Deadly Summer

by Gillian Jackson

A suspicious death. A brutal second murder. And too many people with something to hide.

During a blistering summer heatwave, detectives Sam Freeman and Jenny Newcombe are called to an exclusive estate, where a fabulously wealthy woman lies dead at the foot of her stairs. At first glance, it looks like a tragic accident. But when forensics uncover new evidence, the investigation takes a dark turn.
Hannah Gillespie's complicated and blended family offers no shortage of tension. Both her and new husband George bring bitter adult children to the relationship, and not everyone has an alibi. When whispers of past disappearances surface, even the victim is put under the microscope. 
Then a second woman is murdered. Killed in the same way.
As Sam and Jenny dig deeper, they uncover financial irregularities, altered wills and long-simmering grudges. Everyone had a reason to be angry, and more than one person had something to lose. But who is willing to kill again to keep the truth buried?
With pressure mounting and time running out, the detectives must untangle the truth from a web of deception and betrayal before another life is destroyed.

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 23, 2026

About the author

Author of Abduction, Snatched, The Accident, and ten more books published by Bloodhound books

Wife to Derek, mother to four and grandmother to nine.

Our lovely rescue dog Liffey completes my family and ensures that I take regular breaks from my desk!

Reviews

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely recommend

Deadly summer by Gillian Jackson.
I really did enjoy this book. I loved the cover and blurb of this book. I got into it straight away. I do like the team. Dci Aiden, DC Kim, DI Samantha, and DS Jenny, DC Layla. Even DC Tom. I did like how they worked together. I didn't Iike George from the start. I listened to this on kindle unlimited. I did have a theory. It wasn't who I thought it was. This book definitely had me surprised. I definitely recommend it.

[Robin Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gillian Jackson writes about dark secrets and lies infecting two families connected by one woman, a rich woman, and now a dead woman, and a once successful and well-respected business that is being brought to its knees by greed and corruption. As the summer heat rises violence erupts and a clever and complex plot unfolds.
The author combines the tropes of a police procedural with elements of a family saga creating an intimacy that is often missing in a novel like this. She is particularly skilled at writing strong female characters with lives that extend beyond the immediate requirements of the plot.
Money doesn't always bring happiness and this is quite explicit here as the fortune of the first victim, and the fortune of her missing, declared dead first husband, has led to dark deceit and death.
I loved the change of tone when Jersey became a haven to the two adult children grieving the loss of their mother.

[Kelly Ferrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Summer. by Gillian Jackson.
A mystery thriller .. which kept me interested in what was going to happen …
Who did it …. Why did they do it ….. Would they get away with it!
Love the books from Gillian Jackson … every one has been a great read …
Thank you for your dedication and intriguing books.

[RollTide.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ excellent police procedural with multiple POVs - if you're a fan of Cara Hunter, Angela Marsons and my personal police procedural writer, Karin Slaughter, you'll LOVE this book!
Pub Day: April 23th, 2026
Pages: 300
*Available now + on #KindleUnlimited!*

Thank you Gillian Jackson, Love Book Tours and Bloodhound Books for this beautiful gifted eARC. This is my honest, voluntary review. How this is my first read from this author is beyond me! This is my first of more, I already want to discover more of her work.

What a wild ride! I love a good police procedural to enjoy for a fast paced and thrilling read between my romance novels, and this book reminded me why I love police procedural and crime thrillers so much. This was phenomenally written and the plot was intricate while being very easy for the reader to follow, which I so appreciate!

SO MANY PEOPLE WERE SO SUSPICIOUS in this story! I love those. I love the main characters and the way the backgrounds of the main characters were written so I could catch up really quickly in such a well paced. The length was perfect.

I was guessing until the last chapter! This was an excellent read that I'm thinking about hours after finishing. I may or may not be staring at the wall. Can you guess who the culprit is!? I sure couldn't!

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Blurb
A suspicious death. A brutal second murder. And too many people with something to hide.

