| Join us to hear Bristol-based writer of acclaimed crime & spy fiction, Charlotte Philby, discuss her new thriller, The End of Summer. Charlotte pairs tense, evocative settings with carefully sculpted characters. Edith & Kim, her previous novel, remains one of our favourite examples of contemporary spy fiction, so we are hugely looking forward to this one.
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
‘An elegant, provocative, twisting thriller… hugely entertaining and beautifully written.’Chris Whitaker
‘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
‘Do we ever really know the people we love? Can we ever really know the people we love? The End of Summer takes us all over the world – oh, the glamour! Oh, the fun! – but at its heart are these desperate questions. Charlotte Philby is at the top of her game with this pacy glamorous literary thriller. Wonderful!’Holly Watt
‘Sun-soaked, secret-packed and seriously page-turning, this is the perfect literary beach read.’Ellery Lloyd
Charlotte Philby is the author of four previous novels including Edith and Kim, which was a best book of 2022 in The Times, The Sunday Times, New Statesman, Literary Review, and elsewhere. Since leaving the Independent in 2014 she has worked as a contributing editor at Marie Claire, and written freelance for publications including New Statesman, Tatler, and the Guardian. Charlotte lives in Bristol. |
