The beginning is impactful and intriguing, drawing the reader into Judy's life and wondering who she truly is. Francesca is her daughter, embroiled in a media frenzy about her mother; Francesca needs to know the truth. Set over varying timelines and told from Judy and Francesca's viewpoints, this is an evocative literary thriller, detailed with complex characters whose layers hide secrets and fear. The storytelling is immersive, and it's addictive reading. I like the differing timelines and viewpoints that gradually lead the reader to the truth. I enjoyed the detail that brings the places and times to vibrant life and the plot's subtle twists that keep you invested in the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

@currentlyreading__
Book 44 of 2024

Thank you to @Netgalley, the author @charlotte_philby and @boroughpress for the e-copy of ‘The End of Summer’ in exchange for my opinions.

Well if there’s one way I can sum up this book it is multi-layered. Spanning decades and four generations Philby has written a book not only rich in plot and the settings of London, France, New York and Mexico, but the characterisation was spot-on as we flick between each of our female narrators.

It is the 80s and one of our female leads, Judy is a British scammer who learns that the rich American widower Rory Harrington is at a party in Cape Cod. She sets out to find him but she doesn’t bank on falling for him. But along with a life of luxury, she has access to Rory’s wealthy friends and is able to check out their treasured items at their parties. Suspicions arise but Judy always has answers.

Flash forward decades and we have their daughter Francesca receiving a call to say that her mother, now in the South of France, has murdered her father.

The plot unfolds beautifully and I can imagine this being one of those Russian-doll-esque dramas, stylish and escapist where you can’t help but love Judy.

A definite recommend if you like an absorbing family drama with twists and turns. This is a perfect summer read.


#bookworm #iamreading #bookreview #kindle #bookreviews #bibliophile #netgalley #theendofsummer #charlottephilby #thriller #escapistreads

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was a deliciously fun and juicy book and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves a good book with drama. I had never read a book by Charlotte Philby before, but now I can definitely say that this will not be the last book I read by her. This is a fun guilty pleasure beach read!

If romance - Tropes?

Read if you like

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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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This was a slow burner of a book.

Following Judy, a con artist and her daughter Fran.

The story flicks back and to between 3 timelines, the 80s, naughties and now. Told in either Judy or Frans povs.

The question is .. did Judy murder her husband?

I enjoyed this book and would recommend.

So I didn't know what to expect from this book....

It is definitely a slow burner, but I found myself unable to put it down.

All the information and back story you get in the book all comes good in the end.

I'm really excited to go back and read Charlotte Philby's back catalogue now.

Set between several timelines, The End of Summer follows Judy and her daughter Francesca. In the 1980’s young British woman Judy meets rich widower Rory in Cape Cod and the pair quickly become married and have a daughter.

Years later, Francesca gets a call - her mother has been arrested for murdering her father.

This is a twisty literary thriller that has airs of The Talented Mr Ripley, I loved the timeline of young Judy and reading about all her scheming - I definitely preferred the flashback timeline that focused on Judy but Francesca’s POV helped it all come together at the end.

On the surface this seems like a regular thriller but underneath it all it’s a story about motherhood and how a mother would do absolutely anything for her daughter.

The writing is compelling. Book is full of secrets, past tragedies, suspense and mystery. Characters have facades and the past is unsettling. Set in London, south of france and new york. The book has been divided into parts. There were perspectives of Judy and Francesca. The book is slow burn and it has twists. The secrets from the past, revelations and tragedy that consumed them all kept me on toes. There were so many heartbreaking moments and heart shattering memories.

Judy and Rory fell in love. They had a daughter Francesca. Judy had her own secrets while Rory was oblivion to them and as soon as he learned about them, he disappeared. Francesca is trying to find her father or get to the bottom of the mystery of his disappearance. While Judy is the one who might know the answers of Francesca’s questions. But she is afraid that her daughter will not approve her. Judy still feels the grief and unsettling emotions. The entire book was suspenseful and mysterious. The ending was shocking.

Thanks to the Author and Publisher

I've enjoyed the author's previous novels and The End of Summer is a little different to these. It's set over three timelines - 1985, 2000 and 2024 and moves between New York, Cape Cod, London and the South of France as the author tells the story of con artist and thief Judy and her daughter Francesca. It's a beautifully written, slow burn, multi layered novel that slowly drew me in. I loved the atmospheric feeling of the novel which really conjured up a sense of place and time. Judy is an intriguing character and far more interesting than Francesca. I did find the pace a little slow at times but was able to immerse myself in the characters and the settings.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

The End of Summer by Charlotte Philby
I enjoyed this novel by Charlotte Philby it features two main character – Judy and her daughter Francesca. There three main periods of time in which the book is set - 1985 when Judy leaves her Aunt’s house in New York and goes in search of a rich widower in Cape Cod. Then there is 2000 when Francesca is now a teenager and Judy is a successful wife and mother living in London. The last time period is 2024 when Judy has moved to the South of France and Francesca is a young mother in London.
The story is revealed piece by piece as we travel to each period of time and see different perspectives on the same events. The different laces in which the story unfolds are beautifully evoked and I found all of the characters were depicted very well. The only character who remained sketchy for me was Rory Harrington. I did not understand how he fell so swiftly for Judy or what had actually happened with his young wife. I also felt the storyline with Judy’s mother could have been more fully developed.
This was a good story with many twists and turns along the way and I was keen to find out how it would end. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

A nicely layered tale of a mother, daughter, and the past coming to haunt them both. This moves back and forth in time to tell Judy's story-she was a grifter who might (did she?) have also murdered-and that of her daughter Francesca. It's a good escapist read that's not too over the top but will keep you guessing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

This is a great beach read, full of drama and tension and mystery. The plot did fall a little flat for me in parts and I didn't think that it was anything special, but this would definitely be a great choice if you're looking for something easy to read.

Just read 'The End Of Summer' by Charlotte Philby due to be published soon.
I'd class this as a beach read ⭐⭐⭐
The plot is predictable enough but the characters and the settings, New York, Cape Cod, London, Languedoc, were enough to satisfy this reader 📚

The End of Summer by Charlotte Philby

Judy left England as a teenager and is lived with her aunt In New York City. Looking for ways to survive she starts scamming and stealing. Judy’s mother drummed it into her that it was wise for a woman to have her own money and never rely solely on a man. This lesson was well learned, but without any real qualifications or means of making money Judy has to be more creative. She’s a grifter, stealing here and scamming there. So when she sees a story in a newspaper about a rich resident of Cape Cod becoming a widower, she decides on her next mark. Judy finds her way to a vineyard in the same area, taking a job there and making herself known until the inevitable happens and she meets Rory. She plays it clever, doesn’t ask for anything and is never pushy or monopolises his time. She’s playing the long game because she wants him to fall for her, hook line and sinker. What she didn’t bank on was falling in love with him. When they marry she has access to some of the wealthiest people in the area so she’s easily sneaking the odd item from their home and from other society people to sell on through a fence. Every summer they spend in their chateau in France and one summer Rory’s asked to hold the local Wine Appreciation Society ball. Judy is left with a dilemma. Her fence in London is blackmailing her, asking her to provide details of the ball including exits and entrances of the chateau and a guest list of who’s attending. She doesn’t want to help, but when he threatens to tell husband Rory about her past she has no choice. As the burglary takes place, Judy is locked in a toilet cubicle listening to the melee. She’s devastated to hear shots and when she runs to look for Rory she finds herself in the aftermath with a man bleeding out on the floor who turns out to be one of the robbers. When he dies she laments that a young man has died because of her and she can’t shake it off. Years later, it’s in her French home that Judy receives the phone call, the one she’s dreaded and expected all at the same time. The police are looking into a murder, but is the victim the man in France?

When Judy’s daughter Francesca gets a visit from the police and journalists it’s like a bolt from the blue. She’s a lawyer, in London and is aghast when police inform her that her mother seems to have fled the country and is wanted for murder. Francesca is left bewildered and unsure what to do. Yet she knows she must protect her mother, after all her mother has always protected her. This is a smart thriller, that doesn’t fall into cliché territory. The two women’s narratives are layered over each other, with some in the present and others set in the past, taking us from the 1960s in Cape Cod, the 1980s in the South of France and the 2000s in Kensington, London. The author is very adept at giving out just enough information, drip feeding little clues here and there that keep you reading and keep you guessing. Then, suddenly, she wrong foots you with a different direction. I found Judy so fascinating that Francesca suffered a bit in comparison. Not only is Judy beautiful, she’s a smart cookie. She can think on her feet and gets out of the tightest spots, her adrenaline running so high that my heart raced on occasions. She’s the female equivalent of the ruggedly handsome rogue, with a habit of stealing from the rich like a modern day Robin Hood. I love that the author gives her this free-spirited autonomy. She wears a mask at times, but after several years with Rory has relaxed a bit, only for a person from the past to find her. There is only one woman who suspects Judy might not be all she seems and she won’t let go of her suspicions, even taking them to the grave. I loved the allusions to Lady Audley’s Secret a Victorian ‘sensation’ novel based around the fact that Lady Audley is living a lie and may be found out. It’s a book I read at university and I was so shocked by how easy to read it was. It wasn’t slow and ponderous like other Victorian novels, it had pace and excitement just like a contemporary thriller. This is in that same tradition, but Judy has more freedom and status in today’s society. There’s less to lose, thanks to never relying solely on a man, but I was pretty sure that Judy would try her hardest to find a way out anyway. Is it wrong that the thought of her getting away with it made me smile?

I really liked this book. It’s set over a number of timelines, which are well marked (unlike some recently read other books). We encounter Judy a likeable con artist both in 2024 and in her past. We also meet Fran again now and in her teens. Both characters are well depicted and the plot twists were skillfully hidden. I will recommend to my friends.

Really enjoyed this, particularly the con woman aspect, and I also thought the twists were clever and layered. My first Charlotte Philby novel!

A thoroughly enjoyable story with lots of twists to keep you hooked in trying to work out where it will end. Leaving you also wanting that bit more....

Loved this book especially the character of Judy who embarks to ensnare a wealthy widow after reading about him in the paper. She is a very likeable character even though she is a con artist, you can't help but feel for her! Just how much longer can she live with all the lies and manipulation before someone finds out?

Many thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this. Will be looking for even more from Charlotte in the future!

Utterly absorbing. It was such a refreshing read. I found the protagonists likeable and different. I wasn’t sure how things were going to pan out so kept me on toes. Loved it.

Young Judy is a thief and a plotter who sets out to ensnare a wealthy widower to keep her in the style she wishes she were accustomed to!
Mature Judy is accused of murder - of the man she ended up falling in love with.
the story is told from multiple view and time points, some of which can make things a little too disjointed and confusing but mostly add to the story by providing more background.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

This one is an interesting, multi-layered book.

The book is split into three parts and each part changes between the voices of the two main characters and different time periods. I found at points, the repeatedly swapping got a tad confusing and little annoying.

However, I found the author did well in giving just enough clues throughout to keep the reader fully hooked. It’s a clever plot, with twists and turns throughout. Every time you think you know what’s happening, it brings you in an entirely unexpected direction.

I think this will be a hit over the summer. It’s well written, interesting and keeps you wanting more.