The Dead Of Summer: A Gripping Literary Suspense Thriller – Mysteries of Childhood Murder and Dark Truth

by Camilla Way

At thirteen, Anita Naidu was the sole witness to London’s notorious cave murders of 1986, which left three children dead.Told seven years later to the police psychologist who interviewed her at the time of the killings, Anita’s story exposes the savagery of the schoolyard one chilling detail at a time until the truth reveals itself with startling ferocity. Set against the bustling, tourist-packed streets of historic Greenwich, this audacious debut examines sinister events that happen, quite literally, right below the surface. An irresistibly disturbing thriller for fans of A.M.Homes and Mary Gaitskill.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary, Crime, Mystery Thriller, British Literature

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Camilla Way was born in Greenwich, south-east London, and studied Modern English and French Literature at the University of Glamorgan. Her father was the poet and author Peter Way. Formerly Associate Editor of the teenage girls' magazine Bliss, she is currently an editor and writer on the men's style magazine Arena. Having lived in Cardiff, Bristol, Bath and Clerkenwell, she now lives in south-east London.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absorbing first novel about three loser-kids in working class London--a girl of half Pakistani heritage (the narrator), an overweight, learning disabled black boy, and a thin pasty-faced white boy with a commanding presence and haunting eyes. We watch as their summer of friendship ends in tragedy and crime.
I thought the ending was a bit contrived and rushed, but the gritty London atmosphere is very good, as are the three main characters, and the author's tone is both compassionate and realistic.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise a little as I wasn't expecting it to be quite as entertaining as it was. With murder, mystery and twists and turns this story had a mixture of everything.

Three friends and their families spend the hot Summer holidays together, but as the story unfolds their Summer holiday takes a turn for the worse and their lives will never be the same again.

A quick and enjoyable read. Recommended.

[Angel Gelique · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It takes concentration and years of practice to ensure that you are constantly overlooked."

At the very beginning, readers are introduced to thirteen-year-old Anita Naidu and learn that she has survived a horrific act of violence that left two friends and fellow classmates dead. The story then backtracks and paints a clearer picture of what transpired.

Anita's neighbor is a quiet, socially-withdrawn boy named Kyle. Kyle's only friend is Denis--a metally-challenged overweight boy who befriends Anita. It is through Denis that Anita gradually gets to know Kyle. The three begin hanging out during the summer.

Kyle is from a dysfunctional family. His father is absent and his mother suffers from a mental condition. His little sister recently went missing--just vanished suddenly. Kyle has major anger issues. He gets bullied a lot in school. It becomes apparent that he's simply not stable.

The story moves along slowly but all the while there is mounting tension. You just feel the dread building with each turn of the page. You've already been prepared for tragedy and you know something horrible is going to happen. But I bet you'll never guess exactly what will happen to the three friends at the end of that fateful summer.

This was an amazing, engrossing story. I read it slowly, partly to savor it and partly because I knew characters that I started caring for would die. There's a brilliant, wicked twist in this one. A couple twists, actually, which will surely have your jaw dropping. What an incredible psychological thriller. Highly recommended!

[Jude St. Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

قبلن اگه اینو میخوندم خیلی دوستش می‌داشتم ولی الان خیلی خاص نبود برام🦆

[Hannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoewel ik dit boek eerder heb gelezen, was het einde toch weer een verrassing voor me. Ik wist nog maar weinig over het boek, alleen dat ik het destijds goed vond. Daarom heb ik het herlezen. Het verhaal is een terugblik op een periode uit Anita’s jeugd waarin een aantal verschrikkelijke dingen gebeuren. Ik vind het verhaal goed uitgewerkt, waarbij je als lezer op het verkeerde been wordt gezet.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started my Summer of Children in Peril. I have found a variety of books about some rather unpleasant even befalling a child or children and having it come back some date in the far future. This was a quick read, and while the subject matter is a bit disturbing I found it hard to put down.

[Emong · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dead of Summer is about a young woman who unfortunately is the only witness to London’s infamous cave murders in the year 1986. Anita Naidu just moved in to their new house in South London. Being new to the neighborhood she very much wanted to blend in but being a good misfit as she is, she landed on the hands of Kyle Kite who has a behavioral problem and his best dim-witted uncanny friend Denis. The trio, Kyle acting as the leader, do stuffs that favors Kyle which is to look and search for caves and just do stupid and ridiculous things. In the latter part Anita tries to understand the strangeness of Kyle, and after a while she was able to connect the dots – sort of. She was able to get answers on her own. 1. What causes Kyle to behave improperly most of the time? 2. Whatever happened to Kyle’s sister? 3. Who really is the real culprit?

The book is amazing. It’s definitely different from books that I am currently splurging in, but nevertheless I’m satisfied with my decision on reading it. The psychological part of it just swept me off my feet. All the twist and the disturbing parts are just so good that you just want to solve the case immediately but hoping that it won’t end that quick that will leave you asking for more. The major twist at the end caught me unguarded like I wasn’t expecting it at all. My theory about the ending is VERY dissimilar from what Camilla Way has provided which just struck me.

Favorite part of the book will be the very disturbing scene wherein Kyle just knocked out the soul from a soon to be dead duck. Like the description is very morbid and it’s hard for me to process it like I need to close the book for a couple of seconds for me to pull myself together.

Least favorite part is maybe the part of the book that discusses how boring Anita’s life is. I just wanted to skip it and jump ahead to the climax.

I don’t want to change anything, the twist is so good and when the pieces of the puzzle where soon completed and had been put all together the book will just grow inside you it’s very moving and you will just close the book when you’re finished and just re-think everything.

I recommend it to anyone who is into those psychological mysteries kind of books. But anyone is free to experience the twist that hits me hard and is still lingering in my head.

[Sandeep Ellawala · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the beginning of this story there is a subtle sense of madness to the underlying tone of it. A chapter into it and I started turning back to the front cover, the back cover and even did a Google search to see if this book is based on true events. People who had reviewed this books also sounded like they were talking about a series of real events, and to top that Camilla Way also happened to be a journalist. Well, it is fiction I assure you. But that does not stop you from enjoying it.

The story is written in such simplistic manner you do not hesitate to dive deep into the plot. The language was very straight forward and fluid as well. The dialogues between characters, the narration, and descriptions all balanced out to tell the story in a wonderful manner.

When it comes to the overall theme of the story, well... it is crazy as it can get. There was an inherent sadness throughout the story that descends from the death of the main character Anita's mother. Now please hold your horses, because that was not a spoiler. I did not give away any plot twists. The passing away of a mother makes you feel like you can empathize with Anita and her plight. I ended up nodding my head when she was talking about how crazy things can get when a mother is no longer there to keep the family together. God forbid nothing like that ever happened to me, but I know how bad things would be in my family if it was not for my mother.

When I think about the ending I must say that I am a bit shaken up. I never saw that coming. I repeat, I never saw it going down like this. I am thrilled with the way things ended. Without giving much of the plot away, all I can say is that sometimes you come out alive from a dark place only to realize that a part of you had died in your struggle to survive and get out from that place.

Would I recommend this book to you? Well, yeah I would. I would recommend this to you if you are the kind of reader who will keep your mind open. Because you will enjoy it, and at the same time you will respect it for what it is. Definitely one of the best debut novels I had ever read and it is the kind of book that stays with you long after you are done reading it.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off l, I love the title. It's captivating and leaves me wondering. That being said, the book itself is a great read. It's very much a coming of age story of adolescents, reminiscent of Stephen King's novella, 'The Body.' The characterization is so well done, and the end leaves your head spinning as everything you thought up until that point is a lie. That's what I love about Camilla Way. She really knows how to mess with your head and make you rethink every event and character.

