Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. Mary Kay Andrews has succeeded in providing another great beach read, just in time for summer. Sadly, I did not read this on the beach but the fast paced beach setting novel did help a rainy day go by more quickly! I really enjoyed the secondary characters, all of the individuals who are staying at "The Surf" motel, as they were themselves quite a cast of characters! I highly recommend The Newcomer if you have the urge to feel the sand in-between your toes!

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews is a good read beach read. Letty takes her 4-year-old niece and runs from New York after finding her sister, Tanya, murdered. Tanya had warned Letty that if Tanya ever died suspiciously, it would be because of her ex-boyfriend. She also showed Letty her “go bag” with cash and things she would need to leave quickly. Letty finds a magazine article about a rundown motel in Treasure Island Florida in the bag so that’s where she heads. Being a typical beach read, there is a handsome man involved, a mystery and several story lines going on. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I want to spend my winters in a small motel on the edge of the ocean in Florida!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
Review of this novel will be posted soon.

Mary Kay Andrews delivers another beach read with all the elements that make them so popular. It’s set in a coastal town in Florida aptly named Treasure Island and of course the vintage motel adds to the setting as well. There is a little of everything among the pages. Romance, murder , family dynamics and a precocious 4 year old named Maya. However, the “regulars”who stay at The Murmuring Surf are quite quirky and look at the newcomer Letty with suspicion.I was instantly drawn into Letty’s world. She is forced to pick up the pieces of the shattered life her sister Tanya led. Thrown into becoming Maya’s guardian the book takes off and what the reader gets is the perfect summer novel. Beach reading season is upon us. Thank you #NetGalley #TheNewcomer for the ARC all opinions are my own.

Letty takes off with her young niece from a murder scene in New York and winds up at a beachfront motel in Florida called the Murmuring Surf. Everything falls into place for Letty quickly. She can stay and pay cash after clearing out the only studio unit left at the motel. She even pitches in at the motel office, and under the watchful eye of the motel owner and family, even her niece Maya is free to play. The story ramps up when Maya's father, Evan hires someone to find Letty, which turns out to not be very hard. Definitely a read for a summery beach days.

Wow! Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints! I found myself so involved in her characters. Loved how Letty fought for her niece by protecting her from men that were from her sisters life of crime. She did all she all she could do to find the person that murdered her sister and left her niece with out her mom. Lots of ups and downs and guessing…. Great read!

Like many others, I tend to gravitate toward beach reads in the summer. This year, I decided to pick up Mary Kay Andrews's latest The Newcomer, as I had never read her before. I have seen reviews that this is unlike her other books, so maybe it wasn't the best book to start with to get the full "Mary Kay Andrews" experience. To me, this was a mix of good and just ok.

After she finds her sister, Tanya, dead, Letty Carnahan flees with her sister's daughter to Florida. Tanya had told Letty that "If anything bad happens to me -- it's Evan." Evan is Tanya's ex. In Florida, Letty tries to blend in at the Murmuring Surf, a motel with an unforgettable cast of characters, and it wouldn't be a beach read if there wasn't a romance with the local police detective. But of course, Evan wants nothing more than to track down Letty and his daughter.

I loved most of the characters in The Newcomer, especially the old curmudgeons at the motel. Andrews really does a nice job of making them all unique. I found the mystery tiresome though and the romance not believable. Plus, the book was just too long. I'm not saying that I wouldn't read another Mary Kay Andrews book, just that I wish I hadn't started with this one to get to know her as an author.

MY RATING - 3

The Newcomber by Mary Kay Andrews

After her discovers her sister, Tanya, dead on the floor, she is certain she knows who did it. Tanya’s ex, Evan..

A very good book. A lot of intrigue and suspicion. Fast-moving, kept me reading on. Enjoyed them characters. Hope to meet them again in another one of her books. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

I always look forward to Mary Kay Andrews’ books each year. The Newcomer will not disappoint her readers. I enjoy a good mystery and Andrews provides just that! The Newcomer is the book to read this summer.

I love Mary Kay Andrews, and have read all her books. This one was great! She builds the characters up in such a sensitive way that you root for (or against) them as the book goes on. The plot is different from her previous books, and I ended up reading the book in one sitting.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I am not sure what I was expecting with this book… but boy was I pleasantly surprised. This was the perfect mystery/beach read. Letty finds her sister Tanya dead in her apartment. Letty is convinced that she knows who did it. But Tanya left a series of odd clues and now Letty her niece are on the run to try to solve her sisters murder. I do wish this book was about 80 pages shorter, it felt like it was dragging on towards the end. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I will be picking up a new Mary Kay Andrews book soon!

I absolutely LOVED listening to this story. While some of the topics were on the heavier side it still felt like the perfect light-hearted, cozy beach read. I enjoyed the various side stories and felt satisfied with the way they all linked up. This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and it won't be my last! 

I ended up also receiving this book on audio so thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

The Newcomer is the perfect summer read - a setting so perfectly described you can imagine being there, a wide range of quirky and engaging characters, a murder and mysteries that need to be solved and a romance to root for. A fun, fast, enjoyable read!

I loved this book! I'm sorry I forgot to review it earlier. I loved everything about this book, the thrill, the heart, the people, the setting, the writing style, the pacing. It was perfect. I want to own a motel on the beach now. Perfect summer read will definitely recommend it to everyone

This is one of my favorite Mary Kay Andrews books. I hope there will be a sequel including how Letty and Joe upgrade the Murmuring Surf!

This was enjoyable read. But it was a little predictable. I gave it a 3 stars. It it okay beach read.

I really enjoyed this book. While the romance was predictable, it was fun to watch it develop. I think the plot was original and captivating and I definitely wasn't expecting everything that happened. The characters were all very likable and for the most part, this was a quick read. Nothing too challenging, just your typical summer beach read.

A really good beach read. Has it all - mystery, suspense and romance. Keeps you reading until the end. You will really like this one.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It had suspense, romance and overall was a good chick-lit. I did find it a little long at points which is why I gave it 3 stars. Overall I would recommend this one to friends and family.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews. Good characterization and well-drawn characters make for a satisfying read. I plan read others by Andrews