The Vacation House, Jane Shemilt
The Vacation House, Jane Shemilt
3 Rating(s)
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The Vacation House
A Novel

Author: Jane Shemilt

Narrator: Amalia Vitale

Unabridged: 7 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 12/26/2023

Synopsis

The Edgar-nominated, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Daughter and The Playground weaves a breathtaking tale of betrayal, family, and secrets from the past in this crackling novel of psychological suspense.Two women. Two secrets. One terrible night.PAXOS, GREECEThe vacation house is a luxurious getaway for a wealthy English family, windows open to sun and the sea, a sparkling swimming pool, and a verdant garden. One hot summer night, while the parents and their friends drink wine and amuse themselves, a young woman—the teenage daughter of the Greek caretaker—ventures for a walk on their private beach. Her life will never be the same again.LONDON, ENGLAND, TEN YEARS LATERJulia is the perfect spouse and mother. Slender, blonde, expensively dressed, she’s the classic “yummy mummy” of high society: cook, organizer, arm candy, and speechwriter to her influential husband.But behind her winning smile is a stifled woman trapped in a gilded cage, stricken with anxiety and perfectionism. When Julia meets Laurel, a therapist who promises to help her find fulfillment, Julia opens herself up to the hope of a different future.BOUND BY THE PASTWhat happened in Greece all those years ago that binds these two women together? And will uncovering the truth destroy everything… or set them free?

About Jane Shemilt

While working full time as a physician, Jane Shemilt received an M.A. in creative writing. She was shortlisted for the Janklow and Nesbit award and the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize for The Daughter, her first novel. She and her husband, a professor of neurosurgery, have five children and live in Bristol, England.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on December 16, 2023

If you're looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller that will completely disconnect you from the outside world for a few hours and immerse you in a tragic story, moving back and forth between two timelines and two points of view - once of a victim and of struggling survivors - then this book i......more

Goodreads review by Ceecee on June 02, 2023

4.5 stars It all has its roots in Paxos, Greece in 2003, a particularly hot summer in Europe. Sofie aged 13, helps her parents who work at a luxury property owned by wealthy Peter and Jane. As usual, a crowd of friends and “hangers on“ assemble, including Peter and Jane’s daughter, Julia. Fast forwa......more

Goodreads review by Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) on December 28, 2023

Two women. Two secrets. One terrible night. The Greek vacation house is a luxurious getaway for a wealthy English family, windows open to sun and the sea, a sparkling swimming pool, and a verdant garden. One hot summer night, while the parents and their friends drink wine and amuse themselves, a youn......more

Goodreads review by Melissa (Semi-hiatus for Work) on January 04, 2024

Not sure how to rate this one. 3.5 stars, rounded down because it is sad and disturbing (trigger warnings galore: (view spoiler)[ sexual abuse, domestic abuse, rape of a young teen, cheating (hide spoiler)] , but ultimately redemptive, almost too late though. Took SO long to get going and get set up. There are two timelines. The f......more

Goodreads review by Susan Kay on April 26, 2025

This story takes place in two timelines and is told in two voices. In Greece, we follow Sophie, the 13-year-old daughter of the staff that caretake the vacation home for a wealthy English family. 20 years later, the alternative voice is Julia, and that takes place primarily in England. Overall, I'm......more

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