Reminiscent of the works of Patricia Highsmith and Lucy Foley, a compulsive psychological thriller—“the perfect poolside reading” ( Guardian )—involving gorgeous grifters on the loose in the south of France who prey on a group of unsuspecting vacationers . . . and each other.

The heat is intense. The secrets are stifling. And there is no escape. In a tiny village in Provence, nine guests arrive at a luxury holiday home. The visitors know each other well, or at least they think they do. The only stranger among them is Lulu, the young woman catering their stay. But Lulu is not exactly the woman on the video the guests thought they’d hired. Turns out Lulu has plenty to hide—and nowhere to run as the heat rises. In this seemingly idyllic getaway, under the scorching sun, loyalties will be tested, secrets exposed, and tensions pushed to the brink . . . Dripping in intrigue, Sun Damage is a glamorous, witty, and totally riveting story chock full of secrets, lies and . . . more lies.

My Review

There were so many secrets, lies and ‘oh no’ moments that at times I was stressed reading. I wanted to hide behind the sofa like we did as kids when the Daleks arrived in Dr Who.

Ali is very likeable, even though she really shouldn’t be. Brought up in care, her foster family finally gave up on her, keeping her sister Molly and letting her go. Life was hard until she met Sean, the ultimate hustler who taught her everything she knew. They travelled together around the world, from India to Morocco and on to Europe. The idea is to find your ‘mark’, work out the ‘con’ and leave with the poor sucker’s money.

In a tiny village in Provence, the Otty family and their guests arrive at their luxury holiday home. Posh girl Lulu is there to look after them. She’s a trained chef and intends to keep them in the style to which they are accustomed. But Lulu is not what she seems and the family and their guests have their own secrets to hide. Lots of them, which makes the whole story more interesting.

It’s a brilliant read – intriguing, smart, clever and endlessly entertaining. I highly recommend Sun Damage as a holiday read – just watch who you trust if you are offered something that appears to good to be true.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read. The interaction with my fellow readers was a big part of the enjoyment.

About the Author

Sabine Durrant is the author of five psychological thrillers, Under Your Skin, Remember Me This Way, Lie With Me, a Richard & Judy Bookclub selection and Sunday Times paperback bestseller, Take Me In and Finders, Keepers. Her previous novels are Having It and Eating It and The Great Indoors, and two books for teenage girls, Cross Your Heart, Connie Pickles and Ooh La La! Connie Pickles. She is a former features editor of the Guardian and a former literary editor at the Sunday Times, and her writing has appeared in many national newspapers and magazines. She lives in south London with her partner and their three children.