Holy terrible, batman. I could have used waaaay less job-related angst, at least one fewer mystery, less death and murder, and waaaaay more home renovation stuff and relationship stuff.

Honestly, the characters in this are all very shallow and completely one-dimensional, and the plot is so overstuffed that it stops making sense at some point and you just want to beg for mercy for it to be over.

I've liked MK Andrews in the past, but I'd say avoid this one like the plague.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

At first I was worried that this would be a typical read, but it surprised me with some interesting twists.

I absolutely LOVE MKA and all her books!

SUNSET BEACH is a perfect beach read, mixed with thrilling suspense, humor, chick-lit, and a multi-generational mystery. (always love parent's dark secrets). Do we ever really know our parents?

Drue Campbell is down on her luck. (you are going to love her). Her mom died. She is suffering from a knee injury from kiteboarding and just lost her waitressing job in Ft. Lauderdale. Her estranged father Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney (St. Petersburg, FL), shows up at the funeral and lets her know she has inherited her grandparent's cottage on Sunset Beach in Treasure Island, Florida's gulf coast.

She loved this cottage and it holds special memories for her. It is in shambles, the roof leaks and it is not liveable. However, her dad offers her a job at his law firm as a cube rate (answering phones). The last place she wants to work. But she swallows her pride and accepts in order to have the money to fix up her cottage. After all it is waterfront and a prime piece of real estate. However, little does she know her frenemy from middle school is now married to her dad and makes her life miserable at work.

Soon she discovers a case from a poor African American grandmother who lost her daughter when she was murdered at a nearby hotel resort and is raising her granddaughter. The law firm did not do the case justice and left the woman hanging. Drue has made it her mission to seek justice for this woman and granddaughter. (loved this relationship).

Drue is better at sleuthing with some mad detective skills, versus manning the phone. However, something is fishy and she is determined to get to the bottom of this (in secret). With a little help of the detective and some of her friends, she begins to unravel the coverup. In addition, she also uncovers another murder mystery and cold case in her mom's things stored in the cottage attic.

She doesn't know who she can trust. Even members of her own family and her co-workers. Things heat up in a race against time as she goes undercover to bring the truth to the surface.

WOW! what a great book. If you love historic beach cottages and much as I do and renovations (reno)— get in the spirit. A historic cottage handed down from generations past. Both damaged and shabby. A lifetime of childhood memories and unforgettable summers at a grandparent's cottage.

A worn-down woman from life's blows and plenty of bad luck. Metaphors for life. Lots of treasures and surprises await (personally and professionally) from the past within this old cottage. A strong empowered young woman starting over, as she breathes new life into the walls of this much-loved cottage as well as into her own life and future.

From mystery, intrigue, romance, suspense, humor, relatable characters, a strong love of family, nostalgia, heart, and plenty of home-reno! Second Chances. An avid fan of the author's Callahan Garrity Mysteries as well as her Southern contemporary beach fiction. The best of both worlds. Plus I love her kick-ass female characters.

This book resonates with me as a Floridian, and a lover of Indian Rock Beach (Colonial Court Inn), the entire Treasure Island, and Gulf Blvd on the Gulf Coast. SUNSET BEACH makes you want to revisit all the many places. I spent many weekends riding bikes there, from Clearwater to St. Pete, St. Johns Pass - and have stayed at many of the colorful beach cottages on the beautiful Gulf Coast with its white beaches. I will have to say the Gulf coast has more charming cottages. (love Siesta Key as well).

Also as an added bonus, Mary Kay shares her secrets and love of vacation rentals, renovations, cottage buying and decorating tips. . . as well as some great recipes! I am always hungry when reading her books.

My recommendation would be to rent a quaint beach cottage and grab a copy of SUNSET BEACH. I suggest a hammock (there is one as well as Adirondack chairs at Colonial Court) or Morada Bay, Islamorada - and a cocktail on a summer breezy day or evening. It is heaven! I am going to buy a copy for my favorite B&B WPB vacation rental to add to their library.

I highly recommend all Mary Kay Andrews books (My #1 Southern Author) In addition to Sunset Beach, The High Tide Club, Top Books of 2018 as well as MKA's cookbook The Beach House Cookbook. I have the hardcover cookbook and have given it as gifts and everyone loves it - they still email me about recipes they have tried.

Fans of Wendy Wax's Ten Beach Road (another favorite) will enjoy as well as Viola Shipman's The Summer Cottage! I urge you to pre-order this top beach read. It is on my Top Books of 2019!

I was immersed from page one to the end, reading it in one weekend- finding it difficult to put down. Dying to see how it would turn out. Mary Kay is a wonderful Southern storyteller and her love and passion of the beach, renovations, cooking, and historic cottages are reflected and mixed with her great wit.

An ideal beach read and book club pick. Also, the cover is DAZZLING! No one can spin a story like MKA!

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press for a print copy and NetGalley for a digital early reading copy.

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book took me by surprise in a GOOD way! I was expecting a light romantic mystery that was a good summer read. But, it was more than that. It was a romantic mystery that was well-written with an interesting plotline that is a PERFECT summer read!! I had never read anything by this author, but I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and kept me wanting to read more!

Definite recommend!!

I received this book as an advanced reader copy, in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley.

This was my first book from Mary Kay Andrews, and sadly I wasn' impressed.
I didn't find the main characters likable at all. The plot twists, or mysteries in the storyline are very predictable and seen a mile away.
I struggled to finish this book.

Sunset Beach was a great mystery read. I savored all the clues interspersed throughout as Drue tried to solve a case that has been unsolved for 2 years. Quirky and interesting characters are always a treat, and Sunset Beach does not disappoint. Drue's character works through a lot of personal conflict as she tries to reconcile with her father who was missing from her life for several years. Her character's growth is admirable. As all the pieces of the story unfolded, I couldn't help but enjoy putting my own detective skills to work.

Sunset Beach isn’t just a story about a daughter rekindling a relationship with her long lost father, embedded are unsolved mysteries that have us chomping at the bit for answers.
This story starts out with the main character at her mother’s funeral, seeing her long lost father for the first time in eons. He offers her an olive branch, that had she not been down on her luck in such a serious way, she would have declined without looking back. As it is, she begrudgingly accepts. This leads to the start of our adventure together.
Emotionally, I can honestly say I ran the gamut during this story. Without doubt, if my father married my former best friend I would not have been as tolerating. The little jabs thrown between the ex-friends had me in full anxiety mode. As the story evolved, so does Drue. She becomes more accepting of where her life is at, allowing her to figure out what she wants. Without realizing it, she starts to make the changes she needed to heal. As the story unfolds Drue meets some really likable characters and starts to move her life in a better direction.
During the story Drue comes across not just one, but two unsolved cases. Her curiosity gets the better of her and us! Unofficially, she investigates these cases. Thank goodness, because that’s where the fun starts.
A very engaging read! I’ve read several of Mary Kay Andrews’ books and am a fan. She is definitely an author who knows how to tell a good story!

After Drue's mother dies she heads to St. Pete's where she has a cottage by the water left to her by her grandparents. Drue has been estranged from her father but he has a law firm and a job waiting for her. She does not get a long with the office manager; her best friend in high school and now her father's wife, and is not particularly good at taking calls from clients wanting to sue. What she is good at is interviewing people involved in crimes. She takes on two crimes which brings her closer to her father, makes her a lifesaver to one family, secures a romantic relationship with a soon to be lawyer, and nearly gets her killed. This book has a little of everything and was fun to read.

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews. A great read. A roller coaster of a ride that grabbed me from the beginning. It did drag at times but for the most part a very enjoyable story. You can't go wrong with any of Mary Kay Andrew's books.

Drue Campbell’s life is a mess. Recovering from the accident that pretty much destroyed her knee, out of a job, and reeling from the death of her mother, she’s pretty much adrift.
She soon realizes that her only real choice is to move to Sunset Beach and take the job offered at her estranged father’s law firm. Answering the phones and sorting out the calls from people responding to her father’s billboards is not her idea of a life,, and dealing with a stepmother her own age isn’t fun either.
But her life is about to change dramatically when she starts looking in to an old wrongful death case.. Mary Kay Andrews will have readers guessing all the way to the end, and turning pages as fast as they can.

