easily tolerate. She was immature and somewhat vacuous. Meg herself was a somewhat unreliable and quirky character who made some questionable decisions and acted strange at times. Not surprising I guess when you learn that Meg's mother was a stripper and her childhood was riddled with uncertainty.

This plot of multigenerational relationships, small town tensions, and a murder mystery seemed to have it all, yet somehow it didn't resonate with me. The pacing was very slow at times, and though it was a character-driven story, I lost interest with it eventually after not warming to any of them. This was a story about memory - and how it can impact lives.

I have read several novels by this author, and though I like her writing and clever turns of phrase, this book was probably my least favorite of hers. My favorite was her first novel "The Floating Girls".

[thebeespot72 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sins of Summer Daughters is one of those stories that had me twisted. It has one of those “unreliable narrators,” and that makes for an even twistier, plot-driven, suspenseful story for me. Just when I thought I knew what had truly happened to Meg and how it paralleled her granddaughter Lucy, I realized I really didn't know anything at all. I like the past and present timelines; though they can throw the reader off, they bring the reader into the time period as intended. I would definitely recommend The Sins of Summer Daughters as a book club pick, as there is a lot to discuss, especially the ending.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Author Lo Patrick for the gifted e-copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sins of Summer Daughters is a slow burning, devastating story. In it, we encounter several women across decades and cities, all of whom dealing with trauma and unspeakable truths. It doesn’t hit you like a sucker punch at any one particular moment; it’s more like a noose being tightened so gradually that even though you know it’s coming, you’re still surprised when it’s actually happening. This is not a light, carefree beach read, but a heavy, thought provoking novel that examines the relationships and wounds between mothers and daughters.

[Kera’s Always Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

Propulsive, emotionally harrowing, and filled with quiet suspense that had me eating up this mystery!

Past and present intersect when Meg's granddaughter Lucy is charged with murdering her boyfriend. She is convinced that Lucy couldn't have done it, diving deep into her own past and her ancient history in this small town. There is a reason why Meg left town and never looked back. Now that she IS back, she will have to dig deep if she wants to help Lucy.

I love a good secret-filled small town mystery and this really checks all of the boxes.

[Lorna Hollifield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with Lo Patrick's sense of atmosphere. She could write about anything, and it would wrap its arms around me.

[Hadriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Sins of Summer Daughters. It's one of those stories where the mystery unfolds a little at a time, and I was always curious to see what would be revealed next. The family dynamics were interesting, although the grandmother was a little frustrating at times. It isn't a nonstop thriller, but if you like stories built around secrets and complicated relationships, this is definitely worth picking up. I received the audiobook for this and I thought the narrator was really good as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Audio for the ALC for this book.

[Heather Rachal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has an intriguing premise and moves at a quick pace, but the execution didn’t fully come together for me.

While the pacing itself kept things moving, the storytelling felt choppy due to frequent jumps between past and present…often at moments when the narrative tension should have been tightening. Instead of deepening the story, these shifts made it harder to stay emotionally grounded in the characters’ journeys.

Character development was where I struggled most. I found it difficult to connect with Nina and Lucy, as there wasn’t enough emotional layering to make their actions feel earned. The constant banter between characters (particularly Nina and Meg) often felt excessive and emotionally immature, pulling focus away from the larger stakes. I frequently found myself wanting to move past certain backstory sections because they appeared at inopportune moments.

The atmosphere worked reasonably well, and I appreciated the underlying tension surrounding the question of accountability. However, I was hoping for more of a traditional “whodunit” feel. Much of the tension centered on interpersonal conflict rather than drawing the reader into Lucy’s emotional arc or the mystery itself.

That said, there were elements I genuinely enjoyed. The relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter was a highlight, and Meg’s backstory was especially compelling. I found myself wishing the novel had explored her perspective even more, as it felt rich enough to stand on its own.

Overall, this story had strong potential, but for me, the fragmented structure and lack of emotional depth kept it from fully landing.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

YOU CAN ATTEMPT TO FORGET THE PAST, BUT THE GEORGIA LAND REMEMBERS.
An emotional multi-generational Georgia mystery of secrets, silence, and a town that never forgets.

In The Sins of Summer Daughters, acclaimed author Lo Patrick delivers a deeply atmospheric, emotionally raw, and piercingly vivid Georgia small-town Southern mystery novel. The story hinges on a woman who must confront the buried secrets of a summer long past when her granddaughter is accused of murder, navigating immense historical and familial hurdles while facing the long-buried ghosts of her own youth.