During a blistering summer heatwave, detectives Sam Freeman and Jenny Newcombe are called to an exclusive estate, where a fabulously wealthy woman lies dead at the foot of her stairs. At first glance, it looks like a tragic accident. But when forensics uncover new evidence, the investigation takes a dark turn.
Hannah Gillespie's complicated and blended family offers no shortage of tension. Both her and new husband George bring bitter adult children to the relationship, and not everyone has an alibi. When whispers of past disappearances surface, even the victim is put under the microscope.
Then a second woman is murdered. Killed in the same way.
As Sam and Jenny dig deeper, they uncover financial irregularities, altered wills and long-simmering grudges. Everyone had a reason to be angry, and more than one person had something to lose. But who is willing to kill again to keep the truth buried?
With pressure mounting and time running out, the detectives must untangle the truth from a web of deception and betrayal before another life is destroyed.

[Amanda Felton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to LBT for having me on this book review tour and for my gifted copy of this epub.

Holy cow. This was such a good book. I had a hard time putting this down. I mean I didn’t want to sleep. I had to know what was gonna happen next.

I loved Sam. I loved how she was had her parents as a major support but also her in-laws especially given the circumstances she is a new mom and grieving the loss of her husband he died in a car accident it just it made my heart hurt for her. I couldn’t imagine but her having so much support is so important I envy that. I don’t have any support and it’s so hard. I hate it. I really do I struggle everyday with this. I mean when you don’t have any family close or family that wants to help it gets so hard !!

Anyways back to this amazing book. Sam is a great Detective she is so caring and compassionate and dang good at her job. I also really enjoyed Jen the two worked so well together especially when trying to solve a murder of a woman named Hanna she was a former model and she was found by her housekeeper and yeahhhh I mean this book really kept me on my toes and guessing I couldn’t put it down. I really couldn’t.

The writing was so good this book flows and just is riveting and has a great story line. Everything isn’t all it seems in this book that’s for sure. I was pretty quick to NOT liking the husband nope he just really rubbed me the wrong way. Gave me ick.

All of these characters felt so real and raw and I loved them !!

Overall this is a fantastic book. Can’t wait for more by this author!!

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually my fourth read by this author and I've loved the diversity of the reads so far, so wasn't sure what I was going into this time - but I knew that I couldn't wait to find out.

 

This front cover instantly drew me in - I loved the dark, stormy looking sky and that approach to the house looked so ominous.

Combined with that pop of bright pink, I just loved it!

 

When a woman is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, it looks quite innocent - that is until forensics turn up evidence that proves foul play and our detectives have another tricky case to solve.

 

I was surprised to find the return of our detectives Sam and Jenny, who we've met in previous books. I hadn't realised that this was part of a series, but loved seeing them again and this added another layer to the storyline.

 

Our case was a complex one with many suspects in the form of the blended family members.

I had absolutely no clue who to trust and although there were definitely clues pointing to various people, I made many theories and still didn't guess the outcome.

 

I really like this author's writing style which draws us in and provides a tense atmosphere that keeps you invested throughout and had me racing through the pages once again. 

 

This was another great read and I can't wait to read more books soon.

[Courtney Kniffen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Thriller | Crime Fiction | Police Procedural
Publisher: Bloodhound Books
Rating: 4 stars

I enjoyed reading this book. I first signed up for the tour of this novel based solely on the cover. It captured my attention from the start and I knew it would be a good storyline. It did not disappoint. Within the first few chapters, you learn that a woman has been found dead in her home, later ruled a murder. Then you get to the fun part. Learning about every suspects life around the murder is so thrilling for me. I love giving my guess as to who the killer is. I really thought I had the killer pegged from about 20 minutes into reading, but sadly, I was wrong. The killer was not at all who I thought it was going to be, as I thought it was the obvious choice since the evidence was stacking up. I was particularly fond of the secondary incident that happened after the suspect was taken into custody. It just gave me more into the story and left no loose ends. The one thing that confused me a little bit was the in depth background story we received on the detectives, Sam and Jenny. I thought maybe their stories was wrapped into the murder, but they didn't seem to be. Maybe the author was leaving room for another book to follow their journeys? I am unsure. But all in all, it was a very good crime fiction novel and I throughly enjoyed reading it.

[Jennifer Mattei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadly Summer by Gillian Jackson kept me hooked from the very beginning. 😍

This story blends police procedural and murder mystery elements so well, and I loved getting multiple points of view throughout the book. We follow DI Samantha Freeman, DS Jenny Newcombe, and members of the Gillespie and Brandon families as they try to unravel who murdered the wealthy matriarch (Hannah Gillespie) of a complicated blended family. 👀

After the victim is found strangled and pushed down the stairs, the twists just keep coming. Then, only days later, the family housekeeper, Gina, is found dead too. Between shady business dealings, family tension, inheritance drama, and the sudden return of Hannah's first husband Amos, who had mysteriously disappeared years earlier, literally everyone felt like a suspect at some point. I was constantly trying to piece everything together, and I genuinely did not see the killer reveal coming. 🤯

I also really appreciated how human Samantha Freeman felt as a lead detective. Getting glimpses into her personal life made her feel relatable and added another layer to the story beyond just solving the case. Add in the short chapters that made it impossible to stop reading, and this ended up being such a fun, bingeable mystery. If you enjoy fast-paced murder mysteries with multiple suspects, family secrets, and plenty of twists, I’d definitely recommend this one. 🖤

[Jacqueline Moxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It isn’t a conventional detective thriller, that finds the culprit, solves the mystery then abruptly ends. The characters are extremely human and relatable. The main character, Sam, is a bereaved mother of a young child. I loved her warm, caring relationship with both her own parents and with her in laws. Having been extremely fortunate with my own parents and in laws, I found this very refreshing and relatable, as too often stereotypical portraits are painted of interfering in laws. Instead, Ravi’s parents are supportive and caring. The younger detective, Jenny, is also a well drawn character, and I appreciated the warm friendship and mutual respect between the two colleagues. When ex model Hannah is found dead, at the bottom of the stairs, murder is soon suspected. Suspicion falls on various people and there is also the mystery of her first husband’s disappearance. The investigating team work methodically through the evidence searching for the elusive clue that will set them on the right track. But then other issues arise. I liked that space is given to exploring the consequences of the questions that do not relate directly to the murder. An interesting novel which has more depth than some crime related fiction.

[Eleanor Jordan O'Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve long been a fan of Gillian Jackson’s ability to peer over the garden fences of the wealthy and find the rot underneath, and Deadly Summer starts with a brilliant, suffocating tension. Detectives Sam Freeman and Jenny Newcombe are called to a posh estate during a blistering heatwave where a wealthy woman is found dead at the foot of her stairs. What follows is a messy, clinical look at a blended family from hell, complete with bitter adult children, dodgy wills, and long-simmering grudges.
​While the setup is fantastic and Jackson captures that claustrophobic "everyone has a secret" atmosphere perfectly, I found this one dragged its feet quite a bit towards the end. I’m usually glued to her books, but the pacing here lost its momentum just when it should have been sprinting to the finish. It’s still a solid, gritty police procedural for anyone who likes a bit of domestic malice, but it’s not quite my favourite of hers. A decent read, just perhaps a bit more "scenic route" than I’d have liked for the final act.

[Chapters_and_Cabernet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I wasn’t completely sure what to expect going into it since I hadn’t read anything by Gillian Jackson before, but it hooked me right from the beginning. It keeps you guessing the whole time about who the murderer could be that even the characters that seemed innocent had me suspicious.

The story was really well written and I loved Gillian Jackson’s writing style,very descriptive and great dialogue. The author has a knack for keeping you guessing. My favorite characters were Sam and Jenny because they felt so relatable. I also loved how the story mixed in some heartwarming moments from their personal lives while they worked to solve the two murders. Brought a good balance to the story. I enjoyed the suspense, the character development, and it was fast paced. This book introduced me to Gillian Jackson and I will certainly be reading more of her books!

Thank you @DISamanthaFreeman
@Bloodhound.Books
@LoveBooksTours
@LBT.Crew for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a terrific and gripping story. Detectives Sam and Jenny investigate when the death of a woman is found not to be an accident but murder. Top of the list is her current husband, an instantly unlikeable man, whose two sons from a prior marriage are equally as unlikeable. A further murder as a result of some blackmail adds even more intrigue into the mix.

This is part of a series but you can read it fine on it's own. I liked how the personal side of things for both main detectives was included but not overbearing. The prospect of shady dealings at the company which indicate possible fraud and other offences along with a missing ex-husband, since declared dead, also made things more gripping. I wasn't sure who the killer was until the team made their discovery and I liked that as I wasn't even thinking too hard, just going along with the detectives in their investigative flow. I look forward to even more books in this terrific series.

[Zara Dal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly written police procedural that completely kept me on my toes from start to finish.

The pacing was tight, the dialogue felt realistic and natural, and there were so many twists and turns woven throughout the story. A few moments genuinely caught me off guard, which I absolutely loved.

One of my favourite things about this book was trying to piece everything together alongside detectives Sam Freeman and Jenny Newcombe. Everyone seemed to be hiding something, and uncovering all the secrets, lies and possible motives made this such an engaging and addictive read.

I also really appreciated that the murderer wasn’t immediately obvious. I love crime fiction that keeps me guessing right up until the reveal, and this definitely delivered on that front.

If you enjoy well-written police procedurals, layered investigations and crime fiction packed with tension and surprises, I’d definitely recommend picking this one up!

[Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wealthy woman is found dead at the bottom of the stairs during a brutal heatwave, but what looks like a tragic accident quickly spirals into something far more sinister. Packed with toxic family drama, buried secrets, altered wills and shocking twists, this tense thriller had me questioning everyone right until the final pages.

This was a gripping police procedural with strong pacing, layered characters and enough twists to keep me hooked throughout. The investigation itself was tense and addictive, and I loved how messy and suspicious everyone felt.
My only issue was the repetition. One major reveal is explained almost word for word multiple times in quick succession, which slowed the momentum a little and felt unnecessary. There were a few other repeated moments too, but nothing that ruined the overall experience.

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly Compelling!
Deadly Summer by Gillian Jackson is a standout police procedural that hits every mark.
When a wealthy mother of two is found murdered, followed quickly by the death of her cleaner, investigators Sam and Jenny find themselves plunged into a complex and high-stakes case.
Jackson weaves a sharp narrative filled with unexpected twists, exploring gritty themes of corruption and fractured family dynamics.
What truly sets this book apart is the glimpse into the lead detectives' personal lives, which grounds the intense action in relatable human emotion.
With its brisk pacing and perfectly resolved conclusion, this is a gripping, five-star mystery.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC. This is my own opinion.

[Riette Beling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely insane!! What a story!!

So first I have to say it took me a minute to get into this, but after about 50 pages I was hooked! This was the craziest murder mystery I have ever read!

Rich woman dies and everyone immediately goes with the husband right .... well, I genuinely thought that as well!! But then there are the shady step children, the actual children, the weird housekeeper, a presumed dead ex husband and some shady employees, not to mention one of the police teams "blind date"... yeah I didn't get it this time either!

The tension in this book was palpable and at some point everyone was under suspicion. The police team lead by Sam did some excellent police work and it was genuinely enjoyable watching this case unfold.

I am so chuffed to have found @disamanthafreeman and I cant wait to see what her others books hold for me!!

Excellent story - it will definitely keep you entertained!

[Leanne (Queen_and_the_wolf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had me sat up paying attention and turning pages like nobody's business. I couldn't get enough. The interlinking characters and the plot twists were fantastic all due to the detailed and descriptive writing within the book.

When a body is found at the bottom of some very expensive stairs by the housekeeper the detective swing into action. Wife's dead blame the husband but was it him? Never trust your family. Read it and find out you won't be disappointed

If you like a detective thriller mystery where the family cannot be trusted and you point the finger at everyone on the book then this is for you.

[Melissa * bookedwithmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first DI Samantha Freeman book and I was sucked in immediately. I’m a sucker for a good police procedural, especially about a female detective. Sam and Jenny are a great pair. They would so well together and I love their friendship beyond the job also.

I couldn’t read this book fast enough. I need to know who killed Hannah. I questioned everyone close to her, just like I should have. As much as I tried, I couldn’t figure out who the murderer was.

I definitely want to go back and read more of DI Samantha Freeman’s books.

Thank you Love Books Tours for my chance to read this book.

[Liz Otter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good plot seen from various perspectives. There's a murder of a wealthy woman. With many suspects, her instantly dislikeable current husband and 2 stepsons to name a few. Her own 2 children devastated having had their dad go missing years earlier and recently declared dead despite no body.
We also see the relationships and investigations of the police officers and detectives involved.
Easy reading and moves along at a good pace. Keeps you interested.
Thank you Bloodhound ARC books for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like Sam and Jenny, and enjoyed this latest book in the series, although the story is self contained enough that it could be read as a stand alone.
When a wealthy woman is found dead at home, the blended family come under suspicion. But then another person is murdered...will Sam and Jenny work out who the killer is before they strike again.
The plot moves along at a good pace, and there were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting.
I'd really recommend this book.
Thanks to Bloodhound books for sending me an advanced copy to read and review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Sam Freeman and her colleagues at New Middridge Station have become favourites in my reading journey and I always look forward to diving into the next case with them. This book did not disappoint.

When wealthy woman, Hannah Gillespie, is found at the bottom of the staircase,
Sam and her team are assigned to the case. What looks like an accident at first, soon turns out to be murder.

What follows is a cleverly plotted mystery with some well developed characters, a few twists, plenty of tense moments and a satisfying resolution.

[Jillian Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by Gillian Jackson that I have read involving the wonderful two female Police Officers Sam & Jenny and their amazing team and it was even better than the first.

Another gripping story, a couple of murders, a fraud investigation and an insight into their personal lives as well made this book an absolute must read and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Also my thanks go to Lexi and the team at Bloodhound for giving me an early copy of this fabulous book.

5 Stars

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Summer by Gillian Jackson was an excellent crime thriller that was a roller coaster ride especially as it was full of twists and turns throughout which made it a brilliant page turner.
I love the way this author writes, with every book I have read by Gillian it has always been an excellent read, Deadly Summer was no different, another excellent 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ read.

I highly recommend this book and it will not disappoint! great holiday read.

[Kerry Garrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of a advanced reader copy

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t too heavy and it kept me on my toes.

I enjoyed the different POVs as they were subtle. I loved how majority of it was told through the Dectective. I do enjoy reading a thriller that involves how the crime is investigated and solved.

There were plenty of twists and I was hooked from the first chapter.

I really liked Amos, William and Amy. Life is happier without greed!

[Anita Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the great team working of Sam & Jenny - 2 very easy to follow & enjoyable characters that lead the story. Plenty going on in this book 2 murders, fraud and lots of personal aspects all cleverly thrown in.
Full of intrigue and suspense with a few twists and turns along the way!
A really enjoyable read!

[Books With Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Deadly Summer. The suspense builds so well throughout the story, and the atmosphere felt eerie and unsettling in the best way. I loved trying to figure out the mystery while constantly changing my theories. The twists kept me engaged from start to finish, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I finished reading.

[Katlady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly i must say this should not be described as a thriller. Instead it is a well done police procedural. The story moves at a snails pace with no twists or surprises. However i did enjoy the characters Sam and rashmi. The description of Jersey made me want to visit. Overall a slow but interesting read

[Yvette Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It gripped me from page one with good characters and storyline with lots of twists. This is one of the books that you ask who did it ? Why did they do it and will they get away with it.
I read this book in a weekend loved the team trying to solve the murder and a sudden death. I didn’t want to put it down . Would recommend a read.

[Anna Green]

A perfect all year round read. If you love police investigations, wrapped in murders, suspicions, accusations and combined with real life, this is the book for you. Thanks to Bloodhound ARC Books for the opportunity to read.

[Judy Morris]

This book was so good! I loved it! In fact I love a book that starts off with a bang and it continues on thru the whole book! I did check out your other books you wrote so I'm anxious to read them too!

Great read