For me, this was a perfect summer beachy thriller. Drama, suspense, community, and romance mingle to create a fun and addictive novel that kept me up all night reading. The romance is a small part of the storyline, and there are only a couple of contenders to be the culprit in the mystery, so it's really watching how it all plays out (with lots of tension!) that will keep you reading. I also loved the women included - they make up many characters that are often written as men (cops, lawyers, agents, etc), and I loved that they were female in this book. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy.

While I really enjoyed Hello, Summer, I felt this book fell a bit flat. The suspense aspect was good but I believe if the secondary characters were half the amount and the story was edited down, it would have made for an entertaining read. I felt there were too many details and fillers that were unnecessary for this story that had the potential of being just as good as Hello, Summer.

I did like the multiple layers of Tanya’s character that Letty came to discover and Maya was charming and lovely in her adolescent innocence that sweetened the tone of the story.

I really wanted to like this one but it just was way too long and didn’t capture my attention the entire time.

This book was very enjoyable! While it wasn’t heavy on the romance, there was some. I love me a good beach/pool read and this one was it! There was a lot happening in this story. There’s mystery and a HUGE sense of danger lurking. There’s murder and then there’s a heavy older folks presence. The snowbirds are staying at The Murmuring Surf to escape the cold North. I liked their antics and their attitudes. The way Mary Kay describes them, the reader can picture them perfectly!

Letty is on the run and she’s at a loss for what to do. She knows she simply needs to lie low. She has Maya to think about and doesn’t want to upset the little girl more than necessary. I enjoyed the way Ava took her under her watchful eye and even though she gave Letty a chance, Letty also gave back to Ava. These women hadn’t known each other long but they helped one another. Letty is stronger than she realizes and she is a feisty mama bear! I enjoyed the way Letty’s story unfolded and I couldn’t read it fast enough. I had to know what was coming at them next and would they find their way?! I highly recommend this book to get yourself lost in!

Mary Kay has done it again! Great setting, fun characters, and enjoyable story! I didn’t want to put this book down, the pace was just fast enough to keep my interest and keep me anticipating what would happen next. This is a super beach read!! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I really liked it! 

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews is an enjoyable read with a little bit of everything - romance, murder mystery, a little suspense and an FBI investigation, family drama, a beach vacation, an adorable four year old you will just fall in love with, and very likeable protagonists. 

The narrative is a steady pace with plot points developing in every chapter. The characters are well developed and created with care. You really like the good guys and really dislike the bad ones. You find yourself quickly picking sides and rooting for the underdogs. 

While this story does contain potentially heavy subject matter, it is told in such a way that the whole book remains totally beach-read worthy. 

I alternated between listening to the audiobook excellently narrated by Kathleen McInerney and reading the ebook - both are very pleasant! Thank you Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Mary Kay Andrews for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review!

After finding her sister dead in NYC, Letty grabs her niece, Maya, and her sister’s ‘go’ bag and runs. A mysterious magazine article in the ‘go’ bag sends her to the Murmuring Surf motel in Florida where the owner takes them in. The mystery of what happened to her sister and why she is at the motel slowly develops as she forms relationships Ava, Joe and Isabelle DeCurtis and the long term residents of the motel.
MKA is one of my favorite authors so I was really looking forward to reading this one! Again, she put together an easy to read, summery, mystery novel with the beach as the background. The characters are likable and, of course, there is a happy ending. Add this to your summer beach or backyard patio to read list now! Be sure to also check out the Friends and Fiction group on Facebook and Instagram where Mary Kay is one of five great authors that host a weekly live show which focuses on recent and upcoming books releases. Thank you to MKA and NetGalley for a digital arc of this book.

This is my first time reading a book by Andrews, however, it won’t be the last. The book starts off a bit slow, making it a bit hard to get into. A few chapters in it really picks up the pace and next thing you know, you can’t put it down! The order of events was great and the characters were amazing.

This is a perfect beach read pic- just enough mystery, romance, and kookiness to make it fun, but not super deep or complicated. The tone and quirky characters combined with the unrealistic plot reminded me of the Stephanie Plum series. Overall, a fun, breezy read for summer.

This is my first book book by Andrews (I have several of her books, just not read lol) and I loved it. The story sucked me in from the beginning and I really liked all the characters. Andrews expertly wrote the story to reveal bits and pieces at a time to keep the reader intrigued and engaged.

I adored the surly, yet funny, Vikki Hill and all the other characters in the book. There are several plot pints in the book, including a semi slow burn romance, but they were easy to follow. There’s also a mention of my town, Knoxville, TN, and other references that made me nostalgic (I’m in the same age range as the MC’s 🙂).!

This is the perfect beach read and will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Highly recommend! A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

An engaging romantic suspenseful mystery. Lots of action, humor, tears. The story kept me interested and eagerly turning the pages to get to the happily ever after, plus solve the various mysteries and whodunits. The motel residents are quite believable. Terrific story. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. There is a little foul language, violence, and sex, keeping this out of the cozy mystery category.

I enjoyed this mystery/romance book! It was fast-paced with enjoyable characters! I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I received an ARC of The Newcomer in exchange for an honest review. I had never read one of Mary Kay Andrews books before. This book has a little bit of everything. There is a murder mystery (and actually another mystery) to solve. The story takes place in a run down no name motel in Florida, full of senior citizens. The senior citizens are the type of quirky characters you would expect. The motel is run by Ava who has a teenage daughter as well as a handsome son who is a policeman. There is always something going on at the motel and Letty is busy taking care of her four year old niece and trying to find out who killed her sister. Although this is a longer book, it goes very quickly, keeps your attention and is a fun read. Great for the beach!!

This book was so good and hooked me from the start. We follow Letty in her quest to keep her niece safe after her sister is found dead. The book is fast paced and tells a great story. I couldn’t put the book down.

This book was hard to put down once I got past the beginning, because it starts out pretty slow, but overall is an action-packed, murder mystery about a woman, her dead sister, and the sister's daughter, Letty (main character) takes off to Florida, with her niece, fleeing Maya's father, who probably had something to do with the death of the sister. She finds a mom-and-pop out of the 60s, beachside motel in Florida and there you get to know all the residents. I'm not sure they were absolutely relevant to the main story, but it was fun nonetheless---just what you'd picture if you think typical retiree Florida resident. Those other stories within the story provide a bit of humor. This murder mystery doesn't have an in-depth romance angle, it actually remains pretty clean, even though the hunky cop is a plus. The perfect blend of suspense, romance, intrigue, secrets revealed and mystery make this the perfect chick-lit beach read! This is my first book by this author and I will certainly be looking for more! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I read by this author, but it will not be my last. Readers are going to love this book combined with mystery and romance to hold your interest and make you want to finish the read in one sitting. Fair warning! Two sisters that grew up in the same environment, yet so different, one so selfish, dishonest and flawed, yet instead of hating you extend sympathy. The resort owner and her family that reinforce the concept that providing a helpful hand to someone in need can create lasting friendship. Other aspects of the book I enjoyed - the setting, the cantankerous and witty retirees, payback to those who try to game the system and of course the happy ending.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book took a long time to get into. I was halfway into the book before any action started happening. The first half was long, kind of tedious, and full of things that didn’t really seem to advance the story. The second half of the book was better. A faster pace, much more enjoyable to read.

Also, I know this was an ARC and there was still some editing of the copy to tidy up, but this copy was pretty messy. Lots of split words, or words with no spaces. Sometimes it was hard to read. Many of these errors could have been caught simply by running spell check on the manuscript.

I think the biggest issue for me was it could have used some editing to tighten up the plot. Otherwise it was a nice summertime read. Giving it a 2.5 but rounding up to 3.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

What a cast of characters! Fun beach read with a murder mystery at the forefront. Fairly predictable, but the story flows and the characters are enjoyable. Good start to summer reading. Letty is on the run with her adorable niece, Maya, after finding her sister and Maya’s Mom dead. She ends up in Florida at a motel with an endearing Owner and her children and a bunch of snowbirds, trying to stay one step ahead of the police and away from Maya’s rich but shady Dad. Fans of Mary Kay Andrews won’t be disappointed.

Thanks to Ms Andrews, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Great beach read! The story is not realistic but readers will find themselves rooting for Letty and Maya. I enjoyed the characters, especially the oldsters. Their quirkiness added so much flavor to the story. Very enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. It was an interesting read with a little mystery, romance, and of course a beach in it. Different than some of her other books as far as development is concerned but still a good read.

This is a wild ride of a story and so much more than a beach read. Complicated plot, interesting characters, a little mystery, romance and murder! It’s all here in this highly enjoyable romp!