[Yeganeh Moeini · Rating 4 out of 5]

آنیتا نایدو همیشه مسحورم می کنه . در طولِ کتاب با ادبیاتش که از پشت ترجمه ی فریده اشرفی هم تاثیر خودش رو توی لحن فکر کردنم می‌ذاره _شبیه لحنش فکر می کنم با خودم_ و آخر کتاب هم ، هر سه بار ، آخر هر سه دور خوندن توی سن های مختلف ، لرزه به لایه های درونیم می‌ندازه ، نفوذ می کنه . مثل تاثیری که چشم های کایل روی آنیتا می‌ذاره ، آنیتا نایدو و داستان تابستونِ سیزده سالگیش تیز میشه و می‌ره توی جونم

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow..I am awful at writing reviews. I'd rather rate it and be on my way to the next book.


I swear I will come back at some point and write a review for this.

[Amy Mcpike · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Pary · Rating 1 out of 5]

چرت ترین کتابی که امسال خوندم. صفر ستاره نداره؟

[Kira FlowerChild · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know a disaster is about to happen, and you know it's going to be gruesome and disturbing, but somehow you can't look away. This is a dark and unsettling novel about children who commit violent acts. Although it is well written, there were numerous times I wanted to put it down and not pick it back up again. Only my curiosity and the author's adroit use of suspense kept me reading.

Usually I do not like books unless they have at least one sympathetic character I can identify with. This book had none. Anna, the narrator, is fascinated with Kyle, the boy who lives across the street from her, a boy who is obviously disturbed and very different from others his age, as is Anna. If there is any character who is sympathetic at all it is the third member of their little group, Denis, who is grossly overweight and mentally challenged. Kyle is his only friend until Anna joins them.

I did not expect the twist at the end, despite some foreshadowing by the author. I distanced myself from the story because of the book's dark tone and unsympathetic characters. I didn't really care what happened to them, I just wanted to know how and why it happened.

[Cherylann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was going to read a book that was a character study of three young adolescents. Instead, I read a book that was a character study of one adolescent. Everything I thought I knew about the other characters was colored because it was through the eyes of the protagonist. At the end of the novel the reader finds out she's a liar (and a psychopath), and everything the reader thought she knew was wrong. I appreciate the attempt at literary technique by the writer. I just don't think it was pulled off well. By the time I got to the "twist" ending, I really didn't care. If she wants to see how a twist is done, check out Bohjalian's The Double Bind. I wish I could even say the novel was a commentary on adolescence. Maybe to some degree it was. However, Anita's mental illness makes it hard to even find the social commentary here - other than the fact that the psychiatrist interviewing her has an ethical obligation to make sure she's locked away from society...

I hope that this is a novel that with time will grow on me. Right now, I'm just luke warm about it.

[Regina Ferrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is highly disturbing because it is about three kids dying and a fifteen-year old kid killing them. At the same time though there is something very poignant about it and the beauty contained in this book continues to haunt me until now - more than a week since I read it. Here’s an excerpt from the book:

By the end of that summer three of us were dead. But you already knew that. Does your pulse quicken when you see those headlines? You know the type: MURDER SPREE OF SCHOOLGIRL LONER; BOY, 13, RAPES CLASSMATE; CHILD, 10, STABS PENSIONER. Mine too; I’ve collected them all, over the years. And when you pass those gangs of half-grown ghouls that haunt the streets in the half-light, does your pace quicken just a bit? Do you walk a little faster? It’s understandable. Mugging, fighting, raping, killing - kids today, they’re animals.

But of all the world’s minimonsters making headlines, wreaking havoc, my friend Kyle was the most famous of all. And I was there; I loved him. Take a seat, Doctor Barton; I’ll tell you everything. It’s time to tell you everything.

You should read it.

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 2 out of 5]

23rd January 2010
A very disturbing little book. You know from the outset that things are going to end badly. It has a very dark and creepy atmosphere and you feel compelled to keep reading even though it is slightly unpleasant. I wouldn't say that it is particularly well written but it does provide a view into another world, one which I would prefer not to linger in for too long. The conclusion is somewhat unexpected and very grisly. The characters are all flawed people most of whom seem fairly normal on the surface, the children have not acquired the ability to hide their inner self from the outside world and so come across as damaged from the outset. It does leave one with a feeling of unease and wondering how many people like this are living around us of which we are completely unaware. Quite a scary thought. I shall be a little more aware of the way I view new acquaintances, at least for a little while!

[_.eameli · Rating 3 out of 5]

من این کتاب رو به صورت صوتی گوش دادم.
از نشر ایران بان

●نظر در مورد ترجمه:ترجمه خوب بود سانسور جوری بود که به داستان آسیب زده چون واقعا یه جای مهم و دردناک بود درک میکنم به خاطر ارشاد ولی این جا کل داستان رو معلوم می‌کرد ولی متاسفانه سانسور شد من بر اساس نظراتی که کامنت کرده بودند متوجه شدم.

●نظر راجب خود کتاب:از اسمش معلومه که کلا با مرگ طرف هستید و پایانش کمی شوکه کننده است و اون فرد با کارش آدم رو شوکه میکنه ولی خوب بعضی از نقاطش یکم نویسنده کم کاری کرده بود و خیلی کم بهش پرداخته بود.
داستان در مورد دختر بچه ای که مادر خودش به خاطر یه بیماری از دست میده و همراه با مرگ مادرش خانواده از هم میپاشه پدرش یه آدم همیشه مست،خواهراش یا با مرد ها مختلفند یا از تو بار نمیتونید بکشیدشون بیرون و برادرش که معلوم نیست چیکار میکنه.
دختر داستان ما توی مدرسه جدید با دو نفر آشنا میشه یکی از پسرا که هیچ کس نزدیکش نمیشه و دیگر با اتفاقات که تو گذشته افتاده رفتارش پر از خشم.

●نظر خودم:کتاب جالبی ولی هم ترجمه نپسندیدم،هم نقص داشت و کمی قابل حدس در کل من زیاد خوشم نیومد از داستان خلاصه وار بود همچی و سریع هم تموم شدش.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars but I rounded up because wow I did not see that ending coming. A quick read but wow it was powerful

[Apricotteacup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead of Summer is a marvelously gruesome thriller that plunges you into the dark and twisted psyche of the adolescent killer. It’s a compulsive and fascinating read, and it’s causal narration and lightning pace make it impossible to put down. And no matter how repulsive you find the subject matter—kids killing kids—you’ll find yourself drawn to the misfits involved, not just out of morbid fascination, but out of affection too.

The story is narrated by a foul-mouthed outcast named Anita (who isn’t identified by name for several pages, and unless you’ve read the synopsis on the book jacket, it’s not immediately clear whether she’s a boy or girl), who is relaying to her psychologist the story of the summer her best friend revealed himself to be a cold-blooded killer. The story is told via snippets of Anita's memories of that summer interposed with the story of her present life as a twenty year old recluse. She makes it clear to her doctor that though her memories of that infamous summer are tarnished by the horrific outcome, she still feels affection boy-next-door turned killer, Kyle.

The majority of the story focuses on Anita watching Kyle slowly unravel, turning from a brooding misfit to a budding psychopath. Kyle fascinates Anita because he’s like no one else she’s ever met. Her infatuation bleeds into the reader, and you’ll be just as hungry as Anita to uncover all Kyle’s dark secrets. And in the end, even though you think you know what’s coming, you’ll be shocked by the story’s outcome. (Unless of course you already know you’re going to be “shocked” by the “twist” and you figure it out.)

This is the kind of book I relish finding. I was drawn in by the promise of being shocked by something horrific, and along the way I found myself bonding with the strange and utterly compelling weirdos that populate the tale. It’s not a book for everyone. Some might find it too distasteful and the atmosphere oppressively sinister. But if you’ve got a craving for something twisted and enthralling, you can’t do much better than Dead of Summer.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story pulled me in from the beginning with the narrator’s words, “By the end of the summer three of us were dead. But you already knew that. Tell me, does your pulse quicken when you see the headlines?” The narrator calls out the reader just as she draws the reader in. Here is a nasty little tale of murder and deviance, she says. How awful. How shocking. But don’t you want to know?

I did. I started reading and found myself unable to turn away. The Dead of Summer is the story of a thirteen-year-old loner, a Pakastani-British girl, who befriends two other loner/losers, Dennis and Kyle. Kyle, a disturbed and disturbing kid whose eyes sometimes just “go dead,” wields an uncanny hold over Anita and Dennis. Kyle has a tendency toward violence, and his little sister has gone mysteriously missing. Sometimes Anita, our narrator, fears Kyle but she is also intrigued by him, then obsessed. Slowly, the author reveals the story of one sweltering summer in London and how everything falls apart. As the book opens, it is seven years later and Anita is telling her story to a police psychiatrist.

This is an amazing book of psychological suspense. Sometimes I felt sick reading it. Sometimes I felt like I’d stepped in something unclean. And yet, the story keeps pulling me on, rather the way Kyle pulls Anita and Dennis along with him.

If you like dark books and psychological stories, this is one for you. It’s the author’s first novel, and I will be eager to see her second.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took two evenings to read this, but it could have been done in one. While it was a quick read, it wasn't enthralling. The character development is, in my opinion, lacking. Maybe that was part of the design--the characters purposefully didn't have that much to them--I don't know. What I do know is that the novel starts off by telling you that "by the end of summer, three of us were dead" and by the end of the book, you don't really care.

There was an attempt at a twist/shocking revelation in the last couple of chapters. In all fairness, it had been hinted at a few chapters before then, but was nonetheless predictable and didn't "leave you thinking."

Overall, it was mildly entertaining. It left me with a "huh, that's what I figured." So, if you're just looking to spend some time with an easy book that requires little thinking and effort, go for it. Otherwise, steer clear.

Children killing children is obviously not a cheering subject in any way shape or form, so for the easily disturbed, I would not recommend this... not just because of the killing (which is pretty light and not gruesome in its description) but because of some incestual pedophilia (the most disturbing part of the book in my opinion).

[Simon Edge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, very well plotted, great twist. For me, it's an added bonus that it's set in the streets of East Greenwich and in the industrial wasteland of the Greenwich Peninsula, places I know like the back of my hand.

[Regina Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrote this review in 2011:

It is highly disturbing because it is about three kids dying and a fifteen-year old kid killing them. At the same time though there is something very poignant about it and the beauty contained in this book continues to haunt me until now - more than a week since I read it. Here’s an excerpt from the book:

By the end of that summer three of us were dead. But you already knew that. Does your pulse quicken when you see those headlines? You know the type: MURDER SPREE OF SCHOOLGIRL LONER; BOY, 13, RAPES CLASSMATE; CHILD, 10, STABS PENSIONER. Mine too; I’ve collected them all, over the years. And when you pass those gangs of half-grown ghouls that haunt the streets in the half-light, does your pace quicken just a bit? Do you walk a little faster? It’s understandable. Mugging, fighting, raping, killing - kids today, they’re animals.

But of all the world’s minimonsters making headlines, wreaking havoc, my friend Kyle was the most famous of all. And I was there; I loved him. Take a seat, Doctor Barton; I’ll tell you everything. It’s time to tell you everything.

You should read it.

[Hajar · Rating 3 out of 5]

میخواستم اول دو ستاره بدم ولی بعد یادمه اون پلات افتاد که پدر بزرگ کایل بهش تعرض میکرد(اونجا تنها جایی از کتاب بود که شوکه شدم...) و خب واقعا فکرشو نمیکردم
وقتی کتابای تریلر زیاد بخونی بعد یه مدت میتونی حدسشون بزنی
معمولا کاراکتر اصلی اون قاتله س و با روایت دروغینش(حالا چه عمدی و چه سر بیماری های روانی و سایکوزش) تورو گول میده
ولی اونجا که کایل داشت برای پدر بزرگش (که فکر میکردیم خوبه!) با دستاش، ارضاش میکرد(سر سانسورش اول نفهمیدم ولی جلوتر رفتم و دیدم بله، شلوارشو کشیده پایین و کایل داره ارضاش میکنه. فک کن نوه ش. اونم از 5سالگی).
اول دلم به حال کایل نسوخت ولی اخرش خیلی خیلی خیلی خیلی خیلی خیلی براش سوختم
بچه ی بیچاره
نه مامان درستی داشت
بابا بزرگشم پدوفیل
طرد هم شده بود
خواهرشم فراری داده بود ولی خودش فقط بخاطر مامانش مونده بود
اخرشم آنیتای سایکو به پستش خورد
فک کن به ارزوت برسی و بعد یکی چون دوستت داره ولی بعد میبینه تو قاتل نبودی، بکشت!
بچم
کایل مظلوم این داستان بود
و البته اون بچه ی خپل هم گناه بود
راجب خانواده ی آنیتا نظری ندارم
این چه جور خانواده ای بود واقعا؟
ودف
۳ستاره
و بخاطر بچم کایل مظلوم بود
آنیتا چرا کشتیش؟
چرا بابا بزرگه رو نکشتی؟ 💔
اگه برمیگشتم گذشته این کتابو نمیخریدم
ولی دیگه شده

[Derek Patz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dead of Summer is the debut novel of British author Camilla Way. It tells the story of the murder of three teenage children from the point of view of the sole survivor of the crime. Unlike Finding Edie and The Lies We Told the time periods are pretty close.

The first thing I noticed was the method is very Stephen King-like. In fact, I firmly believe that these kids were pulled out of Castle Rock. Contrary to that Camilla Way's style of storytelling of giving a little snippet of the ending here and there is a brilliant way to get the reader involved in the story. On top of the fact that the characters in this story are extremely strong. Unfortunately the story doesn't flow as fast as I had hoped for a novella and it does slow down a little. For that I would have to take a star off.

Overall, The Dead of Summer is a great story with strong characters. I like Camilla Way as author and she is quickly becoming one of my favorites.


Twitter"
daplme2016

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie reminded me how much I liked "Watching Edie" so I put more of Camilla Way's books on my To Read list. My library just got 2 for me, and I read this one in a day. I probably should give it a 5/5, but it was so dark, depressing and disheartening, I went 4/5. This story was VERY disturbing to me (the fourth "D"), and I am no prude, but one of the swear words that is used a LOT is just disgusting (fifth "D"). But I did not put it down, I read it from start to finish, and the twist surprised me, I had not seen the real ending coming, it caught me off-guard. Anyway, a good read for sure, but you were fore-warned!

[zhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of complicated feelings over this little book, which I finished earlier this year. Way has a fantastic talent for atmosphere and I find myself returning to this story from time to time to study how she builds that element throughout the novel. The ending, however, was definitely rushed and not entirely unexpected, especially when you think about the language used at certain points in the novel.

Since this was a first novel, I definitely want to take a look at Way's other work.

[defne · Rating 1 out of 5]

i need to wash my eyes with bleach wtf did i just read. why was there need for so many slurs? this is a very gruesome story about a psychopath 15 year old… the beginning tries to make it seem like something else but then there is a twist. its also filled with a lot of unnecessary filler information that i just skimmed through that didn’t make any difference to the story. anyways. will never read again and safe to say it traumatised me, at least just for now.

[Zoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I managed to get to the end. Just about. I’m struggling to summarise the plot to this one - in a nutshell, three of the strangest individuals in the school come together one summer and become friends of sorts. By the end of it, three are dead. It certainly made me want to read on but I absolutely could not get on with this book. I did find this quite dull in places too, surprisingly.