Delighted to welcome you all to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Sun Damage’ by Sabine Durrant today. Huge thanks to Jenny at Hodder & Stoughton for the invitation to join and for the wonderful review copy!
Author : Sabine Durrant
Title : Sun Damage
Pages : 380
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date : June 2, 2022
| ABOUT THE BOOK |
The heat is intense.
The secrets are stifling.
She just needs to escape . . .
Nine guests arrive at a remote villa in the south of France.
They know each other well. Or think they do.
But at least one of them has plenty to hide – and nowhere to run.
Under the relentless sun, loyalties will be tested, secrets revealed, and tensions pushed to the point of no return.
| MY THOUGHTS |
If you’re looking for an excellent summer read to escape into while you’re lounging by the pool, here it is.
Sabine Durrant is quickly cementing her place as an incredibly solid and reliant voice in the psychological thriller genre. Her novels always seem to take a little bit to get going with that delicious slow-burning vibe to them and the focus is entirely on the characters. This is an author who shows remarkable insight into the human psyche.
All of that can be found in ‘Sun Damage‘. And then some. Our main character is a con artist. She relies heavily on her knowledge of people. The way they act, the way they talk and walk, the things that matter to them, what makes them tick, what they share on social media … ultimately these are all things a good con artist can use. She’s not doing it for kicks. She’s doing it because that’s the only life she knows. Unraveling the secrets of the guests at a remote villa in France may give her the opportunity to escape this life and the person who introduced her to it.
These nine guests may think they know one another pretty well but boy, are they wrong. It was quite a lot of fun discovering their dirty little secrets through the eyes of the main character and wondering how, when or if she’d ever use those skeletons in the closet against them. There’s a constant feeling of suspense, which sizzles off the pages like the heat. I often found myself wishing I could dip into a pool myself and I don’t even swim! There is also this sense of impending doom. Surely someone will pick up on the fact that there is something “off” about her. And then there is her mentor, so to speak, how far will he go to find her? You’ll learn soon enough he’s not exactly someone you want to know.
If you’re familiar with Sabine Durrant’s novels, then you know not to expect an action-packed thrill-a-minute psychological thriller. ‘Sun Damage‘ is an incredibly character driven delight. The pace is spot on, the scene is set remarkably well, and even at times when it felt as if nothing much was happen I was utterly engrossed. Despite not quite knowing if the main character is a reliable narrator and despite realising all of her intentions might not be exactly honourable, I did find myself firmly on her side. Will she be able to leave this life behind?
I realise this review is somewhat on the vague side and I’m even shying away from using names. That is because I’m worried I’ll be giving anything away, and you’ll enjoy this story so much more if you go in entirely blind like I did. Full of suspense, ‘Sun Damage‘ is a fabulously engrossing and compelling novel that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. My third outing with Sabine Durrant was yet another success and I very much look forward to whatever she comes up with next.
Sun Damage is available to buy!
| ABOUT THE AUTHOR |
Sabine Durrant lives in London, England, with her three children.
Previous books include Lie With Me, Take Me In and Finders Keepers.
Novel Deelights 
This sounds very good! I love the setting.
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