The End of Summer
Published on 19. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-0-00-846646-6 (ISBN)
Description
'An enthralling, layered triumph' SUNDAY TIMES, Thriller of the Month
'A richly enjoyable thriller' THE TIMES, Thriller of the Year
'An elegant, provocative, twisting thriller... hugely entertaining and beautifully written' CHRIS WHITAKER
'So brilliant I stayed up into the early hours to finish it' PRIMA, Book of the Month
Your mother is not who you think she is...
When the phone rings in Judy McVee's Languedoc farmhouse, she knows her past has finally caught up with her. It's her daughter, frantically asking why there are journalists on her London doorstep making terrible accusations.
Decades earlier, Judy was a girl with big plans - to ensnare a rich husband, to make something of herself, to rise above her upbringing and leave behind past tragedies. Wealthy young widower Rory Harrington seemed the perfect target - but Judy hadn't reckoned on actually falling in love with him.
Now her daughter Francesca, who has secrets of her own, must come to terms with the realisation that the mother she thought she knew wasn't real. Where has Judy gone - and was anything she told her family true?
Moving from Cape Cod to London, New York to the South of France, THE END OF SUMMER is a gripping, nuanced literary thriller from a writer at the top of her game.
'A richly enjoyable thriller' THE TIMES, Thriller of the Year
'An elegant, provocative, twisting thriller... hugely entertaining and beautifully written' CHRIS WHITAKER
'So brilliant I stayed up into the early hours to finish it' PRIMA, Book of the Month
Your mother is not who you think she is...
When the phone rings in Judy McVee's Languedoc farmhouse, she knows her past has finally caught up with her. It's her daughter, frantically asking why there are journalists on her London doorstep making terrible accusations.
Decades earlier, Judy was a girl with big plans - to ensnare a rich husband, to make something of herself, to rise above her upbringing and leave behind past tragedies. Wealthy young widower Rory Harrington seemed the perfect target - but Judy hadn't reckoned on actually falling in love with him.
Now her daughter Francesca, who has secrets of her own, must come to terms with the realisation that the mother she thought she knew wasn't real. Where has Judy gone - and was anything she told her family true?
Moving from Cape Cod to London, New York to the South of France, THE END OF SUMMER is a gripping, nuanced literary thriller from a writer at the top of her game.
Reviews / Votes
'An enthralling, layered triumph' SUNDAY TIMES, Thriller of the Month'A richly enjoyable thriller' THE TIMES, Thriller of the Year
'Domestic intrigue and betrayal are served up with style in this standout literary thriller' FINANCIAL TIMES
'So brilliant I stayed up into the early hours to finish it... A clever thriller with superb pacing and storytelling' PRIMA, Book of the Year
'An elegant, provocative, twisting thriller... hugely entertaining and beautifully written' CHRIS WHITAKER
'Tense and pacy' GRAZIA
'A sultry and seductive suspense novel with richly drawn characters and a skilfully woven plot. Utterly compelling from the first page to the last. Charlotte Philby is a writer at the very top of her game' LUCY CLARKE
'A spectacular triumph! The End of Summer is literary suspense at its most deadly and delicious. Charlotte Philby has crafted a stunning tale of family secrets that questions whether we ever really know those around us. With sun-drenched escapism, sumptuously glamorous locations and characters to die for, this is the thriller of the summer and a story you never want to end' MATTHEW BLAKE
'Starts with a bang and keeps the surprises coming until the last page' ERIN KELLY
'A clever, stylish and tricksome literary thriller that I predict will be the talk of the summer. Glamorous and engrossing' ANNA MAZZOLA
'A thriller as page-turning as it is elegantly written' i PAPER
'A skilful, atmospheric thriller with a truly memorable central character' MAIL ON SUNDAY
'A proper one-sit read... honestly I couldn't put it down!' HARRIET TYCE
'Charlotte Philby is at the top of her game with this pacy glamorous literary thriller. Wonderful!' HOLLY WATT
'Enthralling' WOMAN'S WEEKLY
'The psychological thriller of the year' NATASHA POLISZCUK
'Sun-soaked, secret-packed and seriously page-turning, this is the perfect literary beach read' ELLERY LLOYD
'Deftly drawn, complex, enigmatic... It's no wonder that The End of Summer has been hailed by critics and readers alike' SUNDAY MAIL
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
254 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-846646-6 (9780008466466)
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
Person
Charlotte Philby worked for the Independent for eight years as a columnist, editor and reporter, and was shortlisted for the Cudlipp Prize for her investigative journalism at the 2013 Press Awards. A former contributing editor and feature writer at Marie Claire, she has written for publications including the New Statesman, Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Elle, Tatler, Inside Time, and has been a guest on shows ranging from NPR's Note to Self podcast to BBC Radio 4 Front Row. This is her fifth novel.