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Under the Sun
Anna’s friends and family think she is living the dream in her beautiful finca under the Spanish sun. But the reality is far from perfect. The handsome, complicated man she was building a life with has left with little more than a note to say goodbye and the future she imagined has crashed around her ears. Anna has secretly embarked on an ill-advised affair and lives above the dingy bar she runs in the sleepy beach town of Marea, surrounded by British expats as homesick and stuck as she is.
When Simon, a local businessman, offers to rent the finca, Anna hopes it will pave the way for her escape. But there is more to him than meets the eye, and when a body washes up on the beach in mysterious circumstances, Anna realizes she may be the only one with the power to unravel the truth. But how can she prove that Simon is connected, and how can she reclaim her house? Anna is prepared to risk everything to get home – even though she’s no longer sure where home really is.
Urgent, gripping and brilliantly observed, Under the Sun is an exhilarating novel about heartbreak, identity, migration and finding a place to call home.
When Simon, a local businessman, offers to rent the finca, Anna hopes it will pave the way for her escape. But there is more to him than meets the eye, and when a body washes up on the beach in mysterious circumstances, Anna realizes she may be the only one with the power to unravel the truth. But how can she prove that Simon is connected, and how can she reclaim her house? Anna is prepared to risk everything to get home – even though she’s no longer sure where home really is.
Urgent, gripping and brilliantly observed, Under the Sun is an exhilarating novel about heartbreak, identity, migration and finding a place to call home.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published July 13, 2017
25 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Lottie Moggach
5 books102 followersLottie Moggach is a journalist who has written for The Times, Financial Times, Time Out, Elle, GQ and The London Paper. She lives in north London. Kiss Me First is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
June 2, 2017
Under the Sun opens with a brilliantly drawn scene depicting a series of moments in the breakdown of a relationship. Having moved to southern Spain to buy a finca – a country estate – with her artist boyfriend Michael, Anna has found this 'dream life' isn't all it's cracked up to be. While attempting to host a dinner party for two of Michael's snobby friends, Kurt and Farah, she finds her patience stretched further and further as she's shut out of conversations, belittled and made to look intellectually inferior, until she's compelled to blurt out a furious response. The scene ends there: it's perfect, a microcosm of all the frustrations lurking beneath the surface in an unbalanced relationship.
Fast forward 18 months, and Anna's single, alone in Spain and running a bar in Marea, a place derided by Michael as a 'ghastly little genteel town, stuffed with retirees from the Home Counties'. The finca has been left empty; Anna lives in a tiny apartment above the bar, sleeping in an expensive chair, a relic of her former life and the only thing she salvaged after Michael left. When a smooth-talking businessman named Simón appears on her doorstep and asks to rent the finca, she agrees without hesitation. She soon comes to regret this decision when it transpires Simón is actually subletting the building to a group of workers who may be illegal immigrants – especially when a body washes up on the beach and Anna suspects Simón is involved. All this plays out against the background of the 2008 financial crisis, with Anna finding she has little to no chance of selling her home, and nothing else to live on.
First chapter aside, the story just didn't grab me the way Moggach's excellent debut, Kiss Me First, did. It's all a bit flat, and with the supporting cast of British pensioners, there's a special-episode-of-Rosemary & Thyme feeling to the plot. (It reminded me a little of Deborah Lawrenson's 300 Days of Sun, but that has a much stronger sense of history and place.) What I found most interesting was Anna's relationship with Michael; long after it had been left behind, I longed for further exploration of their dynamic and how they fell apart. Meanwhile, Anna's whole post-Michael situation annoyed me – I have so many questions about so many money-related aspects of this story. Her decision to let Simón rent the finca is so stupid it's barely credible, and her continual drinking and wasting money when she's meant to have nothing is grating too.
At the risk of sounding like one of Michael's insufferable friends, I found Under the Sun rather pedestrian. The characterisation in Kiss Me First was so thrilling and surprising that I hoped Moggach's next book would be something more innovative. This is a good light read – great for what it is, but I did expect more.
I received an advance review copy of Under the Sun from the publisher, Picador.
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Fast forward 18 months, and Anna's single, alone in Spain and running a bar in Marea, a place derided by Michael as a 'ghastly little genteel town, stuffed with retirees from the Home Counties'. The finca has been left empty; Anna lives in a tiny apartment above the bar, sleeping in an expensive chair, a relic of her former life and the only thing she salvaged after Michael left. When a smooth-talking businessman named Simón appears on her doorstep and asks to rent the finca, she agrees without hesitation. She soon comes to regret this decision when it transpires Simón is actually subletting the building to a group of workers who may be illegal immigrants – especially when a body washes up on the beach and Anna suspects Simón is involved. All this plays out against the background of the 2008 financial crisis, with Anna finding she has little to no chance of selling her home, and nothing else to live on.
First chapter aside, the story just didn't grab me the way Moggach's excellent debut, Kiss Me First, did. It's all a bit flat, and with the supporting cast of British pensioners, there's a special-episode-of-Rosemary & Thyme feeling to the plot. (It reminded me a little of Deborah Lawrenson's 300 Days of Sun, but that has a much stronger sense of history and place.) What I found most interesting was Anna's relationship with Michael; long after it had been left behind, I longed for further exploration of their dynamic and how they fell apart. Meanwhile, Anna's whole post-Michael situation annoyed me – I have so many questions about so many money-related aspects of this story. Her decision to let Simón rent the finca is so stupid it's barely credible, and her continual drinking and wasting money when she's meant to have nothing is grating too.
