You know summer is around the corner when Mary Kay Andrews releases her new title! Another fun beach read that makes you want to race to the beach with a chair, shades and a book. Patrons will be delighted to have a bit of mystery, murder and friendship with this new story. It adds a new layer to the writing style of Andrews, suspense and murder will attract new readers to this book.

When ninety-nine-year-old heiress Josephine Bettendorf Warrick summons Brooke Trappnell to Talisa Island, her 20,000 acre remote barrier island home, Brooke is puzzled. Everybody in the South has heard about the eccentric millionaire mistress of Talisa, but Brooke has never met her. Josephine’s cryptic note says she wants to discuss an important legal matter with Brooke, who is an attorney, but Brooke knows that Mrs. Warrick has long been a client of a prestigious Atlanta law firm.

Over a few meetings, the ailing Josephine spins a tale of old friendships, secrets, betrayal and a long-unsolved murder. She tells Brooke she is hiring her for two reasons: to protect her island and legacy from those who would despoil her land, and secondly, to help her make amends with the heirs of the long dead women who were her closest friends, the girls of The High Tide Club—so named because of their youthful skinny dipping escapades—Millie, Ruth and Varina. When Josephine dies with her secrets intact, Brooke is charged with contacting Josephine’s friends’ descendants and bringing them together on Talisa for a reunion of women who’ve actually never met.

My Thoughts: The High Tide Club is a book about friendships, secrets, and the things that happen to tear friends apart.

Brooke, a young lawyer who left a practice in Savannah to set up her own office in St. Ann’s, is struggling to raise her three-year-old son; she has secrets of her own, and keeps them close. When she gets the call from Josephine, she is reluctant to get involved. Especially when she realizes that one of Josephine’s old friends was her own grandmother.

The story goes back and forth in time, with narrators in the 1940s and in the present. Just when Josephine finally has some of the descendants of her old friends around her, telling her story, she dies unexpectedly. Although at ninety-nine, with a terminal illness, it could have happened at any time.

Because of her ill health and age, Josephine’s story unfolded very slowly, in bits and pieces, which frustrated the listeners. If only she had held on one more day!

How did the skinny dipping and occasional pranks change into big secrets and mysteries? What really happened back then? With Josephine gone, how would the rest of the story unfold? How does the discovery of old letters add to the mystery?

I enjoyed the characters and with each turn of a page, I was eager to find out what really happened. So many unexpected twists came at them, and none of the descendants could have seen any of them coming. 4.5 stars.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

I LOVED this latest page turner by Mary Kay Andrews. The twists and turns kept me guessing through the entire book. This is a GREAT book to pack in your beach bag this summer!

I have always been a fan of Andrew’s books. I enjoy reading books based in the south. I loved her descriptions of Shellhaven and felt like I was touring right through the house. She transported me to the beach and easy going ways of island life. I was surprised by the mystery and murder involved in this one. It is unlike the others I read of hers but I enjoyed it. Great easy read! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the advanced readers copy.

I liked this novel, but it seemed very different from Mary Kay Andrews previous novels. I usually pick up one of her novels expecting a women's fiction/beach read but this did not seem to fit the bill. I am not sure if it was the going back and forth between characters. I still liked the book; the writing still beautiful and characters still strong.

Talisa Island, GA is the setting for this novel about redemption, secrets and murder. I thoroughly enjoyed this Southern themed book about a ninety plus year old woman dying of cancer seeking to repair the damage she has wrought over the years for her three close friends. In doing so, she creates a new friendship for the five women involved in bringing her wishes to fruition.

Another keeper from Mary Kay Andrews. You can always depend on her books to be a great book to take to the beach or even to a comfortable chair for a #staycation. Great characters, amazing location and a story line with a touch of mystery that kept me interested from page one to The End.

I have read many Mary Kay Andrews books over the years and have greatly enjoyed the descriptions of Southern life, family, and friendships. I have also read some of her Callahan Garrity mystery series. So it was intriguing to me to read The High Tide Club as it appeared to be a combination of the essential elements of the two.

The premise really stood out to me - Dual timelines that started with current day but dipped back into 1941 to unlock the secrets of broken relationships, hard feelings, and murder.

The southern setting also grabbed me - Talisa, a secluded barrier Island off from Georgia and not far from Savannah seems perfect for a story based on a dying eccentric wealthy woman trying to determine who to pass along her inheritance.

The story deftly moves from modern day where 99 year old Josephine Bettendorf Warrick hires Brooke Trapnell for her legal skills to the 1940s friends of the High Tide Club. The two are definitely connected but it is a bit of a journey to initially see how. Once established, I moved rapidly through parts of the story - as I really wanted to see what took place all those years ago and also how Talisa could remain as Josephine wished.

