What do you think?
Rate this book
The Darkest Summer
One hot summer, Dee disappeared. Now she's back...but she's not the girl you knew. Sera and Dee were the best of friends. Until the day that Dee and her brother Leo vanished from Sera's life, during a long hot summer fifteen years ago. Now Sera is an adult, with her own child, five-year-old Katie, and has returned to her childhood home after her husband's death. While she grieves, the past haunts Sera at every turn ... and then Dee and Leo return to their small Hampshire village, along with Dee's young daughter. But Dee is silent and haunted by her demons; no longer the fun-loving girl that Sera loved. And when Sera uncovers the shocking secret that Dee is hiding, it's clear that the girl she knew is long gone - and that the adult she has grown into might put all of them in danger... A gripping, twisty and unputdownable thriller - perfect reading for long summer days. Fans of K.L Slater, Liane Moriarty and Rachel Abbott will love this captivating thriller. Praise for The Darkest Summer : ' an addictive read that totally absorbs you' By The Letter Book Reviews 'this was an enthralling thriller, I was captivated from page one ...I was pleasantly surprised and fully transported by reading this spell-binding story ' (5 stars) Netgalley reviewer ' A really good mystery thriller ...highly recommended' (5 stars) Netgalley reviewer 'I was hooked... Amazing plotline and characters ' (5 stars) Netgalley reviewer ' There are multiple mysteries and plot twists and I couldn't put the book down , which is the highest compliment I can give a book' Netgalley reviewer ' This book was super thrilling and I recommend it for all psychological thriller fans' Netgalley reviewer ' had all the right twists and turns up until the very end. It kept me wanting more and I could FEEL the heat.' Netgalley reviewer ' A superb read - don't miss this one !' (5 stars) Netgalley reviewer 'There are many twists and turns in this book... You will not figure out all of the secrets until the very end! ' Netgalley reviewer 'An absorbing mystery set during a sweltering hot summer... A super read, with lots of plot twists ' Netgalley reviewer Praise for Ella 'This has probably reawakened my love for psychological thrillers!... I don't think I'll be able to recommend this one enough . It's definitely a must read... my book of the year so far! ' Nemesis Book Blog 'A gritty, psychologically twisted novel which left me trusting nobody, not even myself. I cannot WAIT to read more from this author if this debut is anything to go by. Such a cracking read .' The Writing Garnet ' My Last Lie is compelling reading and will keep you hooked from the off, bravo, Ella Drummond! You had me on tenterhooks all the way through this one! ' Emma the Little Bookworm 'So many crazy twists and even though I was pretty convinced of the who, I had no idea of the why! And that last lie? Wow! An addictive intriguing story that will completely draw you in! ' Audio Killed the Bookmark
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2019
105 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
July 2, 2019
What’s good about this book: There are mysteries that I wanted to know the answers to, so that kept me reading. Sera has returned home with her four-year-old daughter after the death of her husband. Fifteen years earlier, her best friend Dee, Dee’s younger brother Leo, and their mother disappeared without a trace. Now living on the farm that Dee and Leo once lived on is a man named Henri with visible scars and a history he doesn’t want to tell.
So here are the mysteries: Why did Dee and Leo disappear 15 years ago, and, now that they’ve returned, what have they been up to for all those years? Who burned Henri’s farm? Who is Henri? There are some more, but I’d be giving stuff away if I mentioned them here (the others all begin in the first few chapters.)
However, I can only describe the writing as clunky. The author is constantly TELLING us how the character feels instead of SHOWING us by describing it. Something happens, and “I was thrilled.” Someone says something, and “I was irritated.” Also, the chapters are told from different points of view at different times in history, but each chapter begins with telling us who is narrating from the first person POV. Still, the author insists on writing “I noticed . . .” as in, “I noticed she was crying.” “I noticed her hair was wet.” When we know who is narrating something, we know it is from that character’s POV, and therefore every instance of “I noticed” should be deleted. The segues between scenes or times or setting are clumsy and awkward.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JULY 18, 2919.
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
So here are the mysteries: Why did Dee and Leo disappear 15 years ago, and, now that they’ve returned, what have they been up to for all those years? Who burned Henri’s farm? Who is Henri? There are some more, but I’d be giving stuff away if I mentioned them here (the others all begin in the first few chapters.)
However, I can only describe the writing as clunky. The author is constantly TELLING us how the character feels instead of SHOWING us by describing it. Something happens, and “I was thrilled.” Someone says something, and “I was irritated.” Also, the chapters are told from different points of view at different times in history, but each chapter begins with telling us who is narrating from the first person POV. Still, the author insists on writing “I noticed . . .” as in, “I noticed she was crying.” “I noticed her hair was wet.” When we know who is narrating something, we know it is from that character’s POV, and therefore every instance of “I noticed” should be deleted. The segues between scenes or times or setting are clumsy and awkward.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JULY 18, 2919.
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
July 23, 2019
3.5☆ An Enjoyable Mystery.
The Darkest Summer is a twisty Mystery.
Sera decides to return to her hometown with her Daughter Katie after her husband passes away. Moving back in with her Mum Mimi to help get over her loss.
Going back home brings back memories of her best friend Dee and her brother Leo after they mysteriously disappeared.
But Sera is soon to discover they are both back and have no answer to there whereabouts.
Dee is no longer the girl she once was and she has changed.
Can Sera uncover the truth or is the truth too painful to reveal?
Just what is Dee hiding? How can someone just disappear without a trace than turn up out of the blue!
My reasoning for a 3.5☆ was because I found it difficult to connect with the writing style.
For me it didn't flow so well and at times felt disjointed.
I did however enjoy the mystery and intrigue aspect and how the story gradually built up pace as i uncovered the twisting secrets and mystery.
I didn't particularly like the characters and found them to be perfectly flawed and complex each with their own dark secrets which was relevant and fitting to the plot, but I think that was the point they wasn't meant to be particularly likeable.
Overall The Darkest Summer was an enjoyable Mystery, with a few cleverly plotted twists, plenty of secrets and dash of suspense.
A great read if you are looking to uncover a slower paced read with plenty of Mystery!
Thank you to Sarah at Book On The Bright Side and Hera Publishers for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
The Darkest Summer is a twisty Mystery.
Sera decides to return to her hometown with her Daughter Katie after her husband passes away. Moving back in with her Mum Mimi to help get over her loss.
Going back home brings back memories of her best friend Dee and her brother Leo after they mysteriously disappeared.
But Sera is soon to discover they are both back and have no answer to there whereabouts.
Dee is no longer the girl she once was and she has changed.
Can Sera uncover the truth or is the truth too painful to reveal?
Just what is Dee hiding? How can someone just disappear without a trace than turn up out of the blue!
My reasoning for a 3.5☆ was because I found it difficult to connect with the writing style.
For me it didn't flow so well and at times felt disjointed.
I did however enjoy the mystery and intrigue aspect and how the story gradually built up pace as i uncovered the twisting secrets and mystery.
I didn't particularly like the characters and found them to be perfectly flawed and complex each with their own dark secrets which was relevant and fitting to the plot, but I think that was the point they wasn't meant to be particularly likeable.
Overall The Darkest Summer was an enjoyable Mystery, with a few cleverly plotted twists, plenty of secrets and dash of suspense.
