Sun Damage
The most suspenseful crime thriller of 2023 from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lie With Me - 'perfect poolside reading' The Guardian
Published on 25. May 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-1-4736-8173-6 (ISBN)
Description
**THE EXPLOSIVE NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR**
The perfect holiday. The perfect crime...
When Ali has the chance to stay at a beautiful house in the south of France, she jumps at it.
But not everything is as it seems.
Surrounded by a group of wealthy friends, Ali blends expertly into the background.
She's watching them all.
And she isn't the only one interested.
The heat rises. The pool shimmers. Secrets are exposed.
And Ali must face up to the biggest lie of all: herself.
Readers love Sabine Durrant:
''I've read all of this author's books and enjoyed them. Thank you Sabine Durrant for a great read.'' meggies mum, ?????
''Oh I adored this novel, I raced through it in a day and bit. I was enraptured and it's definitely a winner.'' Lolly130612, ?????
''Could not put this down. Brilliant lead characters and such a clever plot. I love this author and this is my favourite so far - sunshine and suspense - a winning combination!'' Booklover, ?????
''This is a perfect holiday read set in a Villa in the South of France! Sabine Durrant's characters always have something to hide and those in SUN DAMAGE are no exception to this.'' Annette C, ?????
''I always look forward to a new book from this talented author, and SUN DAMAGE lived up to every expectation. It was my final read during my recent holiday in Corfu and the descriptions of the searing heat of the French setting was exquisitely done, especially as the temperatures in Greece soared that week too.'' Lincs Reader, ?????
''SUN DAMAGE is the perfect holiday read, not least because of how it is set against the languid backdrop of beaches and cafes, market towns and lazy lunches at a house share (with a pool, of course) in the South of France. After so many years without such a getaway insight, I felt I was more transported with each page.'' Melanie Garrett, ?????
''Sabine Durrant never disappoints and her new novel SUN DAMAGE is excellent, with an atmospheric setting, believable characters and twisty plot. I found the little observations about human nature quite fascinating, almost like surreptitious people watching.'' Lovebooks, ?????
'Written with Durrant's usual acuity, Sun Damage is an attractive two-for-one deal: smart observation of family life and Brits abroad in the middle, bookended by a Highsmithian thriller' SUNDAY TIMES
'Plenty of Ripleyish peril to keep the nerves on edge' CLARE CHAMBERS
'No one creates characters like Sabine Durrant' CLARE MACKINTOSH
'I tore through Sun Damage!' SJ WATSON
'Claustrophobic and suspenseful, with an engaging narrator and a satisfying twist: perfect poolside reading' GUARDIAN
'Sensuously atmospheric, Sun Damage is a twisty thriller with the added delight of acute social comedy. Without doubt Sabine Durrant's best novel yet' GILL HORNBY
'The suspense sizzles off every page' ERIN KELLY
'One of our best thriller writers' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
'An exploration of vulnerability, trickery and cruel dishonesty ... the ending gives great satisfaction' LITERARY REVIEW
'Secrets and tensions rise along with the temperature until they reach boiling point' RED
'Absorbing, intriguing, with great twists and pace, SUN DAMAGE is a wonderful rollercoaster of a read' B.A. PARIS
'Durrant is relentless with the suspense ... superbly controlled, a novel that's obsidian dark under the blazing French sun' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
The perfect holiday. The perfect crime...
When Ali has the chance to stay at a beautiful house in the south of France, she jumps at it.
But not everything is as it seems.
Surrounded by a group of wealthy friends, Ali blends expertly into the background.
She's watching them all.
And she isn't the only one interested.
The heat rises. The pool shimmers. Secrets are exposed.
And Ali must face up to the biggest lie of all: herself.
Readers love Sabine Durrant:
''I've read all of this author's books and enjoyed them. Thank you Sabine Durrant for a great read.'' meggies mum, ?????
''Oh I adored this novel, I raced through it in a day and bit. I was enraptured and it's definitely a winner.'' Lolly130612, ?????
''Could not put this down. Brilliant lead characters and such a clever plot. I love this author and this is my favourite so far - sunshine and suspense - a winning combination!'' Booklover, ?????
''This is a perfect holiday read set in a Villa in the South of France! Sabine Durrant's characters always have something to hide and those in SUN DAMAGE are no exception to this.'' Annette C, ?????
''I always look forward to a new book from this talented author, and SUN DAMAGE lived up to every expectation. It was my final read during my recent holiday in Corfu and the descriptions of the searing heat of the French setting was exquisitely done, especially as the temperatures in Greece soared that week too.'' Lincs Reader, ?????
''SUN DAMAGE is the perfect holiday read, not least because of how it is set against the languid backdrop of beaches and cafes, market towns and lazy lunches at a house share (with a pool, of course) in the South of France. After so many years without such a getaway insight, I felt I was more transported with each page.'' Melanie Garrett, ?????
''Sabine Durrant never disappoints and her new novel SUN DAMAGE is excellent, with an atmospheric setting, believable characters and twisty plot. I found the little observations about human nature quite fascinating, almost like surreptitious people watching.'' Lovebooks, ?????
'Written with Durrant's usual acuity, Sun Damage is an attractive two-for-one deal: smart observation of family life and Brits abroad in the middle, bookended by a Highsmithian thriller' SUNDAY TIMES
'Plenty of Ripleyish peril to keep the nerves on edge' CLARE CHAMBERS
'No one creates characters like Sabine Durrant' CLARE MACKINTOSH
'I tore through Sun Damage!' SJ WATSON
'Claustrophobic and suspenseful, with an engaging narrator and a satisfying twist: perfect poolside reading' GUARDIAN
'Sensuously atmospheric, Sun Damage is a twisty thriller with the added delight of acute social comedy. Without doubt Sabine Durrant's best novel yet' GILL HORNBY
'The suspense sizzles off every page' ERIN KELLY
'One of our best thriller writers' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
'An exploration of vulnerability, trickery and cruel dishonesty ... the ending gives great satisfaction' LITERARY REVIEW
'Secrets and tensions rise along with the temperature until they reach boiling point' RED
'Absorbing, intriguing, with great twists and pace, SUN DAMAGE is a wonderful rollercoaster of a read' B.A. PARIS
'Durrant is relentless with the suspense ... superbly controlled, a novel that's obsidian dark under the blazing French sun' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
Reviews / Votes
Secrets and tensions rise along with the temperature until they reach boiling point * Red * Another masterful trouble-in-paradise book from Sabine Durrant, whose sharp observations strip bare the darkness we all try to hide. The suspense sizzles off every page * Erin kelly * Plenty of Ripleyish peril to keep the nerves on edge * Clare Chambers * Sun-soaked brilliance * Sarah Hilary * Absorbing, intriguing, with great twists and pace, SUN DAMAGE is a wonderful rollercoaster of a read * B.A. Paris * Gripping . . . Full of twists, secrets and tension * My Weekly * Pacy and intriguing, this has a sizzling tension all the way through * Fabulous * A masterclass of slow-burning psychological suspense, packed with intrigue and full of the most delightfully unreliable narrators one could ever wish to meet . . . It is an intricately woven book of many layers, in which Durrant ponders questions around the nature of guilt, culpability and coercive control, all wrapped up in a wonderfully addictive story. It should come with a warning, since believe me, once you start, you'll resent everyone and anything that drags you away from reading it * Perspective Magazine * Sun Damage is gloriously teasing, and is just about the most exciting and obsessively readable book to have passed through my fingers for eons . . . an absolute roller coaster of a book, where every page holds a shock, a surprise or a horror * On Magazine * One of our best thriller writers returns with a multi-layered novel that keeps readers on the back foot throughout * Good Housekeeping * Dream-holiday-nightmare . . . will make queuing at the airport feel much quicker * Sunday Times Crime Club * Tangled'n'twisty * Peterborough Telegraph * Written with Durrant's usual acuity, Sun Damage is an attractive two-for-one deal: smart observation of family life and Brits abroad in the middle, bookended by a Highsmithian thriller * The Sunday Times * An exploration of vulnerability, trickery and cruel dishonesty * Literary Review * The premise is so interested and the characters so divisive that you'll want to keep reading * Belfast Telegraph * A sizzling thriller * Bella * Escapist thriller * HELLO Magazine * Essential holiday reading material * Closer * Claustrophobic and suspenseful, with an engaging narrator and a satisfying twist: perfect poolside reading * The Guardian * A brilliant read with twists and turns up to the last page * Yours * A merciless portrayal of privileged English abroad leavens a tense and fiendish thriller. Yikes! * Saga, Book of the Month * Ideal for a sun lounger at home or abroad * The Times, Audiobook of the Week * Durrant is relentless with the suspense . . . superbly controlled, a novel that's obsidian dark under the blazing French sun * Sunday Independent * Durrant confirms her status as one of Britain's best thriller writers * Reader's Digest * Sabine Durrant is one of the greatest thriller writers of our generation and this is her at her scorching, gripping, unputdownable best. Sun Damage is brilliantly plotted, but it is Durrant's graceful yet probing descriptions of place and class, her insight into families and couples and what lies beneath, and her painting of settings so exquisite that you feel you're really there that make this book so incredibly satisfying and enjoyable. 5*! -- Lisa JewellMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 193 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
286 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4736-8173-6 (9781473681736)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Sabine Durrant
Sun Damage
The most suspenseful crime thriller of 2026 from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lie With Me and Dead Heat
E-Book
06/2022
Hodder & Stoughton
€7.99
Available for download
Person
WE ALL NEED TO GET AWAY SOMETIMES ...
A house in the south of France
A group of wealthy friends
And the woman watching their every move...
As the heat rises, the layers peel away to expose the one thing nobody on this holiday can escape: the truth.
'Written with Durrant's usual acuity, Sun Damage is an attractive two-for-one deal: smart observation of family life and Brits abroad in the middle, bookended by a Highsmithian thriller'SUNDAY TIMES
' Plenty of Ripleyish peril to keep the nerves on edge' CLARE CHAMBERS
'I tore through Sun Damage!' SJ WATSON
'Claustrophobic and suspenseful, with an engaging narrator and a satisfying twist: perfect poolside reading' GUARDIAN
'Sensuously atmospheric, Sun Damage is a twisty thriller with the added delight of acute social comedy. Without doubt Sabine Durrant's best novel yet' GILL HORNBY
'The suspense sizzles off every page' ERIN KELLY
'One of our best thriller writers' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
'An exploration of vulnerability, trickery and cruel dishonesty ... the ending gives great satisfaction' LITERARY REVIEW
'Secrets and tensions rise along with the temperature until they reach boiling point' RED
'Absorbing, intriguing, with great twists and pace, SUN DAMAGE is a wonderful rollercoaster of a read' B.A. PARIS
'Durrant is relentless with the suspense ... superbly controlled, a novel that's obsidian dark under the blazing French sun'SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
A house in the south of France
A group of wealthy friends
And the woman watching their every move...
As the heat rises, the layers peel away to expose the one thing nobody on this holiday can escape: the truth.
'Written with Durrant's usual acuity, Sun Damage is an attractive two-for-one deal: smart observation of family life and Brits abroad in the middle, bookended by a Highsmithian thriller'SUNDAY TIMES
' Plenty of Ripleyish peril to keep the nerves on edge' CLARE CHAMBERS
'I tore through Sun Damage!' SJ WATSON
'Claustrophobic and suspenseful, with an engaging narrator and a satisfying twist: perfect poolside reading' GUARDIAN
'Sensuously atmospheric, Sun Damage is a twisty thriller with the added delight of acute social comedy. Without doubt Sabine Durrant's best novel yet' GILL HORNBY
'The suspense sizzles off every page' ERIN KELLY
'One of our best thriller writers' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
'An exploration of vulnerability, trickery and cruel dishonesty ... the ending gives great satisfaction' LITERARY REVIEW
'Secrets and tensions rise along with the temperature until they reach boiling point' RED
'Absorbing, intriguing, with great twists and pace, SUN DAMAGE is a wonderful rollercoaster of a read' B.A. PARIS
'Durrant is relentless with the suspense ... superbly controlled, a novel that's obsidian dark under the blazing French sun'SUNDAY INDEPENDENT