An audio book.
Hannah has left the UK because of her life with Aiden. She gets a job in Nice, cleaning rented holiday homes. The agent, Julia, knows about the locals, the rich Russian renters, etc. We learn that Hannah got pregnant the first time she had sex. She was 19 and Aiden was a 27 year old teacher. She didn't like him much. He offered to marry her. She had an abortion and married him anyway, to spite her mother. Then she found out he was into young-girl porn and shopped him. He killed himself.
In London, Steve, 42, a risk-taking wine merchant, is having an affair with 18 year old Summer (who's a virgin). He rents a Nice house for 2 weeks. Summer's there alone in the first week. She and Hannah start having sex together. The plan was for Steve to arrive midway through the first week but he ends up arriving later, just hours before the others arrive, by which time Summer should be out of the house.
The others are Steve's wife Jennifer, son Jamie, and Steve's employee Giles (upper class, not bright - he knows about Summer) with his snobby, childless, flirty wife Melissa. Steve's company is collapsing and he blames Giles. 2 years ago Jennifer found out about an affair Steve was conducting.
Clearing up, Hannah finds Summer's phone, passport, bikini, and signs of a quick departure. She hears that Summer and her boyfriend were involved in a scuffle at a bar. She suspects Steve might have killed her (Hannah knew Summer wanted to break up with him). She leaves clues/notes for people to find because she doesn't want to lose her job by going to the police. Creepy Jamie starts chatting to her. She learns that Summer has had mental health problems.
Melissa (I think) finds the note and tells Steve that she knows about him. She warns him not to sack her hopeless husband. A mentally impaired village girl goes missing. Hannah thinks Steve's involved. She thinks a body might be buried in the garden.
Some people think that Hannah is framing Steve. Hannah wonders if Summer is playing a game n all of them. Jennifer leaves Steve. Hannah finds the girl, held captive by control-freak Jamie. A mob of locals come to search the grounds. Steve gets aggressive and is shot. In the final chapter, from Summer's PoV, we learn that she is trapped (and expects to die) in the swimming pool plumbing.
Other reviews
- goodreads
- Laura Wilson (A pitch-perfect mix of mystery and social satire, expertly plotted and written with relish.)
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