This is an immersive combination of women's fiction and thriller, rather leisurely paced for thriller, though there are certainly some rip-roaring segments. But there's plenty of time getting to know the characters and the setting so that when peril arises, you give a damn. A woman and a child arrive at the old Murmuring Surf Motel in Treasure Island, Florida, and sweet talk a small room from the overworked proprietor. The reader gradually comes to know the people at the motel and the reasons Letty and her niece Maya are there, and follow the relationships that begin to develop even though danger and exposure are always just moments away. Complex people in complex situations make for a very satisfying reading experience. Highly recommended.
My copy was a ARC from NetGalley.

This is a beach read in every sense of the word!

The Newcomer is about Letty who flees New York with her niece after she finds her sister murdered and suspects it’s her sister’s ex-husband (and her niece’s father) who did it.

She drives to Florida and books herself into a motel to try and keep herself hidden as she soon finds out she’s considered a suspect in the murder.

While she’s at the motel she befriends the owner and her family while she tries to figure out what happened to her sister, who her sister really was and clear her own name.

I liked the plot of the book enough, but I absolutely hated the romance story line. I hated the romantic interest, Joe. He was pushy, wouldn’t listen to “no”, was incredibly selfish and immature. He gave me serious creeper vibes and the romantic relationship felt completely unnecessary. So many red flags and it made me feel so uncomfortable.

This was a fairly light read and was cute enough, but the creepy love interest and slightly too long story made this one more of a “meh” for me - 2.5/5 stars

I have been a MKA fan for some time now and The Newcomer did not disappoint. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down! Read it all in one day. Loved all the quirky characters, the romance, and the mystery elements. She is a master at character development and for creating a sense of place with her settings.

Thank you so much to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my e-arc of THE NEWCOMERS in exchange for an honest review! This one published last Tuesday so you can grab yourself a copy!

My rating: 📚📚📚.5

I have never read a book by this author before, so I was super excited to give it a try! I had it pegged as a beach read, and it IS. A beach read, as it takes place at a motel in Florida on the beach. But there was also a murder to be solved, kidnapping, fraudulent activity,and scamming old people. I love a good thriller/murder mystery so I enjoyed that aspect thrown into the mix!

What I didn’t like? It was so LONG. At like 40% I thought the whole book could have been tied up neatly and be everything be solved. It just felt very drawn out, with stuff that kept being added to the murder investigation that kind of felt unnecessary. It could have easily been 100 pages shorter.

I did enjoy the storyline tho and the characters! There was definitely character growth, which I appreciate. This would definitely be a good “beach read/vacation read.”

A dysfunctional family, murder, kidnapping, romance and a beach, what more do you need? This was an easy read that moved along at a good pace, The main characters were likable and I found myself routing for a neat happy ending, which of course MKA delivered.. Not sure how realistic it is to expect a detective to overlook an outstanding warrant, but it made for a good story.


Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley For the ARC. #TheNewcomer, #Netgalley

I got to say, I did enjoy reading The Newcomer. There was just a few tweaks that I had problems with. It was a slow paced for me. I need to know the backstory asap. It kept dragging out. I could not focus what was going in the book. And that’s bad for me especially when I want to know the whole story. I cannot leave a book unopened. I have to especially if it is a thriller genre book. Besides the slow paced and dragged out story, it had some potential. I won’t spoiler it for anyone.

Exceptionally Good and Suspenseful Crime - Romance
This is such a good bok that I hated to put it down. This story is a mix of several genres, as most good books are. It has crime and suspense, the story of many women, and a nice romance. There is an old-fashioned beach motel in today's Tampa/St. Pete Florida and an adorable 4-year-old girl. The story captures people as they really are, not as some fictionalized version of perfection. This has the reader cringing sometimes and cheering other times. I so enjoyed this book! I highly recommend it. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I’ll be honest I was mostly drawn to this for the cover.

I don’t usually read anything in the mystery genre so I thought I would like this because it had a bit of romance.

However I really couldn’t get into this book and unfortunately had to DNF it.

This book was way too long. Honestly though anytime a book is over 350 pages I just start to get a little antsy.

All the descriptions were super detailed but almost too detailed because I found myself skipping ahead and skimming pages.

Overall This book wasn’t for me, that’s not to say it wasn’t good because I think a lot of people will like it but it was way too long and honestly I’m a romance reader so I usually have a hard time with books that are outside of my normal genre.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews will pull you in and hold you captive until the last page is turned. Tanya made her sister Letty promise that if anything happened to her that Letty would take Tanya’s daughter and run. When Letty discovers her sister’s lifeless body, she heeds Tanya’s warning, taking her young niece and running as far from New York City as possible. She ends up at the Murmuring Surf Motel, a budget beachside motel filled with senior citizen snowbirds. Who could have predicted that the owner’s son would be a police officer and that he would take an interest in Letty? If Letty is to survive she must deny her growing attraction to him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. It had the perfect blend of suspense, romance and humor. The characters were relatable and believable. The motel’s guests were stereotypical snowbirds but in a fresh and funny way.

What I liked most was the way that the characters, especially the women, supported each other and were always willing to offer a helping hand. Just the uplifting message that we all need - especially now. This is sure to be the beach read (or lazy summer day read) of the season, and one that I a highly recommend. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.)
#cozymystery #amateursleuth #mysteries #bookstagram #netgalley #netgalleyreview #TheNewcomer

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book before it’s publication date. This was an easy read and an intriguing story. This would be a great quick read for an airplane ride but it isn’t a nail biter mystery. Another sister story which seems to be a trend for me lately. Letty and her sister’s childhood wasn’t the best of circumstances. She has moved to New York City to make a life for herself and though fame hasn’t come her way, she is doing okay while she tries to figure out what her future should be. The story begins five years after her sister moves in. The sisters’ relationship has been complicated but now the situation is dire and Letty has to take action to protect her sister’s daughter Maya from harm.

I wish I could give it 3.5 stars since I really liked the story. A solid romance and good girl wins story

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I like that this author’s books have an element of mystery and suspense without being too scary! Her characters are relatable and I always find myself rooting for their happiness. I truly enjoy her stories and can’t wait for the next one.

The Newcomer has so many great components. I loved Letty, Joe and Ava. All good people that I would want to be friends with. The seniors of Murmuring Surf were a riot and I especially loved the creative use of a walker. This is not only a story about live, it is about finding a family. A great summer read!

I have a confession. I haven’t read many of Mary Kay Andrews’ books. I know. Weird. But after reading The Newcomer, I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books in the future. I loved the suspense. It was convoluted and tricky to unravel all the strings. I really enjoyed seeing Letty grow and flourish with her newfound tribe that eventually becomes her family. Joe was just the right mix of rule-follower and rebel with a cause. Maya broke my heart, but kids are truly that resilient, so in the end, she stitched my broken heart back together. And Ava was the kind of mom we all want to have. Devoted. Caring. Loyal to a fault. And no-nonsense with a gooey center. Even the secondary characters were charming in their own ways and provided a bit of comic relief to keep this story from being all heavy all the time. All in all, it was the perfect recipe for an entertaining read that I had a tough time putting down.

NICUnurse’s Rating: I give The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews 5 out of 5 stars!

Another feel good kind of book where you can forget your worries #marykayandrews #thenewcomer #beachhead #netgalley we start with a woman on the run with four year old Mya. Letty finds her sister murdered. Her sister warned her this would happen and told her to run. In this book full of twists. Surprises. And. Love. You’ll gobble every page waiting to see what is next. Will Letty be found? Are her and Mya safe? #buynow #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #netgalleyreview #readersofinstagram #readersofig

While I know a lot of Mary Kay Andrews fans loved this book, I found it to be just another cliche romance/mystery that might have been better if if had been 100 pages shorter. I did, however, love the description of the Murmuring Surf Motel and the characters who lived there--they were quite a bunch!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Definite must read for this summer! Loved the setting and the quirky characters at the motel. There were no real surprises and it was slightly predictable, but I still couldn't put it down.

Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the eARC.

Romance meets mystery in the newest Mary Kay Andrews book. I think this is her best book yet! I find the plot to be better developed and I am loving the mystery element, which is new for her.

Letty's sister is killed, she is on the run with her niece, and of course, she is accused of murder. Letty hides out in a small Florida town in a quaint motel. The older guests at the hotel provide a funny backdrop, and of course conflict as the story unfolds. Plus, it would not be a Mary Kay Andrews book without an element of love. There's danger, love, mystery and funny old people. What's not to like?

The book kept my attention the entire time, and I wanted to see where it went. The characters were likeable. The only downside, I would say for the entire book, was the character of Maya. I felt like the representation of a four year old was not realistic. She talked too much like a baby for a four year old. Otherwise, the characters were interesting. There were enough characters to develop a storyline, but not too many that it got confusing.,

Thanks to Net Galley and MacMillan Publishing for this copy. The book is now out for you to buy and enjoy!

I've enjoyed a handful of Mary Kay Andrews books over the years. They are always a good escape to the south or to the beach.

I loved the premise of this book -- Letty's escape, hiding out from Evan, the mystery of what happened to Tanya. I enjoyed Ava and her family and the ending was sweet and satisfying.

However, it felt to me like the book needed stronger editing. It was just plain too long and could have been about 100 pages shorter. And while it was too long, in a weird way, sometimes portions of it moved too fast. Suddenly someone knew something and was 100% caught up on what happened with no problem, when it seemed like that reveal or understanding should have been slower. (I'm being vague as to not spoil the book).

I don't think it was MKA's best, but not a bad choice if you need a beach or pool read.

I'm always looking for that perfect book to carry to the beach, on vacation, or one to accompany me on a summer night on the deck....GRAB this book! Mary Kay Andrews has outdone herself with The Newcomer. I loved everything about this book. The characters are well developed, relatable, loveable and the heart of this story. The story itself is addicting and did not have any lackluster parts for me. It isn't a simple love story, she incorporates heartbreak, mystery, and that southern charm with her witty writing will have you laughing out loud! The ending well you'll just have to read for yourself, but nothing about this book disappoints! I love when I find a book that I cannot put down as well as one that you just don't want to end. I am grateful to NetGalley for my ARC. This one is going to be hard to top this summer!

I was privileged enough to have both the digital ARC and the audio ALC of this book. What a pleasure to slip back and forth and devour this book. I’m a long time fan of of Mary Kay Andrews, affectionately also known as MKA. She is known for her beach reads, but they are certainly more than just fluff and romance. MKA knows how to bring in real people in beautiful settings and give us a really story to dig in to.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book, smaller beach town on the Gulf of Mexico, Treasure Island is perfect for the tale. An old-fashioned efficiency type motel, like The Murmuring Surf Motel, the kind my family stayed in when we vacationed and I was a child They always had a pool, a smallish kitchen and I was perpetually sleeping on the couch/converted to twin beds or a pull out full bed. Can you picture the place? It’s the 70’s beach vibe that takes me back.

When Letty shows up we don’t know her ties to this motel and why she seems to have escaped to Florida. MKA gives us small bits and pieces as we move along. We meet the kind motel owner, her teen daughter and police officer son, Joe. We are introduced to a cavalcade of regulars who winter in Florida, what a bunch of characters. They are older and set in their ways, not at all prepared to welcome a young woman and child into their fold. Just wait as Letty is kind and helpful and she fits right in to all their antics.

The audio of this book was so well done. I wasn’t immediately familiar with the narrator but Kathleen McInerney was excellent. The pacing was good and I was never bored of her voice.

Time to plan your summer reads and don’t leave this one out. Just enough mystery and fun to make it a great read. I’ve rated this 5 stars!

Thank you again to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to this book prior to publication.