A great read if you are looking to uncover a slower paced read with plenty of Mystery!
Thank you to Sarah at Book On The Bright Side and Hera Publishers for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
July 22, 2019
EXCERPT: 'They've found a body.'
What did he say? I stared at him, stunned. 'Who has? Where?'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: One hot summer, Dee disappeared. Now she’s back…but she’s not the girl you knew.
Sera and Dee were the best of friends.
Until the day that Dee and her brother Leo vanished from Sera’s life, during a long hot summer fifteen years ago.
Now Sera is an adult, with her own child, five-year-old Katie, and has returned to her childhood home after her husband’s death.
While she grieves, the past haunts Sera at every turn … and then Dee and Leo return to their small Hampshire village, along with Dee’s young daughter.
But Dee is silent and haunted by her demons; no longer the fun-loving girl that Sera loved. And when Sera uncovers the shocking secret that Dee is hiding, it’s clear that the girl she knew is long gone – and that the adult she has grown into might put all of them in danger…
MY THOUGHTS: We all occasionally wonder what happened to people who have disappeared from our past, but they don't usually disappear in the dramatic way Hazel, Dee and Leo did. I love a good mystery. I loved the premise of The Darkest Summer but, unfortunately, the execution leaves much to be desired.
The story is told over multiple timelines, from the points of view of Mimi, Sera's mother, as a young woman; Sera as a teenager; and Sera as a young widowed mother back living with Mimi.
It took a good two thirds of the book before I really became interested. I never quite became involved or fully immersed in what was happening mainly because the author tells the reader what is happening, rather than letting us experience it. The writing is often awkward and ungainly and is littered with inconsistencies, e.g. Sera goes downstairs and makes coffee and then says Leo has made it; Henri shows Sera the puppies and invites her in for a beer and she feels that 'he's in a bad mood'.....
This could have been a really good read and, with a little work, still could be. I would love to see this rewritten.🤔🙂🤔
THE AUTHOR: Ella Drummond is a pseudonym of author Deborah Carr. She recently signed with HarperCollins' romance imprint, HarperImpulse, to write an historical romance to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War and also writes romance series as Georgina Troy.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hera via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Darkest Summer by Ella Drummond for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
What did he say? I stared at him, stunned. 'Who has? Where?'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: One hot summer, Dee disappeared. Now she’s back…but she’s not the girl you knew.
Sera and Dee were the best of friends.
Until the day that Dee and her brother Leo vanished from Sera’s life, during a long hot summer fifteen years ago.
Now Sera is an adult, with her own child, five-year-old Katie, and has returned to her childhood home after her husband’s death.
While she grieves, the past haunts Sera at every turn … and then Dee and Leo return to their small Hampshire village, along with Dee’s young daughter.
But Dee is silent and haunted by her demons; no longer the fun-loving girl that Sera loved. And when Sera uncovers the shocking secret that Dee is hiding, it’s clear that the girl she knew is long gone – and that the adult she has grown into might put all of them in danger…
MY THOUGHTS: We all occasionally wonder what happened to people who have disappeared from our past, but they don't usually disappear in the dramatic way Hazel, Dee and Leo did. I love a good mystery. I loved the premise of The Darkest Summer but, unfortunately, the execution leaves much to be desired.
The story is told over multiple timelines, from the points of view of Mimi, Sera's mother, as a young woman; Sera as a teenager; and Sera as a young widowed mother back living with Mimi.
It took a good two thirds of the book before I really became interested. I never quite became involved or fully immersed in what was happening mainly because the author tells the reader what is happening, rather than letting us experience it. The writing is often awkward and ungainly and is littered with inconsistencies, e.g. Sera goes downstairs and makes coffee and then says Leo has made it; Henri shows Sera the puppies and invites her in for a beer and she feels that 'he's in a bad mood'.....
This could have been a really good read and, with a little work, still could be. I would love to see this rewritten.🤔🙂🤔
THE AUTHOR: Ella Drummond is a pseudonym of author Deborah Carr. She recently signed with HarperCollins' romance imprint, HarperImpulse, to write an historical romance to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War and also writes romance series as Georgina Troy.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hera via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Darkest Summer by Ella Drummond for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 27, 2019
Having read My Last Lie by the author and loving it, I couldn’t wait to read her new standalone and it didn’t disappoint.
Set in the hottest season of the year, The Darkest Summer makes for at times, a stifling read. You get the sense of the heat and dryness that Sera is having to endure but that isn’t all she has to deal with!
The story is set mainly in the present with some chapters in the past. We get to see the difference in Sera and Dee’s friendship between then and now. In the past, Dee and Sera were the bestest of friends and carefree and loving life. Fast forward to present day and whilst life has obviously hit both of them hard, Dee is far from the person she was when they were younger.
As soon as Dee comes on the scene my senses were going through the roof. It was obvious her and her brother Leo are not telling Sera everything and I was desperate to know more. What I love most about this authors books is how she gently draws you into them and slowly reveals things along the way. Usually I would struggle with books that do that to me but not this authors! They are so compelling and when I pick her books up, I swear I can’t tear myself away as am so fixated on the story and characters and to how it will end for everyone involved.
The Darkest Summer is an addictive read that totally absorbs you. Whilst I had managed to work out some of what was in store for us, I certainly hadn’t anticipated all of it and when it came to light, it literally blew me away. Ella Drummond without a doubt is vast becoming one of my favourite authors in this genre.
My thanks to Hera Books and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Set in the hottest season of the year, The Darkest Summer makes for at times, a stifling read. You get the sense of the heat and dryness that Sera is having to endure but that isn’t all she has to deal with!
The story is set mainly in the present with some chapters in the past. We get to see the difference in Sera and Dee’s friendship between then and now. In the past, Dee and Sera were the bestest of friends and carefree and loving life. Fast forward to present day and whilst life has obviously hit both of them hard, Dee is far from the person she was when they were younger.
As soon as Dee comes on the scene my senses were going through the roof. It was obvious her and her brother Leo are not telling Sera everything and I was desperate to know more. What I love most about this authors books is how she gently draws you into them and slowly reveals things along the way. Usually I would struggle with books that do that to me but not this authors! They are so compelling and when I pick her books up, I swear I can’t tear myself away as am so fixated on the story and characters and to how it will end for everyone involved.
The Darkest Summer is an addictive read that totally absorbs you. Whilst I had managed to work out some of what was in store for us, I certainly hadn’t anticipated all of it and when it came to light, it literally blew me away. Ella Drummond without a doubt is vast becoming one of my favourite authors in this genre.
My thanks to Hera Books and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
July 9, 2019
An unbelievable story of mayhem and secrets, of ambition and devastation, of desperation and escape. Ella Drummond has managed to capture the snapshots of all these emotions in the various chapters of the book.
The hottest summer caused a bedlam in Sera's life both in the past and the present. Best friends Dee and Sera were inseparable in 2003, but Dee and her family disappeared one summer night. Sera tried to find out but no luck. Life happened and decades later, Sera was back with her mother post her husband's death. And so was Dee along with her brother and a child. But the Dee of today was a changed woman holding back so many secrets.