I struggled with the modern day twist to the story. It felt a little odd to me and didn't necessarily flow with the first half of the book. And the secret that Brooke kept absolutely drove me batty - as did how it all ended when it came out. However, I understand that this a story that you know will have resolution and a happy ending.

Overall, this was a solid (3 and 1/2 star) read for me. The tale kept me engaged and coming back for more as I really wanted to read more about Ruth, Millie, young Josephine, and Varina. I do wish that there was more time spent with these High Tide girls but found the modern day characters and their quest to figure this all out also made for an interesting story.

I believe this is one to put on your beach TBR list as it is a good summertime read.

I received an e-arc via Netgalley from St. Martin's Press. And while I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book I've read by Mary Kay Andrews, and I'm glad I did. With the title, I expected an easy going, breezy beach read, but it was definitely so much more. Going back and forth between the 1940's and present day, a 99 year old eccentric millionaire has a lot to tell. Between humor, suspense and everything in between, you won't want the story to end. I was very intrigued. Highly recommend.

I enjoy a book when the location and landscape are an integral part of a story. This was a very good story, complete with a diverse cast of interesting and likable characters. It is light reading, perfect for summer reading. The story was easy to follow back and forth from past to present, as chapters were labeled. This is the first book that I’ve read by Ms. Andrews, and I look forward to reading more.

I think Mary Kay Andrews books are great "beach" reads. Although I've only read a couple of her books previously, these books tend to be light mysteries and most of the book is dedicated more to the relationships and family/friendship drama in the story. The High Tide Club was created back in 1941 by 4 young women that created a bond through skinny dipping in the ocean during the full moon's high tide. Over the years, they somehow lost touch with one another.

About 70 years later, one of the women, Josephine, is dying and wants to make amends. She hires a lawyer to help her find these women and bring them to her home. There are a lot of different sub-plots going on in this book, but I found them all interesting and fun. There are definitely some sensitive topics that are touched on and weave their way into the story line (racism, domestic abuse, rape), but Mary Kay Andrews does a good job not diving too deep into anything to keep the book focused on the characters. I enjoyed this book, the characters, and the mystery... however, IMO if you are looking for a book with some deep meaning, you may not enjoy this book.

You can't go wrong with a Mary Kay Andrews beach read! As always, great characters, great settings and a story line that keeps the reader interested. I always enjoy her novels and this one was another win!

It is difficult to describe this book without giving too much of the plot away. It goes back and forth between the 1940's and present day, and tells the story of four friends whose lives are all affected by the events that occur in the 40's. There are many mysteries and secrets and it makes for compelling reading. It took me a bit to get in to the book, but I reached a point where I just had to finish it (and quickly) to find out what was going on. It is also a bit different than the author's early books which are generally more comedic. This is a more serious book and more of a mystery story, but all together an enjoyable read.

I love how this book reminded me of her earlier writings as Kathy Hogan. The book went back to her who done it writing, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also have a soft spot for Southern Fiction. I enjoyed the friendships between the characters and that she included a more variety of races in this book. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was that I figured out what was going to happen a few chapters in, but maybe that’s because I know the author so well!

Great beach read. This book had a great mystery that kept me engaged the entire book.

Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. This is probably the best yet! Plot twists and turns makes you NEED to keep reading. This was one of those books you just lose the day reading. If you like Southern Fic you will love this book. Difficult to say too much without revealing the story but you won't be sorry you purchased this book.

Mary Kay Andrews sure knows how to weave a southern tale. This book is lengthy for a beach read. Be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen as you will be drawn into the lives of Josephine, Millie, Ruth and Varina, the original High Tide Club back in the Forties. Present day Brooke is tasked with finding these ladies or their heirs by the aging Josephine. There were times when snippets from the past seemed intrusive but as the mysteries increased, the past became as interesting as the present.

I have always been drawn to books using coastal locations, and MKA succeeds once again with her portrayal of the fictional island of Talista. It was easy to feel the heat and picture Josephine’s stately home trapped in it’s Sixties decor. It was a fitting backdrop for Brooke, Felicia and Lizzie as they tried to unravel the mysteries surrounding Josephine and her estate.I enjoyed watching bonds form between this disparate trio of present day women. I liked how Andrews inserts enough humour to lighten the darker moments and appreciated the parallel themes of orphans and single parents in the past and in the present. .

Not my favourite read by this author thanks to threads left unresolved and slow pacing. My need for speed thriller side found this book a slow go.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

3 stars


READING PROGRESS

Always enjoyable, MKA did not disappoint with this book! I enjoyed the dual storyline, the setting, and all of the characters. Always a good way to kick off the beach reading season!

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy. Another great book from Mary Kay Andrews. Long lost secrets and family members are discovered while trying to save an endangered island. Mary Kay Andrews did a great job of describing all of the characters and intertwining them together in this story. She never disappoints her readers with her books.