The Borough Press will publish a literary psychological thriller by Charlotte Philby, The End of Summer (preorder here!), as part of a “new direction” for the author’s career.

Slated for publication in June 2024, the novel focuses on the secret life of Judy McVee, who while attempting to hustle her way into a community of wealthy WASPs [White Anglo Saxon Protestants] in the US finds herself falling in love with the man she is trying to deceive.

Marriage follows, with Judy managing to conceal her chequered past from her husband, Rory, and their daughter, Francesca – until the day, decades later, when journalists descend on Francesca’s perfect family home claiming the case of her father’s murder has been reopened, after 20 years – and Judy is the prime suspect.

The blurb reads: “The End of Summer is gripping and glamorous upmarket fiction that traverses New York, Cape Cod, London and the South of France, and spans from the 1980s to the present day. It is a story about deception and betrayal, the bond between mothers and daughters, and the lengths a woman will go to in order to protect the life she has built from scratch.”

The Borough Press described the book, the second in a two-book deal from 2020, as “a new direction” for Philby.

Suzie Dooré, editor at large, said: “Charlotte has such a rare talent – whatever she writes, it’s always absorbing, pacy and hugely atmospheric. The End of Summer is no exception – I just raced through it and was completely in its thrall.”

Philby worked for the Independent for eight years as a columnist, editor and reporter, and was shortlisted for the Cudlipp Prize for her investigative journalism at the 2013 Press Awards. A former contributing editor and feature writer at Marie Claire, she has written for numerous outlets and presented documentaries for the BBC World Service and “The One Show”.

Philby said: “The End of Summer has been a thrill to write. I am so grateful to my excellent team at The Borough Press for their support, and giving me the freedom to take this exciting new pivot in my writing career. I seem to find myself preoccupied by complex, badly-behaved women who find themselves at odds with the society in which they circulate.

“Brilliant and audacious confidence trickster Judy is just that – and a character I’ve had such fun spending time with.”