Sunset Beach is a fun read by the always entertaining Mary Kay Andrews. The main character, Drue, finds herself at loose ends after the death of her mother and decides to take up her estranged father's offer of a job at his law firm in Sunset Beach. She has few possessions, a old white Bronco that she calls "OJ" and a newly inherited run down beach house that had belonged to her Mother's parents.

She has a lot to cope with = her boss is her ex-high school friend who is now married to her father, some physical limitations due to an accident kiteboarding and repairing and furnishing the beach house.

The book is a fun read but, there are also a few mysteries thrown in, as well as a few twists.

I recommend this book and thank St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Mary Kay Andrews rarely disappoints. I assumed Sunset Beach would be a predictable summer beach read, the perfect chick lit escape I needed after a long, cold winter. I was surprised to discover that MC Drue Campbell was more than a down-on-her-luck fired barmaid but an amateur sleuth. Not a great sleuth but someone who could not let mysteries and mysterious behaviour by others stop her from bumbling along and finding the truth.

I like the layers MKA builds into her novels. When we meet Drue she is working as a barmaid earning enough money to pay for her kite boarding with little ambition to do much else in her life. Reconciling with her father following the death of her mom is not something she even wants but the offer of a job at his personal injury law office will pay the bills until something better comes along. Finding out she has inherited her grandparents cottage on the beach makes working in a cubicle all day endurable. The discovery she makes tucked away up in the attic as she cleans up the old cottage sets her on a quest for answers.

A nice cozy mystery rolled into a beach read. Works for me.

3.5 stars

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

First of all let me say I have read and loved all of Mary Kay Andrews books, but this book just took me in hook, line and sinker. I'm crazy about Women's fiction especially with a little mystery thrown in!

Poor Drue moved across Florida to work at her father Brice law office. Why not, as she needed a job after her mid-air knee injury and she had just inherited a wreck of a house from her mother's will, that would be all her's - after a "major" overhaul, as a hoarder had rented it for a long, long time.

Drue wasn't too happy working at the law office for her father's firm that tried to recruit slip-and-fall victims, going for the big insurance settlement. She also resented her father's snarky young wife Wendy. But what can you do when you need to work with a bum knee?

But with a tender heart Drue meets up with a Grandma and young child that said Brice did her wrong, stating her daughter was murdered while OFF the clock and not on working hours, having it turn into a lowly workmen's comp settlement.

Drue is trying her best to find out what exactly happened when the murder took place and she was found in an industrial laundry basket. But, not many were willing to talk about the incident.

The timeline also switches back to 1976 when Brice and his pal Zee were still on the police force, when a beautiful woman who was having an affair with Brice disappears. while married to Drue's mother. The mystery was never solved, but Drue finds alot of old news clippings on the case that her own mother had saved all of these years. What would that be all about?

Read this book and enjoy every page, I feel it is Mary Kay Andrews at her best! Maybe someday - hopefully - this could be a small series, like Weezie & Bebe.

Do yourself a favor and read this book for page turning enjoyment!

I have read a couple of Mary Kay Andrews books and she has not disappointed me yet. If you like fun beachy simmer reads, her books are for you. However, don't be fooled. This book is not so simple. Yes, romance and family drama are present, but when the protagonist, Drue, gets wrapped in two unsolved cases of missing women- from 1976 and a more recent crime, the story becomes anything but simple. If you are looking for an enjoyable and heartfelt read, this is the perfect book and while you are at it, read her other books as well. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ms Andrews brings us another summer beach read that warms the heart and is fun to read. I love the little mystery she has started throwing into her books. While they are still a great light and fun summer read, they have a little more depth to them and make us think just a little bit. What a fantastic read!

