One dark summer is brilliantly written and narrated. it is dark and twisty with multiple timelines. The twists were not predictable at all. A thrilling listen!
Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stroughton for my ALC in return for my honest review.

Dark and twisty from start to finish. I absolutely loved this and couldn’t get enough of the dual timeline multiple POV’s. Books about twins always fascinate me so I was excited to read and it absolutely didn’t disappoint. I didn’t see any of the twists coming and found the book fast paced and kept me gripped. I will say as a mum of young children I found the last chapter very triggering so maybe we mindful of that but overall brilliant book

I did this as an audio book and the narration was great

Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stroughton for my ALC in return for my honest review.

When she was four years old, Lily's mother, Penny, walked out the family home and never returned. But years later, when Lily learns her mum's family used to own a holiday home on Osea Island, she can't resist booking a last-minute trip, hoping to finally find a connection to her mother. But Osea is no ordinary place. Tidal and remote, it keeps its secrets close. As Lily begins to peel back layers of the past, she uncovers a web of silence, betrayal, and pain stretching back twenty-five years. The island holds the truth of what really happened to Penny and why she never made it back home. But some secrets aren't buried in the past. Nor are they still on the island. Some are closer than Lily ever imagined.

After reading Bad Blood last year by this author I knew I’d want to read more from her in the future and have eagerly awaited this new upcoming release.

Right from the start the intrigue levels are high as the reader gets their head around the different characters and what is happening. Told through varying alternating character POV chapters, sharing snippets of the past in flashbacks alongside the present day events, it was evident this book has you drawn in completely.

It’s hard to say too much about the plot without giving spoilers away and this is definitely a title you want to go into not knowing what is coming. I did figure out the twist halfway through but I still never expected events to unfold further and the last quarter totally ramps up the pace, tension and suspense to the max!

The mystery character POV chapters were a very clever addition, I was completely engrossed as to how this fitted into the overall story, I think this element definitely helps the reader to piece the full picture together in the long run. None of the characters are particularly likeable but neither are they meant to be, the narration does a fabulous job of bringing them all to life, particularly through the parts when everything is falling into place in the concluding sections.

A really enjoyable read and I look forward to what comes next from Sarah!

⭐⭐⭐⭐. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
Good book and loved the narrator.

The story follows Lily travelling to a remote island to try and find out the truth about what happened to her mum. I thought the premise was really interesting and it kept me wanting to know what was going to be revealed next.

The isolated island setting worked really well and added to the tension throughout. I liked the gradual uncovering of secrets and the realisation was good, although I did guess the twist quite a while before it was revealed.