A new favorite! What an amazing mystery thriller. Each POV was fascinating - I loved the many mysteries woven into this story and the island setting.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! All reviews are my own.

Will review in my upcoming reading wrap up video and thriller recommendation videos! Loved it.

I had such a great time reading this book!
It was so hard to put it down, it was fast paced, had some very sketchy characters that was guilty in some form of way and I just couldn’t get enough of it. I think the only issue I had with the book is that I read it in my house and not in a beach somewhere.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the setting of this novel. It was very vibrant, and though fictional, definitely seemed inspired by various Rhode Island locales in many ways. With its descriptions of white sands, rolling waves, and gorgeous ocean views, this is a perfect beach read for the summer.

This is definitely not a cozy mystery, but nor is it pulpy and hard boiled. It falls somewhere in the middle. Not terribly scary, but definitely following a bunch of characters, all with something to hide. I found some the twists quite predictable, but I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. This would be a good read for someone fairly new to the genre. It’s not creepy or gory, and it’s interesting to follow along and see the three narratives come together.

I’ve enjoyed this book and the author’s two prior releases. I look forward to seeing what she will write next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an ARC of Dead of Summer.

I enjoyed Jessa Maxwell's previous release "I Need You To Read This" so I was surprised and disappointed in how little I enjoyed this newest book. It is a quick read but I realized I was at 70% in the story and absolutely nothing interesting had happened yet. The characters ranged from uninteresting to insufferable so by the time things picked up I wasn't very invested. I think most experienced thriller readers will find the twist obvious. Sadly, I didn't find much to like in this book but will give the author another try in the future.

2.5 stars

Despite the serious themes (including sexual assault), this felt light, like I was watching a play rather than sinking into the story. It was a nice change of pace.

Maxwell’s first mystery was set on a Bake Off-type show and the second was an homage to Only Murders in the Building. This one is more classic mystery. Trapped on an island where bad things have happened, potentially creepy boyfriend, old man watching it all through his telescope. I kind of pictured it like a black and white movie!

I had a good time reading this, but as SOON as I finished it, every single detail left my mind, and I looked it up and then immediately forgot it before I wrote my review.

Ok right, I remember now! This was really fast=paced and propulsive. I really liked the characters, and the plot was intriguing but I didn't really like the reveals and ending.

I had previously read The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell and it wasn't for me, but I could identify the strong writer that this author is and wanted to try this book. I love the character going back home to settle some things premise and anytime something is described as atmospheric... sign me up. This book completely redeemed my Jessa Maxwell experience, it was gripping and unputdownable! 5 stars!

This is my first book by author and it was a good read, lots of mystery and twists which kept me interested.

Orla O’Connor is back in her family house on the island after a long time, not since her best friend disappeared without a trace. Orla is here to clean out her family house before they sell it. She can’t help but remember what happened to her best friend.

We have another character David who was Orla’s crush with his new girlfriend Faith who decides to dig into the mystery when she feels lonely cause David seems to be too busy with his dad.

We have our third character who had been under suspicion since the day the hole disappeared and it only only gave him more and more lonely time to sit with his telescope. He starts feeling weird when he keeps seeing someone and sees the upstairs light on of the missing girls house.

The someone else gets missing.

It was a thrilling read and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Atria books and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a quick, fast paced read! It had a shocking ending that I didn’t see coming. Definitely worth reading 📚 Huge thanks to @netgalley for the ARC! This will be released on July 22nd ☀️

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #arc #newrelease #mystery #thriller

Summer's Deadly Secrets

Jessa Maxwell's Dead of Summer grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. Set on the fog-shrouded Hadley Island, this atmospheric thriller follows a young woman's return to her hometown, where her best friend Alice vanished without a trace a decade ago. Now, as another disappearance rocks the close-knit island community, old wounds split open and long-buried secrets claw their way to the surface.

Maxwell turns the island itself into a character - one that breathes menace into every scene. Narrow lanes wind past weathered mansions where the wealthy hide their sins behind manicured hedges. Waves crash against rocky shores that might hold answers... or bodies. The isolation feels like a physical weight, pressing down on both characters and readers until something has to break.

The story unfolds through three distinct voices, each offering a different piece of the puzzle. Maxwell weaves past and present together with the precision of a surgeon, each flashback revealing just enough to keep you turning pages well past midnight. When money and power collide with decades of secrets, the result is explosive.

