Summer Madness

by Susan Lewis

Corrie Browne is an ordinary girl with extraordinary ambitions. Determined to find the father she has never known, her search takes her from her quiet Suffolk village to a new life in London, a fast paced television career, and to three colleagues who come to dominate her new life. All of them play a role in Corrie’s search for love and success. One of them intends Corrie’s ultimate destruction.
From the Trade Paperback edition.

Danny, the actress, with her sensual beauty and impossible temper, soon has the eligible men of the Riviera chasing her, Louisa, the scriptwriter on the rebound from a broken love affair, finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious Jake Mallory. While Sarah, the producer, just wants to hang out and have fun.

But they quickly discover that the sparkle of Riviera life conceals a dark presence that pulls them all into a game no one can win. And when mayhem and madness begin to stalk them, to their terror they find that there is no way out.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary

471 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 27, 1995

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.


Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband James, stepsons Michael and Luke, and mischievous dogs Coco and Lulu.

Reviews

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of all the Susan Lewis books I have read so far, I have to say this is the one I have liked the least and on reflection, if it had been the first of hers that I had read, I doubt whether I would have gone on to read another. It is a sizzling sexy story set in the millionaires’ playground of the South of France with three young women enjoying a lazy, relaxing summer break. That is, until they find themselves being drawn into a world of deception, intrigue, danger and double dealings. At nearly 500 pages it is a long read and, in theory, would make an ideal page turner of a beach road but I just found it quite boring on the whole. Over the first three quarters of the book the story seems to develop by way of accusations and counter accusations – so many in fact that at one point I forgot what exactly all the accusations were about. It doesn’t really start to get interesting at all until the last 100 pages or so. It is an over the top plot which I don’t usually mind in an escapist read, but this one does go too far over and just turns out to be a very silly read all round. Having said all that, it hasn’t put me off reading her books – I have still got another three or four in my TBR pile and hopefully this was just a one-off dud. Finally, I have to comment on the cover – a pretty, young girl staring into the camera – nice enough, but it doesn’t bear any relation to the story at all. It is not the first time I have noticed this about one of her books and it just makes me wonder why.

[Sharon Metcalf · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny how expectations work. I'd read a number of Susan Lewis books before this one and so I felt I knew how she wrote and to a certain extent thought I knew what to expect. I've recommended some of her other works to friends and simply expected this would be equally as enjoyable. So it was quite a surprise to discover this book was most unlike any of the others I'd read to date. Initially it felt like I was reading a Jackie Collins novel or something of that ilk. As the story progressed it felt like a thriller (not that I've read too many of those). Honestly I didnt have a clue who was lying and who could be trusted....and really, I suppose that was the intention because it was precisely that environment the characters found themselves in. Whereas I am normally very engaged with the characters in a Susan Lewis novel and enjoy her portrayals of everyday people, in this case I was not particularly taken by the characters and in some cases I actively disliked them. Perhaps there are people who live the way these characters did but they were so far removed from my reality that the book just didn't do it for me.

I think in this case I possibly could've judged the book by its cover. Not only did the picture look dated but the description "Racy Blockbuster" on the cover should've been a pretty big hint. Anyway, it had to be read as I had chosen Susan Lewis as my author for the Q2 challenge and this was my letter "S"book. It was certainly readable but I would steer away from others of this vintage in preference to her more recent books. So, in all fairness I can't rate this one more than 3 stars.

[Adeline Kam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so frustrated reading this book. The storyline is boring and slow moving. And very confusing. I couldn't finish it. Gave up at Chapter 15. Don't think I will read this book again in the future. Super boring, lengthy and confusing.

[Roz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down. Read it in two days, and that's quick by my standards!!

Full of twists and keeps you turning the pages for more.

[Tracy Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, but it was too slow, and very confusing.

[Kristy Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so slow to take off. Was a bit far fetched I had no idea whose side to take but was leaning towards Jakes.

[Julie Tombs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably my least favourite Susan Lewis book. I could not get invested in any of the characters, the story line was confusing, not knowing who was telling the truth and who was lying and there was an air of unbelievability in it. It got more exciting near the end but by then I could not really care what happened.

[mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

At first didn't feel I was going to like the story Believe me just couldn't put it down well written well as always ! You must read this book keeps you on the edge of your seat

[Shannon Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this Susan Lewis book. Couldn't put it down, needed to know the ending and was quite surprised.

[Kaye Dil · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly good read... the suspense and intrigue engulfed me in ways I couldn’t imagine... what mattered most the ending I hoped for!

[MRS S WELLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read ... lots of twists and turns .

[Amanda Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have read this 3x. Enjoyed it more when I was younger but still a great read

[Ashley Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't tell you how many times I've read this book. I will probably read it again.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Serena Raheel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't appeal to me from the get-go but I plodded on thinking, hoping, that it would improve. Alas! not to my taste.
From the very beginning, I felt it was a teenage story with shallow characters and petty blown-up issues with a little bit of psychotic thrown in. I could never picture them as adult women on vacation. It always felt like teenagers with petty boy issues and below-the-belt fights. I couldn't see how they were "best" friends!
What most appalled me was a comment about "being so bored that I could slit my wrists" at the very beginning of the story... I mean what a thing to write so casually about.. and that was probably the point where I was rather put off and the rest of the book was just an exercise to notch up the numbers on my Goodreads challenge!
I wasn't impressed by the prose or the characters; the suspense was too drawn out, the ending was unnecessarily dragged and the last turn was completely predictable ... only halfway through the book I could tell who was the lying antagonist and who to believe ... I couldn't wait to close the cover on this one ... so I could start something better!
Sorry to those who liked it but I did not!

[Tracy Barrall · Rating 4 out of 5]

When two people are telling you conflicting stories who do you believe! Consuela the very rich widow who never leaves her house or Jake the scar faced gruff of a thug whose stare alone can do damage. This is the dilemma for Sarah, Louisa and Danny, three friends who spend a summer together soaking up the sun in the south of France when their TV show comes to an end. They get caught up in the battle between these two people and the three friends choose very different sides........

[Ramona Frandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read it while I was on my summer holiday and I must say now after coming back I felt like I've lived two holidays. It absorbed me for hours. Perfect title and perfect moment to read it. I was a bit upset and disappointed about how life treated Jake and Louisa but I guess this is actually how it happens in real life. I was a bit shaken by all the intrigues and the pure evil that surrounded them and also about how Jake felt in the end..

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

As others have mentioned this book is a slow read for the first 75% of the book. I found the relationships between the 3 main characters who are supposedly "friends" to be tiresome and far-fetched. One of the 3 is a self-absorbed attention wh*ore and a horrible friend, in my opinion. The fact that the other 2 level-minded friends would put up with her backstabbing and shenanigans is hard to believe and made me frustrated.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book description does not match the book I read called Summer Madness by Susan Lewis??? ... But here's my review on the one I read about 3 girls who go on a 6mth holiday in France after their successful TV Series reached its end ..... For a cheap $3.50 from KMart this truly surprised me It had it all Romance, sexy, mystery, murders, twists & struggled to put it down towards the end

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow to start, & I nearly gave up on it half way through. Glad I put up with it though, as the last few chapters had some edge of the seat moments that prevented me putting the book down until I'd finished reading it.

[Yana Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, lots of twists and turns - a real page turner

[Ingrid De]

Different front cover

[Chee Wai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started really slowly and it's only interesting nearing the end. Really like how the ending is filled with so much emotions.

[JenniferB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cliched romance/thriller but easy to read, bit dated

[Dimpf81 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

[Louise Adkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thrilling read.

This book got me so involved with the thrill, romance and crime. A twisting tale throughout. Another great read by Susan Lewis.

[tales from a girl reading]

i felt the ending with Jake and Louisa was too ambiguous...does anyone have an explanation as to what Jake decided?