The Hook
Oppressive small-town heat vs. a generational legacy of trauma. A sudden community crisis transforms a quiet hometown life into a painful, paranoid exploration of the past when a young boy's death mirrors a historic murder from decades ago.

Elevator Pitch
A profound, multi-generational Southern suspense novel follows a grandmother who watches her family, the target of neighbors and local scrutiny when her unassuming granddaughter is charged with the murder of her boyfriend.

Review Breakdown

Intro
Meg Gregory never wanted to return to Tuskin, the small Georgia town she grew up in—a place as barren as the fields that surround it. She skipped town decades ago for a deep, dark reason, but eventually stopped running. Now, years later, her fragile life completely implodes when her granddaughter is suddenly charged with the murder of her boyfriend. Meg knows the girl couldn't have done it, because killing a boy will break a girl like that—and Meg should know, having seen it happen before. As she fights for her granddaughter's innocence, memories from the past threaten to break free, forcing Meg to contemplate a different murder, a different dead boy, and a different summer under the hot Georgia sun.

Structure
A standalone Southern mystery and intimate character study. Four generations of women whose lives are bound together across two shifting timelines—webs of memory and time.

Setting
The humid, barren, and claustrophobic small town of Tuskin, Georgia, where the oppressive summer sun burns over dirt roads, and snakes hide in the tall grass.

Vibe
Moody, humid, and heavily propulsive.

Genre
Southern Fiction / Mystery / Psychological Suspense / Crime Small Rural Town.

Themes
~The Oppressive Weight of Small-Town Conformity
~The Cyclical and Generational Burden of Trauma
~The Malleability of Memory and Guilt
~The Intense Isolation of Traumatized Silence

Standout Characters
~Meg Gregory: The fierce protagonist whose defensive return to her roots forces her to dismantle her own ancient secrets to shield her family.
~The Granddaughter: An unassuming young woman whose sudden arrest forces the women of her family to confront what memory is and who, in all of this, is truly innocent.
~The Matriarchs: Four generations of Southern women struggling with a lack of choices and the inherited weight of unspoken pain.

Author Writing Standout
Lo Patrick showcases a stunning, elite gift for environmental storytelling, turning the humid Georgia heat into a tangible, suffocating antagonist. Her prose sparks with an incredible balance of heavy emotional acuity and flammable, sharp wit.

Takeaway
You can flee the places that broke you, but the land always remembers its secrets, and eventually, the past demands an accounting.

Title Significance
"The Sins of Summer Daughters" reflects the inescapable multi-generational loop of the novel, highlighting how the hidden indiscretions, secrets, and choices of the matriarchs ripple downward to impact the younger generation.

Metaphor
The town of Tuskin acts as a living vault of secrets—a striking, deeply layered image of quiet domestic devastation where an ugly, unspeakable truth waits beneath the surface.

Why You Should Read
"A quietly powerful, beautifully written piece of southern fiction that perfectly marries an addictive crime investigation with an intimate, searing study of motherhood, legacy, and memory."

My Thoughts
"An emotionally sharp, searingly intimate character study that sparks with stunning observation, heavy gravity, and flammable wit."

The pacing builds with a masterful, slow-creeping turn of the screw. Having read Patrick's previous work, her ability to write raw, authentic human behavior in the deep South is unmatched. The dynamic between the generations feels agonizingly real, and watching Meg navigate the town's hostility to find the truth is completely unforgettable.

If your favorite mystery trope is "generational family secrets coming back to haunt a small town," you must read "The Sins of Summer Daughters."

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
"A quietly powerful, beautifully atmospheric psychological Gothic-type Southern mystery that keeps you guessing through a complex web of memory and small-town tension."

Recs (Read-alikes)
The best Southern fiction reminds us that the land has a long memory, and family trauma always finds a way to the surface. If the slow-burning family dynamics and Georgia setting of "The Sins of Summer Daughters" left you wanting more of the stories that capture that sense of quiet domestic devastation. Here are three titles that explore the suffocating weight of maternal secrets and small-town isolation:

~The Night the River Wept by Lo Patrick
~The Floating Girls by Lo Patrick
~The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian

Special thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date July 14, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
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[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mystery with some elements of Southern Gothic, especially its use of a key trope: the oppressive presence of the past.

After her divorce, Meg Gregory returned to Tuskin, a small town in Georgia, bringing her daughter Nina with her. Now, years later, Meg is 64 and her 15-year-old granddaughter Lucy is implicated in the murder of her boyfriend. While determined to prove Lucy’s innocence, Meg is haunted by memories of what happened when she was a teenager. There are a lot of parallels between Lucy’s circumstances and her own, including the suspicious death of a friend, an event which lead to Meg’s fleeing Tuskin for years. Is Lucy innocent? Is Meg?

There’s a dual timeline. Chapters alternate between the present (2024) and 1973. The latter chapters reveal Meg’s past which she has tried hard to forget. Since Meg is the narrator, the inevitable question of her reliability comes into play. She hallucinates sounds and, more than once, confuses what is happening to Lucy with what happened in the past when she was a teenager. It’s obvious that Meg has never recovered from the trauma of what happened. Is she clinging to a version of what happened that helps her cope but a version that is incomplete?

The pace is slow. Much of the focus is on Meg’s state of mind as she grapples with Lucy’s situation and her own trauma. Everything that happens to Lucy leads Meg to compare with what happened to her and how she feels. I understand that this reaction is a trauma response, but it lessens tension in the present.

I did not find Meg a likeable character. Some of her behaviour is just strange. For instance, she rushes to the police station wearing her nightgown and bathrobe even though she could take a few minutes to dress. Later she goes out wearing only one boot? Because of her constant self-reflections, she comes across as self-centred; even Nina accuses her mother of always making everything about herself, though, again, her pre-occupation is understandable. Her most perceptive comment is “I needed to get my head out of the past where it like to sit, on a post, removed from my neck so that it could defy all logic.”

None of the other characters feel developed. Nina, for example, remains a vague presence whose typical response is avoidance. The perspective of other characters would have been beneficial. For instance, I would have liked to be given Lucy’s point of view. Since she barely speaks, it’s impossible to understand the reasons for her choices. Is she really like Meg was?

A major theme is that the past never leaves us. Meg’s past is certainly ever-present. She even comments, “There is no accounting for the past and its incensed determination to penetrate the roots of everything that’s planted after it.” Meg’s relationship with Nina is obviously shaped by Meg’s relationship with her own mother, a stripper who believed “men made all the difference.” Meg does question whether her silence about what happened in the past was a good idea: perhaps if Lucy had known what happened to her grandmother, she would have acted differently.

This book is 400 pages long, but there are a lot of holes. For instance, the role of the Great Dane man is never fully explained and his re-appearance just raises questions. Meg’s vision at the end is an interesting twist, which confirms her unreliability, though it really shouldn’t come as a total shock. However many readers will undoubtedly crave more clarity.

There are some clever turns of phrase: When Meg blurts out something surprising, she thinks, “This popped out of my mouth like bulge over a pants waist – one day it’s there and you can’t put it back.” And a rain is described as “a pitiful, slow drizzle that there was no good windshield-wiper setting for.” On the whole, however, I found the book a bit of a slog. Being in Meg’s mind so relentlessly is not always pleasant, and in the end there seems little payoff.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/).

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sins of Summer Daughters by Lo Patrick is a highly recommended domestic drama/Southern mystery following four generations of women over two timelines set in a small Georgia town.

When Meg Gregory left Tuskin, Georgia, as a teen she wanted to never return, leaving her past and secrets behind. After her divorce from her ex, Ferrol, she did return, bringing her daughter Nina back to her small home town. Now, years later, she is 64-years-old and Nina's daughter and Meg's granddaughter, Lucy along with other teens, have just been accused of murdering Lucy's boyfriend Josh. Meg has secrets she has been harboring for years and has never talked about. Meg knows Lucy couldn't have done it, but Lucy's situation brings back all of the memories and trauma from Meg's childhood.

The narrative follows two timelines, the present in 2024 and the past in 1974. In the present day action, 15 year-old Lucy is traumatized and almost nonverbal. She almost seems to be in a trance. Meg's daughter, Nina, is anxious and beside herself with worry. Meg is also concerned, but she is remembering the events she experienced 50 years ago. Back in 1974 when Meg was a young teen, she felt detached from her mother, Heather, who was a stripper and then a bartender who always seemed to have a new boyfriend. Meg's older sister Rainy was much closer to their mother. Meg's only friend was an older teen, Tyler, and with him came his odd friend Larisa. Something happened in 1974 and flashbacks to memories are coming back to haunt Meg.

