Bad Summer People: A Novel

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Emma Rosenblum's Bad Summer People is a whip-smart, propulsive debut about infidelity, backstabbing, and murderous intrigue, set against an exclusive summer haven on Fire Island.

"This roiling beach community satire serves up wicked, clever fun that is White Lotus sharp." —Kevin Kwan, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and Sex and Vanity

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF SUMMER 2023: Bustle, ELLE, Cosmopolitan, PopSugar, Bloomberg, Vogue, and more!

None of them would claim to be a particularly good person. But who among them is actually capable of murder?

Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island every summer. They hold sway on the beach and the tennis court, and are adept at manipulating people to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, have summered together on the island since childhood, despite lifelong grudges and numerous secrets. Their one single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he’s the tennis pro—or someone else’s husband. But even with plenty to gossip about, this season starts out as quietly as any other.

Until a body is discovered, face down, off the side of the boardwalk.

Stylish, subversive, and darkly comedic, this is a story of what's lurking under the surface of picture-perfect lives in a place where everyone has something to hide.

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272 pages

Average rating: 6.06

172 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Jjcgp26
Feb 01, 2025
4/10 stars
I hated every character and wanted bad things for all of them.
stackedlibrarian
Dec 11, 2024
8/10 stars
Perfect beach read.
Cheyenne Shepherd
Jul 02, 2024
8/10 stars
Definitely a page turner & it was an easy read filled with drama.
bookishkellier
Jun 25, 2024
9/10 stars
Super good quick read
kblue
Feb 05, 2024
Great read!

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