"The Newcomer" has all the elements that make for a perfect beach read; mystery, romance, loveable characters (including a small child), missing treasure, warm weather, and beaches! Imagine a Hallmark mystery movie.

Tanya has told her sister Letty that if anything happens to her, she should take her daughter Maya and run. When Tanya is killed, Letty and Maya find temporary safety in an old family run resort in Florida surrounded by 'snow birds', who provide the story's humor.

The reader can feel pretty safe with Mary Kay Andrews. Things never get too scary or violent or sexy while being compelling enough to keep the reader turning pages.

Mary Kay Andrews maintains her crown as "Queen of the Beach Reads"!

The Newcomer: Letty promised her sister, Tanya, to take care of her neice, Maya. Letty finds Tanya dead, grabs Maya and a go bag, and heads south. Letty and Maya are quickly enmeshed in the community of a small Florida beach motel.

An easy beach read with a little romance, a good dose of mystery and suspense, and a pinch of chick-lit.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the newest Mary Kay Andrews’ book.

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A must have beach read for the summer! The characters are just divine. Maya is the most adorable little girl that you will hold in your heart forever. Letty is trying to stay alive and protect Maya. She is tough and resilient. She makes a great heroine and is the fiercest of mama bears. Joe is a cop, but he is a son and protector first. He starts out being growly but is soft as butter under the tough exterior. The story has twists and turns and great surprises as you turn the pages. The author does a really fantastic job with characterization, plot and story arc. This is a definite must read!

I wanted to like this book because I've loved the previous books I've read by MKA, but this one just didn't work for me. I love stories about characters on the run, but because Letty was on the run with her 4-year-old niece, I just felt the story didn't work. This book was so different from MKA's other beach reads.

The setting was great-an old beach motel in Florida called The Murmuring Surf, but that was about it for me. The story was too dark and the plot became more improbable by the minute. And this is a long book as well.

A disappointed 2.5 stars for me. MKA is one of my favorite summer book authors, but this one just didn't work.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advance copy.

3.5 Stars. When Letty Carnahan discovers her sister, Tanya, dead in her New York home, she is positive Tanya’s ex was responsible for the murder. She takes their four-year-old daughter, Maya, and flees town, ending up at the Murmuring Surf Motel in Florida. She settles into a new hidden life working at the motel and becoming acquainted with the eclectic older guests, while trying uncover her sister’s secrets from her past life.

As a long-time fan of Mary Kay Andrews, this novel fell a bit outside her standard women’s fiction beach read, adding the elements of mystery and suspense. While I was enticed by the premise, I think the story kept getting more far-fetched and outlandish throughout the novel. I did enjoy the Florida mom-and-pop motel setting, and the cast of older characters that were regular residents. Overall, I prefer the author’s more traditional beach reads she has published in prior years, but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing my with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews is a rom-com with a touch of mystery. It’s a plot-driven romp packed with colorful characters set in an aging Florida, gulf coast motel where snowbirds return every winter. When 33-year-old Letty arrives with her four-year-old niece Maya in tow, the motel owner’s cop son wonders why. Are Letty and Maya safe from the person who killed Maya’s mom and will he find them there? It’s just the predictable book a beach requires.

The story starts out with two down on their luck sisters who go to New York to fulfill their dreams but one ends up murdered. She instructs her sister prior to her death to take her daughter and run. She ends up at a beach motel where a whole host of characters add color to the story. Just when I thought it was going to get too mushy on me it picked right up. Highly recommended
#stmartinspress #mkandrews #netgalley

Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. Letty, an unemployed actress/waitress and on the run with her four year old niece, pulled into a Florida motel after fleeing New York City. This motel is a perfect place to hide from her her niece’s father, Evan. The man who may have murdered her sister. Letty makes a home and many friends at this old fashioned motel including the motel owner’s, Ava, son who is a local police officer. Letty and her niece, Mia, were happy until she learns the secrets of her sister’s past and Mia’s father threaten them both.

The story is quick and involved where I had to read in one day. I enjoyed it as it the mystery unfolds and smiled at the neat ending.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me the advanced copy.

This is more of a suspense than a romance which did not bother me at all. Unfortunately, it dragged in places and could have easily cut 100 to 150 pages without hurting the story.

As the description tells you, Letty finds her sister, Tanya, murdered. She takes her niece, Maya, on the run with her to keep Maya safe. They wind up in a Mom and Pop hotel in Florida. We meet the stereotypical older vacationers. I found this to be a predictable read but enjoyed just the same.

It definitely can be classified a beach read. You don’t have to pay a lot of attention to it to make it to the end. The most interesting parts of the book were Tanya’s secret’s and Maya. I give this a 3.5 but will round up due to the rating system.

I was given an ARC e-book copy from Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

But, for real, this book was way too long. The audiobook is over 14 hours. Most novels are in the 8-10 hour range, with ones longer ones being twelve hours, so over fourteen is a little ridiculous. At one point I thought I was nearing the end of the story, and I looked, and I was only 55% in. I actually caved and asked a friend how it ended and planned to just DNF, but eventually powered through and basically skimmed the last third on ebook. There's just too much build-up, too many extraneous characters, and I just don't think it was gripping enough to keep a reader entertained for that length of time/book.

As a whole, the story was pretty good. With some editing and trimming, this could have been a five star read. It's part murder mystery, part suspense/thriller, a little bit of romance, a little bit of finding oneself life reimagining--there's a lot to love. Too much. I think this is good, but there are other Mary Kay Andrews books and books in this genre that are more enthralling. If you love this author, sure, don't skip this one. It also has a freaking fantastic cover.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced audio and ebook copies! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 6/10

If you have been looking for your annual Mary Kay Andrews beach read, this is it. But be warned, this is a beach read with an edge. The danger, suspense and uncertainty start on the very first page and never let up. It’s full of twists and turns and connections and clues that will have you thinking and guessing and turning pages as fast as you can.

Letty loved her sister Tanya and always tried to do what was best for her, but it wasn’t easy. She was lied to, manipulated and betrayed by Tanya. And now she is trying to honor Tanya’s last wish by keeping Maya safe. Maya is a typical four year old – pretty, precocious, petulant, but a ray of sunshine and love. Typical except that she may have witnessed her mother’s murder.

Letty doesn’t go to the Murmuring Surf Motel by accident; Tanya had an old newspaper article about it in her “go” bag. Letty doesn’t understand why Tanya had the article, but as it turns out, luck was on Letty’s side when she was led there. The Murmuring Surf is family owned, and its residents are a close-knit mixed bag of retirees and snowbirds. Not exactly welcoming at first but they have long memories and stick together.

Ava is wonderful. The mom or aunt or grandma we all want to have. Too big hearted for her own good but tough when she needs to be. Son Joe is a cop, with a cop’s suspicions and wariness. But he’s got his mom’s heart even if he keeps it buried deep. Isabella is a typical teen, welcoming without judgement and with some very helpful friends.

Trouble follows Letty to the Murmuring Surf. Joe believes Ava is too trusting; she’s been conned before and he doesn’t intend to let it happen again. So he’s keeping a close eye on Letty. But she doesn’t really seem like a con, so what’s going on? What is she hiding?

Every Mary Kay Andrews book is a delicious read, and The Newcomer is no exception. And it's such a treat to read the first chapter in a book - and know you're going to love every page that follows. The Newcomer is a wonderful combination of just the right amounts of light and dark, sweet warm-hearted people and those with evil intent, with such a gorgeous location as the backdrop.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest opinion. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed The Newcomer and recommend it without hesitation.

What a fun book! So much mystery, some steamy romance, and humor to boot. This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I don’t think it will be my last. I see what she is the “queen of Beach reads” This was a fast, solid story. The characters were well developed and likable... well the ones we were supposed to like anyway. I feel like I don’t want to dive too much into the plot because I know I would give something away and half the charm of this book was letting it unravel while you read. I highly recommend for someone that looking for a beach read!

3.5 stars

The Newcomer has nicely introduced me to the work of Mary Kay Andrews. As a new-to-me author, I was excited to delve into this.

The story initially held my interest but I've got to admit that I thought it was a tad long. Unfortunately this did have an impact on my overall enjoyment and why I given it 3.5 stars.

I would say, however that I've not been put off and look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.

It’s been a minute since I’ve read a book by Mary Kay Andrews, but I always enjoy her stories. A healthy mix of mystery and romance makes for a great book. I enjoyed the plot in The Newcomer. There were a lot of characters in this one, especially at the beginning, but they really helped to set the scene at the older motel in Florida. This book kept my interest with the mystery and I was dying to know how everything would end. This was an enjoyable read.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews was a delightful read. This is the first book by this author that I have read and it will not be my last. We are introduced to Letty Carnahan and Maya, arriving at The Murmuring Surf Motel, with the No Vacancy sign flashing. As she just closes her eyes to nap, a police officer taps on her window and tells her to move along. The owner of the hotel comes out and decides to give Letty a chance to stay, and offers her a job as well. It turns out Letty is on the run from New York, her younger sister, Maya's mom was murdered and she knows that Maya's father did it. She needs a place to stay until she can figure out next moves. The story introduces us to many endearing characters who are all likeable, the owner of the motel, her family and all the elderly guests who stay during the winter months. A lot of story building, and different background stories cleverly thrown in to cast doubt on who the real murderer was. The story was at a good pace although there were two parts of the book that I felt were unnecessary to the story. One was from the point if view of a cat, and the other was the point of view of Maya. Those just didn't fit with the flow of the story and really did not add much to the overall content. Overall a 4 star book and highly recommended. Thank you #NetGalley and #St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC in excfor my fair and honest opinion.

This my first introduction to Mary Kay Andrews and while I’m rather embarrassed to admit it, there’s an upside - a whole boatload of other books ready to be read! Having read my way too through psychological thrillers I was tempted by the cover and it’s blurb and am so glad I read this combo of mystery, romance and drama with some quite unforgettable women. Sure to be a bestseller and I’m thrilled to have discovered a new (to me) writer.

What a very lovely read! When Letty flees NYC with her 4 year old niece Maya following the murder of her sister Tanya and lands at the Murmuring Surf Motel in Florida she gets way more than she bargained for. It’s like by leaving behind the ad for the motel she directed Letty to the best place for her. Ava, the hotel owner, takes Letty in and gives her a job and a safe place to lay low. I really enjoyed the characters & the awkward relationships in the story. The motel setting was interesting & it was fun to read about a beach especially when I can’t get to one right now. The only reason I only gave this book 4 stars is that I felt much of the story was unresolved at the end. I wanted to know what happened to Evan & Rooney but it was glossed over.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this book.

The Newcomer, by Mary Kay Andrews is a lovely, charming feel-good story. It’s the story of Letty Carnahan, the sister of recently deceased Tanya, who is on the run from NYC to a small town on the Gulf Coast of Florida, with her 4 year-old niece Maya, in tow. They reach the Murmuring Surf, a long-term hotel on the beach, and she discovers it’s the perfect place to hide out and where they are meant to be, she just doesn’t know why. They are welcomed by a quirky crew of elderly residents and embraced by the owner, Ava, her son, Joe, and her daughter, Isabelle. Joe, however, is a cop, and knows that Letty is hiding something, something that terrifies her. He’s determined to find out what it is, but also finds himself drawn to this caring, giving newcomer who has shown up out of nowhere.

This story has it all: romance, mystery, friendship, family, a picturesque beach setting, and a cozy plot with endearing characters you want to befriend. Mary Kay Andrews creates an environment you want to move into and stay for the long haul. The rustic long-stay hotel setting, situated right along the beach, is descriptive and vivid and makes you feel as if you are there alongside the characters.

This story is admittedly very long, as all of her books are, but it’s one you are satisfied to dwell in for as long as it takes. The Newcomer is a relaxing, enjoyable meandering path of a plot that is a bit slower-paced, as Southern fiction often is, but also sweetly satisfying.
I was admittedly a bit confused by Letty’s persistent reticence in her romantic relationship, but all-in-all the story was a delight not to be rushed through.

Mary Kay Andrews books are really a delightful niche of Southern fiction and a pleasure to read.

Tanya made Letty promise to take her niece and run if anything ever happened to her. When Letty discovers her sister dead, she takes Maya heads to Florida. While the retired snowbirds are suspicious of the newcomers, Ava at the Murmuring Surf Motel gives them a place to live and Letty a job as assistant manager. With help from Ava’s son and police officer, Joe, Letty works to unravel the mystery of Tanya’s death… and her life.

I LOVE Mary Kay Andrews, and her books just keeps getting better and better. The Newcomer was really good - its part mystery, part thriller, part women’s fiction, part romance. This is the perfect summer beach read!

Thanks to @NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio for my ARC!

This is definitely a good summer beach read. It has a little bit of mystery, a little bit of thriller action, and a little bit of romance. Letty arrives in a small Florida beach town with her niece Maya after discovering her sister dead. Her sister knew something bad could happen and told Letty that if anything happened to her, she was to take her 'go-bag' and Maya and disappear. As the "newcomer" to the Murmuring Surf motel, she doesn't receive a very warm welcome, although Ava, owner of the motel, is sweet on Maya and lets them stay. Her son Joe, the local police detective, is very skeptical and starts investigating Letty.

Fortunately, Letty and little Maya have such big hearts and kind personalities, they begin to win people over. Unfortunately, however, the person that murdered her sister may be looking for her. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and the cute romance brewing between Letty and Joe. The other crazy characters made me smile and laugh. A very cute book if you're looking for a nice, light read.