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One Dark Summer

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The BRAND NEW psychological thriller from Richard and Judy bestselling author of The Twins, Saskia Sarginson. Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, Freida McFadden and Girl on the Train! 📚 It was the summer that changed everything… 👀 With trembling hands, Meg knocks on the door of the large manor house. Behind her, the view down to the river is spectacular. She’s here to be the nanny to two young children.

It’s not the job Meg is anxious about, though. It’s the house itself that scares her, and the secrets lurking inside. Not only that, but will her new employer recognise her?

The door opens. A beautiful, smiling woman greets her and ushers her inside.

As she walks in, Meg realizes the house is exactly as she remembers. Her employer hasn’t changed much, either, unlike Meg. The last time they met was fifteen years ago, when Meg was a child.

Because this is where Meg lived the summer her mother went missing. The summer her life changed. The summer Meg believes she killed a man.

Now she’s back, in disguise as Margaret the nanny, and determined to find out what really happened. But some secrets are best left buried. Because someone knows exactly who Meg is, and they will do whatever it takes to keep her quiet…

A completely gripping, powerfully-written, nailbitingly-twisty thriller, guaranteed to keep readers up all night, from bestselling Richard & Judy Bookclub author, Saskia Sarginson.

Readers love Saskia ‘Utterly engrossing I was compulsively turning the pages until late into the night… The ending was mind-blowing. A marvellous read and a haunting story that will stay with me.’ Bestselling author, Rona Halsall

A beautifully crafted story with a sting in its tail. Did I see that coming? No, I did not.’ Bestselling author, Diane Saxon

Brilliantly written. A clever engaging book that had me hooked from the first page.’ Bestselling author, JA Baker

Haunting, clever and captivating, with a jaw-dropping ending which floored me…’ Bestselling author, Natasha Boydell

This took over my entire life until I had finished it! Such an original premise and it’s brought to life so vividly… The twists and turns had my head spinning and just when I thought I knew what was going on, I was completely blindsided again! Amazing. A perfect thriller!’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Had my head in a complete spin… I loved everything about this book… A must read for psychological thriller fans.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was completely blindsided by the twist in the end.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Brilliant!… Had me turning the pages at an alarming rate right up to the shocking end.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was hooked… Packed with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2025

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About the author

Saskia Sarginson

16 books251 followers
Saskia grew up in Suffolk and now lives in London. She is the mother of four children, including identical twin girls. She has a B.A hons in English Literature from Cambridge and an M.A in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway. She's worked as a Health & Beauty Editor,freelance journalist, ghost-writer and script reader. As well as writing and reading, she loves tango dancing and dog walking,

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5 stars
1,336 (38%)
4 stars
1,378 (39%)
3 stars
660 (18%)
2 stars
108 (3%)
1 star
26 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
Profile Image for Kate Dash.
203 reviews10 followers
April 8, 2025
If you love your thrillers slow-burning, emotionally rich, and set in moody old houses full of secrets, One Dark Summer might be exactly your vibe.

The atmosphere in this book is incredible. Saskia Sarginson paints the setting so vividly, you can almost hear the creak of floorboards and smell the lingering cigar smoke. The house practically breathes with tension. Add in unreliable memories, family secrets, and a growing sense of dread, and you’ve got a compelling psychological mystery that really sticks with you.

The book moves between past and present, slowly revealing what happened all those years ago. While the first half is definitely a slower build—and the time jumps can be a bit jarring—it’s worth sticking with. The payoff is satisfying, especially if you’re into character-driven stories with an undercurrent of suspense.

What I loved most were the characters. Meg is flawed and vulnerable, and her emotional journey is compelling. Her cousins and her mother are also layered and nuanced, and I enjoyed seeing how their stories unfolded over time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

