Set on Florida’s Gulf Coast, “The Newcomer” has all the beach vibes for summer. Its actually set in the winter in a rundown motel full with snowbirds, but still, the descriptions of the sand, shells and tropical vegetation will make you strap on your flip-flops.

The plot is just a tad unbelievable, and the bad guys are predictable, but the characters are lovable and the romance is a slow burn.

Enjoy this one on a long drive to somewhere beautiful this summer!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As always Mary Kay Andrews never fails to light up the pages. The mystery and dynamic between aunt and child is so beautiful and they seamlessly fell into this beautiful family and extended family right away. As the mystery to who murdered the childs mother unfolds and more secrets of her past surface her sister is able to take everything and turn it into a beautiful conclusion.

Really enjoyed this quaint little story which would make the perfect beach read! It's filled with a little bit of everything, suspense, mystery, romance, humor and just good old frolicking fun. I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to relax and get lost in a great story.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining. The characters were complex while being completely entertaining.

The Newcomer
By Mary Kay Andrews

This book was absolutely amazing I enjoyed reading and listening to this book. Every time I put this book down, I just want to pick it right back up. It’s such an easy read but had enough mystery and thrill with an amazing cast of characters that made this such a delightful read.

I alternated from the book to audio and the narration by Kathleen McInerney was absolutely phenomenal and gave a great voice to our main character.

A little romance plus murder plus a beach setting? This novel included all the puzzle pieces for a great summer read except The Newcome lost stars for being too slow and too long.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was such a wonderful story! I fell in love with the characters and loved where it took place. The author does a fabulous job of creating the scene and really describing the characters. The book kept me on the edge of my seat for the whole time, but not in a thriller way. More of just an exciting way! A little bit of mystery, a little bit of crazy family, and a lot of love. Shorter-ish chapters that make reading before bed even just a little bit each night easy to do. Quick read too! This book was granted to me by Netgalley.com as an ARC for my honest review. Thoughts and opinions are my own, but you really don't want to miss this one!

I know that Mary Kay Andrews is a popular author with many books under her belt, however I never read any of her work. I wanted The Newcomer to be my first try at an Andrews novel, but I really could not make it work. You would think with a plot as exciting as a dead younger sister, a kidnapping and a Florida setting something more would come out of this book but it never happened for me. I am sad to say that this book was not for me. The way the characters interacted was so cheesy I couldn’t take it anymore. Perhaps this is a book for a certain group of people which apparently isn’t me. I am glad I gave it a try though. I really wanted to put this book down but get obligated because it was an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The queen of beach reads has done it again! My summer isn't complete without a new book from Mary Kay Andrews and The Newcomer did not disappoint. It is a little darker than the usual MKA book and I am a fan!

This story follows Letty, a former actress who works in real-estate and it begins with the murder of her sister Tanya. Before Tanya was killed, she told Letty if anything bad happened to her that her daughter's father would be the culprit and to take her 4 year old daughter and run, so that's exactly what she did. She found herself at a charming motel in Florida called The Murmuring Surf where a story of mystery, newfound motherhood, friendship, love, selflessness, danger, and many secrets unfold. There is a cast of supporting characters that you will love along with a few laugh out loud moments (classic MKA humor...love it!).

Mystery, suspense and fiction fans will enjoy this exciting and heartwarming book. It is a perfect beach read and left me wanting Ava's homemade cookies while playing Aloha bingo at the Murmuring Surf.  Thank you MKA for another great summer read!

The Newcomers by Mary Kay Andrews is not a book that I would normally pick up. I am more into thrillers and fantasy but I have seen this Authors name around and I thought what the heck? I'll give it a go.

While I enjoyed reading this Quirky Mystery, I have to say that I was not as enthralled as others seemed to have been. It kept me entertained which is why I read however I kept expecting more from the story, probably as result of it not being my normal genre. Overall cute, entertaining story by a new-to-me Author however a bit too long and a bit predictable.

3/5 Stars

A life on the run, a family in the making and a whole lot of sunshine round out this mystery of a beach read. The characters are full of the pepper and the plot is enough to keep you interested throughout. One to put in your beach bag for sure!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (rounding up for ratings)
#thenewcomber
#marykayandrews
#mystery/thrller
#romance
#womensfiction (I hate that genre title!)
#NetGalley (published 5/4/21)
#StMartinsPress

The book starts with Letty and her 4 yr old neice, Maya, just having finished a drive all the way from NYC to a particular sleepy beach town motel on the Gulf Coast of Florida. We discover her sister is dead. She was just murdered and Letty is wanted in questioning for the murder. The owner of the motel she has landed at has a grown son who is around quite a bit and just happens to be a cop, a detective. He tries to figure things out without turning her in.

There's a bit of romance. A bit of mystery, but it's not really about who killed her sister. It's more about how to get Letty off the hook and the killer arrested so it sticks.

Very enjoyably told story. I removed a 1/2⭐ only bc it wasn't really a mystery. Not really a thriller either, though there are some great scenes that definitely kept you glued to the book.

#bookstagram #booknerds #bookworm #booklover #bookdragon #readalot #ilovereading #inkdrinker #librarymouse #booknerdbookreviews #bookaddict #bookaholic #bookrecommendation #bookreview #booknerdigan #bookish

Letty is just doing whatever her sister wanted. “If anything bad happens to me it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run.” When her sister turns up dead Letty knows better then to think twice. She packs quickly, grabs her niece and goes on the run.
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She runs without thinking and grabs her sisters “go bag” filled with cash, a diamond ring and a magazine article for The Murmuring Surf Motel in Florida.
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She arrives to no vacancy and a pack of tight knit snowbirds that want nothing to do with a newcomer but Letty eventually finds a place and some peace in the sunshine of Florida.
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I read this book in a day. It’s a great vacation read to add to your summer packing list.
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Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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Has the perfect ingredients for a mystery, suspense, thriller. We meet Letty who finds herself and four year old niece in a extremely dangerous situation. While the book held my attention it's pace was a bit slow and I thought the author held on to long and the book was a bit lengthy than it needed to be.

A good read but I did find it predictable.... I wasn't wondering who did it or what was going to happen next. Likeable characters and beautiful setting in Treasure Island.

Wow! What an attention grabber. From the start I was hooked and needed so many questions answered. I loved how the answers to these questions were revealed perfectly throughout the book. I was so invested from start to finish! This is a great book for those who love both romance and a good thriller. It has a good combination of both genres!

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews is a great book with fun characters and a twisty good plot. The Murmuring Surf motel is the setting for most of this lightish summer read. It is a well-written thriller that will keep you interested throughout. I have always enjoyed Mary Kay Andrews’ writing, and this is no exception!

Letty and Maya are on the run. The question is - who are they really running from? And why? What secrets did Letty’s sister Tanya hold? Tanya is dead, Letty is a suspect, and people are after her and Tanya’s daughter, Maya. But she will do whatever is necessary to protect her niece.

Ava, Joe, and the rest of the cast of characters in the Gulf coast town they land in are more than she bargained for. And exactly what she needed. This novel is a quick and easy read with a bit of mystery, a splash of intrigue, and a dash of romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for making this gem available as an ARC. This review is voluntary and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can it even be summer without a new Mary Kay Andrews book? The answer is no—no it cannot! I started reading some of MKA’s books a couple of years ago and they are always good as a beach read or a quick read on a plane on the way to your latest vacation destination! I picked this one up and read it in a matter of days which is what I expect when I pick up any of her books.

This book featured both a romance and a little bit of a murder mystery and I just loved that combo. If you love beach reads you no doubt have read MKA and know how great of a writer she is. She is the Queen of Beach Reads and I cannot dispute that. She is a prolific and seasoned writer who knows exactly how to craft a well written novel.

If you haven’t read MKA before, you really can’t go wrong with any of her books so just grab one and dive in and if you have managed to read this far I would encourage you to just grab this one because it’s another classic MKA book and if you haven’t read anything by her then this one is just as good as any so why not grab it!

Summary
Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Beach Reads delivers her next page-turner for the summer with The Newcomer.

In trouble and on the run…

After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex; sleazy real estate entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s warnings: “If anything bad happens to me—it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run. Promise me.”

With a trunkful of emotional baggage…

So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road with her wailing four-year-old niece Maya. Letty is determined to out-run Evan and the law, but run to where? Tanya, a woman with a past shrouded in secrets, left behind a “go-bag” of cash and a big honking diamond ring—but only one clue: a faded magazine story about a sleepy mom-and-pop motel in a Florida beach town with the improbable name of Treasure Island. She sheds her old life and checks into an uncertain future at The Murmuring Surf Motel.

The No Vacancy sign is flashing & the sharks are circling…

And that’s the good news. Because The Surf, as the regulars call it, is the winter home of a close-knit flock of retirees and snowbirds who regard this odd-duck newcomer with suspicion and down-right hostility. As Letty settles into the motel’s former storage room, she tries to heal Maya’s heartache and unravel the key to her sister’s shady past, all while dodging the attention of the owner’s dangerously attractive son Joe, who just happens to be a local police detective. Can Letty find romance as well as a room at the inn—or will Joe betray her secrets and put her behind bars? With danger closing in, it’s a race to find the truth and right the wrongs of the past (summary from Goodreads)

Review
The first thing I am going to say about this book—-I was surprised how well done the murder mystery was! I went into this one thinking I was going to be reading more of a fluffy beach read with romance and what I got was a lot more murder than I was expecting! But I was equally as shocked with how well written and compelling it was! MKA is known for her romantic beach reads not for her thrillers but this one has a strong murder mystery plot that I wasn’t expecting and didn’t even know I needed until I started reading this one! I was hooked and read this one super fast as well! I loved the mystery and how it connected to the romantic parts of the story were great! I actually wanted and was frankly expecting a little more romance from this book but the mystery made up for it and overall I felt satisfied with the mystery even if it was shallow on the romance parts.

I have only read MKA’s more recent books but I am interested in going back and reading some of her earlier books. A lot of long time MKA fans have said that her writing style has really evolved over the years and become less ‘fluffy’ and more nuanced and complex. I would say that if you have tried MKA before and maybe weren’t a fan of her earlier works, I would say give this book a shot. It has a different feel from some of her other books, even the more recent books, and I think you might enjoy her writing more now from the sound of it.

The setting of the book added a lot to the story for me, especially the hotel guests. I enjoyed the guests and thought they added a fun element to the overall story. I also thought Letty was a a smart, likable character that readers will cheer on and enjoy too. I personally felt invested in her story even if I was hoping for more romance. I think this is going to be a big hit with fans of MKA and will hopefully draw in some new fans. I enjoyed it and easily passed a couple of afternoons lost in the unexpected story!

Book Info and Rating
Format448 pages, Hardcover

PublishedMay 4, 2021 by St. Martin’s Press

ISBN9781250256966 (ISBN10: 1250256968)

Free review copy provided by publisher, St Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: beach reads, romance, mystery

The Newcomer is my 1st book by Mary Kay Andrews.
Letty is on the run with her four year old niece Maya after discovering her sister Tanya's dead body on the floor of her New York City townhouse. She is determined to outrun the law and the person she feels is responsible for her sister's murder.
They end up in a Florida beach town where they check into the Murmuring Surf Motel. The regulars at the motel are a close-knit group of retirees and snowbirds that are suspicious of Letty. As she tries to unravel the mystery of her sister's murder Letty meets Joe, an attractive local detective and son of the motel owner. The sparks of romance commence as danger lurks for Letty and Maya.
A fun romantic mystery with characters that I loved!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my review.

Last summer when I read this authors book I ended up being kinda disappointed, mostly because I felt like it was too long for a beach read. This year when I was able to get my hands on the audio version I had a feeling it would be much better for me and I was right! I really enjoyed this one and I think from now on I’ll listen to her books rather than read a print copy. Do you have any authors that work better for you in one format or another?⁣
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I feel like this one could appeal to a wide variety of readers because there’s a little something for everyone. There’s a lighter style mystery because Letty is on the run with her four year old niece. Her sister made her promise if anything ever happened to her she would take Maya and run to keep her safe from her ex and Maya’s dad, Evan. She winds up at the Murmuring Surf Motel in Florida and doesn’t exactly get a warm welcome. The regulars are cranky and unwelcoming and they’re not thrilled about Maya either. So clearly, there’s a lot going on here, but ya know, it worked for me. The romance was very tame and most definitely a side plot, the mystery was the biggest portion and while it was fairly predictable it was also entertaining. I think the narrator was awesome and she kept me engaged the whole time, I’m really not sure I would’ve liked this as much had I only done the print version so if you’re an audio fan definitely check this out! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️