Sure, veteran thriller readers might guess a few twists before they land. But Maxwell's sharp prose and masterful pacing make up for any predictability. She knows exactly when to dangle a clue and when to yank it away, creating the kind of tension that builds like a summer storm.
This is more than just another beach read with a dark side. It's a razor-sharp look at privilege, power, and the prices we pay to keep our secrets buried. Maxwell has crafted something special here - a thriller that manages to feel both sun-soaked and sinister.

The bottom line? Dead of Summer proves Maxwell's got serious chops in the thriller genre. While not every plot thread ties up perfectly, the core mystery delivers a satisfying gut punch that'll leave you thinking about it long after you've turned the last page.

4 out of 5 stars

Thanks for the ARC Atria Books and NetGalley! Jessa Maxwell wrote an incredibly interesting book - I was so interested to see how all of the storylines tied together and really didn't expect the twists as they came! This one felt a little slow-paced but once I was in it, I was really in it.

Chilling mysterious thriller with a great storyline! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc!

2.5 ⭐️

honestly this one didn’t hit for me. i went in expecting a suspenseful summer mystery, but the plot just kinda dragged and never really built up to anything that exciting. the reveals were underwhelming, and it all felt a little too quiet and slow-paced for my taste. i kept waiting for that moment where everything would click or the tension would really ramp up—but it never came. not the worst thing i’ve read, but definitely didn’t leave much of an impression either.

thank you to netgalley and atria books for the arc

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. My first by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Atmospheric and twisty. A very well written domestic suspense.

In this book, Orla returns to Hadley Island a decade after her best friend Alice mysteriously vanished. As she confronts old memories, she becomes entangled in a new disappearance, drawing her, Alice’s old crush David, and a reclusive local named Henry into a chilling mystery that may reveal more than they’re ready to know. A twisty and atmospheric thriller that unearths the island’s dark past.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

Dead of Summer is such a perfect, fast-paced thriller! I can see this being something I would love to read beachside during the summer, when I need something quick and easy to read. Though I did find many of the plot points predictable, I still found myself hooked and waiting to see what was going to happen next. Seeing all of the storylines of the three separate characters come together and seeing just how they all intertwined with each other was so satisfying and incredibly well done. My main issues with the book fall mostly within the pacing. I felt as though the first half of the book was moving so slowly, and about halfway through, it became way too fast-paced instead. While I did think a lot of the context and information given in the first half that I think contributed to it feeling slower was necessary, towards the end, I began to feel like I did not always have enough information, and found myself getting a little confused at times. I also thought some of the time jumps mid chapter were confusing, as I did not always know exactly when I was reading a flashback versus when I was reading something from the current day, causing me to have to reread parts of the book, particularly within the second half.

Overall, these problems were not enough to cause me to dislike the book, and I still found it to be a very enjoyable read! Will definitely recommend this to others who are looking for a fun thriller!

3.5 stars - As several other reviewers have said, it really is a "quick, popcorn thriller" - perfect for beach or poolside reading! Overall, I liked it- felt the remote island setting was ominous & atmospheric, but I really could have done without all the rich people vibes, that trope is getting old. Still kept me reading and was quite entertaining. My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the advance reader's copy - greatly appreciate the opportunity to read & review early!

This was a fun thriller and I could see it working well in the summer. The setting of Hadley Island, a small island on the New England coast was perfect for a sort of locked island mystery. The story has three different POVs, Orla, whose best friend was lost at sea in high school and her death was blamed on local man Henry, who we also follow. And then Faith, a young person living in NYC who becomes entangled with David, who is incredibly rich and spends his summers on the island. There are a lot of rich people behaving badly in this book, but I appreciated that the POVs were all from people just trying to live their lives on the island rather than one of the incredibly rich people who vacation there.

The mystery was enough to keep me turning the pages to find out what happened, and the characters all had depth to them. I enjoyed the setting and the resolution of the book. This would be a fun book to read by the pool or pick up when you need something lighter.

A girl’s disappearance still haunts residents of a remote island years later. Orla returns to on a to help clean out her childhood home and ends up facing ghosts from the past she’s been trying to avoid. David brings his girlfriend home to meet his wealthy overhead father. Henry watches it all through his telescope and self imposed exile. Told through multiple POVs and timelines. There is a lot going on. It started strong but then kind of fizzled. Overall it was ok.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy. Pub date 7/22.

I liked this book but i felt that the twist were a bit predictable. The atmosphere is thick with suspense, and the writing is immersive, making you feel like you’re right there on the island, watching the shadows move on the beach. If you love thrillers that are both chilling and emotionally gripping give this a try.