A strong 4 stars from me!
Profile Image for Linda.
42 reviews5 followers
June 11, 2025
Strong first half. But (and I can't believe I'm staying this) too many twists and I couldn't keep up. 2.5 stars.
Profile Image for Janalyn, the blind reviewer.
4,905 reviews153 followers
May 4, 2025
One Dark Summer by Saskia Sarginson, when Meg a.k.a. Margaret shows up to be the nanny for Ophelia‘s two children the mom has no idea that one the nanny has been there before two they’re related and three she’s there to solve a mystery. Meg stayed with Ophelia and her two sisters this summer Meg’s mom went missing and just like that then the sisters are as close as ever there will be many things she revisits from that summer including the attic she wasn’t allowed to go in, the summer house and her relationship with the three girls she envied so much. this book has three timelines the summer Meg stayed at the mansion her mom‘s POV with the man she left her dad for and the current day with her trying to solve the mystery. I found each POV to be more interesting than the last and couldn’t wait to see how they all tied together but trust me when I say I did not expect the ending that came I mean yes some of that I did but not the absolute ending that happened with Meg because if that’s not an OMG moment then I don’t know what is. I wish I could write a great review about how awesome this book is but for anyone who likes well done thrillers will absolutely enjoy this book there’s more than one finale in the book as a stories do not all tie up and current day per se. I mean it does but there’s different parts to the ending and all of them were awesome. #NetGalley,#TheBlindReview#BoldwoodBooks, er, #MyHonestReview, #SaskiaSarginson, #OneDarkSummer,
Profile Image for StinaStaffymum.
1,472 reviews1 follower
April 11, 2025
★★★ 3.5 stars

A missing mother...a forgotten child...a house full of deadly secrets...

I'm not sure what I expected when I dived into this one but it wasn't what was delivered. It is a dark, twisted and atmospheric with a real claustrophobic tension throughout. Though a slow burn (not usually my favoured type), that tension is palpable from the first page as we, the reader, try to unravel the mess left behind at Deben Manor. The mystery that Meg has come looking to uncover.

Meg was just a child when she first came to Deben Manor after her mother disappeared, her father depositing her there with her cousins while he tried to get his life back together again after his wife, Irene's, departure. Meg missed her mother terribly and her three cousins - Orphelia (17), Thea (15) and Clementine (12) - were not entirely nice to her. Her uncle Lucian came and went as she saw fit whilst her aunt, the girls' mother, Calista floated about in her own little world. Neither parent did any parenting and the three sisters pretty much brought themselves up. And Meg? No one really cared about her or what happened to her. When she disappeared one morning and then reappeared after a boating accident, the sisters were glad to see the back of her.

Now fifteen years later, Meg's back at Deben Manor. This time under the guise of nanny Margaret Danby (her mother's maiden name) to Orphelia's two children >b>Artemis (5) and Kit (3). Her primary goal is to find out what really happened to her mother all those years ago, believing she had been to Deben Manor at some point though she didn't know why. Or what the connection was. She has done her best to disguise herself, fearing that one of the sisters will recognise her and end her mission. So every chance she gets, she sifts through Orphelia's study, searches her room and even tries to gain access to the forbidden attic...where strange sounds emanate from there at night. Footsteps on the floorboards, whispers behind the walls, cigar smoke filtering through the floors. But the attic has been locked up tight since Lucian's time. And no one has been up there since. Calista forbids it. Although she's in France where she's remained ever since Lucian's boating accident fifteen years ago, for which Meg was blamed. The problem is, Meg has trouble recalling what really happened that day...and why.

But someone knows what Meg is up to. They know her real identity and have been watching her, logging her movements and following her when she goes into the village, spying on her in the summerhouse. The question is who? And why? Meg isn't sure who she can trust and when she finds a pair of Orphelia's diamond earrings in her belongings, she knows someone is trying to set her up. Then she begins to receives notes warning her to leave...or else. But how can she? When she's this close to finding out what really happened to her mother fifteen years ago during that one dark summer. When she left for school one day only to return home to find her mother had gone for good.

The scene is set for an atmospheric and chilling thriller that will keep you guessing...even when you think you have it all worked out. The book takes on a gothic air of melancholy reminiscent of those that have gone before such as "Jane Eyre" or "Wuthering Heights". Though the air of romance in those takes on something else entirely in this one as the years peel away the trauma, the abuse, the cruelty and harm at the hands of those in a place of trust.

When I started this book, I found it slow moving and dragged on a little but I stuck it out and it did get better and yet it still felt lacking in something though I'm not sure what. I was definitely intrigued enough to continue reading and did so in one evening.

I would like to thank #SaskiaSarginson, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #OneDarkSummer in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Profile Image for Stacy.
473 reviews99 followers
August 6, 2025
This book had potential, but I just couldn't get into it. There are a few things that weren't wrapped up and left me with unanswered questions. There were some parts that I got excited about, but they were short-lived. The transitions between scenes were awkward. One minute, someone is talking to someone, and in the next paragraph, they are in their bedroom. No end to the conversation or mention of them leaving to go to their room. It was just strange and stilted writing. It didn't flow well. I also had a hard time keeping up with the characters and the timelines. It was longer than I'd like at 370 pages, and it was too slow for my liking. There were a few unexpected twists, but they weren't that exciting. Not one I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC.
Profile Image for KJ1114.
147 reviews
July 21, 2025
BOOOOOOO! thrillers are not supposed to have happy ending. this was a waste of my time.
Profile Image for Wendy.
698 reviews62 followers
July 10, 2025
It was pretty good but sometimes repetitive.
Profile Image for Ariane Baet.
98 reviews
September 23, 2025
I loved the all the twists, honestly I didn’t expect most of them! But it dragged on a bit too much, I guess that was to build anticipation but I’m just impatient so I didn’t like the feeling and frustration that it invoked in me. I did have to put it down a few times cause it got scaryyyyy 🫣
Profile Image for Abigail Gomez.
45 reviews1 follower
April 14, 2025
This book will pull you in immediately! I could not put it down, read it in one night and then couldn’t sleep! Definitely recommend if you like a good suspense novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Profile Image for Emma Sommerville.
74 reviews8 followers
April 12, 2025
Ok so if you have never read a psychological thriller before then start with this.
It has all the twists and turns thriller should have but more. I could not work out what was going to happen and more than once I sat mouth open like I was catching flys. Gobsmacked at what I had just read. It was absolutely brilliant. One I will always recommend.
Profile Image for Annette.
3,006 reviews54 followers
April 14, 2025
Meg has returned to the manor house as a nanny. She also hopes to get some answers to what happened to her mother all those years ago.
This book was a slow build for me. There’s lots of twists and turns. Also some surprises I didn’t see coming. It has a bit of a creepy factor to it too. You might want to stay up late to finish this one
Profile Image for Shell (Camping with Style Blog).
54 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2026
Despite decent writing and pacing, I didn't enjoy this at all, for one major reason.

Don't read more unless you want spoilers...

I'm getting so bored of dumb women in contemporary fiction. Why are they endlessly blinded by infatuation for a man 🤢

Women who ignore all red flags, their own common sense and intuition, I'm just so over this type of character.

The story was actually OK with various threads to it and it really wasn't badly written, but even when our protagonist is given a clear way out and told exactly what's going on she doesn't take it.

Instead, before getting to safety and reuniting with her kids, she decides to weakly confront and then whine to the man she is fully aware has kept her for weeks, a drugged prisoner, raping her over and over again.

"But I thought you loved me?" she marvels. I'm sorry? the man you're having an affair with and who has been continually raping and drugging you, you're still wondering if he loves you?!

Girl, get a grip, why do you even care how he feels?!!

The way he feels is beyond obvious, he very obviously hates you? Like really, women are not universally this weak and dumb and I'm so fed up of being represented like this.

Her total lack of self respect, self preservation and her general weakness makes her incredibly unrelatable and highly unlikable and this aspect - the major plot - of the book is spoiled as a result.

Not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gigi Ropp.
515 reviews32 followers
June 21, 2025
Dark, twisty, and atmospheric, One Dark Summer delivers a slow-burn suspense well! It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Profile Image for J.A. Baker.
Author 22 books358 followers
September 28, 2025
Fantastic

I cannot say enough good words about this book. The writing is impeccable, the plot wonderful. All I will say is you need to set a few days aside and get curled up ready to be engrossed by this stunning story.
Profile Image for KaylaLaz.
720 reviews5 followers
November 12, 2025
3.5 stars

I enjoyed this.

This book follows Meg, a woman about to start a nannying job for a woman she knows from her past, but this woman doesn’t recognize Meg. Meg is looking for answers after something traumatic happens 15 years prior in the same house she is now staying in. This story changes between past and present, we learn exactly what happened back then through those chapters. There were a lot of twists in this book, some I felt weren’t needed, but some I really liked. I liked Meg as a character, I think she showed a lot of vulnerability and emotion.
Profile Image for Donna Mallery.
967 reviews90 followers
September 25, 2025
This complex tale is fascinating! There is so much to unpack with its mysteries spanning many years. I just loved it! Everything wraps up in a satisfying way! There are many secrets and they unravel in shocking detail. Meg is a sympathetic character, and I enjoyed reading her incredible journey to find out what really happened during that pivotal moment in her past. I have never heard of this author, and I will certainly read more by her.
Profile Image for Tabby.
119 reviews
August 28, 2025
Held my attention but at times I felt like it just went on and on. I feel like the twist and turns were great & really caught you off guard! But I felt like it just needed something more to really "wow" you.
Profile Image for Hannah Troutt.
99 reviews
February 11, 2026
This one definitely got my heart beating fast at many parts. I liked how it was separated into multiple parts with mother-daughter POVS. Some of it seemed a bit far fetched so that lost a star for me. You will be guessing until the end!
Profile Image for Steph Y.
20 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2025
The way this story had a hold on me. Highly recommend for a quick, suspenseful read. There are a few typos but nothing major.
Profile Image for Mia Steele.
4 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2026
wow amazing book!!! hard to get into but the ending is very good
Profile Image for Mary Summer.
34 reviews
April 3, 2026
3.5! Twist after twist, some would say too many, but I just sat back and enjoyed the ride without overthinking it.
2,102 reviews54 followers
March 23, 2025

This is one of those crazy books that has you off-balance the entire way through! It begins with Meg returning to the estate where she grew up and will now be the nanny to young children. But there's something "off" about the house and its creepy hallways, attic where she hears noises, and her young charges who seem innocent enough but the adults seem to be hiding things. You may not want to read this late at night as you may hear voices from your own attic or have nightmares about family members who are keeping secrets!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Profile Image for Alicia Kirkman.
245 reviews3 followers
July 9, 2025
Overall, this is a good read! To me the slow burn was a little too slow at times, but it is still plenty suspenseful with lots of twists(some I saw coming a mile away but others I was truly shocked by).
Profile Image for Sarah Sharpe.
49 reviews
March 6, 2026
Twisty and turny with a side of waaay too many secrets that all the characters are keeping. Deception left right and centre. If this sounds like your cup of tea, give it a read!
Profile Image for Desiree McAllister.
6 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2025
Meg takes on a new identity and becomes a nanny in a household she believes holds clues to her mother’s mysterious disappearance when she was a child. Throughout the book, long-buried family secrets come to light, and unexpected twists keep the suspense alive.

While the story was engaging, I occasionally found the timeline shifts confusing. However, the mystery and intrigue kept me hooked, and I enjoyed unraveling the secrets alongside Meg. Overall, I felt this was an entertaining and compelling read.
Profile Image for Fabienne.
21 reviews
October 17, 2025
You readers weren’t kidding when you said this was a slow burn. This book took me foreverrrrrrrr to get through. I really tried to read it every day, multiple times a day. I’ve never read a slow burn to this extent and I hated it - haha. Whole time I was just itching to find out who the hell was in that damn attic, then realized I had a million more chapters to get through to find out.

Anyways, I didn’t really like the story. After finishing then reflecting on the book, I thought it was kind of a ridiculous (in a bad way) story. I didn’t like what the dad was doing—though, I admit, that crazy plot twist was surprising. Still, I wasn’t a fan of her connecting with that guy in San Francisco just for him to only visit her at the very end of the book, her mom leaving her and her dad for basically her uncle, the aunt moving to France with the sicko/her uncle to care for him, Saul being a hot mess, the sisters finally realizing that they weren’t even sisters, etc. Personally, I didn’t care for all the plots and twists; it was a lot and just not my cup of tea. It all felt a bit TOO fictional, if you know what I mean. All the while of the book being like 1000000000 pages long lol

I can see why others might enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sarah.
971 reviews4 followers
March 31, 2026
A freebie on Kindle Unlimited.

Meg returns to Deben Manor fifteen years later disguised as Margaret. She's trying to find out what happened to her mother and her cousins' father.

A few typos. The writing kept flitting from past to present tense. And the literal past/ present was jumpy.

So many fingernails were bitten, yet they used their fingernails to open/pull/dig.

Bah. It wasn't very good at all.
Profile Image for Jess.
5 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2025
This book dragged on. 80% of the story is just the main character going through life. The meat of the story is the last 80%, and by that point it feels like the author rushed to finish it. Almost like the author put the unfinished book down for a long, long time, and then hurried to finish it to publish. Either that or someone else wrote that last 20%. It was a miss for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews