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.

I adored the Golden Spoon so very much and was excited to read another Jess book. She has a good writing technique and the bouncing characters worked well for the story. The FMC wasn’t as fleshed out as I would have liked and the relationship with David just seemed, there, with no real chemistry. But the story was enjoyable, despite figuring out early on who Elena was.

As someone who is a big fan Jessa Maxwell and her previous novels, I was super excited to get an ARC of her new one. I really enjoyed the Martha’s Vineyard-esque setting of the island and the multiple POVS. I ended up finishing super quickly just because I wanted to know what was going on. Unfortunately, I didn’t really feel like much happened during the book to make it stand out amongst other thrillers I’ve read. I also guessed every single plot twist in advance so I didn’t really get the shock factor that I enjoy when I read thrillers. I would still recommend reading it if you’re looking for a quick thriller to read by the pool or at the beach this summer though!

Jessa Maxwell gives another great read. The story goes from past to present, has a murder, a creepy old man accused of a crime, but the twists in this book will keep you reading to the wee hours of the night.

I think this is a quick read. It was a good thriller and got to the point quickly. It’s good if you want a quickly read. It might be a little predictable but it was still a good read.

Have been looking for the perfect summer thriller and I cannot wait to add this to my tbr!

Thank you Atria Books and Netgally for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC. This was a multi POV, island summer, popcorn thriller. It’s a quick read with some predictable twists. Some minor plot holes and some parts I couldn’t tell if they were past or present. Another round of editing would do this one well. It’s a quick read and a good little mystery. However, I figured out the final twist pretty early on. Second book I’ve read from this author and I’d probably read more in the future.

All in all it wasn't a bad read, but it didn't hit the spot for me. The plot itself was pretty good and the idea of the book pulled me in. When I got to reading though it just felt predictable. I figured out where it was heading too early on for my liking, but maybe other people will enjoy the twists more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC