Dead of Summer is a standalone cold case mystery thriller by Jessa Maxwell. Released 22nd July 2025 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out 16th June from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
The author does manage to write moody and atmospheric, although the characterizations were fairly flimsy and clearly telegraphed throughout, mostly without much nuance. The "big twist" at the end, although strongly foreshadowed, was well wrought and probably worth a read for psychological thriller fans. Most of the characters are fairly unlikable overall, and reading about stratospherically wealthy people behaving horribly wasn't entirely believable as presented.
Trigger warnings for s*xual assault (including minors), psychological torture, mental health crises/bullying, class shaming, body shaming, and other abuse; some of it was difficult to read.
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours 59 minutes and is capably read by an ensemble cast. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.
Three stars. Possibly a good beach/airport/travel/poolside read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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