This is a well-written novel full of startling, emotional observations and events. Along with the haunting memories the whole plot is presented in a perceptive and sensitive manner. The alternating timelines worked well in the plot and helped to highlight the evolution of Meg's stunted emotional state and trauma. Lucy's trauma was self-evident as was the emotional manipulation by her friends. Many of the situations Meg blames on the small town working class population, including herself, and how everyone knows your family's history. The ending is powerful.

Much of the plot also follows the complicated fractured relationships between mothers and daughters in both timelines. This isn't a fast-paced plot, it is a slow burn that allows the tension to build at an even pace in both timelines. This made both story lines equally compelling and allowed the plot to develop more depth, intricacies, and atmosphere than a faster pace would have allowed, while simultaneously enabling the tension to gradually keep building. This also left room for Meg's personality to be on full display, as she was concerned, forgetful, distracted, having flashbacks, and even sometimes humorous along the way.

The Sins of Summer Daughters is an excellent choice for those who enjoy Southern small town domestic dramas.Lo Patrick is a must read author for me ever since I read The Floating Girls (2022), followed by The Night the River Wept (2024), and Fast Boys and Pretty Girls (2025). While I didn't love The Sins of Summer Daughters quite as much, it was still a solid 4.5, rounded up when required. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg Gregory thought she’d let go of the past until her granddaughter; Lucy is arrested for murder.

This is a murder mystery set in Georgia. While trying to deal with Lucy’s arrest, Meg begins to remember her own past and somehow tries to connect it to the present. She begins to blame herself for what has happened to Lucy.

Meg only wants to protect her granddaughter, but can she do it without revealing her own secrets?

This is a twisty mystery with characters who make you feel uncomfortable. Meg is the narrator but from the beginning it isn’t clear whether to believe everything she says. No one in the story pays much attention to her. Her own daughter tells her to stop making everything about herself. It's a small town with too many secrets and lies. Most people want to leave but don't know how. Meg escaped once to Atlanta but why she came back, I guess I will never know.

The story is told in two timelines by Meg. In the present day she tells us about the murder and shows us slowly how Lucy may be involved. We are also taken to Meg’s past as a teenager and an incident that has haunted her. The main difference is that there is a connection to Lucy in the present, but what happened in Meg’s past has never been told.

Lo Patrick is a master at developing broken people. Almost every character in this novel is broken in some way. This book was the first by this author that I felt almost carried it too far. Meg was not a person I wanted to spend much time with, but I didn’t have a choice. It was her story. She did stupid things continually. Nothing she did endeared me to her until the very end.

Meg’s tragedy involved the need for a friend because her family was so messed up that the poor girl needed someone in her life. Lucy’s life mirrored that and Meg was part of the problem.  Sometimes I thought, are these people too stupid to breathe?

This is a story about found family and maybe you should be careful about what you wish for.

It is a haunting story that will touch you. It’s about regular people who let things get misconstrued and instead of taking a good look at their situation just plow on through making stupid decisions about their lives.

This isn’t a book that makes you feel good at the end. It does answer questions at the very end, and it will make you think about the book long after you are done.

I have been a fan of Lo Patrick’s since reading her book – The Floating Girls. That book got more views on this site for years. I never really understood why there was so much interest in that one blog post. If anyone has read it and I will post a link at the bottom, let me know what made it so interesting. I would like to do it again.

https://virginia-gruver.com/2023/07/2...

I think there is only one of her books, The Night the River Wept, that I haven’t read and hope to complete it before she gets the next new one published. Her books aren’t fun to read but they do keep me guessing. If you haven’t read any of her books, you can read them in any order. They are not a series.

First published July 14, 2026

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Georgia grandmother Meg Gregory, the past comes clashing with the present in THE SINS OF SUMMER DAUGHTERS by Lo Patrick.

Meg is living with her daughter, Nina, and her granddaughter, Lucy, in Tuskin, a small town that holds haunting memories for Meg. Why she returned is anyone’s guess. Her childhood wasn’t especially happy, and bad things happened there. Meg’s mom never paid much attention to her as she was always more interested in the current man in her life, and Meg didn’t have a close relationship with her sister either. Meg had a habit of running off but always came back to Tuskin.

Now Lucy’s boyfriend has been murdered, and word is that Lucy is somehow involved in his death. Meg swears up and down that can’t be true. Lucy simply doesn’t have it in her to do something like that. But the evidence says otherwise.

As the case moves forward, Meg’s mind travels back to 1974 and the day her best friend, Tyler, died. They had some fun times, at least until a girl named Larisa showed up. Then Larisa seemed to take over and began orchestrating their activities. Meg didn’t feel totally comfortable with Larisa and thought her claim of having the “sight” was suspect. Could that have led to the tragedy that day? Everything happened so fast, and Meg was so young. Later, she would have trouble recalling exactly how it all went down. What she does recall is that she should have done something. Ever since that day, she has carried a suffocating burden of guilt.

Many years later, Meg is now Lucy’s guardian in the legal case against her granddaughter. But can she do the job effectively, especially with the baggage she has? Sometimes it feels like maybe she can’t. Meg’s demons torture her constantly, making it difficult for her to think straight. She needs absolution in order to move on. But how can she get that at this late date?

The book bounces between present day and 1974, giving readers insightful peeks into Meg’s thoughts and emotions as she narrates the story. And she tells her tale in a uniquely fresh voice. Meg is not what you’d call a backwoods type, but she certainly lacks sophistication. Part of her simpleness derives from how she acts on impulse. She won’t stop to change out of her robe, put on makeup --- or even shoes --- before heading out in what she perceives to be an emergency.

Meg is a force to be reckoned with for sure. Even she will tell you that. The woman does not mince words. That’s a fact that Lucy’s lawyer bemoans. If only she had a far less outspoken guardian for her client. But Meg bulls her way through the legal battle the best way she knows how --- as a fierce advocate with an abiding love for her granddaughter. Still, thoughts of Tyler and Larisa continue to sneak in, blurring the lines between what’s real now and what she remembers from way back.

Much of the pleasure of reading THE SINS OF SUMMER DAUGHTERS comes from getting to know Meg Gregory and how she approaches family and life. Aside from being the star of an exceptionally well-crafted mystery, she is simply a unique narrator who makes the unfolding of the story ever more fun. It is so refreshing.

Reviewed by Kate Ayers

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept waiting for this story to speed up…and somewhere along the way I realized I didn’t actually want it to. Lo Patrick’s The Sins of Summer Daughters slowly pulled me into its humid little Georgia town until I felt like I knew everyone’s secrets, even the ones they were desperately trying to keep hidden.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted copy.

Going in, I expected more of a straight-up thriller. What I found was something much moodier. It’s a Southern mystery wrapped around family history, old wounds, and the kind of memories that never really stay in the past. The murder mystery is there, of course, but for me the real story was watching one family reckon with things that should have been dealt with decades earlier.

Meg completely carried this book for me. She isn’t polished or perfect, and honestly, that’s why I liked her so much. She’s funny without trying to be, stubborn to a fault, and says exactly what’s on her mind. When her granddaughter Lucy is arrested after her boyfriend is found dead, Meg can’t help comparing it to another tragedy she lived through as a teenager. Those memories keep pulling her back, and before long they pulled me back too.

Lucy stayed a little more of a mystery to me, but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. I was much more interested in watching Meg piece everything together while trying to protect the people she loves. Nina frustrated me more than once, but complicated families are rarely easy, and this one certainly wasn’t.

“The past has a way of finding you.”

That felt like the heartbeat of this whole novel.

The pace is definitely on the slower side, so I wouldn’t hand this to someone looking for nonstop action or shocking twists every chapter. This is one of those books that asks you to settle in, pay attention, and let the story unfold in its own time. I did wish a couple of storylines had been explored a little further by the end, but I still closed the book feeling like I’d spent time with characters I won’t forget anytime soon.

This ended up being a solid four-star read for me. If Southern Gothic mysteries, dual timelines, messy families, and small towns full of long-buried secrets are your thing, I think you’ll enjoy spending time with Meg.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What’s a slower-paced mystery that completely won you over by the end? I’m always looking for recommendations.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sins of Summer Daughters is a slow-moving character study of four generations of Southern women in a small hardscrabble town in Georgia. The women’s lives are dictated by their poor economic lives as well as by poor parenting from the previous generations who just don’t know how to parent effectively. Tuskin is a small barren town in Georgia but like many Southern towns, people never forget the past.

Meg is the second generation and the main character of the novel. Her mother was a stripper who frequently left her alone to take care of herself. She dropped out of school at a young age and didn’t have much ambition in life. She had a relationship with a young man that totally changed the trajectory of her life and she escaped by getting married and moving to Atlanta. After her daughter was born and her marriage ended, she moved back to Tuskin. She always felt that she was a poor mother. She was so busy fighting with her own memories of her younger years, that she just wasn’t able to properly raise her daughter. When her granddaughter Lucy was born, she was finally able to feel real love and Lucy was the light of her life. The story begins when Lucy, now a teenager, is accused of murdering her boyfriend. Meg knows that there is no way that her gentle granddaughter could commit murder and starts searching for clues to prove her innocence. As she works to help her granddaughter, it brings back many memories from her teenage years and she spends a lot of time trying to understand what really happened to her back then and if anyone is really innocent in the deaths of two boys in two different generations. The book asks the main question of whether fractured relationships between mothers and daughters can ever be repaired.

I’ve read other books by this author and this one is not one of my favorites by her. I didn’t really like or trust Meg and some of the secondary characters could have been explained more. One thing that I did like is that the location in the Georgia is a major part of the story and so well described that it is clear in your mind. Location being part of the story is definitely part of Southern fiction and the author did a great job of highlighting the importance of her location.

[Amee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75% rounded up
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. My opinions are my own so take them with a grain of salt…but Sins of Summer Daughters was a sluggish read I’m on the fence about recommending. I knew going in author likes her stories to unfold slowly having read and liked Fast Boys and Pretty Girls, so I went in prepared to read it over a couple days. Unfortunately I knew early on it was going to be a challenge to finish. The premise at first had me so interested. Two teenagers murdered in the same small town though years apart, unfolding in past and present chapters. At the heart of both timelines and the main reason I kept on, is feisty Meg Gregory. In the past she’s a neglected pre teen with an exotic dancer mother and a revolving door of mom’s boyfriends in the house. She befriends an older boy Tyler in her town who she begins hanging out with. She’s written as lower class, don’t come at me, it made Meg likable for me in both timelines. She had no airs about her or who she’s supposed to be, she’s just Meg. And some of her “Megisms” were a hoot, which again is what kept me reading. She gave Dorothy from Golden Girls vibes as a senior citizen in the present timeline and yet was even sassier! The mystery of both deaths is slowly fed to us and it’s got some twists and turns to keep you guessing. Talk of voodoo sprinkled in. All the makes of a good story. It was just all the in between pushing the story forward wasn’t working for me. So it’s my love of Meg that’s got me on the fence here. I highlighted a bunch of her “megisms” and I’ll share a couple so you can see. I either want to befriend Meg, or be her when I’m 64!

Tween Meg- He got pulled over for speeding, and the do-gooder cop asked who the hell I was. “I’m the hell Meg,” I said.

Adult Meg- After about an hour of standing outside, I had to go to the bathroom and was becoming uncomfortable. My feet were sweating in my boots, and because I wasn’t wearing underwear, I had a sensation of tropical weather between my legs.

See she just kept me reading with her sass. So I’m on the fence.

[Miss 80's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading Lo Patrick, and it definitely won't be my last.
"The Sins Of Summer Daughters" is less of a twisty thriller and more of a slow-burning Southern family drama wrapped in a small-town mystery. The tension builds gradually, simmering beneath the surface like the Georgia heat.

Told in dual timelines, the story follows Meg after her granddaughter is arrested for murder, forcing long-buried secrets from Meg's own past to resurface. I especially loved the past timeline, and the Southern setting. Tuskin reminded me so much of the small town where I grew up, where everyone knows your name, your history, and your business. For better or for worse.

Meg was easily my favorite character. She felt messy, volatile, and just a little unhinged, in the best possible way. She was layered and compelling, while I found her daughter and granddaughter a bit more distant and underdeveloped by comparison. They both came across as very aloof, and I'm not sure if that was by design. But that's one thing I didn't care for.

This isn't a novel with a huge jaw-dropping reveal or explosive ending. It's a character-driven story about generational trauma, buried secrets, and how the past has a way of refusing to stay buried. I did find myself wanting a little more exploration of some of the family dynamics and unresolved threads, but I was invested from beginning to end.

A special shout-out to audiobook narrator Barrie Kreinik, whose performance beautifully captured the nostalgia, heartbreak, fear, and hope woven throughout both timelines.

If you enjoy a long buried family mystery with a southern backdrop, this one may be worth adding to your summer TBR.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Audio and LibroFM for the gifted ALC. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meg Gregory thought she left her traumatic past buried in middle Georgia's red clay dust, but when her granddaughter is arrested for murder, the haints of her past and memories are unearthed and refuse to be ignored. Questions of what actually happened versus psychological fracture will have the characters and readers guessing until the very end.