I love MKA and this book did not disappoint! This was a bit of a departure from her "typical" beach reads and seemed to have more mystery to it, which was fine by me! This one set in Florida, the main character, Drue, is grieving the loss of her mother, recovering from an injury and feeling miserable in a dead-end job. Her long absent father, Brice, comes back into the picture and offers her a job with his ambulance-chasing law firm. She also inherits a run down beach house from her grandparents - and with no better prospects, Drue both accepts the job and moves into the beach house. From here she has a bunch of twists and turns involving murder and romance!
I really enjoyed this book! Thanks to Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Mary Kay Andrews is on fire with her newest summer read! I've been reading MKA since the early 90s and own all of her books, but I think she just keeps getting better with every book, and Sunset Beach is the perfect example. I loved everything and I mean everything about Sunset Beach!

Thirty-six year old Drue Campbell doesn't feel like her life can possibly get any worse than it already is when her estranged father, a hot-shot personal injury lawyer walks back into her life and offers her a job. After all, her mom just passed away from cancer, she's not quite recovered from a knee injury she received in a kiteboarding accident, and she was just fired from her waitressing job.

Drue really has no choice but to take Brice's job offer and move back to St. Petersburg. Once there, she realizes things can get worse when she finds out her dad is now married to a woman her own age...who just happens to be her 8th grade best friend turned enemy, Wendy! The only upside to moving back to St. Petersburg is that Drue discovers that she has inherited the beach cottage on Sunset Beach that her grandfather built decades ago and where she spent so many happy years while growing up. It's now dilapidated and needs major repairs, but Drue is thrilled it's all hers.

What she's not thrilled about is working with Wendy every day, and it doesn't help that Drue is really bad at screening calls at the law firm and drumming up clients for her dad. Instead, Drue's more interested in trying to figure out who strangled the daughter of one of their clients--and mainly why her dad didn't get the girl's mother a bigger settlement in the wrongful death suit! As far as Drue is concerned, the client is right and justice wasn't served, so Drue turns secret investigator to figure out what happened and if the law firm (and her father) is somehow involved in hiding things.

If that mystery weren't enough to keep Drue busy, she finds a box in her attic while trying to prevent a leak in her roof that has an old police file from 1976 in it about a missing woman. Her dad used to be a police officer, but why would an entire police file just happen to be in her grandparent's attic and what happened to the missing woman 40 years ago? Let's just say that Drue has some suspicions!

Drue's investigations in both mysteries take her on a shocking path where she can trust no one! I love when MKA adds mystery and intrigue in her novels because she always adds just the right touch of suspense to keep you glued to the pages without letting it get too dark and heavy (although we all know I love my dark and gritty novels!). But for a summer read, this is the perfect mix of mystery, a bit of sleuthing, some intrigue, family drama, some romance, and a perfect southern summer setting!

Sunset Beach is another delightful summer novel from the queen of the beach reads, and it gets my highest recommendation! Make sure you grab a copy or add it to your TBR before it releases on May 7, 2019!

**Thank you, NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the early review copy. All opinions are my own.**

Sunset Beach is the perfect summer beach read!!!

The book starts with Drue down on her luck struggling with a sports injury, crappy on again off again boyfriend and then she gets fired shortly after losing her mom. Her estranged father offers her a job where she has to work with her step mom who was once her friend. It’s a mess and her life gets crazier as she begins to be intrigued by a homicide at a local beach hotel and a cold case of a women who went missing before she was born.

This book was filled with twists and turns. It took me a few chapters to get the lay of the land but, once I was hooked I devoured it within hours.

If you like beach Reads with some mystery and a tiny bit of romance then you NEED to preorder Sunset Beach right away!!!

4/5 ⭐️’s

I wouldnt classify this book as typical women’s fiction. There are two disturbing subplots that are cases the main character is working on which are more of crime/thriller/action storyline and took up a big chunk of the novel. The blurb and the cover dont match the overall theme of the book. I expected a peaceful beach read but got a sinister book instead. There are no good exceptional characters in the story. Every single one was made up of major flaws and no one was interesting. The main character was a 36 yo waitress who had no plan or ambition and was just bitter- not likeable at all. This is the most crass and disappointing “beach read” Ive come accross.

Drive Campbell has no job and a father who she hasn’t seen for years shows up at her mother’s funeral and he has also married her 8th grade friend/enemy. She joins her father’s firm unwillingly. Then there is a suspicious death on the beach. Fun new novel by Mary Kay Andrews.