At the risk of sounding like one of Michael's insufferable friends, I found Under the Sun rather pedestrian. The characterisation in Kiss Me First was so thrilling and surprising that I hoped Moggach's next book would be something more innovative. This is a good light read – great for what it is, but I did expect more.
I received an advance review copy of Under the Sun from the publisher, Picador.
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July 6, 2017
Anna cannot comprehend her good fortune when she and beautiful artist Michael fall helplessly and completely in love. Selling her beloved London flat, she treks to Spain with him, expensively renovating a crumbling finca, building the stylish home of their dreams. But when the dream turns sour, she is left unanchored, lost - and as her life spirals away from her, she unearths a darker side to her once-blissful idyll.
Under The Sun begins strongly, with an achingly authentic portrait of a dying relationship. However, that early promise doesn't last, and it soon becomes as directionless and meandering as Anna's Michael-less life. It can't quite decide what it wants to be - it's neither a thriller, nor a love story, nor a blissful tale of ex-pat life. Plot-wise, it feels a little perfunctory and workaday - a little like the sex Anna and her post-Michael lovers have. The characters are vague and often infuriating; Anna is supremely annoying, making myriad astonishing decisions and making free with cash, despite being apparently penniless. On the one hand, this illustrates her precariousness; on the other, it makes the reader feel frustrated and unable to sympathise with Anna and her reckless actions.
There are some very valid and timely points made here, specifically on the topics of immigration and the human cost of capitalism. Set against the backdrop of the financial crash of 2008, there is an oppressive despair in the ex-pat communities of southern Spain; the unfinished ghost towns, the skeletal villas, the abandoned lives. There are no happy endings here, whether the immigrants are British or African; the Spanish sun searches out the imperfections, and tragedy, in the lives of all.
Moggach's prose is as hypnotic, in parts, as it was in her excellent debut Kiss Me First - seas, skies and ruinously expensive bathroom tiles are all lovingly evoked. Under The Sun, however, does not live up to the promise of that previous book, which was tightly plotted and genuinely chilling, haunting - I still recall it easily three years after reading it. I'm not sure I'll be able to remember much of Under The Sun even next week - its lack of focus and lacklustre characters mean that there's not a great deal to fix it in the mind.
Not awful, but nothing terribly special, sadly.
My thanks to the publisher NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Under The Sun begins strongly, with an achingly authentic portrait of a dying relationship. However, that early promise doesn't last, and it soon becomes as directionless and meandering as Anna's Michael-less life. It can't quite decide what it wants to be - it's neither a thriller, nor a love story, nor a blissful tale of ex-pat life. Plot-wise, it feels a little perfunctory and workaday - a little like the sex Anna and her post-Michael lovers have. The characters are vague and often infuriating; Anna is supremely annoying, making myriad astonishing decisions and making free with cash, despite being apparently penniless. On the one hand, this illustrates her precariousness; on the other, it makes the reader feel frustrated and unable to sympathise with Anna and her reckless actions.
There are some very valid and timely points made here, specifically on the topics of immigration and the human cost of capitalism. Set against the backdrop of the financial crash of 2008, there is an oppressive despair in the ex-pat communities of southern Spain; the unfinished ghost towns, the skeletal villas, the abandoned lives. There are no happy endings here, whether the immigrants are British or African; the Spanish sun searches out the imperfections, and tragedy, in the lives of all.
Moggach's prose is as hypnotic, in parts, as it was in her excellent debut Kiss Me First - seas, skies and ruinously expensive bathroom tiles are all lovingly evoked. Under The Sun, however, does not live up to the promise of that previous book, which was tightly plotted and genuinely chilling, haunting - I still recall it easily three years after reading it. I'm not sure I'll be able to remember much of Under The Sun even next week - its lack of focus and lacklustre characters mean that there's not a great deal to fix it in the mind.
Not awful, but nothing terribly special, sadly.
My thanks to the publisher NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2017
Novel set in ANDALUSIA (feel the heat and tension)
Anna and Michael have been renovating a wonderful finca (or should it be a cortijo?) up in the mountains behind the Costa del Sol, but the spark between them has dwindled. This becomes all too evident to both of them when Michael’s old friends Farah and Kurt come to stay, a priggish couple from his Oxbridge days. They leave and so does Michael. Where does Anna go from here, penniless and rootless, all her own money tied up in their property?
Anna decamps to derided Marea, a town possibly inspired by Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol, and sets herself up in a flat above the bar she has bought, from where she observes the comings and goings of the British; and El Tio, a down and out local who has a history linked to buried treasure in the sea. She is a sad soul, who resorts to draining the alcohol she could be serving to her customers. Her loneliness isn’t even expunged by her affair with Tommy, a married man who delights in his clandestine relationship with her.
Her financial woes seem to diminish, however, when Simón Ruiz offers to rent her finca in the hills, but with an explicit warning that she should not trespass on her own property whilst his tenants are ensconced – Anna was expecting him to be residing there, perhaps with his family. Soon, however, there are murmurings amongst the locals of illicit activity, carried out by suspected illegals, up on her property.
A dead body of an African male washes up on the beach, which gets Anna’s mind racing, and the author has a real talent for building a sense of pathos, the story prickles with heat and tension, it is robustly slow burning and gritty until about 2/3rds of the way through. At this point Anna willingly embroils herself in dangerous situations, and the precision tension which the author has so skilfully built up, is broken. As a single woman would you really tackle potential traffickers, or drug smugglers, or any group of men with a dangerous agenda when you have specifically been warned off? No, part of the calculation would be that you wouldn’t survive. But (spoiler alert) survive she does.
The anticipation of climbing up a roller coast ride as the narrative progresses is very real, anticipating a heart stopping plummet, which simply doesn’t happen. It feels like the author has bottled out of creating a punchy ending, and the story coasts to anti climactic denouement. It meanders around and loses its taut construction.
Having said that, I actually read the novel avidly, the author clearly has a real talent for writing, which flows deep in her family blood. In the book, she deftly tackles the economic slump of 2008 onwards, highlights issues around migrant workers with aplomb and casts an acute eye over the British assimilating into their Spanish homes. It is a meditation on loneliness, and how the British settle abroad. She also slots in a father-daughter relationship, which has been created largely to move the plot along, but which ultimately feels like a device rather than an integral part of the storyline.
The author’s Spain is hot and dusty and observed with care. The real Spain is still evident under the patina of the British urbanisation dwellers. In parts, it is a pretty sorry picture of all kinds of people just trying to get by. I very much look forward to seeing what this author produces next!
Anna and Michael have been renovating a wonderful finca (or should it be a cortijo?) up in the mountains behind the Costa del Sol, but the spark between them has dwindled. This becomes all too evident to both of them when Michael’s old friends Farah and Kurt come to stay, a priggish couple from his Oxbridge days. They leave and so does Michael. Where does Anna go from here, penniless and rootless, all her own money tied up in their property?
Anna decamps to derided Marea, a town possibly inspired by Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol, and sets herself up in a flat above the bar she has bought, from where she observes the comings and goings of the British; and El Tio, a down and out local who has a history linked to buried treasure in the sea. She is a sad soul, who resorts to draining the alcohol she could be serving to her customers. Her loneliness isn’t even expunged by her affair with Tommy, a married man who delights in his clandestine relationship with her.
Her financial woes seem to diminish, however, when Simón Ruiz offers to rent her finca in the hills, but with an explicit warning that she should not trespass on her own property whilst his tenants are ensconced – Anna was expecting him to be residing there, perhaps with his family. Soon, however, there are murmurings amongst the locals of illicit activity, carried out by suspected illegals, up on her property.
A dead body of an African male washes up on the beach, which gets Anna’s mind racing, and the author has a real talent for building a sense of pathos, the story prickles with heat and tension, it is robustly slow burning and gritty until about 2/3rds of the way through. At this point Anna willingly embroils herself in dangerous situations, and the precision tension which the author has so skilfully built up, is broken. As a single woman would you really tackle potential traffickers, or drug smugglers, or any group of men with a dangerous agenda when you have specifically been warned off? No, part of the calculation would be that you wouldn’t survive. But (spoiler alert) survive she does.
The anticipation of climbing up a roller coast ride as the narrative progresses is very real, anticipating a heart stopping plummet, which simply doesn’t happen. It feels like the author has bottled out of creating a punchy ending, and the story coasts to anti climactic denouement. It meanders around and loses its taut construction.
Having said that, I actually read the novel avidly, the author clearly has a real talent for writing, which flows deep in her family blood. In the book, she deftly tackles the economic slump of 2008 onwards, highlights issues around migrant workers with aplomb and casts an acute eye over the British assimilating into their Spanish homes. It is a meditation on loneliness, and how the British settle abroad. She also slots in a father-daughter relationship, which has been created largely to move the plot along, but which ultimately feels like a device rather than an integral part of the storyline.
The author’s Spain is hot and dusty and observed with care. The real Spain is still evident under the patina of the British urbanisation dwellers. In parts, it is a pretty sorry picture of all kinds of people just trying to get by. I very much look forward to seeing what this author produces next!
December 10, 2017
I enjoyed Lottie Moggach's debut, 'Kiss Me First', so I was hoping for a similar twisty thriller with an unlikeable heroine. What I got was... not that. I don't really know what I did get.
Is this book a beach thriller? A coming-of-age? An exposé on shoddy employment practices in Spain? It doesn't really satisfy as any of those things. The pace rushes and then drags, and the protagonist is irritatingly placid. I read this in Granada in Spain, sitting in the sun and drinking vino tinto, and I think that commonality of place improved my feelings towards the book, though I was still a little disappointed. Moggach has a beautiful way with words, so I'll certainly read her next book – I just hope it has a more interesting story.
Is this book a beach thriller? A coming-of-age? An exposé on shoddy employment practices in Spain? It doesn't really satisfy as any of those things. The pace rushes and then drags, and the protagonist is irritatingly placid. I read this in Granada in Spain, sitting in the sun and drinking vino tinto, and I think that commonality of place improved my feelings towards the book, though I was still a little disappointed. Moggach has a beautiful way with words, so I'll certainly read her next book – I just hope it has a more interesting story.
January 23, 2019
Anna irritates me so fucking much I wouldn’t actually care if Thanos emerged to erase her from existence because it would save me from reliving the torture this book put me through reading it every time it pops up somewhere. I don’t even care if this is considered a hate comment, this book is honestly infuriating.
September 14, 2017
Hmm, I was very disappointed in this book, I had good expectations having enjoyed her debut novel
The story line was weak, I wasn't really able to decide what it was about
The characters were not likeable, overall it was a depressing pointless read
The story line was weak, I wasn't really able to decide what it was about
The characters were not likeable, overall it was a depressing pointless read
May 27, 2022
A beach read.....just don't look too closely at what else is on the beach.
Lottie Moggach seems to specialise in women without agency up against powerful, sinister men. In her debut, Kiss Me First, it was the friendless, autistic Leila who brought down a sinister cult leader, in this, the depressed, dumped, unconfident ex-pat Anna takes on a dodgy businessman and a local gangster.
Moggach is great at details of people's lives, whether it's the interiors obsessed middle classes (a mahogany Moroccan toilet seat, an antique valve sourced from a salvage yard), the flamingoes and pointless mini-gate of a caravan park's garden, the fussiness of light snacks at a petit-bourgeois home (coasters, serviettes, crystal glasses). She is critical but never snobby about little Englanders lives in the sun, but her most wicked satire is that of a lifestyle blogger, "Simply, Satine". As in Kiss Me First, Moggach is excellent on how the internet shapes and records our lives.
Lottie Moggach seems to specialise in women without agency up against powerful, sinister men. In her debut, Kiss Me First, it was the friendless, autistic Leila who brought down a sinister cult leader, in this, the depressed, dumped, unconfident ex-pat Anna takes on a dodgy businessman and a local gangster.
Moggach is great at details of people's lives, whether it's the interiors obsessed middle classes (a mahogany Moroccan toilet seat, an antique valve sourced from a salvage yard), the flamingoes and pointless mini-gate of a caravan park's garden, the fussiness of light snacks at a petit-bourgeois home (coasters, serviettes, crystal glasses). She is critical but never snobby about little Englanders lives in the sun, but her most wicked satire is that of a lifestyle blogger, "Simply, Satine". As in Kiss Me First, Moggach is excellent on how the internet shapes and records our lives.
August 28, 2022
Atmospheric
July 4, 2018
Unfortunately a terrible read... I couldn’t even get half way through. Characters unlikeable and I’m not sure I even believe what the writer is saying or if she is writing down what she thinks people want to read?! But it wasn’t working for me.
July 3, 2017
Thank you to Pan Macmillan (South Africa) for sending me a Picador Proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Anna moved to Spain to build a life for her and her artist boyfriend, Michael. She invested every penny to her name into a beautiful Finca for them and redecorated it to be their ideal home. Michael appeared to contribute nothing.
Straight from the start her character is constantly belittled and made inferior to all those around her. While her friends and family believe she is living the dream is Spain, the reality is that her relationship is over. When he leaves with little more than a note goodbye, Anna is left alone to pick up the pieces. During a huge financial crisis, she rents out their Finca to a local business called Simón and shacks up in a tiny apartment in Marea where a bunch of expats have decided to call home. She runs a bar and carries out an affair with an older man in an attempt to boost her shattered confidence.
Anna almost instantly regrets renting the Finca to Simón as strange things start to happen. A young African man arrives to collect the keys from her and it transpires that Simón could be letting a group of illegal immigrants stay there.
When a body washes up onto the sandy shore, Anna is sure Simón has something to do with it... but how can she prove it?
Trapped in Spain, Anna will do anything to escape and get home but she's not really certain where 'Home' is anymore.
*
I found Anna's character really weak and to be honest, stupid. The way she handles money related things is absolutely ridiculous and arrogant. The only time I found her remotely enjoyable is before her boyfriend abandons her and they are hosting a dinner party for some friends, Kurt and Farah.
Farah is talking to Anna's boyfriend and Anna overhears her say, 'I'm just not sure what she brings to the table...' and Anna explodes at them from behind the wall, 'I bought the fucking table!'
That was brilliant! I didn't connect with her on any level though.
Overall this book wasn't what I expected it to be. It wasn't a thriller or a love story or even both weaved together - I struggled to decide how to classify this novel at all really.
Not a lot actually happens... it wasn't intense or gripping. Things seemed to build up and then just fall flat like a wave that just doesn't form properly.
Under The Sun did something priceless for me though - it reminded me of the beauty in Spain, the small things that I had once loved in a place that became my nightmare. I have been bitter about Spain since I threw what I could into my suitcase and ran away from the life I'd tried to build for myself there after being betrayed by my best friend and lover, who cheated on me with over 8 women.
This book had me feeling nostalgic under my winter blankets for warm summery days in Spain. The spilling glasses of Cava, thick legs of jamon screwed to wooden stands, paella on the beach, plates of sardines, lobster bisque, the language. It was a lovely reminder of a place I called home for a year and will never return to.
Anna moved to Spain to build a life for her and her artist boyfriend, Michael. She invested every penny to her name into a beautiful Finca for them and redecorated it to be their ideal home. Michael appeared to contribute nothing.
Straight from the start her character is constantly belittled and made inferior to all those around her. While her friends and family believe she is living the dream is Spain, the reality is that her relationship is over. When he leaves with little more than a note goodbye, Anna is left alone to pick up the pieces. During a huge financial crisis, she rents out their Finca to a local business called Simón and shacks up in a tiny apartment in Marea where a bunch of expats have decided to call home. She runs a bar and carries out an affair with an older man in an attempt to boost her shattered confidence.
Anna almost instantly regrets renting the Finca to Simón as strange things start to happen. A young African man arrives to collect the keys from her and it transpires that Simón could be letting a group of illegal immigrants stay there.
When a body washes up onto the sandy shore, Anna is sure Simón has something to do with it... but how can she prove it?
Trapped in Spain, Anna will do anything to escape and get home but she's not really certain where 'Home' is anymore.
*
I found Anna's character really weak and to be honest, stupid. The way she handles money related things is absolutely ridiculous and arrogant. The only time I found her remotely enjoyable is before her boyfriend abandons her and they are hosting a dinner party for some friends, Kurt and Farah.
Farah is talking to Anna's boyfriend and Anna overhears her say, 'I'm just not sure what she brings to the table...' and Anna explodes at them from behind the wall, 'I bought the fucking table!'
That was brilliant! I didn't connect with her on any level though.
Overall this book wasn't what I expected it to be. It wasn't a thriller or a love story or even both weaved together - I struggled to decide how to classify this novel at all really.
Not a lot actually happens... it wasn't intense or gripping. Things seemed to build up and then just fall flat like a wave that just doesn't form properly.
Under The Sun did something priceless for me though - it reminded me of the beauty in Spain, the small things that I had once loved in a place that became my nightmare. I have been bitter about Spain since I threw what I could into my suitcase and ran away from the life I'd tried to build for myself there after being betrayed by my best friend and lover, who cheated on me with over 8 women.
This book had me feeling nostalgic under my winter blankets for warm summery days in Spain. The spilling glasses of Cava, thick legs of jamon screwed to wooden stands, paella on the beach, plates of sardines, lobster bisque, the language. It was a lovely reminder of a place I called home for a year and will never return to.
August 12, 2017
3.5 stars!
Under The Sun was all that anyone could want from a summer novel - with an exciting and brilliantly described setting, a colourful cast of characters, and a gripping story you can easily lose yourself in. Right from the beginning of the novel I was completely immersed into a world I could visualise easily. I loved the lethargic, balmy feel to the writing, and the edgy dynamic between the characters.
I would have loved more of the novel to be spent exploring Anna and Michael's relationship, and greater detail spent on their dynamic in general. We never actually get to see the side where they are desperately in love with each other - to the extent that Anna moves away from her home in London to be with him in Spain - apart from the few flashbacks throughout the book. I liked how Anna's character was developed in so much detail during the story, but she was obviously really affected by Michael leaving so I just wanted a bit more background on their relationship in general.
I loved the whole mystery surrounding the men living at the finca, and the body being washed up on the beach. There was just the right amount of secrecy; the reader wasn't left completely on their own to figure it out - I felt as if I was with Anna, uncovering the dark secrets with her. I think the shady element of the story, contrasted with the beautiful setting, was a great part of the novel and I enjoyed this part immensely. I thought that the secret involving Simón was also well explored and I think the ending of the book as a whole was perfect and satisfying.
Overall, I really enjoyed Under The Sun and it's the perfect novel to read by the pool. There were some aspects of the book that I wish were explored in a bit more detail, but overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend that you pick it up for your summer holiday (or just lazing in the park or the garden!)
Under The Sun was all that anyone could want from a summer novel - with an exciting and brilliantly described setting, a colourful cast of characters, and a gripping story you can easily lose yourself in. Right from the beginning of the novel I was completely immersed into a world I could visualise easily. I loved the lethargic, balmy feel to the writing, and the edgy dynamic between the characters.
I would have loved more of the novel to be spent exploring Anna and Michael's relationship, and greater detail spent on their dynamic in general. We never actually get to see the side where they are desperately in love with each other - to the extent that Anna moves away from her home in London to be with him in Spain - apart from the few flashbacks throughout the book. I liked how Anna's character was developed in so much detail during the story, but she was obviously really affected by Michael leaving so I just wanted a bit more background on their relationship in general.
I loved the whole mystery surrounding the men living at the finca, and the body being washed up on the beach. There was just the right amount of secrecy; the reader wasn't left completely on their own to figure it out - I felt as if I was with Anna, uncovering the dark secrets with her. I think the shady element of the story, contrasted with the beautiful setting, was a great part of the novel and I enjoyed this part immensely. I thought that the secret involving Simón was also well explored and I think the ending of the book as a whole was perfect and satisfying.
Overall, I really enjoyed Under The Sun and it's the perfect novel to read by the pool. There were some aspects of the book that I wish were explored in a bit more detail, but overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend that you pick it up for your summer holiday (or just lazing in the park or the garden!)
March 27, 2018
This is such a beautifully written book, with a stunning setting and a lot of intrigue. Set in Spain, the novel focuses on Anna, whose dream life in the sun with Michael, the man she once thought would make her happy forever, has ended. Having abandoned the beautiful finca on the hill, into which Anna had poured all of her savings, she now runs a quiet bar frequented by other expats whose dreams didn't go so well either.
When a man turns up at the bar asking to rent the finca for cash upfront, Anna agrees. After all, she's in dire need of money. But soon she discovers that there's something unnerving about her new tenants and their persuasive boss. Any attempts to find out what's going on up in the hills are thwarted by threats, leaving Anna unable to keep careful watch of her property. But when a body washes up on the beach, Anna is certain it has something to do with whatever's going on in the finca.
It's such an interesting premise, and the book is instantly gripping. It has an air of mystery and drama, and reads like a thriller. However, it's not, and that's exactly what confused and disappointed me.
About two thirds of the way through this novel, the story begins to slow down, and focuses more on Anna and her relationship issues. There are a lot of questions surrounding the finca and what's going on inside, but the build-up to any resolution simply falls flat.
And don't get me started on the ending. Grr!
Of course, this is just a personal opinion from a reader, but I found this novel to have a LOT of potential. It starts off so well. I thought it was building up to be a thrilling read, but I was wrong. It felt as though the author really couldn't decide which direction she wanted to take this story - thriller or drama? It just gave me expectations that were not fulfilled.
That said, I love Lottie Moggach's writing style and would love to check out her debut novel, Kiss Me First, as I've heard it's very good. I just couldn't help but be a bit disappointed by this one.
When a man turns up at the bar asking to rent the finca for cash upfront, Anna agrees. After all, she's in dire need of money. But soon she discovers that there's something unnerving about her new tenants and their persuasive boss. Any attempts to find out what's going on up in the hills are thwarted by threats, leaving Anna unable to keep careful watch of her property. But when a body washes up on the beach, Anna is certain it has something to do with whatever's going on in the finca.
It's such an interesting premise, and the book is instantly gripping. It has an air of mystery and drama, and reads like a thriller. However, it's not, and that's exactly what confused and disappointed me.
About two thirds of the way through this novel, the story begins to slow down, and focuses more on Anna and her relationship issues. There are a lot of questions surrounding the finca and what's going on inside, but the build-up to any resolution simply falls flat.
And don't get me started on the ending. Grr!
Of course, this is just a personal opinion from a reader, but I found this novel to have a LOT of potential. It starts off so well. I thought it was building up to be a thrilling read, but I was wrong. It felt as though the author really couldn't decide which direction she wanted to take this story - thriller or drama? It just gave me expectations that were not fulfilled.
That said, I love Lottie Moggach's writing style and would love to check out her debut novel, Kiss Me First, as I've heard it's very good. I just couldn't help but be a bit disappointed by this one.
September 28, 2020
This novel begins with tense and claustrophobic scenes showing an unhappy relationship that is on the verge of collapse. Anna, a talented graphic designer, and Michael, a supposedly gorgeous and gifted artist (who frankly had all the appeal of a wet mop to me!), left the UK and bought a house in Spain, which Anna has renovated and fitted out to please the aesthetics of Michael, the brooding man-child. But things clearly haven't been working out. Some of his Oxford uni chums have joined them for a weekend and it quickly becomes obvious that Michael's affections for Anna have waned, and she is at breaking point, despairing over his changed feelings and wondering what on earth she will do if they do end up splitting up. It's an interesting premise to start a novel with.
However, that early promise doesn't continue - we flash forward to a year or so later, the world is now in the grip of the 2008 financial crisis, Michael has left Anna as well as Spain, the house and all the debt, and her existence has become fairly precarious and directionless. I kept waiting for Michael to reappear or for a twist to come, which never did. Under the Sun is not a thriller, nor a love story. It is perhaps a cautionary tale - about the human costs of capitalism and to not fall for sunny fantasies spun by reality TV shows such as "A Place in The Sun".
I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did Lottie Moggach's first book, Kiss Me First. If you're after a tense and haunting story, I'd highly recommend that one.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this to review.
However, that early promise doesn't continue - we flash forward to a year or so later, the world is now in the grip of the 2008 financial crisis, Michael has left Anna as well as Spain, the house and all the debt, and her existence has become fairly precarious and directionless. I kept waiting for Michael to reappear or for a twist to come, which never did. Under the Sun is not a thriller, nor a love story. It is perhaps a cautionary tale - about the human costs of capitalism and to not fall for sunny fantasies spun by reality TV shows such as "A Place in The Sun".
I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did Lottie Moggach's first book, Kiss Me First. If you're after a tense and haunting story, I'd highly recommend that one.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this to review.
August 2, 2017
A superbly written novel delving into intricacies of love, relationships and embarking on new challenges while living away from home.
After discovering a suitable Spanish property to renovate, Anna and her partner Michael move to begin a new life in Southern Spain. However after Michael decides to leave, Anna embarks on a new journey, purchasing a bar in the local town. Receiving interest from a potential buyer for her home the subsequent events including a body that washes up on the beach all appear to lead back to this pivotal moment.
Even though the plot may seem familiar, the author manages to convey the scenarios in such a poetic way that brings each scene to life. Its easy to see how the characters are shaped by their experiences, and as they are drawn with intricate detail its easy to follow their journey, especially with Anna, the main character.
A surprisingly emotive story which provided a unique insight into the lives of others. Both a tale of hope and suspense with a brilliant style of writing which I couldn’t wait to continue reading. Thank you to goodreads for a proof copy to read and review.
After discovering a suitable Spanish property to renovate, Anna and her partner Michael move to begin a new life in Southern Spain. However after Michael decides to leave, Anna embarks on a new journey, purchasing a bar in the local town. Receiving interest from a potential buyer for her home the subsequent events including a body that washes up on the beach all appear to lead back to this pivotal moment.
Even though the plot may seem familiar, the author manages to convey the scenarios in such a poetic way that brings each scene to life. Its easy to see how the characters are shaped by their experiences, and as they are drawn with intricate detail its easy to follow their journey, especially with Anna, the main character.
A surprisingly emotive story which provided a unique insight into the lives of others. Both a tale of hope and suspense with a brilliant style of writing which I couldn’t wait to continue reading. Thank you to goodreads for a proof copy to read and review.
September 28, 2017
This book is exceedingly difficult to describe and review as it wasn’t at all what I was expecting and I didn’t ever really work out where it intended to go.
It wasn’t that it wasn’t enjoyable… I think there was ultimately a message or lesson there but it meandered about - the initial (fairly lengthy) backstory, focusing on Anna’s relationship, then a bit of evil vindictiveness was thrown in along with a mystery of sorts but it didn’t ever quite make its point for me.
I suspect though it’s the kind of book I’ll ponder on later or be reminded of from time to time - given the harsh lesson or two Anna was dealt.
I must confess to not finding Anna particularly endearing so wasn’t overly engaged in her exploits or worried about her welfare. I’m not sure if that’s just a ‘me’ thing and I found her too frustrating and irresponsible, or whether other readers will feel the same.
I did however enjoy the (obviously knowledgeable) glimpse into Spain and life of expats (and locals) and wonder how much Moggach borrowed from real life.
2.5 stars
It wasn’t that it wasn’t enjoyable… I think there was ultimately a message or lesson there but it meandered about - the initial (fairly lengthy) backstory, focusing on Anna’s relationship, then a bit of evil vindictiveness was thrown in along with a mystery of sorts but it didn’t ever quite make its point for me.
I suspect though it’s the kind of book I’ll ponder on later or be reminded of from time to time - given the harsh lesson or two Anna was dealt.
I must confess to not finding Anna particularly endearing so wasn’t overly engaged in her exploits or worried about her welfare. I’m not sure if that’s just a ‘me’ thing and I found her too frustrating and irresponsible, or whether other readers will feel the same.
I did however enjoy the (obviously knowledgeable) glimpse into Spain and life of expats (and locals) and wonder how much Moggach borrowed from real life.
2.5 stars
May 16, 2017
This is a slow-burn book that starts out as one type of story (the Failed Love Affair) then turns into something different. Moggach tries to tie at all up in the end but the connections are obtuse and stretched. Without giving away spoilers, this takes an idyllic scenario of ex-pat living in Spain and then uncovers a much darker undertow.
There are some important points being made about the price of global capitalism, and some pointed scenes where British ex-pats refuse to accept that they are immigrants in Spain, gaming the system, evading tax and generally behaving in a manner which they attribute to 'foreign' (in this case, African) immigrants to the UK.
Despite these timely political issues, this feels like a loose and somewhat meandering read - good as a commute read but it could (should?) have been tighter and sharper than it is: 3.5 stars.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
There are some important points being made about the price of global capitalism, and some pointed scenes where British ex-pats refuse to accept that they are immigrants in Spain, gaming the system, evading tax and generally behaving in a manner which they attribute to 'foreign' (in this case, African) immigrants to the UK.
Despite these timely political issues, this feels like a loose and somewhat meandering read - good as a commute read but it could (should?) have been tighter and sharper than it is: 3.5 stars.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
January 24, 2018
Anna, a talented graphic designer, has poured all her savings into renovating an old house in Spain and all her hopes into her relationship with Michael, a narcissistic artist. Yet the fantasy is curdling fast - it's clear Michael no longer finds her interesting. Pretty soon he is off, just as the property market crashes, leaving British expats stuck with unsellable homes and Anna with few options but to run a bar in the lacklustre local town to get by.
But it's when the body of an African migrant washes up on the beach that the story takes off. Anna has impulsively let her finca to a man she knows nothing about and, in her slightly wine-fogged, emotionally reckless state, is convinced the clue to the dead man lies with her new tenants. The way Moggach shows the extent to which the British expat dream lives cheek by jowl with a burgeoning migrant crisis makes this a superior thriller. Surely a contender for read of the summer
But it's when the body of an African migrant washes up on the beach that the story takes off. Anna has impulsively let her finca to a man she knows nothing about and, in her slightly wine-fogged, emotionally reckless state, is convinced the clue to the dead man lies with her new tenants. The way Moggach shows the extent to which the British expat dream lives cheek by jowl with a burgeoning migrant crisis makes this a superior thriller. Surely a contender for read of the summer
August 24, 2018
I wish I'd liked this book more.
Thumbs up - for Moggach's writing style. Easy to read and interesting with sufficient detail of both people and places to get a good sense of both.
Thumbs up - for the depiction of ex-pat life post 2008 and the Spanish property price crash. I've no personal experience of this, but it felt real to me
Thumbs down - for the main character, Anna. Its her story, and as much as I like a complex character, I found it hard to warm to her. Difficult to reconcile the young woman who is able to refurbish a home and haggle for antiques, then run a bar single-handed, with an innocent who gave up her home and lifestyle for an older man and then can't do much without male help.
Thumbs down - for much of the plot, Anna chasing around town with the help of various men, getting into difficulties after trying to investigate things.
Thumbs up - for Moggach's writing style. Easy to read and interesting with sufficient detail of both people and places to get a good sense of both.
Thumbs up - for the depiction of ex-pat life post 2008 and the Spanish property price crash. I've no personal experience of this, but it felt real to me
Thumbs down - for the main character, Anna. Its her story, and as much as I like a complex character, I found it hard to warm to her. Difficult to reconcile the young woman who is able to refurbish a home and haggle for antiques, then run a bar single-handed, with an innocent who gave up her home and lifestyle for an older man and then can't do much without male help.
Thumbs down - for much of the plot, Anna chasing around town with the help of various men, getting into difficulties after trying to investigate things.
June 4, 2017
I did enjoy this book although not very much happens! Anna and Michael have bought a finca and chosen to make a new life for themselves in Spain. However, their relationship becomes increasingly fragile and ends with a note from Michael saying that he has left her and returned to England. Anna's life in Spain begins to crumble. No one is buying property due to the financial crisis of 2008, so she finds herself running a bar in the seaside resort of Marea, living among expats who are disillusioned with their Spanish life and are desperate to return home. It is while she is in Marea that a local businessman offers to rent her finca, then a body is washed up on the beach....yet there is no real mystery or suspense. Well written with excellent descriptions of expat life in Spain but not the most gripping storyline.
August 2, 2017
I loved Moggach's first novel, Kiss Me First and was expecting great things from Under The Sun. Reading the blurb on the back of the book anyone would expect a straight forward thriller but this book is much more than that. It is a story of a woman who followed her heart to Spain with the man she thought she loved and found herself abandoned, unsure who she is or indeed where she belongs. Over the ensuing pages Anna fights to get her home back, attempts to discover who the mysterious Simon is and who the African men could be residing in her property. Throw in an ill judged affair with a married expat and the return of her absent father and Anna has a whole lot of issues to deal with.
Anna's character is brilliantly realised by Moggach. A character full of despair, and self pity, doing little to help herself until finally digging deep she finds the strength to pull herself together and get her life back on track. There were times, particularly at the start of the novel that I found Anna mildly irritating, her constant need to please Michael, had me shaking the book in frustration, wanting her to ditch this vile man!! That soon turned to urging her on as she finally found the where with all, to fight for want she wanted.
The ex-pat community setting perfectly highlighted how the Brits are viewed abroad. The Spaniards treating them with disdain and the Brits creating their own bit of Britain, still clinging to British values never fully immersing themselves in Spanish culture. The use of Africans and particularly the mystery of the body on the beach showed up the problems Europe now has with illegal migration and the desperation of those willing to travel under dubious and dangerous circumstances to find a better life.
The novel was a little slow paced to start but soon gathered speed as Anna, slowly grappled with her life and the circumstances she found herself in.
Not your typical thriller but a hugely satisfying novel that I enjoyed immensely.
Thank you to Picador and Alice Dewing for a proof copy to read and review.
Anna's character is brilliantly realised by Moggach. A character full of despair, and self pity, doing little to help herself until finally digging deep she finds the strength to pull herself together and get her life back on track. There were times, particularly at the start of the novel that I found Anna mildly irritating, her constant need to please Michael, had me shaking the book in frustration, wanting her to ditch this vile man!! That soon turned to urging her on as she finally found the where with all, to fight for want she wanted.
The ex-pat community setting perfectly highlighted how the Brits are viewed abroad. The Spaniards treating them with disdain and the Brits creating their own bit of Britain, still clinging to British values never fully immersing themselves in Spanish culture. The use of Africans and particularly the mystery of the body on the beach showed up the problems Europe now has with illegal migration and the desperation of those willing to travel under dubious and dangerous circumstances to find a better life.
The novel was a little slow paced to start but soon gathered speed as Anna, slowly grappled with her life and the circumstances she found herself in.
Not your typical thriller but a hugely satisfying novel that I enjoyed immensely.
Thank you to Picador and Alice Dewing for a proof copy to read and review.
July 21, 2017
Anna, a young Englishwoman is living an apparently idyllic life with her artist boyfriend on a finca in the Spanish hills. A year later, Anna is alone running a bar in a run down seaside town, populated with disillusioned and impoverished British ex-pats and scratching a living whilst the finca remains empty. When a local businessman offers to rent the property Anna hopes it will fund her escape but she finds herself in a worse predicament when a body is washed up on the shore. Anna risks everything but can she escape? An absorbing, disturbing book, gripping and heartbreaking. One of the best novels I have read this year.
June 28, 2017
The first third of the book accurately describes the breakdown of a relationship. However eventually it feels unrelentingly dreary.
As Anna works her way through her abandonment and inaction to eventual re-awakening and taking control there were so many times when I just wanted to slap her.
In trying to cover many global and current issues I can’t help feeling some of the plot is not at all credible.
It is a well-written book but just missing that spark.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a review.
As Anna works her way through her abandonment and inaction to eventual re-awakening and taking control there were so many times when I just wanted to slap her.
In trying to cover many global and current issues I can’t help feeling some of the plot is not at all credible.
It is a well-written book but just missing that spark.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a review.
July 24, 2017
After reading several novels which rely on shocking reversals and games of perception, it was a relief and pleasure to read this satisfying novel of intrigue, with an appealing protagonist, which breaks away from the Brits abroad stereotype through being set in a Spanish urbanisation, rather than around the swimming pool in the Dordogne.
October 1, 2017
I found Anna a very frustrating character, she was very lost, but I could not stop wanting to shake her into action!
The Spanish coastal setting was depressingly described by the author, it felt that a lot of tragic people from (mostly) Britain washed up there and it was a bit of a last chance palace. But that is great work by the author to describe that desolation.
I'm glad I read it.
The Spanish coastal setting was depressingly described by the author, it felt that a lot of tragic people from (mostly) Britain washed up there and it was a bit of a last chance palace. But that is great work by the author to describe that desolation.
I'm glad I read it.
December 3, 2017
I had heard a lot about this book before release so was keen to read it. Didn’t live up to all expectations but still a good enough read. Read it in a couple of days on holiday. Some parts were very well written and characters relationships well thought out. Ending was somehow both surprisingly good yet slightly unbelievable. A good holiday/quick read
December 7, 2019
First chapter is just so brilliantly written. I'd read some of her future stuff based on the strength of it. Unfortunately the book pivots from the promising opening to duller climes. The Spanish Expats are well observed; shame about the lacklustre plot and a central character that was hard to connect with.
July 3, 2024
Anna!! The most unlikeable stupid character ever. She is either drunk or having meaningless sex with virtual strangers a lot of the time. I just couldnt connect with her on any level. She gets dumped, so she moves out of her beloved home, which she leaves empty, and spends every penny on a run down pub?? Gave up
February 11, 2025
Rather a slow-moving tale (I thought), based in a place whose non-fictional equivalent I know slightly, which captures the better side of ex-pat life for Brits and others in Spain, and how ex-pats and Spanish people alike interact with (and exploit) those other new arrivals - African migrants. I found the story to be subtle, but not a compelling read.
March 2, 2018
Touching on several issues, but not addressing any with any degree of meaning, and with a passive protagonist who consistently makes dumb decisions this book really didn't do much but irritate me.
I can't really recommend this.
I can't really recommend this.
June 23, 2018
Hmmm. There’s a thriller that didn’t deliver
All the elements set out
The story unfolded with a tiny serving of tension
Then it ended in a rather ‘and then I woke up’ kind of way
Disappointing
All the elements set out
The story unfolded with a tiny serving of tension
Then it ended in a rather ‘and then I woke up’ kind of way
Disappointing
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