The story caused the gentle waves of mystery and curiosity to pull me deeper into the ocean of confusion and murkiness where secrets transpired connecting both the past and present. Sera was beautifully etched, I liked her kindness to her best friend and to a stranger Henri with no judgements. I was in awe of her life where she lived in the midst of so many secrets, yet quite unaffected.
Then came my niggles, too many conversation breaks, just when the suspense was reaching the zenith, and weird reactions from some of the characters, diluted my interest too.
I rushed through the book to get to the secrets. And boy, they were so many. Many simply shocked me speechless. Murder and confusion and unexpected connections made this a quick, fun read.
The hottest summer caused a bedlam in Sera's life both in the past and the present. Best friends Dee and Sera were inseparable in 2003, but Dee and her family disappeared one summer night. Sera tried to find out but no luck. Life happened and decades later, Sera was back with her mother post her husband's death. And so was Dee along with her brother and a child. But the Dee of today was a changed woman holding back so many secrets.
The story caused the gentle waves of mystery and curiosity to pull me deeper into the ocean of confusion and murkiness where secrets transpired connecting both the past and present. Sera was beautifully etched, I liked her kindness to her best friend and to a stranger Henri with no judgements. I was in awe of her life where she lived in the midst of so many secrets, yet quite unaffected.
Then came my niggles, too many conversation breaks, just when the suspense was reaching the zenith, and weird reactions from some of the characters, diluted my interest too.
I rushed through the book to get to the secrets. And boy, they were so many. Many simply shocked me speechless. Murder and confusion and unexpected connections made this a quick, fun read.
November 8, 2019
*thank you to Netgalley, Ella Drummond and Hera Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
3 stars.
This is not a psychological thriller. It is, in my opinion, woman's fiction. The story was good for the most part but I kept expecting a shocking suspenseful event to pop up but the further along I read, and then once it did get to what I think was was ment to be the big reveal, it was rather flat. It didn't have any shock value and I found the last quarter to be a bit of a struggle to get through because my interest had been going in and out.
But if you are wanting just a good drama story then this one is a good pick. There is a mysterious feel to the story that leaves you curious, but that's basically it. So while I would not recommend it as a psychological thriller, as woman's fiction, I would suggest giving it a go.
3 stars.
This is not a psychological thriller. It is, in my opinion, woman's fiction. The story was good for the most part but I kept expecting a shocking suspenseful event to pop up but the further along I read, and then once it did get to what I think was was ment to be the big reveal, it was rather flat. It didn't have any shock value and I found the last quarter to be a bit of a struggle to get through because my interest had been going in and out.
But if you are wanting just a good drama story then this one is a good pick. There is a mysterious feel to the story that leaves you curious, but that's basically it. So while I would not recommend it as a psychological thriller, as woman's fiction, I would suggest giving it a go.
July 4, 2019
I enjoyed this one. While I wouldn’t classify it as a gripping psychological thriller, it was a good mystery/suspense. What I did love about this story was the pace, which although slower, was perfect for what this needed to be. I also loved the twist I totally did not see coming (though some were obvious).
Thank you to @netgalley #herabooks and #elladrummond for this advance reader, in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to @netgalley #herabooks and #elladrummond for this advance reader, in exchange for my honest review.
August 26, 2019
I didn't hate this or anything, it pleasantly killed a couple of hours but it was just very very samey as far as psychological thrillers go.
I didn't relate very much to any of the characters, they were all a little flat and the writing for me personally wasn't that great. Descriptively speaking it was a bit irritating.
On the other side of it, the story itself is quite intriguing if rather predictable by the time we got to the end and it was, as I said, a pleasantly distracting read that doesn't really take much effort. That will obviously appeal to some.
Not for me really.
I didn't relate very much to any of the characters, they were all a little flat and the writing for me personally wasn't that great. Descriptively speaking it was a bit irritating.
On the other side of it, the story itself is quite intriguing if rather predictable by the time we got to the end and it was, as I said, a pleasantly distracting read that doesn't really take much effort. That will obviously appeal to some.
Not for me really.
July 17, 2019
This twisty, readable book is perfect for a hot summer’s day. You can practically feel the heat sizzling from the pages as the author vividly describes the sweltering weather and fires. It is a mystery filled with dark secrets, murder and life-changing revelations.
For fifteen years Sera has wondered what became of her best friend, Dee, and her family after they disappeared suddenly one day that hot summer. When she sees Dee’s brother Leo back in town she’s hoping that she finally gets answers and the chance to rekindle her lost friendship. But it is soon apparent that Dee and Leo aren’t the people she used to know, and that there seems to be something sinister about the secrets they’re keeping. Maybe inviting them into her home wasn’t the wisest thing to do...
The Darkest Summer is set in the New Forest in the present day with flashbacks to the summers of 1990 and 2003. The scenery of the New Forest is described with breathtaking beauty and is a large part of the story. I spent my formative years near that area and as I read it conjured up images of my youth spending time in places like the ones Sera describes. It is an almost idyllic place to be and I was so fully immersed in the book that I really felt like I was back there.
As well as our main storyline there are numerous subplots that run parallel in the flashbacks and ultimately merge together, though I couldn’t see how some of them would. I loved the clever twists and turns the author wrote that made seemingly mismatched the pieces fit together.
One subplot was Henri, the Sera’s new neighbour. I had a soft spot for Henri from the start and had a gut feeling he was a good guy, so I was hoping I’d be proven right. I loved the blossoming friendship between him and Sera and the mystery surrounding his past. I had no predictions about his past so I thoroughly enjoyed she surprises in his storyline. The subplot concerning Mimi and Hazel was also fascinating and I enjoyed learning more about both mothers and how they came to be the women their daughters now know, particularly Mimi as she’s not the warmest character in the book.
This book was filled with a host of colourful characters, each of which I loved for different reasons. Sera, our main narrator and our protagonist, was a great character. She and her daughter Katie moved back to her hometown to live with her mother three years ago after her husband died suddenly. She’s still working through her grief and feels suffocated at times by her mother, who she’s always had a difficult relationship with. When she was a child her single mother was mostly learning lines or away working, so she got little of the attention she craved. Instead, she found maternal attention from Hazel, her best friend Dee’s mother, who was the cool, vivacious, affectionate mother she dreamed of. She and Dee were inseparable, had many things in common, and Sera spent most of her time on their farm and felt a part of their family so their sudden disappearance cut her deeply. She’s never recovered from that loss so rekindling those relationships is a dream come true when Dee and her brother Leo first come back into her life and, as a reader I was rooting for that, and for the potential relationship between Sera and Leo.
Dee was so well written that despite the massive change in her personality and how moody and dismissive she is as an adult, I had a lot of sympathy for her. It seemed like she must have been through something extremely traumatic as she was showing signs of mental health issues and possibly PTSD. Her refusal to talk about anything that had happened was suspicious, especially as Leo was cagey too, but I hoped it was just that she was too traumatised to discuss it yet and he was respecting her wishes. The author made the many facets of her personality completely believable but like Sera I too got tired of her outbursts, how she controlled the entire household with them, her taking advantage of people, and with her strange behaviour towards her daughter. By the end I couldn’t stand her and wanted Sera to get as far away from her as possible.
