Published in 2023 by Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio, the book is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook, as well as at your local library and through the Libby App. The audiobook, narrated by January LaVoy, explores infidelity, backstabbing, and murderous intrigue in the exclusive setting of Salcombe, Fire Island.

Even in a picture-perfect setting, looks can be deceiving when a body turns up face down off the boardwalk. The book has many points of view and timeline jumps, making it hard to follow. Chapters often go back in time to show a scene from another perspective, which makes the reading experience tedious.

Jen Weinsten and Lauren Parker hold sway over the beach and tennis court, manipulating pros to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, are childhood friends who have summered on the island together despite grudges and secrets. Rachel Woolf, their mutual friend, spends the summer on the island hoping to find her match, whether he’s the tennis pro or someone else’s husband feeding the gossip. All of them get caught in the intrigue, but the storyline keeps veering, turning what could be a thrilling mystery into over-the-top drama. The murder is soon forgotten and only mentioned again at the end. The story is full of rich people, lies, cheating, stealing, and disregard for anyone but themselves.

Rosenblum offers no character for readers to root for; all the characters are insufferable paper dolls, devoid of emotion, and the plot holes are so numerous that the story becomes nonsensical. For example, why not call an ambulance for Susan? No one had any motive to hurt her, and Sam’s need to solve it for the readers feels forced. The Me Too plot is so far-fetched it’s hard to believe, and the epilogue’s last-minute reveal feels like it was taken from a Scooby Doo episode.

Bad Summer People had potential but fell flat, making this a 0.5-star read.