
The Summer We Lied
An atmospheric, twisty thriller from a blazing new talent
Rebecca Hardy(Author)
Raven Books (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 2. July 2026
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-0372-0174-5 (ISBN)
Description
'So many twists and turns it made my head spin' JENNIE GODFREY
'Rebecca Hardy is a blazing new talent' HOLLY SEDDON
Eighteen years ago teenager Alex sent a man to prison. She, and her two best friends from school, overheard the vicious murder of a mother and child, although only she took the stand in court.
But despite her evidence, there were always rumours that the wrong man had been imprisoned. That although he was someone not to be trusted, he wasn't a killer.
Alex has always known she did the right thing but when new DNA evidences comes to light and the conviction is overturned, the spotlight falls on her, the woman who sent him to jail. The woman whose mistake may have let the real killer evade justice for years.
And for Jonathan, Alex and Rachel, once friends for life, now strangers to one another, there are going to be many more secrets coming to light.
Because that summer, there were many different versions of the truth.
READERS LOVE THE SUMMER WE LIED:
'This deserves to be one of the standout thrillers of the year'
'I was hooked'
'Full of subtle twists, and peopled with flawed but relatable characters, this is a fantastic read'
'Deliciously dark. I couldn't put it down'
'An outstanding read'
'If there's one book to read this summer, this is the one'
'I found myself holding my breath'
'Rebecca Hardy is a blazing new talent' HOLLY SEDDON
Eighteen years ago teenager Alex sent a man to prison. She, and her two best friends from school, overheard the vicious murder of a mother and child, although only she took the stand in court.
But despite her evidence, there were always rumours that the wrong man had been imprisoned. That although he was someone not to be trusted, he wasn't a killer.
Alex has always known she did the right thing but when new DNA evidences comes to light and the conviction is overturned, the spotlight falls on her, the woman who sent him to jail. The woman whose mistake may have let the real killer evade justice for years.
And for Jonathan, Alex and Rachel, once friends for life, now strangers to one another, there are going to be many more secrets coming to light.
Because that summer, there were many different versions of the truth.
READERS LOVE THE SUMMER WE LIED:
'This deserves to be one of the standout thrillers of the year'
'I was hooked'
'Full of subtle twists, and peopled with flawed but relatable characters, this is a fantastic read'
'Deliciously dark. I couldn't put it down'
'An outstanding read'
'If there's one book to read this summer, this is the one'
'I found myself holding my breath'
Reviews / Votes
A propulsive, twisty thriller that lands an emotional gut punch while asking us to examine what justice and retribution really look like. Rebecca Hardy is a blazing new talent -- Holly Seddon The Summer We Lied is exactly the kind of character-driven thriller I love. A brilliantly constructed story with so many twists and turns it made my head spin. Highly recommend -- Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things A fantastically twisty debut that keeps you guessing until the final page. Rebecca Hardy is an exciting new talent in the thriller genre -- Sophie Flynn, author of The Other Miss Jones This elevated suspense novel is a beautifully drawn and impeccably observed account that captures the claustrophobic, corrosive burden of guilt -- Chris Bridges, author of McDermid Award shortlisted Sick to DeathMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
560 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0372-0174-5 (9781037201745)
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

E-Book
approx. 07/2026
Raven Books
€14.49
Available for download
Person
A law graduate and English teacher for almost twenty years, Rebecca Hardy took a career break to pursue her love of writing. She lives in East Sussex, with her wife and teenage son, in amongst the fields and hills where her novel begins. A place which is, thankfully, far more tranquil in real life than on the page.