This intriguing story started slowly and built the tension steadily until it became a crescendo in the last third of the book. It didn’t feel like a tense thriller but was full of mystery and had me guessing throughout. The many twists and turns were mostly unpredictable, with one in particular completely blindsiding me and turning so much of what I had predicted on its head.
I hadn’t read any of the author’s books before this one but when I read the description I was sold and I will definitely read more of her work. A compelling, character-driven summer read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries and literary fiction.
Thank you to Sarah Hardy at BOTBS Publicity, Hera Books, Ella Drummond and NetGalley for the invitation to be part of the blog tour and providing the E-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For fifteen years Sera has wondered what became of her best friend, Dee, and her family after they disappeared suddenly one day that hot summer. When she sees Dee’s brother Leo back in town she’s hoping that she finally gets answers and the chance to rekindle her lost friendship. But it is soon apparent that Dee and Leo aren’t the people she used to know, and that there seems to be something sinister about the secrets they’re keeping. Maybe inviting them into her home wasn’t the wisest thing to do...
The Darkest Summer is set in the New Forest in the present day with flashbacks to the summers of 1990 and 2003. The scenery of the New Forest is described with breathtaking beauty and is a large part of the story. I spent my formative years near that area and as I read it conjured up images of my youth spending time in places like the ones Sera describes. It is an almost idyllic place to be and I was so fully immersed in the book that I really felt like I was back there.
As well as our main storyline there are numerous subplots that run parallel in the flashbacks and ultimately merge together, though I couldn’t see how some of them would. I loved the clever twists and turns the author wrote that made seemingly mismatched the pieces fit together.
One subplot was Henri, the Sera’s new neighbour. I had a soft spot for Henri from the start and had a gut feeling he was a good guy, so I was hoping I’d be proven right. I loved the blossoming friendship between him and Sera and the mystery surrounding his past. I had no predictions about his past so I thoroughly enjoyed she surprises in his storyline. The subplot concerning Mimi and Hazel was also fascinating and I enjoyed learning more about both mothers and how they came to be the women their daughters now know, particularly Mimi as she’s not the warmest character in the book.
This book was filled with a host of colourful characters, each of which I loved for different reasons. Sera, our main narrator and our protagonist, was a great character. She and her daughter Katie moved back to her hometown to live with her mother three years ago after her husband died suddenly. She’s still working through her grief and feels suffocated at times by her mother, who she’s always had a difficult relationship with. When she was a child her single mother was mostly learning lines or away working, so she got little of the attention she craved. Instead, she found maternal attention from Hazel, her best friend Dee’s mother, who was the cool, vivacious, affectionate mother she dreamed of. She and Dee were inseparable, had many things in common, and Sera spent most of her time on their farm and felt a part of their family so their sudden disappearance cut her deeply. She’s never recovered from that loss so rekindling those relationships is a dream come true when Dee and her brother Leo first come back into her life and, as a reader I was rooting for that, and for the potential relationship between Sera and Leo.
Dee was so well written that despite the massive change in her personality and how moody and dismissive she is as an adult, I had a lot of sympathy for her. It seemed like she must have been through something extremely traumatic as she was showing signs of mental health issues and possibly PTSD. Her refusal to talk about anything that had happened was suspicious, especially as Leo was cagey too, but I hoped it was just that she was too traumatised to discuss it yet and he was respecting her wishes. The author made the many facets of her personality completely believable but like Sera I too got tired of her outbursts, how she controlled the entire household with them, her taking advantage of people, and with her strange behaviour towards her daughter. By the end I couldn’t stand her and wanted Sera to get as far away from her as possible.
This intriguing story started slowly and built the tension steadily until it became a crescendo in the last third of the book. It didn’t feel like a tense thriller but was full of mystery and had me guessing throughout. The many twists and turns were mostly unpredictable, with one in particular completely blindsiding me and turning so much of what I had predicted on its head.
I hadn’t read any of the author’s books before this one but when I read the description I was sold and I will definitely read more of her work. A compelling, character-driven summer read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries and literary fiction.
Thank you to Sarah Hardy at BOTBS Publicity, Hera Books, Ella Drummond and NetGalley for the invitation to be part of the blog tour and providing the E-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2021
Quite a gentle read with a past mystery which is revealed slowly.
I thought there were perhaps too many threads including the ending which I felt unnecessary.
Although the pacing is quite slow I did want to carry on reading to find out what had happened in the past.
Would read more by this author.
I thought there were perhaps too many threads including the ending which I felt unnecessary.
Although the pacing is quite slow I did want to carry on reading to find out what had happened in the past.
Would read more by this author.
July 18, 2019
This story’s main focus is on Sera, who having lost her husband goes back with her daughter to live with her mother where she grew up. This is mainly a story about childhood friendships and secrets. I loved the dual timeline , being told from Sera in the present and from Mimi her mother in the past. How those secrets affect both the mothers and their daughters and the friendships made and lost.
I love a good mystery and this has so many it sent my head in a spin. Why did Dee and her family disappear? Who is Henri who has moved into Dee and Leo’s childhood farm. How did Mimi know Hazel, Dee and Leo’s mum and whose body has been uncovered in the barn?
Sera was a wonderful, trusting and slightly naive character whom I warmed to instantly and rooted for throughout the entire book. Henri was a great inclusion, a damaged character who I couldn’t work out if I could trust or not. His scars and closed attitude along with him being a stranger make him almost a leper in the neighbourhood and a figure of gossip among the locals.
I’m being very careful with how I write this review as there is so much going on in the book if I mention one plot point it may give clues to another.
If you fancy a multi layered book of intrigue, suspense and well written characters then this is the book for you.
I love a good mystery and this has so many it sent my head in a spin. Why did Dee and her family disappear? Who is Henri who has moved into Dee and Leo’s childhood farm. How did Mimi know Hazel, Dee and Leo’s mum and whose body has been uncovered in the barn?
Sera was a wonderful, trusting and slightly naive character whom I warmed to instantly and rooted for throughout the entire book. Henri was a great inclusion, a damaged character who I couldn’t work out if I could trust or not. His scars and closed attitude along with him being a stranger make him almost a leper in the neighbourhood and a figure of gossip among the locals.
I’m being very careful with how I write this review as there is so much going on in the book if I mention one plot point it may give clues to another.
If you fancy a multi layered book of intrigue, suspense and well written characters then this is the book for you.
June 23, 2019
When the first few pages bangs you with interest you know what's lying ahead. The book surely made me stick till the end especially to know what and why Dee and her family fled away one summer.
The storyline:
Dee and Sera were two best of friends .They shared their childhood together, but suddenly Dee and her family which included her brother Leo disappeared one summer without giving anyone any clue.
Years after Sera who is an adult now and have a daughter katie 5 years old., shifts to her old home to live with her mom. Her husband die due to an accident. Little did she imagine that her stay would dig up some mystery about herself and her long lost friend Dee.
With added mystery man Henri in Sera's life, the new neighbour, it made the story more unpredictable.
I totally kept reading and reading just to know about Dee's daughter Ashley's peculiar behaviour and also a connection between Hazel and Mimi.
Did the book satisfy my thriller craving ?I would say yes somewhat .
#NetGalley #TheDarkestSummer
The storyline:
Dee and Sera were two best of friends .They shared their childhood together, but suddenly Dee and her family which included her brother Leo disappeared one summer without giving anyone any clue.
