Dead of Summer had the eerie, summery island vibes I was hoping for, but the story didn’t totally land for me. The writing was good and I loved the island setting, but I just couldn’t connect with the characters, they were either overly unlikable or way too dramatic, so I didn’t really care who killed who in the end.

The mystery had some fun twists, even if most of them were pretty easy to guess. It’s not a super twisty thriller or cozy mystery; it kind of sits somewhere in between. The story took a bit to get going, but once the secrets started unraveling, I was more into it. If you want a quick thriller beach read with some drama and mystery, this could be a fun one to choose. Not my fave from Jessa Maxwell, but I will still continue to read her work.

Give me anything set on a remote island in New England... the summer atmospheric vibes are immaculate. The multiple POVs worked well here to build tension, and the story moves along at a fast pace, never losing steam. Unfortunately the story has been told many times before, and the plot twists and final reveal are predictable (and overdone in the genre).