Like other Summer books written in recent years by MKA, this book engaged me right away- it didn't take me long to get into the story. The cast of characters reminded me of Beach Town somewhat, with the small motel in a small town Florida setting. But unlike Beach Town, this one has a mystery. I love Mary Kay Andrews books about the beach and will probably read them every single year. Wish there was more than one per Summer.

Letty is on the run. She has discovered her sister Tanya murdered. She scoops up Tanya’s 4 year old daughter, Maya, and hits the road. She ends up in Treasure Island, Florida at an old motel called The Murmuring Surf. Letty is hoping and praying she can stay hidden long enough to solve her sister’s murder. But, with the owner’s son, Joe, hanging around, it may not be as easy as Letty hopes.

Joe is a detective and the moment he meets Letty, he knows something is not right. As you guessed…Letty and Joe hit it off…to a degree. You will have to read this to find out!

Ok… I am pretty far behind on my book reviews. So, I cheated a little and listened to this one on audio.

This is in true MKA fashion! I loved it from start to finish. I think I finished this audiobook in one day. The characters…especially the old people at the motel…I found myself laughing out loud!

Now, I enjoyed the narrator, Kathleen McInerney to a degree. I was not a fan of her voice for Maya. It did not quite sound like it should have. But that is a minor issue. The story just keeps you entertained all the way through!

Need just an all around fantastic story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Newcomer was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews. I don't know what I was expecting because other reviews talked about how this was darker than her previous book. I was expecting pretty dark. I think dark is a matter of perspective because I saw this as a lot less dark than so many things I have read.

Underneath it all is a murder mystery that brings a sister, on the run with her niece, to a small Florida town. She is desperate to stay, almost as much to hide from her sister's ex as to find out what this place was to her sister. While there, she meets and is pretty quickly embraced by the locals and regulars at the hotel.

Events unfold bringing together all of the things Lettie didn't know about her sister. Flashbacks explain how Lettie's own sister entered and and took over her life. The book's one flaw was in the voice of the 4 year old child which seemed to belong to a much younger child. I cringed every time she spoke. This was not the fault of the narrator (I both read and listened to the novel). Just the way she was written.

It's been a while since I've read a book by Mary Kay Andrews. I had forgotten the premise of the book when I started reading it but having ready a few books by her before I was sure it wouldn't disappoint and sure enough it pulled me in right away.

Letty is on the run with her niece, Maya, after finding her sister murdered. Her sister, Tanya, warned her if something happened to her it would be Evan, her ex and Maya's father and told her to take Maya and run if that should happen. She keeps her promise to her sister and ends up in Treasure Island, Florida. at a little beachside motel, Murmuring Surf.

What follows is a murder mystery with a hint of romance as Letty works to unravel what happened to her sister and keep Maya safe. Having been to Treasure Island and a Florida resident, I felt like the scenery was described in good detail. The characters were well developed and the pace and suspense level were just right. The regulars/snowbirds at the motel were so believable and gave me a few laughs as well.

After being in a bit of a reading rut the last several weeks this was the perfect book to pull me out of it. While I wouldn't necessarily consider this a full-on romance, it does have a bit of romance to it. I'd consider this more of a women's fiction or mystery. It's definitely a book you could read at the pool or beach.

When Letty's sister told her if anything happened to her to take Maya and disappear. She thought she was being dramatic, until she found her sister dead. She found an old magazine ad for a small motel in Treasure Island, Florida in her sister's to go bag, so that is where she takes her niece Maya to. As she is trying to find the reason that the motel was significant to her sister, the motel owner takes her in and gives her a job. While she is trying to give her niece a stable life, her sisters ex is trying to find her. Will she be able to trust the new friends she has made to keep her safe?

This was a great, easy book to read. It kept your attention throughout with fun, believable characters. I also enjoyed it because we have vacationed in St. Pete Beach where the story takes place. Will be reading more from this author!

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews is her newest book that comes out this week. The novel is about Letty Carnahan and her niece Maya. The story focuses on who killed the sister Tonya, but that is an oversimplification of all the information that is discovered. As Letty finds out more and more information, more questions are opened up.

Letty took her niece, Maya and ran when she discovered Tonya was killed. Letty and Maya ended up at the Murmuring Surf motel in the Florida beach town named Treasure Island. The motel was full of retirees who were long term renters and all knew each other. Letty talks herself into a place to stay and a job. But not is all as it seems. Letty is wanted for murder, even though she is positive it was Tonya’s ex who killed her. The owner’s son, Joe is a police officer and Letty is always nervous around him. The old timers are suspicious and don’t like having a new person around. Letty is trying to stay unremarkable, but that is just not happening!

I enjoyed the characters and the setting of the old hotel. I found the book was a bit wordy and long, but that didn’t stop me from reading it madly to get to the end! I had to find out who did it (not a surprise) and the answer to all the other questions! The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews was a fun read.

The Newcomer is a very satisfying read. Letty is a character you are rooting for from the start. With her and her niece's futures on the line, she is doing her best to survive. The people staying at the motel are fabulously quirky and realistic. I could picture them so clearly in my head. The book has a good amount of humor which makes this a fast read. I found the ending extremely satisfying. I really enjoyed the story totally recommend! I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I have not read very many Mary Kay Andrews books - maybe two of her earlier romances? - which kind of feels like I've missed out on some fabulous titles in her backlist. I was pretty thrilled to have been able to grab The Newcomer as a Read Now on NetGalley.
While I do think the meat of the story and plot is great, it felt like one of those books or films where the ending is in sight only to realize I was only halfway or three quarters through. I expected a handful of times for it to wrap up but it didn't. This would be best described as verbose. There is a lot of words but not enough plot to carry my interest the whole time. I think it could and the predictability of it made it feel much longer than it ought to have been. Had it been scaled back, I expect I would have loved it.
I was able to switch back and forth between the e-arc and an audio copy. I am beyond grateful for the audiobook because I don't know that I would have finished the e-book in a timely fashion due to what felt like an overly long story. I quite liked the narrator, Kathleen McInerney, and her voice felt like a great match for the MC.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy and Macmillan Audio for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mary Kay Andrews and St Martin’s Press for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

What an interesting rom com mystery! I really enjoyed the basis of this plot and was super curious about where it was going to go. It’s a bit more drawn out than your typical mystery, but in this case it totally works and makes it feel more real.

I definitely found myself playing the “can I trust you?” game with a few of the characters because it was hard to tell who was good and who wasn’t at times. I enjoyed the hotel setting and all its quirky inhabitants. I found myself yelling at the characters a couple of times, so that’s a good sign!!

A fun book with a bit of s dark twist to it and worth a read! Great summer book!!!

4 1/2 stars. Maybe 5, but I'm trying to be stingy with my fives!

I could NOT put this book down. It just captured me at the right moment in time, I was actually stirring pasta sauce with one hand and holding this with the other.

I loved how all of the characters were weaved throughout each other's stories and lives, and I especially loved the idea of a privately owned beach motel where people have been coming every year for decades. The Murmuring Surf Motel was the star of this novel, in my mind.

This is a great read if you're looking for something fast paced, a bit of a mystery, a bit of a romance, and lots of great characters. All it needed was a dog! I know, I know, there was Midnight the cat, but a dog chasing Midnight would have made me smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on May 4th

I really enjoyed the characters in the book The Newcomer, I found it to be a fund beach read with a murder mystery tossed into the mixture. The storyline had a good flow to it, and it kept me reading from start to finish. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and all opinions expressed here are my own and I am under no obligation to leave a favorable review.

The Newcomer is Mary Kay Andrews' latest beach read. It tells the story of Letty Carnahan, who flees from NYC with her 4 year old niece after her sister is murdered. They take refuge at an old fashioned motel in Treasure Island, Florida. Letty works at the motel, meets an eccentric group of new friends, finds romance -- and works hard to solve her sister's murder from afar.

I wanted to read this novel because I LOVE Mary Kay Andrews' annual beach reads. I look forward to them and never miss one of her new books!

The Newcomer was so good and such a page turner. I stayed up past my bedtime to see what happened next. The mystery storyline is both sad and riveting. There were several unexpected plot twists along the way!

Letty is a very sympathetic protagonist, kind and so sweet to her young niece Maya. Her romantic interest, Joe, a small town cop, was perfect. I loved the way they worked together on the mystery. The secondary characters, including motel owner Ava and FBI agent Vikki, also added a lot to the story.

As always, Mary Kay Andrews is the best at invoking the coastal south with old fashioned motels and a touch of nostalgia.

"Sunrise was probably half an hour away, with just the faintest promise of pink streaks in the midnight blue sky, but she could make out a series of little concrete block cottages arranged in a modified horseshoe shape. In the center of the horseshoe was a glowing aqua kidney-shaped swimming pool, silhouetted with tall palm trees and ringed with lounge chairs and tables. No lights shone in the windows of the little cottages, but at the curve of the horseshoe, a two-story unit, double the size of the others, had a small neon OFFICE sign posted in a window, and there was a lit-up Coke machine near the door." (eBook location 25)

I enthusiastically recommend The Newcomer for anyone who enjoys an engrossing beach read with a twist of mystery! You are in for a real treat.

I really enjoyed this book! The action starts from page one in this fast-paced, page-turning mystery/romance. I felt like I was there, watching the story unfold. The characters are well-developed, each with their own personalities. I liked the characters and enjoyed how their relationships developed, especially between Letty, Maya, Joe, and Ava. I also enjoyed the many side characters at the Murmuring Surf (the guests were great!). With the Florida beach setting and the exciting plot, this book is a great beach read! Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

The Newcomer: A thrilling romance with lots of mystery and unraveling of secrets.

This book had a unique story line, incorporating mystery with a romance. Not just any mystery, a murder mystery! The setting is placed at a motel in Florida, somewhere low key since Letty is trying to escape her sisters killer. It was really interesting to see how Tanya’s secrets unfold. The love interest in this story is Joe. He falls instantly for Letty, but he’s also a cop. A cop that recognizes Letty for who she is and the event that lead her to Florida. Many scenes take place at the motel and interactions with regulars at the motel. I liked reading about the quirkiness of the characters. This is a bit of a darker read from Mary Kay Andrews, compared to her other novels. Makes since considering the plot involves a death. I felt like the book could’ve been shorter, but overall I enjoyed this Romance/Mystery.

The Queen of Beach Reads is back in her latest and possibly greatest novel yet!

The Newcomer is the the perfect blend of murder mystery and romance, with a heavy dose of comedy thrown in for good measure..

To see my full review, head over to www.freshfiction.com

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book, so I didn't know what to expect. I enjoyed it, but just didn't think it was anything special. It was somewhere between a beach read and a mystery, but didn't really take off in either direction. The characters were all likeable and the story was good. I kept thinking that there would be some twists and turns, but they never really materialized. It definitely felt too long. If it were 100 pages shorter, I think it would have enjoyed it more.

Letty is on the run with her niece Maya after finding her sister Tanya murdered. She takes refuge in The Murmuring Surf Motel in Florida. A kind woman owner, her cop son and a bunch of cranky older residents...what could possibly go wrong?
Maya's father is desperate to get her back and blame the murder on Letty. Evan is definitely not a likeable character but is he a murderer? As secrets from Tanya's past come out the suspect list grows.
A very enjoyable read but a little longer than needed.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc

Letty Carnahan turns up at the improbably named Murmuring Surf Motel in the middle of the night. Having driven all night and with the "No Vacancy" sign lit, she decides to sleep for a few hours in the car. She is awakened by a policeman shining the light in her window.

Fortunately the motel's owner, Ava, takes pity on Letty and her four-year-old niece and allows them to stay in a small room she's been using for storage. What Ava doesn't know is that Letty is on the run--she discovered the body of her sister in her opulent Manhattan townhouse, with Maya crying on the stairs, and grabbed a bag of cash and her sister's car keys.

Letty and Maya soon become the darlings of the Murmuring Surf, charming the ragtag group of snowbirds who winter there. As Tanya's ex(es) and even the FBI begin circling, Letty learns more about her sister's past and realizes she'll have to take some chances to protect her niece.

Mary Kay Andrews weaves another unputdownable story with elements of romance, suspense, humor, and a dollop of redecorating. THE NEWCOMER is a perfect summer beach read. #TheNewcomer #NetGalley

The Newcomer was a very entertaining read and has everything you want in a beach/pool read to kick off the summer season: a beach town setting, suspense, murder, romance, humor and witty writing. It was a tad bit too long at 448 pages, but I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down.

Mary Kay Andrews did it again! Her summer reads have the best character development and a plot that is engaging and timeless. I would recommend this book to anyone who loved fun easy beach reads.