Thanks to The Pigeonhole for an ARC. Launched straight into the action, I found this an easy read. It was full of evocative imagery and the author handled the background of Ali sensitively. Lots of layers were added throughout the book and the various twists and subplots I thought added to the overall story. A good pace throughout and a better unraveling at the end. Needs better editing!

Ali and Sean are experienced con artists who double team their unsuspecting marks, lull them into a web of lies and falsehoods, and then take what they want. When one of their scams goes horribly wrong, Ali makes a break from Sean and ends up hiding at a remote villa in the south of France pretending to be someone else, an experienced chef. As guests arrive, Ali is determined to remain under the radar and do whatever she can to forget the past. But she’s not the only one keeping secrets… Sun Damage is a beautifully drawn, character-driven, slow burn thriller which I found very compelling. Ali is such an interesting character with her troubled upbringing, being passed from foster home to foster home and the breaking down of the relationship between her and her sister in the process, that falling into a life of deception and con artistry felt almost inevitable. It was the path she believes life chose for her and it’s all she knows. There’s something about a con artist, the way they read and manipulate people, that makes them incredibly intriguing in my eyes. The other guests at the villa are all very well written and add to the story. I loved the way the author puts the reader on edge about the other characters. I felt suspicious of many of them and that only built as the novel progressed. The setting is absolutely stunning giving the story an atmospheric isolated feel with the summer heat pressing down on proceedings only adding to the claustrophobia. The plot moves at a steady but riveting pace keeping the reader turning the pages and invested in the story. Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Sun Damage is chock full of beautiful, well-crafted suspense, intriguing characters and I enjoyed every moment I spent with the book. I actually read Sun Damage by the pool in Gran Canaria so can confirm it makes a cracking beach/pool read for those jetting off to sunnier climes in the near future. All in all this is a superbly written story with a vivid sun soaked setting, featuring a cast of interesting and intriguing characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Sun Damage and now look forward to reading more from Durrant in the future. Recommended.

Sean and Ali are con artists, with Sean very much being the controller. Ali has a conscience but Sean loves what they do and is cruel and relentless. Eventually Ali runs from Sean and becomes involved with a group of so-called friends and family who are holidaying together but hiding secrets from each other. The story is cleverly told with twists and turns. Ali's character, particularly, is very well developed. Many thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have a little confession to make- yes yet another one. Although I have all of Sabine’s books on my ‘to be read’ mountain, I haven’t read one yet……………until now that is. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘Sun Damage’, I thought that I wouldn’t get a better opportunity to get to know Sabine’s work. Having enjoyed reading ‘Sun Damage’ as much as I did, I am not a bit cross at myself for leaving it this long to discover how good her work is. I really enjoyed reading ‘Sun Damage’ but more about that in a bit. The eye catching synopsis of ‘Sun Damage’ was enough to grab my attention and as soon as I started reading, I knew that I would find it rather difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. The characters intrigued me and I was interested to see in which direction their respective stories were going to take them. Of course I had my own theories as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I had guessed correctly or that I had wandered off down another path entirely. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Sun Damage’. I found ‘Sun Damage’ to be a tense and gripping read, which certainly kept me guessing. ‘Sun Damage’ is well written. I love the way in which Sabine’s writing style is so easy to get used to and easy to get along with. The author certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story. I found ‘Sun Damage’ is more of a slow burn type of read, which suits the story that Sabine is telling. The story starts off relatively slowly but as the story continues, the level of tension increases leading to a dramatic conclusion. I love the way in which Sabine makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. Reading ‘Sun Damage’ felt like being on a rather unpredictable and at times scary rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘Sun Damage’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Sabine’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

This novel was quite a surprise, as initially I thought I had chosen badly. The story is complex and the beginning rather alarming and brutal. However once over the scene-setting and moving on the story develops into a pretty good thriller based on scams, impersonations and deceit all set in France. The main character, Ali (aka Lula) becomes a likeable, sensitive and caring individual with gut and determination to put her crooked and wayward past behind her. It’s a fast paced novel and becomes impulsive reading. This is a far cry from my normal genre, but worth its read for entertainment and absorption. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for the advance copy in exchange for a review.