Years after Sera who is an adult now and have a daughter katie 5 years old., shifts to her old home to live with her mom. Her husband die due to an accident. Little did she imagine that her stay would dig up some mystery about herself and her long lost friend Dee.
With added mystery man Henri in Sera's life, the new neighbour, it made the story more unpredictable.
I totally kept reading and reading just to know about Dee's daughter Ashley's peculiar behaviour and also a connection between Hazel and Mimi.
Did the book satisfy my thriller craving ?I would say yes somewhat .
#NetGalley #TheDarkestSummer
July 10, 2020
I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a first-read from this author, and while it had it's flaws, I still very much enjoyed this one.
Flicking back between the past and the present, 'The Darkest Summer' tells a twisty tale of secrets, friendship, and murder.
For me, this was a fairly easy read, it was perfectly paced and had a selction of questionable characters that had me guessing and intrigued the whole way through. The majority of the characters were very well-written, and I instantly warmed to Sera, and Henri.
However, this read is short a couple of stars because; 1, I really didn't know what to make of Leo. He was an odd character whose sudden change in demeanor baffled me; and 2, Hazel was an important focus of the plot, it annoyed me a little that she wasn't involved in the present story, and no one thought to talk to her about the events and secrets that were being revealed? I found that very strange.
This is a first-read from this author, and while it had it's flaws, I still very much enjoyed this one.
Flicking back between the past and the present, 'The Darkest Summer' tells a twisty tale of secrets, friendship, and murder.
For me, this was a fairly easy read, it was perfectly paced and had a selction of questionable characters that had me guessing and intrigued the whole way through. The majority of the characters were very well-written, and I instantly warmed to Sera, and Henri.
However, this read is short a couple of stars because; 1, I really didn't know what to make of Leo. He was an odd character whose sudden change in demeanor baffled me; and 2, Hazel was an important focus of the plot, it annoyed me a little that she wasn't involved in the present story, and no one thought to talk to her about the events and secrets that were being revealed? I found that very strange.
February 2, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there were so many twists and turns, I couldn’t wait to finish it to solve the mystery. Whilst I wouldn’t classify this book as a ‘psychological thriller’, it was gripping! I highly recommend.
**SPOILER** ***** I need to know if they were found and arrested!!
**SPOILER** ***** I need to know if they were found and arrested!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2019
Sera and Dee were the best of friends.
Until the day that Dee and her brother Leo vanished from Sera’s life, during a long hot summer thirty years ago.
Now Sera is an adult, with her own child, five-year-old Katie, and has returned to her childhood home after her husband’s death.
While she grieves, the past haunts Sera at every turn … and then Dee and Leo return to their small Hampshire village, along with Dee’s young daughter.
But Dee is silent and haunted by her demons; no longer the fun-loving girl that Sera loved. And when Sera uncovers the shocking secret that Dee is hiding, it’s clear that the girl she knew is long gone – and that the adult she has grown into might put all of them in danger…
This was just an okay read to me but what made me take my rating from 2 stars to 3 is because . there were quite a few secrets circulating which I actually did like but It had parts that I really didn’t connect with and at times moved a bit slowly and it jumped around too much for my taste..This is my first book by this author but I am definitely open to reading more from her.. Overall I gave it 3 stars thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion #Netgalley
Until the day that Dee and her brother Leo vanished from Sera’s life, during a long hot summer thirty years ago.
Now Sera is an adult, with her own child, five-year-old Katie, and has returned to her childhood home after her husband’s death.
While she grieves, the past haunts Sera at every turn … and then Dee and Leo return to their small Hampshire village, along with Dee’s young daughter.
But Dee is silent and haunted by her demons; no longer the fun-loving girl that Sera loved. And when Sera uncovers the shocking secret that Dee is hiding, it’s clear that the girl she knew is long gone – and that the adult she has grown into might put all of them in danger…
This was just an okay read to me but what made me take my rating from 2 stars to 3 is because . there were quite a few secrets circulating which I actually did like but It had parts that I really didn’t connect with and at times moved a bit slowly and it jumped around too much for my taste..This is my first book by this author but I am definitely open to reading more from her.. Overall I gave it 3 stars thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion #Netgalley
July 20, 2019
Darkest Summer by Ella Drummond is a psychological thriller which will make you think……how many of your friends have you lost touch with….do you wonder how some people just seem to drop off the earth? Well this has one reason !!!!
Sera’s husband died and so she decides to return to her hometown, with her daughter. 30 years previously her friend Dee and her brother Leo disappeared, but then they suddenly return with no explanation as to where they have been or why…
I found this to be a twisty thriller, with so many questions….what was Dee hiding? Why did she seem so different? And why return now?
Dark and full of tension and marvellously descriptive writing, so you can feel the suspense seeping off the pages….brilliant and a perfect summer read.
Thank you to Sarah at Book On The Bright Side for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Sera’s husband died and so she decides to return to her hometown, with her daughter. 30 years previously her friend Dee and her brother Leo disappeared, but then they suddenly return with no explanation as to where they have been or why…
I found this to be a twisty thriller, with so many questions….what was Dee hiding? Why did she seem so different? And why return now?
Dark and full of tension and marvellously descriptive writing, so you can feel the suspense seeping off the pages….brilliant and a perfect summer read.
Thank you to Sarah at Book On The Bright Side for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
October 11, 2022
I have never read a book by this author before, so I did not know what to expect. This is always a bit exiting. A bit like diving into the deep end.
I like that though. Was I on the verge to gain a new best 'friend' or were we going to be like two ships sailing in the night passing each other by, never to see one another again?
I immediately loved the author's writing style. It was very inviting and more like a friend telling me a story and not like me reading a book.
Sera is a lovely character. She still is suffering, not only from the fact that her bestie vanished years ago, but she is also still dealing with her husband's death. She tries to build a new life for herself and her young daughter with the help of her mum.
But miracles do happen and Sera is reunited with her childhood friend Dee. There is one small problem though. Who is this person? She looks like Dee. She is Dee, but she has lost her bubbliness. She is a shell of the girl she used to be.
Sera is determined to find out what has happened. Secrets are revealed. A lot of them...
I utterly enjoyed this story where we travelled between the present and the past. It was an easy read. I just would have loved a small epilogue maybe. I wondered what happened to 2 characters.
Great book. Great storytelling. 5 stars.
Thank you
I like that though. Was I on the verge to gain a new best 'friend' or were we going to be like two ships sailing in the night passing each other by, never to see one another again?
I immediately loved the author's writing style. It was very inviting and more like a friend telling me a story and not like me reading a book.
Sera is a lovely character. She still is suffering, not only from the fact that her bestie vanished years ago, but she is also still dealing with her husband's death. She tries to build a new life for herself and her young daughter with the help of her mum.
But miracles do happen and Sera is reunited with her childhood friend Dee. There is one small problem though. Who is this person? She looks like Dee. She is Dee, but she has lost her bubbliness. She is a shell of the girl she used to be.
Sera is determined to find out what has happened. Secrets are revealed. A lot of them...
I utterly enjoyed this story where we travelled between the present and the past. It was an easy read. I just would have loved a small epilogue maybe. I wondered what happened to 2 characters.
