Clara’s Verdict
Jenny Blackhurst is reliable in the best possible sense — when you pick up one of her thrillers, you know you are in for a tightly constructed story with enough misdirection to keep you wrong-footed without ever feeling cheated. The Summer Girl confirms that reputation. Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard, it works the contrast between apparent paradise and hidden menace with considerable skill, and Laura Aikman’s narration gives it exactly the urgency the story demands.
About the Audiobook
Published by Audible Studios in July 2025 and running at 7 hours and 59 minutes, The Summer Girl is a psychological thriller centred on Claire, whose younger sister Holly has been working the summer season on Martha’s Vineyard. When Holly stops responding to messages and the local police seem unconcerned — pointing to a text message as proof she is fine — Claire knows something is wrong. The detail that sharpens everything: Claire knows for certain that her sister did not send that message.
What follows unfolds across two timelines — the period leading up to Holly’s disappearance, told from Holly’s perspective, and the present-day investigation told through Claire’s. The dual-narrative structure is familiar in psychological fiction but Blackhurst handles it well, allowing both strands to generate tension in different registers. The Vineyard setting is not just decorative; the closed, socially stratified world of a wealthy summer community, with its loyalties and secrets and its tendency to close ranks around its own, is central to the plot. There is another disappearance in the backstory — a girl who vanished five years earlier — and its connection to Holly’s case gives the story its most interesting dimension.
The Narration
Laura Aikman narrates, and she is well suited to the material. She manages the dual perspectives cleanly, giving Claire and Holly sufficiently distinct voices that the timeline shifts remain legible without becoming distracting. Her handling of the thriller’s moments of revelation is restrained — she trusts the writing rather than underlining every twist — and the pacing is crisp throughout. At under eight hours, this is a thriller designed to be consumed in a couple of sittings, and Aikman’s performance makes that easy to do.
What Readers Say
The audiobook carries a rating of 4.3 out of 5 from over 500 listeners. TeresaNik calls it « tense and twisty » and praises the quality of the writing, saying Blackhurst « draws the reader in and envelops you completely. » Another listener found it « very hard to put down — one of my favorites from this author. » The word « unputdownable » appears more than once. One more critical voice gives it three stars and notes that some plot logistics don’t entirely bear scrutiny — a fair observation that does not significantly undermine the entertainment value. The consensus is that this is a strong entry in the genre, particularly for fans of Heidi Perks and Lucy Clarke.
Who Should Listen?
Ideal for fans of domestic and psychological suspense with a sun-soaked setting that belies the darkness underneath. It works especially well on a long commute or a lazy afternoon — the short chapters and dual timeline keep the pace up without requiring intensive concentration. If you enjoyed Blackhurst’s previous work, or if you are looking for something in the vein of Claire Douglas or Heidi Perks, The Summer Girl will not disappoint.
Listen on Audible UK — get your copy here.
