Audiobook Review – Out Of Her Depth

Title: Out Of Her Depth

Author: Lizzy Barber

Genre: Mystery & Thriller

Goodreads Rating: 3.67

My Rating:

Source: Audiobook

Synopsis:

Out of Her Depth by Lizzy Barber is an evocative thriller set in the heat of a Tuscan summer.

For headstrong Rachel, it is the chance of a lifetime: a summer job in the Tuscan hills, receiving room and board in exchange for her services at the luxurious Villa Medici hotel. It’s not long before she finds herself drawn into a cosmopolitan crowd of friends for whom money is no object, and allegiances can change with the toss of a coin.

When she asks her new friend Diana to help her win the affections of the handsome and charming Sebastian, she thinks she might finally have a chance to become part of their world, but when she discovers that Diana may have intentions of her own, she begins to learn the real cost of friendship. And when Sebastian begins to focus on the sweet and innocent Valentina, Rachel discovers there may be an even higher price to pay.

The suffocating heat, the blinding wealth, the beautiful people: it soon becomes too much, and Rachel finds herself not just out of her depth, but drowning in lies . .

My Review:

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for approving me for an ARC of this book. Also special thanks to Novel Natters for buddy reading this with me.

The story begins with Rachel, our narrator, accepting a summer job in Italy. Whilst there she meets an interesting group of people, one of whom is Diana, and the events that follow are what shape her entire life. We also flip to the present day where Rachel is now an adult and discovers that someone from her past is about to be released from prison. This brings back a lot of dark memories for Rachel and she begins to spiral. I really liked the back and forth across the timelines and how the story unfolded, it added a lot of tensions and atmosphere.

I really did not like any of the people in this story, Rachel included. The likes of Diana and Sebastian were full of themselves and saw money as a way to make people do what they want. I could see from the beginning how easily they could corrupt Rachel and pull her into their world and it didn’t sit right with me. I also didn’t trust Rachel as a narrator, I couldn’t figure out how much she really knew and if she was protecting one of them?

From the start you know this is going to end in disaster and whilst I figured out a few of the twists I really enjoyed watching it all unfold. I could see it playing out like a movie, all the was missing was the popcorn! The final epilogue was haunting and left me with even more questions but in a good way.

Out Of Her Depth is a dark and disturbing read that explores the beginnings of female friendships and how toxic they can become. It’s a slow burn thriller where all the characters are as twisted as each other and always looking out for number one.