Absolutely Loved! This is Jessa's best book yet!

Faith and David have been dating for a year when David invites her to visit his father's summer home on Hadley Island. Hadley is the place to be SEEN if you are wealthy. At first Faith is swept away by the glitz and glam of the home and lifestyle, but after a few days, David seems more and more distant. His father Geoffrey keeps him busy and away from Faith. Because Faith is left to her own devices, she explores the island, and meets people in the local bar. While there, she hears about a girl, Alice Gallo, who went missing a few years earlier, and a quirky older recluse who was accused of killing her. And when another local girl Gemma disappears, Faith begins to wonder if David's dad is involved.

When Geoffrey decides to host their annual July 4th soiree which hasn't been hosted since the night of Alice's disappearance, all of the wealthy show up for the party, including Orla who's held a flame for David since they were kids, as well as being Alice's former best friend, That night, a shocking announcement is made as well as a shocking discovery that puts Faith's life and potential future in danger.

This book I could not put down loved it from beginning to end. I would highly recommend!! This isn't like something ie read before.

Good little mystery but definitely not my favorite. Might be good for a beach day. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

2.3

If you’re looking for a slow burn ‘mysteread’ with summer vibes, this book is for you! This is not, however, a thriller.

The building of tension and oddities kept the story moving. Slowly but it still moved. The ‘reveals’ were easily spotted unfortunately which can take the fun out of a mystery but there is one type of troupe in this book that frustrates me every single time I read it. It’s when a character makes ALL THE WRONG CHOICES and cannot communicate thus causing artificial tension. Now before you come for me, yes the character is awkward and perhaps succumbed to shock and fear…HOWEVER it still irks me regardless. It is what it is 🤷🏽‍♀️

Random observation - there was one chapter where one character ’stood to leave’ three times in one scene but never sat down between the other times. I think that may have been missed by proofreading.

The end got a little corny and honestly made part of the book not make sense…because if we, the readers, could read the character’s thoughts then…was one of the characters lying to themselves??? (I’m trying not to spoil anything 🫠).

Also, another observation…how was a character rescued in one chapter but two chapters later need to be found again with no details regarding how they were still lost? Like…you just talked to them. Like JUST talked to them - when did they go missing…again?

*sigh* honestly if slow burn mystery’s are not your thing, I am not sure if this is for you. I wanted this to be really good but it really was just okay.

TW: some language, implied child SA but no details, mental health issues

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC 🥰

Another excellent Jessa Maxwell book! I love how unique her stories are.

“Dead of Summer” is a quick, popcorn thriller. The book was paced nicely. I enjoyed how all 3 POVs weaved together nicely and was also thankful that there wasn’t a huge cast of characters to weigh the book down. It had perfect summer atmospheric vibes.

While the end was a little predictable, I still heavily enjoyed this read. Definitely recommend this book for a beach day, it’s the perfect read!

The Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell is a slow-burn thriller that blends a suspenseful atmosphere with the hazy allure of summer. Set on a remote island in New England, the novel is steeped in secrets, lies, and the influence of old money and power.

Told through three distinct points of view, the story follows Orla, who returns to the island to sell her family home after years away. Years spent haunted by the disappearance of her childhood best friend that fateful July. Then there’s Henry, a man who has lived in isolation ever since being suspected of involvement in the disappearance. Finally, Faith arrives on the island with her boyfriend David, whose wealthy family wields considerable influence both locally and beyond. As the three navigate a new summer, the past refuses to stay buried. Then another girls goes missing.

Maxwell expertly weaves a narrative filled with shifting suspicions and unsettling revelations, keeping readers engaged as layers of deception unfold in this slow burn story. The novel offers plenty of secrets to uncover along the way.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

I really love Jessa's writing. Her thrillers are so well written. I will say I guess the plot twist, but I still had so much fun reading this! The characters have so much depth to them and I was really brought into the story.


Links to come!

I really enjoyed the plot of Dead of Summer, it kept me hooked from the start with its eerie atmosphere and gradual build-up. The foreshadowing leading up to the twist was really well done; it made the reveal satisfying without feeling too obvious. I especially loved the use of flashbacks to add depth and context, they added a haunting layer to the story and made things feel more personal.

That said, I did find myself wanting to get to know the characters a little better. While the plot was strong, I think a bit more character development would have made the emotional moments hit even harder. Also, the transitions between past and present were occasionally confusing, which pulled me out of the story at times.

Overall, though, it was a compelling read with a lot to like. If you're into twisty, atmospheric mysteries with a hint of the past creeping into the present, this one's worth picking up.

Alice mysteriously disappeared 15 years ago after last being seen in the ocean. Faith is finally invited to her (very wealthy) boyfriend’s family getaway island. Orla has come back to the island to clear out her old family home. Henry hasn’t left his home in 15 years, with everyone believing he had something to do with Alice’s disappearance. What secrets does this island hold? We’re about to find out..

This was an exciting read, literally finished it in one sitting! A story told from multiple POVs, I really felt like I was learning all the details about what happened 15 years ago and in the present. A twisty, tense thriller, I found myself constantly turning the pages, wondering what I’d learn next! I did end up guessing a few of the twists but that did not take away from the enjoyment I had reading this. Looking forward to buying the finished version book upon its release date and will definitely be recommending it to everyone!

