This is a nice quick little thriller! Wasn’t hard to read and I thought it was well paced and well written.

This was a solid mystery but a little too slow paced for me. I didn’t really get a true feel for the characters. I think mystery lovers will enjoy this though.

A fast paced "rich people are corrupt" delicious setting with clear heroes. Multi POV there are secrets to uncover about the past and

The meaning of the title is unclear, I think it is just a cool sounding name. It does take place in summer time in a vacation home.

Orla- returning back to the island to sell her family home. She hasn't lived on the island since her best friend Alice went missing years ago. It is just coincidence that she happens to be back.

Faith- seriously dating David, who comes from old money, and she hates his father. She finds an engagement ring in his suitcase and realizes he is about to propose, but something seems fishy with his family. She begins to look into Alice and how she went missing. Then another girl goes missing.

Henry- a local boy without much means, the town thinks Alice went missing because of him although there wasn't any proof. We like him and he seems sweet and also like a scapegoat. He likes using a telescope so he knows more about the islanders- so think Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window."

This is a fun summer mystery! I enjoyed the characters and the plot, I did not guess the reveals although the pacing was quick enough to lead you to the reveal (last sentence in the chapter, etc). The writing style was a little choppy for me, shorter declarative sentences, even in inner dialogue. I did enjoy the character of sweet Henry and the injustices against him hit me hard! He is a Boo Radley type character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. Book to be published July 22, 2025.

Dead of Summer is one of those thrillers that feels familiar in a good way — there’s a slow-building sense of dread, and even though you think you can guess where it’s going, it still keeps you second-guessing yourself. The remote island setting, the picture-perfect couple starting to crack, and the dark past resurfacing all add to the tension. When you’re sure of a twist, another layer makes you question everything.

The shifting timelines and multiple points of view were handled well overall, though it took a little while to settle into who’s who and when. Some twists were a bit predictable, but the pacing and atmosphere made it a satisfying read. It’s a solid summer thriller — something you could easily get lost in at the beach, even if it’s not the author’s strongest.

I really enjoyed this thriller! I felt it had a bit of a slower pace, which usually turns me off of thrillers, but I actually loved how the author had the story unravel! It was definitely a page turner, and I didn't see the twists coming. I'd recommend this to readers!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

In this book we get the points of view of three different people: Faith, Henry, and Orla. I liked Faith and Henry but I didn’t like Orla very much. Faith goes with her boyfriend David to his family’s summer home which her best friend Elena helps her prepare for. Faith learns about Alice and how David and her were friends along with Orla. Orla had a crush on David for years until the summer Alice disappeared. Alice was presumed dead and after fifteen years Alice is actually revealed to be alive and David’s father paid her off and made her sign an NDA. Faith also learns that Alice and Elena are the same person and that Henry is completely innocent and was just trying to help Alice that night of the Fourth of July fifteen years ago. David pushed Alice the night of the Fourth of July and was going to tell people about Geoffrey , David’s father and he got upset and pushed her off some railing and was believed to be dead until Geoffrey’s men found her and forced her to sign the NDA. Orla of course lied to the police after David asked her to so that Henry would get the blame.

It felt a bit rushed, like there couldve been more detail throughout.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

It was a good thriller, but was very predictable. The characters were well written and it was a compelling story, but nothing unique or special.

This was what I would consider a “popcorn” thriller. Except it wasn’t very thrilling. I didn’t like the writing style, with flashbacks during a chapter, but not really knowing it was. The characters fell very flat. I couldn’t get behind the story because it felt predictable from the start. It was a short book, but it slogs.

Oral O’Connor returns to her childhood home on the isolated Hadley Island to clean out the house so it can be put up for sale. Now living in NYC, she left the island years ago after the tragic disappearance and suspected death of her best friend Alice. As she tries to avoid her past, she soon learns that the Clarke family has returned to the island for the summer. And David Clarke, her old friend and crush, is not alone. He has brought his new girlfriend Faith. Meanwhile, Faith is excited to visit Hadley Island and meet David’s father Geoffrey. But upon arrival, she feels uneasy and unwelcome. She had hopes that David was planning on a proposal, but he is absent and in meetings with his father for hours at a time. Navigating the island on her own, Faith soon learns of a mystery surrounding the past disappearance of a local girl named Alice. She also learns that David may somehow have been involved in this mystery. As she digs deeper into the past, she senses some people will stop at nothing to keep the secrets surrounding the missing girl hidden. This is the third book I have read by Maxwell and I look forward to more from this author!

A fast-paced, suspenseful thriller told through three POVs—Faith, Orla, and Henry—all tied to a dark mystery on Hadley Island. Secrets from the past resurface when another girl goes missing, and no one is above suspicion. The plot kept me hooked with its twists and dual timelines. While I didn’t fully connect with all the characters and wanted more depth on the island culture and the current case, it was still a solid, engaging read. I'd recommend it and will check out more by Jessa Maxwell!

