I loved this book. There was so much going on and it kept me guessing and wondering right until t the end. Lovely writing and complex characters. I will definitely read more books by this author.

The reader meets young Judy in June 1985, living with her aunt in her New York apartment. She left England, and her mother, looking for a better life but continues to exist by lying and stealing. Having spotted an interesting article about a wealthy, handsome widower in Cape Cod she plans her “escape” from New York - she steals money from her aunt, an unlocked car in the street below the apartment and heads north , continue to lie and steal as she goes!

We then meet Francesca, a well known and respected solicitor in London in 2024 and soon discover that she is Judy’s daughter. Francesca is being pursued by paparazzi reporters from whom she learns that the police are searching for her mother who is being accused of murdering a policeman in France. Francesca frantically but unsuccessfully tries to locate her mother …..

Charlotte Philby has written a superb novel of love and intrigue with numerous twists and turns. How will life for both mother and daughter finally turn out and will they eventually find each other??

This is definitely a 5* novel that I couldn’t put down.

I enjoyed this family saga although some of the characters did not ring true.

Occasionally confusing with multiple time shits but the ending drew all the loose end together well and I recommend this book

A twisty, beautiful and multigenerational thriller which has such a sultry atmosphere, a sense of dread from the beginning and a slowly unravelling, engrossing story about love, loyalty and independence, It went in a direction I didn't expect, I loved the character of Judy, and I loved the slow unravelling of everything.

Charlotte Philby is such a brilliant writer.. I’ve loved all of her books and I just ate up The End of Summer like a delicious ice cream. Deserves to be a huge success.

A clever, stylish and tricksome literary thriller that I predict will be the talk of the summer. Glamorous and engrossing.

I thought this started off well and was intrigued to find out what the big secret is, then this was revealed early on and the story was more about how the events lead up to the big secret and if Judy really did kill her husband. I'm not a fan of books that flick between past and present and I can lose interest quickly if my attention was not held and that's what happened here. I just felt that this book was needed and could have been told in a more interesting way.

Charlotte Philby draws the reader right into her newest novel. The prologue sets the stage for a twisty tale. Who is Judy? What has she done that has led her to her actions? How will her choices reverberate for her daughter? What does it mean to have a past invade the present? Find out in this novel. It would make for a good summer read.

Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for this title. All opinions are my own.

Charlotte Philby can do no wrong in my opinion.. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all her very cleverly plotted books, and her latest publication, “The end of summer”, is another cracker.

Judy McVee is a grifter and a grafter, a woman obsessed with making her own way in the world, without ever having to rely on a man for financial support. That is until she meets and falls head over heels in love with her latest target, Rory Harrington, a wealthy American widower. They marry, become parents and live a lavish life of privilege, moving between their homes in the Languedoc, France and Kensington, London. All the time, Judy is constantly looking over her shoulder, as her past threatens to catch up with her. Can Judy outwit them all one last time?

This is a whip smart, multi-layered book. Philby has very cleverly laid just enough clues throughout to keep the reader fully engrossed. It’s a very clever plot, and avoids many of the clichés of today’s psychological thrillers. Just when you think you know what’s happening next, Philby brings you in an entirely unexpected direction. I predict this will be a big summer hit; eminently readable, smart and engrossing. Many thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this advance copy in return for my honest review. This book is published on 20 June 2024.

Judy McVee's daughter Francesca is struggling to reconcile the knowledge of the mother she has always known with the person about whom there is currently a media firestorm underway.

With her past decisions now returning to haunt her, Judy must figure out who she really is and how to manage the fallout from her secrets and salvage her relationship with her daughter, who has issues of her own.

Divided into three parts, the story shifts between the voices of the key characters and different timelines. The characters are well-drawn, the storytelling engaging. This one is worth a read. It gets 3.5 stars.

This is a superb book that was hard to put down. I’ve not read a book like this for a while so it was quite a thrill.

The book is split into three parts and each part changes between the voices of the two main characters and different time periods. Sometimes repeatedly swapping like this can be irritating or confusing but not here, it just keeps you wanting to read more. All of the characters are well-rounded and intriguing, the dialogue is believable and the prose easy to read. I didn’t see the plot twists coming. I would really recommend this book.

Thanks to the author, publishers & NetGalley for access to this arc in return for an honest review.

This book had me gripped right away as I discovered we learn of the secrets of both Judy and Francesca, a thrilling read overall.