Another mystery to add to your TBRs!

While this one did start off a bit slow for me, it really picked up and I enjoyed the story. I thought the setting was fun, the multiple POV flowed well and gave a full perspective of the story, and each character was different and intriguing. I would’ve enjoyed a bit more closure at the end, just some additional pages of the aftermath. But regardless this is a read I would recommend for fans of lighter mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

I fell in love with Maxwell's debut THE GOLDEN SPOON. Her sophomore novel was similar - kind of a quiet thriller and a little on the cozy side but not really? She has a very distinct style that was further solidified with this novel.

We follow a few characters on Hadley Island - Orla (whose best friend went missing years ago, presumed dead), Henry (the man accused of killing her friend Alice), and Faith (joining her rich boyfriend David for the summer at their mansion). Their POVs alternate to give us a full picture of what's happening on the island, where Orla is returning for the first time since she moved to NYC. This sets a bunch of things in motion and will eventually tie everyone together and solve the mystery of what happened to Alice.

I'm a sucker for a coastal New England kind of book and this had it in spades. It was super atmospheric with the small island setting, everyone-knows-everyone. There's a lot of build up and scene/character-setting through more than half of the book. Nothing really spooky or edge-of-your seat kind of happens until after 60%. I'm okay with this since I've come to expect it from Maxwell's books.

Overall this book was pretty good, albeit predictable. I figured out a few things along the way. I was generally interested the entire time while reading but I don’t think it’s an unputdownable thriller, much like her others!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the arc of this book. This is the first book I have read by Jessa Maxwell and I will be seeking out more. This book is a thriller with mysterious vibe. The book had a few twists and turns I did not see coming until right as they were starting to happen. I read this book in two sittings and did not want to put it down. This book is told from multiple points of view which I think added to the book. This was a great quick read. Perfect for a beach day read.

Book started off slow but I kept going! And I’m glad that I did! The ending kept you guessing until the very end!

Read this one in a day.
Great pacing.
A bit predictable, but sometimes that’s kind of nice.
Beautiful scenery.
Total summer vibes.
Loved it.
Faith is going to her wealthy boyfriend’s (David) summer home on the east coast. She is so excited, until David’s father repeatedly interrupts their time together with work.
Faith is left on her own to discover secrets of the island, some her seemingly innocent boyfriend might be involved in.
Such a great fast paced summer read! Thank you netgalley and atria publishing for the advance read!

This was a good, solid suspense. Some of it was somewhat predictable, but all together was a pretty good story. Lots of connections through the story help keep you engaged. If you like thrillers, you'd appreciate this one.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A quick and easy summer read, Dead of Summer is a great book for someone who just wants a thriller that easy to digest. While I found the pacing a little slow for my liking, I thought Jessa Maxwell did a decent job constructing the mystery around a wealthy family and two "outsiders" who have crossed paths. There were a few red herrings thrown in and a relatively predictable twist (especially for the frequent mystery reader) but Dead of Summer kept me engaged.

I would recommend this book to someone who wanted a read that had airs of mystery and intrigue but doesn't want to work through violence. Easy to read chapters that are clearly marked from the character's perspective, I found myself moving through Dead of Summer quickly.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As someone who grew up watching the original I Know What You Did Last Summer movies, I'm all in for a secrets-among-friends seasonal mystery? This was a slower burn than Maxwell's last book, which I really enjoyed, but you could see how it was all weaving together to understand how past decisions informed the present.

I absolutly loved this read--I love a good thrilling mystery that I can't put down and this was just that. This was a new author to me, so loved exploring her work. Thanks so much for the gifted copy.

This was good but don’t know if I would read it again. It deserves 3/5 stars, thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book to read!

This was a book that started slowly and picked up speed like a boulder running down a hill, moving ever faster to the conclusion. The author's ability to use the language to characterize different cultural and economic groups was excellent; being able to place a character according to the shoes that were being worn or the drink they ordered. The setting in the New York City art scene didn't capture me, but as they moved into the vacation area it was easier for me to relate. I had difficulty initially getting into the story , but I'm glad that I didn't stop because about half way in I was on a roller coaster of a ride trying to figure out what crime, if any, was done, if anyone would be held accountable and if another crime was going to happen before the end of the book. I did find most of the characters difficult to empathize with; they are either self-absorbed because of their wealth and power or self absorbed because of their history and their desire to get to wealth and power by trying to 'fit in'. The book reminds you that everyone has secrets and trauma, being rich just allows you to hide it better. The final third of the book was difficult to put down, and I found myself wondering what happened to all the characters afterward. It seemed that the author might have benefitted from asking an attorney about certain events because I'm not certain that certain events would work the way they were presented.
I was grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for writing an honest review. According to Amazon.com, Jessa Maxwell is the nationally bestselling author of The Golden Spoon, I Need You to Read This, and Dead of Summer. She is also the author and illustrator of five picture books for children. Her comics and cartoons have been published in The New Yorker and The New York Times and her writing has been published in Slate, Marie Claire, and many others. She now lives in Jamestown, Rhode Island, with her husband, two cats and three-legged dog.