Jessa Maxwell’s Dead of Summer is a gripping, fast-paced suspense thriller that weaves together three compelling points of view—Faith, Orla, and Henry—each bringing their own secrets, motives, and memories to the eerie setting of Hadley Island.

Faith, eager to escape her modest beginnings, arrives on the island with her boyfriend David Clarke, only to uncover unsettling secrets hidden within his wealthy family. Orla, once a rising artist in New York City, returns to her childhood home, haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her best friend, Alice. Then there’s Henry—a reclusive figure living on the edge of the island—who still lives under the shadow of suspicion for Alice’s disappearance years earlier. When another girl goes missing, long-buried questions rise to the surface. Is Henry guilty? What is David hiding? And what really happened to Alice?

The novel’s strength lies in its tight plot and effective pacing. The transitions between past and present are smooth and engaging, gradually peeling back the layers of mystery. While a few characters felt slightly underdeveloped or hard to connect with, the story is driven forward by a well-balanced mix of personalities and mounting tension. Maxwell does a solid job of holding the reader’s attention, delivering twists and red herrings that make for an entertaining read.

That said, the book could have gone deeper into the island’s culture and the emotional weight of the current missing girl’s case. These elements, if explored more fully, could have added further depth and atmosphere. Still, Dead of Summer succeeds as an attention-grabbing, satisfying thriller that keeps the pages turning.

Fans of suspense and multi-POV narratives will likely enjoy this one. I’d recommend it and will definitely be looking out for more from Jessa Maxwell in the future.

This book was just OK for me. I found it a bit choppy and at times a bit unbelievable. David and Geoffrey were both unlikeable characters and Faith was rather naive. I thought the premise was good, but the different POV and nonlinear timeline made feel like it was missing something. The yacht scenes just didn’t flow for me.

Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell is a quick thriller perfect for your summer vacation. The story unfolds through three seemingly unrelated points of view. The summer island atmosphere and concept were great, but the three points of view were a bit much. While they did all come together at the end, the beginning felt disjointed and was confusing at times. Many of the female characters were similar by design, but this muddled the overall story. All in all, this was an enjoyable read.
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing a copy of Dead Of Summer by Jessa Maxwell. The story was clever, and if you love a shocking ending, you will love this book. I had a tough time with the writing style and I wish the characters had been more clearly defined. I don’t think this book was really for me, but I know many readers will love the great conclusion! 3 stars

A great thriller to bring to the beach!!! This book follows 3 different POVs trying to unravel the mystery of a young girl’s disappearance. There’s family drama, a man who watches everyone on the island from his telescope, secrets, twists, and a crazy ending!! Overall really enjoyed. :) thank you netgalley for the early copy!

Off the coast of an isolated New England island, Orla lost her best friend. Years later, she returns from New York City for the first time, stirring up long-buried emotions—especially when she runs into her childhood crush, David Clarke, and his new fiancée. As David’s fiancée grows restless during their summer stay, she begins to snoop around, uncovering secrets that are far more disturbing than she expected.

I was drawn in by the moody, atmospheric setting and the gorgeous cover—it perfectly captures the book’s eerie, summery vibe. However, I found myself disappointed by the vagueness surrounding the crimes committed by the Clarke family. I wanted more clarity and depth when it came to the darker elements of the plot.

Dead of summer is a good summer read. A decade after her best friend Alice disappeared, Orla returns to the small island of Hadley to clean out her family’s home by the beach. All the usual suspects from her past are there, including David, the billionaire’s son who she had a crush on in high school. David returns with his glitzy girlfriend, who has her own secrets. The mystery of Alice’s disappearance, possibly drowned, has never been solved, however the man accused of the crime is odd and lives in near isolation. Orla is at a critical point in her life and career, she is troubled and self- medicating. Then another girl goes missing. The author does a good job of creating a small town gossipy and tension filled atmosphere. The story is told from three points of view. There are many creepy characters and it’s impossible to know who to believe. This is an entertaining beach thriller. With thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

This is a great beach read! The New England setting reminded me of Elin Hildebrand & Jane Green's books. I was disappointed by the end of the book which is why I dropped my rating from a 4 to a 3.

it’s always so fun reading books set where you’re from in real life! like this one: Orla O’Connor is back home in new england when her best friend mysteriously disappears, and she ends up getting way more than she expected. following the clues throughout this book was so fun! i totally thought i had it all figured out, but i was wrong yet again. ugh, they always get me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessa Maxwell and Atria Books for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel almost as much as I enjoyed her first novel. It’s quick paced and I really didn’t know where this was going to go, but I was totally along for the ride. Definitely enjoyable and I would recommend.