The Newcomer is an enjoyable new book by Mary Kay Andrews. It is sort of part women's fiction, part mystery and part romance.

The main character is 34 year old Letty (3rd person POV). She shows up in Florida with her 4 year old niece Maya.

I really liked this book. It featured a mystery, some small town drama, and romance. And I enjoyed it all.

The book takes place in a cute Florida beach town. And the main setting is a motel where Letty and her niece show up. I really loved this setting. And I loved this motel. And the people staying there were fun and fabulous.

I loved the motel's owner Ava and her family (Joe and Isabelle). These were three amazing supporting characters. Ava was so kind and fun. Joe was such a good guy. And Isabelle was absolutely delightful.

Letty was such an interesting narrator. She was strong and determined. Yet very self-sufficient. I really liked her story. Also four year old Maya completely stole this book. What a mischievous sweet girl. I loved her so much!

The cover is super fun. And the title is great. I found the mystery to be completely intriguing. And I found the book to be very captivating. The romance was good. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

This book contains all the things MKA is known for: a quirky cast of characters, a little mystery and a little romance which all together make for the perfect beach read! For me this was the perfect escape to the rainy, dreary Ohio weather.

I always love a good Mary Kay Andrews book. Her books are great summer/beach reads and this one is no different. The Newcomer is an exciting story following Letty as she tries to protect her niece from a horrible situation. We see Letty as she begins to figure out the ins and outs of motherhood, starting over, learning to trust society and people again and find her place in this world. Oh, and there's a mystery to solve in the middle of all of this. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the storyline and the way the author builds up the story and suspense/romance.

I only have a few negatives, which is what kept this from being a 5-star versus a 4-star book. Overall, I felt the book was a tad long. She easily could have knocked off 75-100 pages, tightened up the story a little and still had the same if not stronger impact. I also wanted to know more about a few characters that did have a big impact on the story - Joe and Vicki.

Even with those two negatives, I still stayed up two nights in a row well past my bedtime to finish this book! So obviously I enjoyed this book! It's fast paced, twisty, exciting, heart-warming, action packed, mysterious, engaging and just as delicious as Ava's home made cookies!

My thanks to Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin's Press and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews proves she is a master at creating endearing characters with her latest novel, The Newcomer. refers to Letty, a New Yorker that the reader meets in the parking lot of the Murmuring Surf motel in Florida. Letty discovered her sister murdered in her NYC townhouse and she took her niece Maya and fled to Florida. Letty is drawn to the motel by a mysterious magazine article she discovered in her sister's belongings. The Newcomer is the perfect combination of mystery and romance. The Murmuring Surf is full of interesting characters that become a family for Letty and Maya. Definitely set aside time to greet The Newcomer.

This was an enjoyable page-turner and would be a great beach read. It is a romance/murder mystery but not too scary. It had a bunch of snowbird characters who were a hoot. It felt a little bit old-fashioned/dated even though it was set in the present, but maybe that works because of the dated setting with the motel. It was a little campy but fun.

I tried. I really tried....I just couldn’t get into it and didn’t finish. There were so many characters introduced in a short amount of time and I had trouble following who was who which probably was what distracted me from getting into the plot line.

I spent yesterday and today reading The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews. I have not read any of her other books. I plan on checking out her other books this month. The Newcomer is the perfect beach, rainy day weekend, or snow bound book. I loved it. It is fast paced, with great characters, a murder mystery, and some romance. Most of the book takes place at the Murmuring Surf Motel on Treasure Island. Letty Carnahan goes to her younger sister’s apartment in New York and discovers that Tanya has been killed. Letty grabs Tanya’s four-year-old daughter, Maya, and Tanya’s go-to bag and takes off. They drive to Florida and go to the Murmuring Surf Motel. The story has flashbacks that gives the reader information about their lives before. I loved the setting that Andrews created at the motel. Quirky minor characters add to the enjoyment of the book.

The story is fast-paced and there are a few twists I did not expect. I could see a sequel in the future for this delightful read. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

In THE NEWCOMER, Letty Carnahan flees to Florida with her niece, Maya, after her sister is found dead. A few weeks prior to Tanya death, she warned Letty that if anything happened to her, Maya's father was the culprit, and that she needed to keep Maya away from him. With no reason other than a circled magazine article found in the "go bag" left by Tanya, Letty and Maya seek shelter at the Murmuring Surf. Unfortunately, the old timers are less than thrilled by the prospect of a newcomer, and to make matters worse, the motel owner's son is a police officer. As Letty's past starts to catch up with her, she learns that family can extend far beyond those who share your blood and that stumbling upon the old motel may have been a blessing in disguise.

When I first saw the cover and read the synopsis, I was immediately drawn in. I hadn't read any of Mary Kay Andrews' work prior, and I was excited to see if I would love her writing the way so many others do. Unfortunately, the book did not work for me. It felt far too long, and I found myself needing to force my way through it before even reaching the halfway point. I also found the romance between Joe and Letty unbelievable and uncomfortable. While I believe that Joe was written with good intentions, his character came off as pushy, and at times, downright disrespectful toward Letty. I kept getting a "what about me?" vibe from him that didn't allow me to ever love them as a couple. Furthermore, I felt that he had far more chemistry with the FBI agent involved with the case, and I personally would have rather seen them end up together.

Based upon other reviews, the book definitely worked for some readers, and therefore, I don't want to discourage anyone from picking this one up, particularly if you've read Andrews' work prior and loved it. Everything considered, THE NEWCOMER received a 2.5 star rating from me. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this story. Loved Letty, Maya, Joe and all the other characters. Letty runs from New York after she finds her sister dead. Her niece is traumatized and Letty isn't sure where to go. Her sister said to take Maya and run if anything ever happened to her. She has to find a place where no one would look for them. After seeing an old article in magazine that her sister kept, Letty ran to Florida to an old motel by the beach. There is no vacancy, but Letty talks her way into a place to stay. Letty and Maya need a rest. Joe is a cop, is very suspicious and knows that Letty is running. What she is running from he hasn't discovered yet, but he will. Once he and his family gets to know Letty, Joe knows she didn't kill her sister and he will do what he can to protect her. When the FBI gets involved, they have to devise a plan to catch the real killer who is the sister's ex and he wants his daughter back. Letty learns so much about her secretive sister and knows that she must protect Maya no matter what.

The Newcomer would have been a lot better …if it were about 100 pages shorter. This is the story about Letty and her murdered sister. She takes her niece and flees. Tanya, Letty’s sister, warned her that if anything happened to her, to keep her daughter safe. Letty and Maya head to The Murmuring Surf, a little motel in Florida.

This was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews. I enjoyed that the writing. It was light and easy to read. I just don’t understand why it took so long to tell the story. The book moved slow, and I had to force myself to finish. I did enjoy the murder mystery plot. I felt the storyline with Joe trying to become a love interest for Letty uncomfortable and even creepy at times. Some of the things that happened in the book seemed a bit convenient. Almost like there was a hole in the first draft, so the gap was filled with the obvious.

This book is getting some great reviews, so it might be worth checking it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin Press for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars for The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews. This is my first book by here and she does have a special type of writing that's all her own. I enjoyed that this was good chick-lit/beach reading but with mystery.

Overall I would say this book definitely hit the mark and was a good book to devour in a day over the summer (which I think MKA is made for!) I loved the mystery with a touch of romance. I also really enjoyed the characters and the pacing of this story. I really got wrapped up in it with Letty! The only thing I think could've been better was the length. It seemed a little too long for what it was trying to accomplish. But as I said, I still devoured it in a day.

Would recommend this to fans of MKA, Elin Hilderbrand, and anyone who loves to get lost in a beach read!

The Newcomer by bestselling author and “Queen of the Beach Read”, Mary Kay Andrews, is indeed a page turner!

Letty Carnahan is in trouble. She flees NYC after she discovers her sister, Tara, dead in the entryway of her posh NY condo. Letty escapes with her nice Maya, Tara’s 4 yr old daughter because she’s promised Tara she’ll always protect her. Letty suspects her sister’s ex, prominent Eli Wingfield, but Letty ends up as the prime suspect. Letty and Maya flee to The Murmuring Surf Motel on Florida’s Gulf Coast. As they begin to make a home there, with the retirees and snowbirds who warily “not quite” accept them, Letty forms relationships with Ava, the motel owner, and her son, Joe who happens to be a policeman. Can Letty untangle her sister’s past and take care of Maya without landing in jail?

I enjoyed escaping to The Murmuring Surf Motel in this entertaining mystery/suspense/thriller.
I enjoyed Mary Kay Andrews’ High Tide Club and this is another good one! I love the way the author develops her characters and slowly evolves their interpersonal relationships. I’m always a little hesitant with the 400+ page length of her books. I usually prefer anything in the 300’s range, with over 400 becoming too long.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my advance copy!

The book’s publication released on May 3rd so go ahead and put it on your Summer TBR!

This was my first read by this author. The cover made it look like it would be a fun beach read, but a quick read of the synopsis tells the reader that there is something more sinister going on.

While the story was a little longer than I expected, I didn’t think the story dragged. It was filled with details pertinent to the story.

The book had a great group of characters – from the adorable four-year-old Maya, to the family who owns the motel, and even all the long-terms guests. They all added their own unique quirks to the story.

There weren’t any big surprises in this book for me, but I still found it to be an enjoyable read. I would definitely read other books by this author.

I adored Andrews’ earlier books, which were dependably fun, quirky, chick-lit. With her last few books, however, she’s moved into romantic mystery territory and I haven’t found this genre to be as successful for her.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

This is the first book I read by Mary Kay Andrews. It is an easy read with a bit of adventure and a bit of suspense. It feels like a good time to read something like this.

Letty’s sister Tanya is going through a messy break up with her boyfriend baby-daddy (Evan) Tanya is worried that her life is at risk and that if something happens to her her ex-boyfriend has killed her. Tanya warns Letty that if she dies that Letty must take Maya and go on run to protect her daughter and she must not let Evan get custody of Maya. Letty grabs Mays when she finds Tanya dead and heads out of state.

The story unfolds giving us some background history on Letty and Tanya’s relationship as sisters. We learn more about Tanya along the way. As we continue to read as how the story comes together with love, stability and freedom.

I enjoyed the book. I do agree it could have been a bit shorter and some parts were not necessary to the story.

Overall a good beach read. Hopefully this summer we’ll get to enjoy the beach.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews was my first read by this author and it was a captivating and enjoyable mystery read. After finding her sister dead and the warning that her ex is to blame if anything happens, Letty takes her niece and runs. Thinking her sister left a clue, she heads to a Florida hotel. I found this story fun, even as Letty tries to navigate interesting characters, danger, and a cop in close quarters.

Happy reading!

3.5 stars
This is different from Mary Kate Andrews' earlier books but similar to her newer book, Sunset Beach, in setting and theme.
Tanya Carnahan warned her sister Letty that if anything happened to her to take her daughter Maya, a go bag containing a bunch of cash, diamond "push" ring and leave New York. She was worried that her ex boyfriend Evan was planning to get rid of her. When Letty found her sister dead inside her plush brownstone and Maya crying nearby, she grabbed what they needed along with the bag and left town. She has to get away from not only Evan but the police who will want to question her about Tanya's death and her taking Maya. Inside the bag was an old Southern Living ad for motel in Treasure Island, Florida, near St. Pete. Not sure about the significance of the ad, that is where they headed. The old motel is for long term residents who stay for the winter but she is able to talk the owner Ava into letting them stay there. She actually works for Ava and settles in, gets to know Ava's son Joe, a cop, her daughter Isabelle and residents. This story is long as it develops with Letty's story eventually unraveling to Isabelle and then to Joe and an FBI agent from New York investigating Evan. It is a complicated story with connections from years ago with Tanya and others in Treasure Island. Tanya had lots of secrets that are finally revealed. Maya is the star at the motel among the residents but it is obvious that Letty is a good person. I enjoyed the mystery in the story although slow moving at times. The setting is great with some likable characters. I felt there is far more language than needed for the story but that is my opinion.
I received a complimentary ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions are mine only.

Loved this Summer 2021 beach read! I can smell the ocean, I can smell the old fashioned Mom and Pop Floridian Motel. I have never been to one, but the description is just fantastic! Love the characters, so well developed. Murder, family, romance, it is all here. Such a good read!

When Letty Carnahan finds her sister murdered, she knows she has to flee. Her sister, Tanya, even warned her that this could happen... and that if it did, to keep her daughter Maya safe. Letty and Maya flee to The Murmuring Surf, a little motel in Florida.

This was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews. I enjoyed that the writing style was light with a beach town setting. The storyline moved too slow for me, and I found myself losing interest at times. Part of that is due to the lengthiness of the book. It would have worked more for me if it was about 100 pages less. With that being said, I did enjoy trying to solve the murder mystery while also having Letty’s love story unfold. This book is getting some great reviews, so I definitely recommend checking it out. The Newcomer would be a good book to read out in the sun or poolside this summer.

The Newcomer is classic Mary Kay Andrews. This book has everything you expect in Mary Kay Andrews stories: murder, mystery, romance, and quirky characters set in the south.

The Newcomer takes place at a hotel in Florida. Letty is on the run with her niece, Maya. She’s accused of killing her sister, Tanya, in NYC. Tanya, though, warned Letty that if anything happened it was Evan, her ex, and Maya’s daddy. But now Letty has to prove it.

Letty ends up at The Murmuring Surf because Tanya left an article with the hotel circled. Tanya has some connection to the hotel. But things won’t be easy because the Hotel owner has a son who just happens to be a detective. And there may be a hit out on Letty.

While this one wasn’t as fun as some other Mary Kay Andrews stories, it was a light, easy read that was enjoyable. I loved Maya, and of course I loved the old people, the “Snow Birds” who lived at the hotel.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced e-copy of #thenewcomer .