Claire and Holly's sisterhood has become strained after their mother's demise. So when Holly moves to Martha's Vineyard, Claire doesn't try to patch their relationship.
Little does she know that working for the millionaires on the island could prove to be dangerous for Holly. When her little sister's silence grows deeper, Claire goes looking for her, holding out hope that everything is fine.
Read if you like: mystery novels about a disappearance, non-linear storytelling, main character becoming a sleuth, themes of family estrangement & class hierarchy
A sudden disappearance and a fishy text message were the two plot points I needed to know before I decided to start reading The Summer Girl.
And Jenny Blackhurst does not disappoint!
Even though some aspects of the story were familiar to me, I could not set this book down. It is riveting in its pursuit of the truth, and the author has incorporated ample twists to keep the momentum going.
I liked the way the author has used plot devices to make the story less predictable. All the focus is usually pointed in a couple of directions, and it's only towards the end that you realise which piece of the puzzle was missing all along.
Copyright © 2023 Meera Nair
The author's writing is straightforward and doesn't have any fluff, which makes it a relatively fast-paced read.
After a point, the chapters from Holly's perspective started to become more and more compelling. I'd want to finish reading Claire's chapters and get to those asap!
You get the sense that most of the people in Martha's Vineyard are up to no good. And watching Holly get involved with them creates this air of foreboding that makes the narrative irresistible.
None of the characters in the book are particularly likeable. So keep that in mind. You'd also need trigger warnings for sexual assault, violence, and substance abuse.
I didn't like that Bobby's characterisation is all over the place.
One moment, he has a villainous reputation and Claire hates his guts, the next they are having a perfectly amiable conversation and he is made to look like someone who actually wants to help with finding Holly.
When I read mystery novels, I tend to cast my suspicion on all characters (like a wide net) and then form theories of why each of them could've done it.
Despite that, I couldn't figure out the ending because I didn't realise that that character's motive to commit a crime was this strong.
On the whole, I was really engaged while reading The Summer Girl, and I'll be keeping an eye out for the author's other works.
Note - I received an ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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