Skip to main content
Listen-and-Read x-book®
The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas x-book

Listen to a sample

00:00
00:00

What to expect

The novel from Number 1 bestselling Richard & Judy author Louise Douglas.

As wild fires creep a devastating path towards the idyllic town of Morranez, a vulnerable girl goes missing. But was she taken - or was she escaping...

The summer is the hottest yet in the Brittany coastal town of Morranez, but when a new case lands on the desk of the Toussaints detective agency, there can be no time to relax. As wild fires bear down on the town, the alert goes out for a missing girl.

Nineteen-year-old Briony Moorcroft has seemingly been taken from her sleepy Welsh village and brought to France. Her parents are baffled and scared – Briony needs her life-saving medicine or this case will become even more sinister, and with the police dragging their heels, the Moorcrofts are relying on Mila Shephard and Carter Jackson’s sleuthing skills.

Meanwhile there are mysteries troubling Mila’s life too. Two years after the accident that swept her sister Sophie and brother-in-law Charlie away and left their daughter Ani in Mila’s care, new evidence resurfaces that makes Mila doubt everything.

Can Carter and Mila find Briony before it’s too late? And is the truth about Sophie and Charlie finally about to be revealed…

Number One bestselling author Louise Douglas is back with a brooding, twisty tale of secrets and lies, love and loyalty. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley.

Readers LOVE Louise Douglas:

'I love reading Louise Douglas. If I pick it up to read, I need to make sure I have at least an hour of spare time as I just don't want to put it down.'

'Intelligent, beautifully-written story. So tense I couldn't stop reading, this is one of those books that takes you right out of your head.'

'A gripping story, so well told and filled with the unexpected, but with real depth and emotion – I really loved it, and would highly recommend it to others.'

'One of the few books I've recently read when I've not been able to put the book down until the mysteries had been solved.'

'Great storyline gripping and intriguing. Wonderfully written descriptive and atmospheric the characters are excellent and the plot twists and turns to an exciting and unexpected finale. Great book couldn’t put it down.'

Praise for Louise Douglas:

'I loved The Lost Notebook so much! From the opening lines, I was drawn in to a gripping story, beautifully written and so cleverly orchestrated. I rooted for the main character, I held my breath at the denouement and as for the climax of the book - just wow. Highly recommended.' Judy Leigh

'Louise Douglas achieves the impossible and gets better with every book.' Milly Johnson

'A brilliantly written, gripping, clever, compelling story, that I struggled to put down. The vivid descriptions, the evocative plot and the intrigue that Louise created, which had me constantly asking questions, made it a highly enjoyable, absolute treasure of a read.' Kim Nash on The Scarlet Dress

'Another stunning read from the exceptionally talented Louise Douglas! I love the way in which Louise creates such an atmospheric mystery, building the intrigue and suspense brick by brick. Her writing is always beautiful and multi-layered, her characters warm and relatable and the intriguing nature of the mystery makes this unputdownable.’ Nicola Cornick on The Scarlet Dress

'A tender, heart-breaking, page-turning read' Rachel Hore on The House by the Sea

'The perfect combination of page-turning thriller and deeply emotional family story. Superb’ Nicola Cornick on The House by the Sea

User Reviews

No reviews yet.

Details

Author
Louise Douglas
Narrator
Imogen Church
Duration
10 hours 30 minutes
Release Date
14 February 2024
ISBN
9781800486157
Format
x-book®
Publisher
Boldwood Books
Genre
Modern and contemporary fiction, Family life fiction, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Interior life, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Fiction: mashup, Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives, Crime and mystery: women sleuths, Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction, Psychological thriller, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Sea stories

Synopsis

The novel from Number 1 bestselling Richard & Judy author Louise Douglas.As wild fires creep a devastating path towards the idyllic town of Morranez, a vulnerable girl goes missing. But was she taken - or was she escaping...The summer is the hottest yet in the Brittany coastal town of Morranez, but when a new case lands on the desk of the Toussaints detective agency, there can be no time to relax. As wild fires bear down on the town, the alert goes out for a missing girl.Nineteen-year-old Briony Moorcroft has seemingly been taken from her sleepy Welsh village and brought to France. Her parents are baffled and scared – Briony needs her life-saving medicine or this case will become even more sinister, and with the police dragging their heels, the Moorcrofts are relying on Mila Shephard and Carter Jackson’s sleuthing skills.Meanwhile there are mysteries troubling Mila’s life too. Two years after the accident that swept her sister Sophie and brother-in-law Charlie away and left their daughter Ani in Mila’s care, new evidence resurfaces that makes Mila doubt everything.Can Carter and Mila find Briony before it’s too late? And is the truth about Sophie and Charlie finally about to be revealed…Number One bestselling author Louise Douglas is back with a brooding, twisty tale of secrets and lies, love and loyalty. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley.Readers LOVE Louise Douglas:'I love reading Louise Douglas. If I pick it up to read, I need to make sure I have at least an hour of spare time as I just don't want to put it down.''Intelligent, beautifully-written story. So tense I couldn't stop reading, this is one of those books that takes you right out of your head.''A gripping story, so well told and filled with the unexpected, but with real depth and emotion – I really loved it, and would highly recommend it to others.''One of the few books I've recently read when I've not been able to put the book down until the mysteries had been solved.''Great storyline gripping and intriguing. Wonderfully written descriptive and atmospheric the characters are excellent and the plot twists and turns to an exciting and unexpected finale. Great book couldn’t put it down.'Praise for Louise Douglas:'I loved The Lost Notebook so much! From the opening lines, I was drawn in to a gripping story, beautifully written and so cleverly orchestrated. I rooted for the main character, I held my breath at the denouement and as for the climax of the book - just wow. Highly recommended.' Judy Leigh'Louise Douglas achieves the impossible and gets better with every book.' Milly Johnson'A brilliantly written, gripping, clever, compelling story, that I struggled to put down. The vivid descriptions, the evocative plot and the intrigue that Louise created, which had me constantly asking questions, made it a highly enjoyable, absolute treasure of a read.' Kim Nash on The Scarlet Dress'Another stunning read from the exceptionally talented Louise Douglas! I love the way in which Louise creates such an atmospheric mystery, building the intrigue and suspense brick by brick. Her writing is always beautiful and multi-layered, her characters warm and relatable and the intriguing nature of the mystery makes this unputdownable.’ Nicola Cornick on The Scarlet Dress'A tender, heart-breaking, page-turning read' Rachel Hore on The House by the Sea'The perfect combination of page-turning thriller and deeply emotional family story. Superb’ Nicola Cornick on The House by the Sea

About xigxag and the x-book®

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by "x-book" to find them.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.