As a native small town Georgian and a lover of mystery/thriller genre, I was excited to read this book. I could picture the town of Tuskin so vividly as well as the slower pace of life that went on there. I also liked the parallels between 1974 Meg's life and the evolving situation in 2024 with Lucy. That being said, I found all of the characters extremely unlikeable, and I also noted that there seemed to be a stereotypical marked dichotomy in portrayal of characters in Tuskin (lower education, lower income, lazy, "less than") and the characters from 'the great state of Atlanta' (higher education, affluent, ambitious, 'better than'). Also, all of the tangents that Meg seemed to go off on whether speaking or thinking before circling back around to the subject at hand were distracting, although probably a function of trauma response/psychologic devolution.

I always love reading about my beloved home state, but overall, I'm not sure this was the book for me. Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like small-town mysteries where the past refuses to stay buried… this one definitely leans into that.

This story follows Meg, who thought she left her traumatic teenage years buried deep in the red clay of middle Georgia.

But when her granddaughter Lucy is suddenly arrested for killing her boyfriend… everything Meg tried to forget starts coming back.

The story moves between present day, as Meg tries to help her granddaughter, and 1974, when we see pieces of Meg’s own past in that same small town.

As someone who loves Southern settings and small-town mysteries, I really appreciated how vividly the town was written. You can almost feel the slower pace of life and the way everyone knows everyone’s business.

I also liked the parallels between what happened to Meg in the 70s and what Lucy is dealing with now.

For me as a reader, I think I wanted a little more exploration of some of the story threads. There were a lot of interesting elements — family secrets, trauma, questions about what really happened — and I found myself wishing we spent more time digging into those.

But if you enjoy character-driven mysteries with layered timelines and Southern gothic vibes, this one definitely has that atmosphere.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for inviting me to read this egalley through Netgalley.

[Susan O'Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Sins of Summer Daughters* by Lo Patrick, narrated by Barrie Kreinik on audiobook, is a tense and atmospheric mystery about murder, relationships and letting go of the past. Fans of Southern mysteries with a slow-burn payoff will find this one delivers.

Meg Gregory never wanted to return to Tuskin, the small Georgia town she grew up in, but settles there after her divorce leaves her emotionally wounded. Her own childhood there in the 1970s was marked by a dead boy, a poor home life, and secrets she's spent decades burying. Years later, her granddaughter Lucy is charged with murdering her boyfriend, and Meg is certain the girl is innocent. As she fights to clear Lucy's name, the narrative shifts between present and past, forcing Meg to finally confront what really happened that summer long ago.

The prose is sharp and atmospheric, capturing small-town tension and heavy Georgia heat with real precision. The dual timeline could easily have felt gimmicky in less capable hands, but here it builds genuine suspense, keeping the audience unsure who to trust until the end. The narration suits the material well, giving each generation of women a distinct voice.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one because the premise sounded like something I'd really enjoy. A small-town mystery, dual timelines, family secrets, and a past that refuses to stay buried? It definitely caught my attention.

This ended up being more of a slow-burn family drama than the mystery I was expecting. The story takes its time, and while I don't mind slower books, I kept waiting for the mystery to really pull me in.

I did enjoy the Southern setting. It added a lot to the atmosphere, and I liked how the past and present slowly came together through Meg's story. I also listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job bringing the characters and emotions to life.

Where this one fell a little flat for me was the payoff. I wanted more from the mystery and more answers by the end. There were several moments where I thought the story was about to take off, but it never fully got there for me.

Overall, this wasn't a bad book—it just wasn't the right fit for me. If you enjoy slower, character-driven stories that focus on family relationships, generational trauma, and Southern Gothic atmosphere more than nonstop twists, I think you'll probably enjoy this one more than I did.

[Jessica’s Lit Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
The Sins of Summer Daughters by Lo Patrick is a slow-burning Southern mystery filled with family trauma, generational secrets, and a murder that forces the past into the present.

After her granddaughter Lucy is accused of murdering her boyfriend, Meg returns to the Georgia town she once fled. As she fights to prove Lucy's innocence, long-buried memories begin to surface, revealing that the wounds from one tragic summer never truly healed. What unfolds is a gripping story about the lasting impact of family trauma, the secrets we keep to protect the ones we love, and how the past always has a way of catching up.

This is a character-driven mystery with rich Southern atmosphere and layered family dynamics. It takes its time building the story, but once the past and present begin to collide, I couldn't stop turning the pages. While I guessed a few twists, I still enjoyed the emotional depth and the satisfying conclusion.

🍑 Drink Pairing: A Georgia Peach Bourbon Smash—sweet peaches, fresh mint, lemon, and bourbon capture the sultry Georgia setting while balancing the novel's dark family secrets and emotional weight.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC.

[Tanya Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the main character, Meg, who is mother to Nina and grandmother to Lucy. Within the first few paragraphs she says that her granddaughter has the personality of the color pale yellow. And, her inside thoughts about everyone around her, including her daughter, are all sort of funny. Lucy gets charged with the murder of her boyfriend, after he is found dead in his car. Meg tries to figure out what has happened and how she can help her granddaughter, while also reliving some tragic events from her past.

I don't want to say too much about this one, I feel like it's best just going in with minimal information. It's not a super fast-paced or twisty thriller. But the pacing felt natural and it is a mystery of what really happened to Lucy's boyfriend and whether or not it is connected to something that happened in her family's past.

I could not stop listening to the audiobook. The narrator does a great job reading Meg. I looked up the author and see that she has a few other books that I'm excited to check out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Each time I read a book written by Lo Patrick, I am immediately transported to my high school English class where I first read a novel by Harper Lee. The way Patrick writes feels classic and timeless.

This book follows Meg Gregory in present day dealing with her relationship with her daughter and granddaughter, and a teenage Meg navigating the relationships with her mom, sister, and friends. This book focuses a lot on the impact the people we surround ourselves make on our lives, and how the decisions of others ultimately reflect on us as human beings and how we view the world. This novel essentially follows a lineage of women with complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, as well as disappointing relationships with men.

I found a young Meg to be likable. and again reminded me of Scout from Harper Lee's novel. I felt really bad for her character, and I found her flashbacks more enjoyable than her present day storyline.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot but would have liked a little bit more from the trial.

[Stella · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sins of Summer Daughters is billed as "Sharp Objects" like story. I guess, if the perspective was from the lunatic mother's point of view, that could work.

Meg moved back to her hometown after her divorce despite all of the trauma that led to her leaving. Her mother and older sister worked at a strip club. Her mother went from man to man. Meg finally finds kinship with Tyler, an older boy who is nice to her despite her age. Tyler also has a friend Larisa, who reads tarot cards and dabbles in witch-type things.

Now, after a horrible event, Meg must protect her granddaughter from jail and she's sure that Larisa's family is back and out to get her.

This story is a back and forth through time, while Meg confronts the past and the harm that Larisa's family did to her. It's about coming to terms with the truth.

This is well written but moves fairly slow. I didn't really care about the modern storyline, I felt the real meat of the story was Meg's past and her continuing relationship with her ex-husband.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

[Skeena8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stepping outside of my comfort reads. I always find amazing books that I never would have choosen. This audiobook plays out in a way that feels like you are watching a documentary from a family’s perspective. You follow two timelines generations apart but in a fascinating parallel of incidents. Two murders, two teens, summer years apart. I was very captivated with how it was going to come together and play out. As someone who performed autopsies and was closely related to the investigations of many deaths I was very fascinated with the stories. I wanted more evidence and details to dive in to. This is more of the emotional story of the investigation and I felt so much for the girls. This was narrated by Barrie Kreinik, and the style of the story and the way that Barrie narrated went so well together. The narration was slow and drawn out with an easy casual style that still made you want to devour it. Although there was no romance plot I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and easy this was to devour. This is my second book by Lo Patrick and they have both been such fascinating and engaging reads.

[Amber Boos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had previously read and enjoyed Fast Boys and Pretty Girls by this author and was happy to read The Sins of Summer Daughters also. This story was good, but it wasn't quite as easy of a read as the previous book. Meg Gregory left her small hometown with the plan never to return. Years later, reeling from a divorce, she is back and her granddaughter, Lucy, has been arrested for the murder of her boyfriend. Meg is certain of Lucy's innocence and sets out to prove it. In doing so, Meg's own past is brought up, and she remembers exactly why she left that town in the first place. Yes, a different murder was involved. The premise sounded great and I did enjoy the story, I just felt there could have been a bit more. For such a long book, I felt the story could have been explored deeper. Hearing from Lucy herself would have been interesting to me. Overall, I did enjoy the story and look forward to more from Lo Patrick. I do love her descriptions of small-town life!

Thank you to Lo Patrick, #NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark. All opinions are my own.