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The Summer We Lied

An atmospheric, twisty thriller from a blazing new talent

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The Summer We Lied

By: Rebecca Hardy
Narrated by: Emily Jackman
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Bloomsbury presents The Summer We Lied by Rebecca Hardy, read by Helen Reuben.

'Shocking... gripping' WOMAN & HOME
'Expertly crafted' SUN
'So many twists and turns it made my head spin' JENNIE GODFREY
'Rebecca Hardy is a blazing new talent' HOLLY SEDDON

Eighteen years ago teenager Alex sent a man to prison. She, and her two best friends from school, overheard the vicious murder of a mother and child, although only she took the stand in court.

But despite her evidence, there were always rumours that the wrong man had been imprisoned. That although he was someone not to be trusted, he wasn’t a killer.

Alex has always known she did the right thing but when new DNA evidences comes to light and the conviction is overturned, the spotlight falls on her, the woman who sent him to jail. The woman whose mistake may have let the real killer evade justice for years.

And for Jonathan, Alex and Rachel, once friends for life, now strangers to one another, there are going to be many more secrets coming to light.

Because that summer, there were many different versions of the truth.

READERS LOVE THE SUMMER WE LIED:
'This deserves to be one of the standout thrillers of the year'
'I was hooked'
'Full of subtle twists, and peopled with flawed but relatable characters, this is a fantastic read'
'Deliciously dark. I couldn't put it down'
'An outstanding read'
'If there's one book to read this summer, this is the one'
'I found myself holding my breath'
©2026 Rebecca Hardy (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Amateur Sleuths Crime Fiction Crime Thrillers Mystery Thriller & Suspense Exciting
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Critic reviews

Hardy’s fine debut thriller offers real moral complexity alongside a carefully wrought plot
The Summer We Lied is exactly the kind of character-driven thriller I love. A brilliantly constructed story with so many twists and turns it made my head spin. Highly recommend (Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things)
The story shows how a small lie spirals, while shocking twists keep the tension gripping throughout
'Expertly crafted'
A propulsive, twisty thriller that lands an emotional gut punch while asking us to examine what justice and retribution really look like. Rebecca Hardy is a blazing new talent (Holly Seddon)
A fantastically twisty debut that keeps you guessing until the final page. Rebecca Hardy is an exciting new talent in the thriller genre (Sophie Flynn, author of The Other Miss Jones)
This elevated suspense novel is a beautifully drawn and impeccably observed account that captures the claustrophobic, corrosive burden of guilt (Chris Bridges, author of McDermid Award shortlisted Sick to Death)
All stars
Most relevant
A beautifully written debut that kept me hooked all the way through. Loved the dual timeline. A strong recommend.

A taut and compelling debut

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This incredible story is full of surprises from beginning to end. It weaves through the complex summer of 1989 and the devastating aftermath almost 20 years later. Hardy’s writing is sophisticated, beautiful and delivers one emotional gut-punch after another, right to the very last page. Superb.

Complex, gritty, unputdownable.

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What a listen! Outstanding narration—I was completely hooked and found it hard to pause. The timeline switches were done beautifully, and the twists kept me guessing right up until the very end. I’d definitely listen to this narrator again.

Outstanding narration to this story

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I didn’t enjoy listening to this novel, and almost gave up on a couple of occasions. However, I persevered because I hate not finishing a book once I’ve started it. The story didn’t grip me, & I didn’t like the characters either. So, I had no empathy with them, & really wasn’t bothered what happened to them. The narrator was ok, but the character voices were terrible at times. The premise of the story could have been great, in the hands of a more established author perhaps. I wish I could be more enthusiastic with this book, but I will always be honest with my subjective opinion. If you decide to try this story & author, I hope you enjoy it.

STRUGGLED TO FINISH THIS NOVEL. NOT FOR ME UNFORTUNATELY.

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