Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Faith is hoping to marry her very rich boyfriend, Daniel. She's so excited to go to this island, meet her boyfriend's family, and take this amazing vacation for all of summer.

Henry has lived on his little rock in the water on this island. He's cut himself off from the locals and just sits in his house and using his high power telescope, he watches. Nothing gets by him.

Something terrible happened on this island on the lake years ago and Orla was forever changed by it. She lost her best friend that night and has forever lived in her shadow since.

This multi-POV story follows these three characters who are directly and indirectly tied to the death of Alice Gallo over a decade ago.

While there are billionaires, power plays, dark secrets and cover-ups, and a cast of interconnected characters, I did not find this one very interesting. It had potential but fell flat for me.

Dead of Summer is the perfect summer thriller. This mystery takes place on an eerie island for the rich with more secrets than you can count. The multiple POV, short chapters, and suspense will have you speeding through this story to see how it ends.

This was a quick and easy popcorn thriller, perfect to read by the pool this summer! The setting was PERFECT: a remote island off the eastern coast, filled with rich people and their rich people problems. Our main protagonist, Orla, returns for the first time since leaving home for college. The reason for never coming back? Her best friend disappeared, presumed dead (even though never finding a body). While some of the twists were predictable, this story ultimately took a turn that I was NOT expecting, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending!

Dead of Summer
By Jess’s Maxwell

Pub date: 7/22/2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book was GOOD!

The multi-pov was so well done, and everyone’s piece of the story made for some excellent suspense.

The twist at the end was great. I was surprised.

Jessa Maxwell is a talented writer and I have enjoyed her first two books. I did not enjoy this one as much, sadly, mostly because all the characters are fairly hateful, except for poor Faith, although even she is hiding something.

Orla O'Connor escaped her small island community after high school to live out she and her BFF's dreams of moving to New York and becoming professional artists. She is haunted by the summer when she was 15, when her BFF Alice, disappeared and was thought to be drowned in the Atlantic, though no body was every found. She and her rich island friend, David Clarke, share a secret about Alice and that night, though neither is willing to confront their fears. Orla agrees to return to the island to pack up her parents' home and sell it, hopefully finally putting her demons to rest.

David Clarke, however, suffers no such ghosts. He is living his fabulous Manhattan life and is preparing to return to the family's summer estate, bringing along his girlfriend, Faith, who thinks she has hit the jackpot. Faith comes from Oklahoma and like most girls moved to New York to dream of sophistication, the right people and landing a good man. Though David seems great on paper, the island appears to turn him into something else.

Henry Wright is the man that was accused of causing Alice's death and has become ostracized from the local population since that fateful summer. When another young girl disappears under similar circumstances, Henry is once again at the forefront of the investigation.

The truth will come out...

As I mentioned, none of these characters were particularly likeable to me. Orla is a terrible person who needs a lot of therapy. David is a typical rich jerk who buys his way out of things. Faith is a gold digger and even though she is the innocent in all this, her financial worries are definitely a large part of her relationship with David. Poor Henry never got the benefit of the doubt and became a hermit. He is OK but even he has his odd qualities. I was rooting for none of these people.

There is a twist but if you read a lot of thrillers, your evidence will come together pretty fast. I'll most certainly be on the lookout for her next one. This wasn't a terrible book but compared to her first two, it was a bit of a disappointment.

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

This was a pretty good summer read. Enough to keep interested in the story and invested in the characters. I preferred Faith and Henry to Orla, I wish I could have rooted for her too.

Deliciously eerie and sun-soaked with suspense, Dead of Summer is the perfect thriller to toss in your beach bag. Jessa Maxwell blends small-town secrets, toxic nostalgia, and a vanishing best friend into a moody, addictive mystery.

Orla's return to Hadley Island stirs up more than old memories, especially as her story intertwines with Faith’s outsider perspective and Henry’s unsettling surveillance from the shadows. The tension builds with every chapter, and just when you think you've figured it out—boom, another twist.

Atmospheric, layered, and quietly chilling—this is Maxwell at her best. Think Big Little Lies meets The Guest List, but with more salt air and simmering secrets.

Thank you Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!


#DeadofSummer #NetGalley #NetGalleyARC #ARCReview #BookReview #WhatImReading #BookRecommendation #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #InstaBook #Bookish #AdvanceReaderCopy #ReviewCopyProvided #BookishThoughts #ReviewersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #BookishPost

Wasn’t particularly fond of this story.

It’s more slow burning than thrilling, but does have weird vibes throughout which builds some dread.
I liked the different perspectives, the characters seemed to fall into some stereotypical tropes, but were fairly well written otherwise.
I noticed some plot holes/points and general continuity errors that didn’t make total sense or give enough of an explanation. I personally need the details (who, what, where, why, when, and how lol) and can’t rely on blind faith in a book/author. Like tell me how all these things add up to give us this conclusion, because I’m still puzzled.

Anyways, pick this one up if you want a slow burning mystery (that may not be entirely plausible/clear by the end).

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Atria Books for a copy.

Solid suspense; well-told and atmospheric. I was on the edge of my seat. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell is set on Hadley Island, New England, and is about small community gossip and isolation with a healthy dollop of mystery. It is told in multiple perspectives of three close friends since high school. A decade earlier, one of the friends, Alice, went missing and was presumed drowned. In the present, Orla returns to the island to prepare her family home for sale and sees David, instantly recalling the tragedy and her feelings for David. This summer, David brought his new girlfriend, Faith, along which changes the dynamic. Faith caught a glimpse of a huge diamond ring in David's luggage and hopes to become engaged. Secrets simmer beneath the surface with all characters involved. Henry and his wife are locals who are in the know, especially Henry who misses nothing.

I really liked the atmosphere. My only criticisms are the predictable nature and the lack of originality. Still, this is a fun novel to be immersed in. Jessa Maxwell's writing always pulls me in.

The ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dead of Summer is an upcoming thriller from the author of The Golden Spoon, Jessa Maxwell.

While predictable, the glamorous vacation island setting and rich people behaving badly antics make it an ideal popcorn thriller for summer reading.

I really like this author thrillers. They all have such a unique premises. This one was no exception, and my favorite part of this book was the atmosphere of the island. This secluded island, almost became a character within itself, which I loved.. the different characters were all unique. Though I will say, I did not love the resolution of the story. It honestly left me confused on what the original motive was, and the exact situation that had been occurring. I wish it was all wrapped up with a little bit more clarity.

Summer lake houses, families with power and money. This was an easy, quick summer read.

Faith is hoping to finally corner very rich Daniel, her boyfriend of a just a few months, into marriage. She'd like the easy life - full of money, parties, and nice clothing. She's so excited to go to this island, meet her boyfriend's family, and take this amazing vacation for all of summer. She'd love a proposal.

Henry has lived on his little rock in the water on this island. He's cut himself off from the locals and just sits in his house and he watches. He has a high power telescope and he watches. Nothing gets by him.

And Orla. Something terrible happened on this island on the lake - years ago - and she has been forever changed by it. She lost her best friend, that night, and has forever lived in her shadow since, and the life they should have had as best friends together.

These 3 POV complete the story. It's easy, a bit predictable, and a pretty fast read. I won't say that it completely stands out in the sea of other summer lake house mysteries but it was entertaining. I liked it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

3.5!

Admittedly this took me longer to get into than her others with the multiple POVs and time jumps, but it did have everything you need for an easy poolside mystery: New England beach town, summer getaway, 4th of July parties, a missing person, lots of money, and LOTS of secrets. I'm sad to say I didn’t love it as much as her first two, but I will absolutely keep reading everything she writes!

I did not finish this one. It felt to familiar and similar to so many other popcorn thrillers that I became bored.

Thank you @netgalley for my copy.

Rounded up from 2.75

Slow mover and some inconsistencies. Still quick, so I read through.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this read!

Think Lucy Foley with a dash of Elin Hilderbrand.

It was fast-paced with a twist that genuinely caught me off guard. While much of the plot unfolded as expected, that final, gasp-worthy moment made it all worthwhile.

I especially appreciated the use of three different POVs; it added a compelling depth to the story. The setting was rich and immersive, pulling me in from the beginning. The small town island atmosphere really brought a great tension and added to the overall intrigue.

A great beach mystery read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dead of Summer was an entertaining poolside summer read, and I breezed thru it in a day!

I loved the premise of a mystery from the past still haunting the present and almost everyone holding onto secrets and telling half truths. The mystery being set against the backdrop of a small New England island made this a story I couldn't resist. The plot was predictable at times, but short chapters and multiple POVs kept the story flowing at a swift pace.

The summer vibes were strong with this one, and it was exactly the type of fun, easy read that feeds my summer thriller mood.

I loved this one! If you love rich people doing bad things.. you'll love this one!

Orla O’Connor hasn’t been to the isolated New England enclave of Hadley Island since she graduated from high school a decade ago. As a teenager, her best friend Alice disappeared from its shores without a trace—but with plenty of rumors. Now Orla returns to her family’s beachfront home to clean it out before her parents sell it. The island and her best friend’s empty house next door are stirring up memories she would like to avoid.

This told in 3 peoples POV's.. Orla, Faith and Henry. I loved reading each persons POV and this was fast paced popcorn thriller. I was able to predict the big twist but that's ok. I kept turning the page to see what was going to happen next.

Another great one from Jess Maxwell. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you Atria Books for an early copy of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback! This book will release on July 22nd 2025 🧚🏻‍♀️

This is a fun little summer thriller! Didn’t blow me out of the water, but it was definitely immersive and gripping enough to keep me reading. We follow young women Orla and Faith, and reclusive long-time island resident Henry, all with some relation to the mysterious and filthy rich Clarke family who vacations on said east coast getaway island every summer. Everyone ending up on the island at once, even the ones who tried to leave it behind, each character unfolds their secrets and their account of what happened one summer years ago when a local girl named Alice went missing. Alice, best friends with childhood neighbor Orla, and David, heir to the Clarke family business, is always a lingering piece of David and Orla’s story, both in the past and present. Faith, David’s soon to be fiancée, is discovering how much she doesn’t know about David’s past, despite his famous family legacy. Henry, the assumed suspect in Alice’s murder, though never convicted, is ostracized by the island and lives his days on a small archipelago in silence, left to watch the rest of the island’s happenings through a telescope. All thrown together on the island for the first time since Alice’s disappearance/assumed murder, secrets found while undercover sleuthing and mysterious circumstances haunting our characters put everyone with a history on the island on edge.

This wasn’t a bad thriller by any means, it just fell a teeny bit flat for me at the end, everything sort of happened so quickly and a little too perfectly that there was no real shock, especially since I guessed the twist about 3/4ths of the way through the story. Also, the flow of the story was a bit tricky to follow sometimes with the different points of view all occasionally telling the stories of their past in a way that wasn’t super clearly defined or separated from the present story. That said, this novel is definitely still worth the time it took to read it! It just wasn’t life changing, and that’s okay! This was a breezy summer thriller, and I coincidentally chose to read it at the perfect time, right around the 4th of July which was the exact time the book took place as well. I would recommend to any mystery/thriller lovers looking for a last bite of summer before the spook of fall overtakes us 🎃