Great book. Great storytelling. 5 stars.
Thank you
August 5, 2020
I would like to thank Hera books and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.
I was immediately attracted by the pretty cover of this book where you can see the main heroine dipping her feet in water.
We learn that one hot summer Dee disappeared and now she's back. But it's not the same as it was before. Sera and Dee were best friends. And fifteen years ago Dee and her brother Leo left Sera.
Now Sera's grown up, she has a daughter Katie who at five years old, she returns to the house where she grew up after her husband died.
Sera is grieving, but her past is tormenting her. As for Dee and Leo, they return to their village in Hampshire.
Dee remains silent, her demons torment her, she is no longer the girl Sera knew and when she discovers certain secrets, Sera will find that the girl she knew so well is long gone and that now that she is an adult she could endanger her loved ones.
I immediately hooked on to the story, which is so moving at certain points, captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns with very endearing characters. Can't wait to read other books by this author who has an addictive pen.
I was immediately attracted by the pretty cover of this book where you can see the main heroine dipping her feet in water.
We learn that one hot summer Dee disappeared and now she's back. But it's not the same as it was before. Sera and Dee were best friends. And fifteen years ago Dee and her brother Leo left Sera.
Now Sera's grown up, she has a daughter Katie who at five years old, she returns to the house where she grew up after her husband died.
Sera is grieving, but her past is tormenting her. As for Dee and Leo, they return to their village in Hampshire.
Dee remains silent, her demons torment her, she is no longer the girl Sera knew and when she discovers certain secrets, Sera will find that the girl she knew so well is long gone and that now that she is an adult she could endanger her loved ones.
I immediately hooked on to the story, which is so moving at certain points, captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns with very endearing characters. Can't wait to read other books by this author who has an addictive pen.
September 3, 2020
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Darkest Summer by Ella Drummond.
This is a story about a young mom, living with her own mom while she grieves the loss of her husband. While in her hometown, two people from her past reappear after disappearing when they were kids. But are these the same people that she knew when she was young? Or have things taken a dark turn.
Reading this book felt more like having a really vivid dream. Like, I'm there, but not really. I never really latched on to the characters, I never really got invested in the plot. I was able to stay focused enough to what was going on, but was ultimately happy when it ended because I never felt much interest.
This is a story about a young mom, living with her own mom while she grieves the loss of her husband. While in her hometown, two people from her past reappear after disappearing when they were kids. But are these the same people that she knew when she was young? Or have things taken a dark turn.
Reading this book felt more like having a really vivid dream. Like, I'm there, but not really. I never really latched on to the characters, I never really got invested in the plot. I was able to stay focused enough to what was going on, but was ultimately happy when it ended because I never felt much interest.
April 3, 2024
Perfect for a beginner "thriller," but for me, it wasn't all that. Came across more as a mystery. Some parts were very long-winded and the same old same old chapter after chapter. Plot point could be seen from a mile away, so nothing was surprising. Like I said, perfect for a beginner to the genre but not for a well seasoned reader.
March 16, 2020
I wouldn’t say this was a gripping thriller. It started off with a decent storyline and back story, but half way through it all got rushed together and too much goes unexplained.
November 4, 2019
I have to start by saying that I loved Ella Drummond’s previous novel My Last Lie and The Darkest Summer is even better! I could not put it down!
The Darkest Summer follows Sera as she’s trying to rebuild her life after her husband’s death. She’s living with her mother and five-year-old daughter in her childhood home and can’t help but think back to years gone by and her best friend Dee whose family disappeared suddenly one summer day. Then one day she thinks she spots Dee’s brother in the street and her life is about to be turned upside down all over again.
I was gripped from the very start of this book and I just didn’t want to put it down for a second. It’s one of those books where you say just one more chapter, then one more, and one more and before you know it you’re turning the last page and it’s way past your bedtime!
The Darkest Summer is mainly set in the present day but it also flashes back to fifteen years ago in the lead up to when Dee and her family disappear. We also get a few chapters from the early 1980s following Sera’s mum, Mimi. I loved this way of telling the story as I was equally invested in all three timelines and this kept me flying through the pages as I wanted to know how the past fitted with the present and where Dee’s family had gone, and why they left without trace!
I love books that explore female friendship, it’s endlessly fascinating for me to read books like this. I really enjoyed seeing Dee and Sera as girls on the cusp of being teenagers where they still loved running wild and swimming in the lake, but were also becoming aware of their own bodies and the power they might possess. It was really interesting to see how they related to each other on meeting up again years later, and how different it can be to how you imagined it might. It was the same seeing Sera’s mum when she was a young adult finding her feet in London and trying to make it as an actress. Her friendship back then gave her an unbreakable bond to someone because of what happened but still life pulled them apart, and yet not quite! The women were so believable in this book and I keep thinking of them all, especially Sera, and wondering how she is.
I loved the setting of this book, and the way the heat of the summer emanated from the pages. I could envision it all so clearly as if I’d been there. Ella Drummond really is a great writer who writes such beautiful, evocative paragraphs. She brings her books to life and it makes them so memorable.
I was curious by what might have happened to Dee and her family, and was shocked when we finally find out. I had worked out elements of it but I couldn’t put it all together to figure it out fully. I was also intrigued by what Mimi’s story from years earlier had to do with the present day and didn’t figure that out either. I love when a novel keeps me guessing, it’s a rare thing for a book to do that but this one did!
The Darkest Summer is the perfect summer thriller read! It’s gripping, mysterious and it will keep you up way past your bedtime! I loved it and highly recommend it!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
The Darkest Summer follows Sera as she’s trying to rebuild her life after her husband’s death. She’s living with her mother and five-year-old daughter in her childhood home and can’t help but think back to years gone by and her best friend Dee whose family disappeared suddenly one summer day. Then one day she thinks she spots Dee’s brother in the street and her life is about to be turned upside down all over again.
I was gripped from the very start of this book and I just didn’t want to put it down for a second. It’s one of those books where you say just one more chapter, then one more, and one more and before you know it you’re turning the last page and it’s way past your bedtime!
The Darkest Summer is mainly set in the present day but it also flashes back to fifteen years ago in the lead up to when Dee and her family disappear. We also get a few chapters from the early 1980s following Sera’s mum, Mimi. I loved this way of telling the story as I was equally invested in all three timelines and this kept me flying through the pages as I wanted to know how the past fitted with the present and where Dee’s family had gone, and why they left without trace!
I love books that explore female friendship, it’s endlessly fascinating for me to read books like this. I really enjoyed seeing Dee and Sera as girls on the cusp of being teenagers where they still loved running wild and swimming in the lake, but were also becoming aware of their own bodies and the power they might possess. It was really interesting to see how they related to each other on meeting up again years later, and how different it can be to how you imagined it might. It was the same seeing Sera’s mum when she was a young adult finding her feet in London and trying to make it as an actress. Her friendship back then gave her an unbreakable bond to someone because of what happened but still life pulled them apart, and yet not quite! The women were so believable in this book and I keep thinking of them all, especially Sera, and wondering how she is.
I loved the setting of this book, and the way the heat of the summer emanated from the pages. I could envision it all so clearly as if I’d been there. Ella Drummond really is a great writer who writes such beautiful, evocative paragraphs. She brings her books to life and it makes them so memorable.
