I received a free ARC ebook of <i>Sun Damage</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
What a great read. Ali is kind of unremarkable and forgettable but that is exactly why Sean is interested in her. Ali's history as a troubled foster child, shunted from one home to another, has made her lonely and observant. Sean is a con man, alternating between menacing and charming. Together they are in Europe conning those who want something without true effort as they mold themselves into whomever and whatever the victim desires. When easy target Lulu appears, Sean and Ali approach looking for a quick gain.
Despite Ali's doubts, Sean continues their efforts to con Lulu out of whatever she has. When Lulu expresses doubts, violence follows. Ali realizes she is way out of her league. To escape Sean, Ali takes on Lulu's identity.
At times this novel is reminiscent of Highsmith's <i>The Talented Mr. Ripley</i> but without the psychopathology of the protagonist. Readers of this novel will want Ali to escape and turn her life around.

A fun an compelling low stakes, light don novel perfect for summer beach reading.

Ali and Sean are low-level con artists befriending the rich and scamming them out of nominal amounts of money in order to fund their itinerant lifestyle. The risk/reward feels worth it for Ali until a con goes horribly wrong and her life is upended.

With nowhere to go and fearing both the law and her former partner in crime, Ali makes a choice about what to do next that produces a snowball of unintended consequences.

It’s a fun setup and a fun narrative, mostly set in the south of France amid wealthy vacationers who might have some secrets of their own. Ali is, to be sure, not exactly a truly good con artist, but she’s also a pretty alright person, which makes it easy to root for her.

The big twist is very easy to guess, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good twist, and I enjoyed the book despite feeling certain I knew what was coming.

A great choice for a beachy summer read and for those who like their crime novels to stay on the lighter side.

Such a fun book! I tore right through this thriller. Ali and Sean, con artists preying on vacationers in the south of France run into a problem with one of their marks. Ali is having a crisis of conscience over the years she has spent scamming people, and when things suddenly go wrong, she takes a chance of leaving her life of crime. The pages flew by and I felt the characters had a genuine hold on my attention. Well-paced, with a nice little unexpected twist at the end. This is one I'd recommend for vacation reading, or anyone looking for an entertaining escape read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

What a fun, roller coaster ride of a book. The book is set in the South of France and follows Sean and Alli. They are con artists who make a living conning unsuspecting victims. One of their cons goes wrong bringing tons of actions and intense moments to the story. This is an intense, fun thriller that will keep you enthralled the whole time. I read it in one sitting since I couldn't put it down and wanted to know what was going to happen.
100% recommend!

I loved reading the suspenseful events leading up to fugitive Ali's arrival as a cook for the vacationing family in the large house in the south of France. I also enjoyed the chance for romance for the wayward, lost soul that she is.

It was surprising how well Ali carried off her duties as cook, which she is not and only pretending to be, and how fortuitous it was to have a guest to help her with kitchen duties.

The ending of the thriller came with a twist that was not a total surprise but it did add more drama to the story. I liked the more or less realistic ending with Ali not totally changed in her ways but much better, enough that we like her and wish her well, even though she is not a totally redeemed person.

Sun Damage by Sabine Durrant is set in France. It's a fantastic read and one of my favorite books of the year so far. As a fan of Durrant's previous works I was not disappointed with this latest offering. The characters are well-crafted, the plot is gripping, and there is a palpable sense of tension that runs throughout the novel.

The story follows Ali and Sean, two con artists who prey on unsuspecting victims to make a living. Without revealing too much, I can say that the plot is filled with twists and turns, and the reader is kept on the edge of their seat as the story unfolds.

Overall, Durrant has created an exciting and suspenseful thriller that is sure to keep readers hooked from beginning to end. If you're looking for a page-turner with well-drawn characters and a gripping plot, this book is a must-read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a fantastic psychological thriller that I tore through! Meet Sean and Ali, a pair of con artists working their way through the continent including Marrakesh, Spain and now France. Ali is being tutored in the fine art of conning a mark when things go very wrong with the latest mark, Lulu. If I say any more, it will spoil the suspense of the story and you need to go into this one not knowing more than the above!

I loved the characters, their depth and the various plots that are intricately woven through this twisty and suspenseful tale! I thought the development was very well done and believable which is important in this type of story. There are a couple of twists that took me by surprise and I loved the ending!

You do not want to miss this and it publishes August 1st! I will be buying a copy and highly recommend that you do so as well!!!

Definitely read Sun Damage poolside this summer. You’ll be swept up in the southern France atmosphere and then captivated by the con-artist turned chef trying to hold the whole plot together.

3.5 stars
Sun Damage is a slow burn beach read with a gorgeous setting vividly brought to life and a complex protagonist who you'll both love to hate and at times empathize with.

Sean and Ali are con artists whose partnership is unraveling due to growing tension and resentment. One of their cons spirals out of control and ends badly, changing their relationship permanently and sending one partner searching for an escape.

The atmosphere and setting were the stars of the show for me. The sounds, smells, and feel of summer in the south of France were wonderfully described and transported me to the steamy, sunny locations of the story. The scorching heat practically radiates off the page at times.

I felt like the action and story development happened almost entirely at the very beginning and end of the book. In the middle, the story seemed to wander in a lot of different directions without really going anywhere. Perhaps I wouldn't have noticed this as much if the book hadn't started out with a thriller storyline and pacing. This made it all the more noticeable when the pace slowed down, shifted away from the main event, and settled into a story following the large cast of characters staying at the vacation house.

A few secrets and ulterior motives are revealed toward the end, helping to create some tension and suspense, but I can't help wishing the twists and mystery related drama would have been spread more evenly throughout the book. With the uneven pacing, I was never able to become fully immersed in the story.

Overall, Sun Damage was a mixed bag for me. However, I loved the vividly described setting and also the author's smoothly flowing, easy-to-read writing style. I'll definitely check out another book by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for providing me an ARC of this book.

This book is promoted as a Patricia Highsmith style novel and I agree!

It is a bit of a slow start when you meet the couple...I wasn't sure if I would like the characters. But as soon as the focus moves to the vacation house the story takes off! I loved the Lulu character and enjoyed hearing her thoughts. Lulu had hopes and fears and second guessed herself all of the time and that propelled the story forward and made her a sympathetic character.

If you love a vacation gone wrong, a smart and gritty grifter character or just love a twisty thriller, Sun Damage is for you! #Harper #sundamage #SabineDurrant

“Sun Damage” is a novel by Sabine Durrant that’s being published on 8/1/23. There’s a heat wave in Provence, France, but this hasn’t stopped nine friends from attending their plans to stay at a luxurious holiday home. But do they really know each other that well? This books explores what happens when two professional con artists encounter the group.

I haven’t read any novels by Sabine Durrant before this, but I would definitely be interested in reading more of her work. This is a perfect summer vacation thriller, which leaves me wanting to visit France, but also wanting to stay away from it. Definitely a perfect beach or poolside read for this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for the ARC of this novel.

Thanks you to Harper Collins for sending me an arc in exchange for review.

This was dissapointing. This starts off like a thriller but then comes to a slow stop of just dialogue. Nothing interesting happens until the end.

A couple of grifters, world travels, and an accidental murder? Color me interested!

This one was fun to read about the different places they explored and how they ended up in each place. I think that this book fell a little short for me because I was reading Lucky at the same time and the story lines blurred for me at times.

Overall, I'm not mad I read the book... but I'm glad I didn't buy it.

3 stars

Man, I wish it was summer! It was the best poolside reading book and here I am stuck in the cold. I loved the setting of Saint Cecile-sur-Mer, The con artist twist on the usual vacation murder mystery felt fresh and interesting.

Sizzling with suspense, rich in detail, this was the perfect domestic thriller. Keeping the review vague intentionally as there's a lot to unfold in this one!

(3.75 stars) This was fun, if a wee bit predictable. I didn’t read it poolside, but it would have made a good poolside read, as it was billed. I’m not sure it should be touted as literary fiction, though, which is how it came to me through NetGalley. I would place it solidly in general fiction, a category within which it is successful imo.

Ali and Sean are con artists. They play people like Lulu for thousands of euros at a time. But something goes wrong with Lulu’s con. In a panic, Ali flees…with the money, a decision that leaves Sean on her trail. I can’t say more without giving the plot away. As would be expected, there are a few twists before this one works itself out. I guessed the ending, but it didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the novel. Recommended for those liking twisty reads with complex characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for proving me with an e-ARC of this title.

Great South of France summer house setting.
Twist was not that surprising.
Lots of characters introduced but not much done with them
Overall a fun read

I received an ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins. Sun Damage is a captivating thriller whose protagonist is a young con artist named Ali. As Ali tries to escape her partner, Sean, she stumbles into a whole different life, both by choice and necessity. The strength of this book as a thriller comes from there not being a gruesome murder or other bodily harm. While there is a murder, it isn't the sole focus of the plot.

The author's descriptions of the various cons from huge to tiny provides interesting details to the story. Ali's ability to shapeshift as needed, but also be so painfully obvious as a fraud was a great character study. I also thought the author presented the family and friend dynamics of Ali's marks in stark detail.

I had a very hard time putting this book down because I was wholly invested in Ali and I found her story compelling. The ending was also excellent in a way that left a lot hanging while also wrapping up most of the storylines. However, the author could absolutely write a sequel and left it as such.