I was curious by what might have happened to Dee and her family, and was shocked when we finally find out. I had worked out elements of it but I couldn’t put it all together to figure it out fully. I was also intrigued by what Mimi’s story from years earlier had to do with the present day and didn’t figure that out either. I love when a novel keeps me guessing, it’s a rare thing for a book to do that but this one did!
The Darkest Summer is the perfect summer thriller read! It’s gripping, mysterious and it will keep you up way past your bedtime! I loved it and highly recommend it!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
July 6, 2019
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What is good in the book are most of the underlying mysteries. They are slowly revealed - maybe too slowly - but some are obvious whereas others were more carefully concealed. It's a very soap opera-esque type of story and if you like pulpy over the top drama then it's enjoyable, just don't expect it to all be believable (which you shouldn't anyway with that type of drama). At least one mystery is given almost no attention and hastily dealt with at the end, in a way that was disappointing.
What's not so good here is the writing style. By page 3 it was apparent that this writing is not at all sophisticated. Dialogue was bizarre, the flow was clunky in many places, and there were many instances of Sera, the narrator, saying she felt one way and then half a page later saying the exact opposite. It felt sloppy.
Worse, there were way too many convenient plot devices. I can't even count how many times a dramatic reveal in a conversation was stopped because the people were interrupted by something silly. The conversation easily could have been re-instigated but that never happened. Sera overlooked obvious red flags right and left, people acted in ways totally inappropriate for their character just to forward the story, and some reveals were handled in a way that only the characters reactions to the reveal were actually written about. In one particularly ridiculous scene, several characters are almost killed in a forest fire behind Sera's home. Moments later, Sera is taking a leisurely shower and then pouring herself a drink while she enjoys her backyard, suddenly and inexplicably free from danger as the wind changed direction and the fire was no longer a problem. These constant shifts in tone and action were jarring.
I wanted to like this. The background, setting, and soap opera story line are fun. Ultimately, however, the problems with the writing were more of a focal point than the plot.
What is good in the book are most of the underlying mysteries. They are slowly revealed - maybe too slowly - but some are obvious whereas others were more carefully concealed. It's a very soap opera-esque type of story and if you like pulpy over the top drama then it's enjoyable, just don't expect it to all be believable (which you shouldn't anyway with that type of drama). At least one mystery is given almost no attention and hastily dealt with at the end, in a way that was disappointing.
What's not so good here is the writing style. By page 3 it was apparent that this writing is not at all sophisticated. Dialogue was bizarre, the flow was clunky in many places, and there were many instances of Sera, the narrator, saying she felt one way and then half a page later saying the exact opposite. It felt sloppy.
Worse, there were way too many convenient plot devices. I can't even count how many times a dramatic reveal in a conversation was stopped because the people were interrupted by something silly. The conversation easily could have been re-instigated but that never happened. Sera overlooked obvious red flags right and left, people acted in ways totally inappropriate for their character just to forward the story, and some reveals were handled in a way that only the characters reactions to the reveal were actually written about. In one particularly ridiculous scene, several characters are almost killed in a forest fire behind Sera's home. Moments later, Sera is taking a leisurely shower and then pouring herself a drink while she enjoys her backyard, suddenly and inexplicably free from danger as the wind changed direction and the fire was no longer a problem. These constant shifts in tone and action were jarring.
I wanted to like this. The background, setting, and soap opera story line are fun. Ultimately, however, the problems with the writing were more of a focal point than the plot.
July 8, 2019
I usually start these reviews talking about the plot and then jumping into what I liked the most about the story. This time I'm going to change it up a bit and talk about what I liked first. The wording! It was amazing it was like poetry in a novel. The author painted a very vivid picture of everything that was happening and everything that was in sight so well. I've never read anything quite like it before. This mystery will have readers talking about it for a long time to come. The book starts off with our main character returning to her home town with her daughter in tow after the death of her husband. Back in her old town she starts to be reminded of her childhood best friend who vanished without a trace with her brother. That isn't the strangest part however, now low and behold both siblings have turned back up in Sera's life, however something is different about them and it is now up to Sera' to find out exactly what happened to her friend and try to protect her own family in the process. I wasn't a big fan of all of the characters I found it a little hard to keep track of who was who and what the relationship was between everyone. With everyone having their own secret it was really interesting to see them all come to light and see how they connected. Not the easiest read but I enjoyed the idea of the story more than the actual story itself I think, just a few things that could have been worded a bit better .I did like all of the darkness and secrecy that this novel had it really kept the reader guessing. Really good job and I'm very glad I got the chance to check out this story.
July 6, 2019
It’s hot and global warming sucks and besides people setting fire to any and everything, there’s murder afoot.
There’s always murder afoot.
Meet Sera, short for Seraphina, a widow and single mother to the darling Katie who lives in the small village of New Forest with her actress mother Mimi.
Sera is still of course mourning the death of her beloved husband Marcus and still settling in moving back in with her mother after the loss of him. Things are going fine until the fire up at the old farm across the way where the mysterious Frenchman, Henri lives and that is when everything becomes a bit too much for the village and for poor Sera.
I related to Sera a lot in a lot of ways. It seems that as soon as I find my groove in life some mischievous God or Goddesses pushes over a stone in my life that I need for balance and I’m topsy turvy for weeks. I felt she was the protagonist we all needed especially when her childhood friends Dee and Leo mysteriously come back into her life after completely vanishing into the night after 15 years.
This book was well written and had all of the right twists and turns up until the very end. It kept me wanting more and I could FEEL the heat. I’m experiencing it very much here in Pennsylvania. The author did a great job on conveying the scene and making me feel frazzled and reminisce on those childhood friends who I had in the past and one day just never saw again.
Thank you very much Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review. Please follow my blog for even more reviews:
https://aelilyreads.home.blog/
There’s always murder afoot.
Meet Sera, short for Seraphina, a widow and single mother to the darling Katie who lives in the small village of New Forest with her actress mother Mimi.
Sera is still of course mourning the death of her beloved husband Marcus and still settling in moving back in with her mother after the loss of him. Things are going fine until the fire up at the old farm across the way where the mysterious Frenchman, Henri lives and that is when everything becomes a bit too much for the village and for poor Sera.
I related to Sera a lot in a lot of ways. It seems that as soon as I find my groove in life some mischievous God or Goddesses pushes over a stone in my life that I need for balance and I’m topsy turvy for weeks. I felt she was the protagonist we all needed especially when her childhood friends Dee and Leo mysteriously come back into her life after completely vanishing into the night after 15 years.
This book was well written and had all of the right twists and turns up until the very end. It kept me wanting more and I could FEEL the heat. I’m experiencing it very much here in Pennsylvania. The author did a great job on conveying the scene and making me feel frazzled and reminisce on those childhood friends who I had in the past and one day just never saw again.
Thank you very much Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review. Please follow my blog for even more reviews:
https://aelilyreads.home.blog/
July 5, 2019
I love psychological thrillers, so when I read that this was a “totally gripping psychological thriller”, I knew it’d be right up my alley. Well...I have to say I was a little disappointed. It started out really well as the plot unfolded and the characters were introduced, but as soon as Dee and Leo showed up with the little girl, I felt like it all went downhill. The dialogue between the characters didn’t flow as easily as I would’ve liked and at times the characters came across as immature. The chapters about the mothers’ past, Mimi (Maureen) and Hazel, seemed almost misplaced for the majority of the story until everything was revealed at the end. Honestly, the only character I liked throughout the entirety of the book was Henri.
As far as this being a psychological thriller...I wouldn’t have categorized this book in that genre. It appeared to be more of a mystery to me, but with the story jumping all over the place and having unnecessary filler that didn’t add to the plot, it often didn’t keep my attention. I stuck it out until the end because I wanted to know what would happen, and while the secrets that were revealed were shocking at first, overall the book was a little underwhelming.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
As far as this being a psychological thriller...I wouldn’t have categorized this book in that genre. It appeared to be more of a mystery to me, but with the story jumping all over the place and having unnecessary filler that didn’t add to the plot, it often didn’t keep my attention. I stuck it out until the end because I wanted to know what would happen, and while the secrets that were revealed were shocking at first, overall the book was a little underwhelming.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
June 25, 2019
I want to thank NetGalley, Ella Drummond and Hera Books for an Arc of the darkest summer. I am always really intrigued by thrillers with a story line where someone disappears and then many years later they return. I love the mystery and trying to find out what actually happened to them all that time ago. This boom was a wild ride for me and I could not stop reading. I just had so much anticipation wondering what all of the secrets were.
One hot summer, Dee disappeared now she's back but she's not the girl you knew. Sera returns to her hometown with her five year old daughter after the death of her husband and 30 years after the disappearance of her best friend Dee and her brother Leo one summer day. Suddenly Dee and Leo return and Dee has a daughter but Dee won't talk and won't say what happened to them all of those years ago. There are so many twists and turns including things you find out about both Sera and Dees mom.
This book kept me on my toes and I wanted to know what happened and who did what and what the heck was up with Dee. I was happy with the ending and this book was super thrilling and I recommend for all of my psychological thriller fans.
One hot summer, Dee disappeared now she's back but she's not the girl you knew. Sera returns to her hometown with her five year old daughter after the death of her husband and 30 years after the disappearance of her best friend Dee and her brother Leo one summer day. Suddenly Dee and Leo return and Dee has a daughter but Dee won't talk and won't say what happened to them all of those years ago. There are so many twists and turns including things you find out about both Sera and Dees mom.
This book kept me on my toes and I wanted to know what happened and who did what and what the heck was up with Dee. I was happy with the ending and this book was super thrilling and I recommend for all of my psychological thriller fans.
July 13, 2019
This book is marketed as a psychological thriller, but to me it seemed more like literary fiction. It was a slow burn. The setting is a huge part of the story and the scenery is described with beauty.
The story centers around Sera, a young widow who lives with her mother and her young daughter. A mysterious new man named Henri moves in next door, to the house where Sera's best childhood friend lived. The best friend, Dee, disappeared suddenly along with her mother and brother when Sera was young. Nobody heard from them again. When arson leads to the discovery of a body at Henri's farm, the whole town starts talking. And when Dee and her brother, along with a little girl, suddenly appear with no explanation of where they've been all these years, what does that mean?
I loved the beautiful descriptions of the area's heat wave, drought, and fires. I could almost feel the heat, and it reminded me a bit of the setting in "The Dry" by Jane Harper. Fiction and mystery readers will enjoy this novel, but it's not a fast-paced thriller.
FTC disclosure: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
The story centers around Sera, a young widow who lives with her mother and her young daughter. A mysterious new man named Henri moves in next door, to the house where Sera's best childhood friend lived. The best friend, Dee, disappeared suddenly along with her mother and brother when Sera was young. Nobody heard from them again. When arson leads to the discovery of a body at Henri's farm, the whole town starts talking. And when Dee and her brother, along with a little girl, suddenly appear with no explanation of where they've been all these years, what does that mean?
I loved the beautiful descriptions of the area's heat wave, drought, and fires. I could almost feel the heat, and it reminded me a bit of the setting in "The Dry" by Jane Harper. Fiction and mystery readers will enjoy this novel, but it's not a fast-paced thriller.
FTC disclosure: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
July 18, 2019
This book is really interesting because it’s something we can all relate to: wondering what happened to childhood friends that moved out of our lives at various points. Not all of them are (hopefully) as dramatic as the disappearance of Dee and her family, and certainly not as awful as their return!
The book has a great level of suspense because it’s obvious throughout the entire story that something is very, very off here. But it takes until the end to figure out what exactly is going on with Dee, her brother and daughter. Meanwhile, we also get a glimpse of the backstory of Sera and Dee’s mothers, who have some history themselves.
The atmosphere is very tense and dark, set against the backdrop of various heat waves that sweep through the area. That makes summertime the perfect time to read this book. I could feel the heat and humidity in the book from the descriptions - and that created a great tension that kept the book crackling.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a quick summer read - there’s a heatwave coming, so grab your copy!
The book has a great level of suspense because it’s obvious throughout the entire story that something is very, very off here. But it takes until the end to figure out what exactly is going on with Dee, her brother and daughter. Meanwhile, we also get a glimpse of the backstory of Sera and Dee’s mothers, who have some history themselves.
The atmosphere is very tense and dark, set against the backdrop of various heat waves that sweep through the area. That makes summertime the perfect time to read this book. I could feel the heat and humidity in the book from the descriptions - and that created a great tension that kept the book crackling.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a quick summer read - there’s a heatwave coming, so grab your copy!
August 22, 2019
The Darkest Summer is a great, slow building suspenseful book that will keep you guessing until the end.
Sera returns to her hometown, with her daughter, after her husband passes away. Soon after moving back, memories begin making their way back to Sera. She thinks about Dee, her childhood best friend, and Dee's family. Dee and her family disappeared one hot summer and she never heard from them again. All that changes when she sees Leo (Dee's brother). Leo and Sera catch up, and soon she sees Dee again.
Sera is quickly taken back at Dee's appearance as well as how she acts. This isn't the Dee she remembers from childhood. What happened that night all those years ago? Sera begins to unravel the mystery and it's apparent that not everything is as it appears. Sera finds herself inside a dangerous triangle and her only hope is to solve what went on back then and what is going on now.
Great mystery/thriller! There are quite a few twists and leaves the reader to wonder, "how well do you really know people"?
Thank you Netgalley and Hera Books for this ARC.
Sera returns to her hometown, with her daughter, after her husband passes away. Soon after moving back, memories begin making their way back to Sera. She thinks about Dee, her childhood best friend, and Dee's family. Dee and her family disappeared one hot summer and she never heard from them again. All that changes when she sees Leo (Dee's brother). Leo and Sera catch up, and soon she sees Dee again.
Sera is quickly taken back at Dee's appearance as well as how she acts. This isn't the Dee she remembers from childhood. What happened that night all those years ago? Sera begins to unravel the mystery and it's apparent that not everything is as it appears. Sera finds herself inside a dangerous triangle and her only hope is to solve what went on back then and what is going on now.
Great mystery/thriller! There are quite a few twists and leaves the reader to wonder, "how well do you really know people"?
Thank you Netgalley and Hera Books for this ARC.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews