The Newcomer is such a feel good story in which we see life come together for Letty and her niece Maya as well as other characters introduced along the way. MKA is an amazing author and nothing she has written has disappointed me yet. This book deals with serious issues many face in life and Andrews writes about them with such sensitivity yet still brings entertainment to her readers.

“The Newcomer” by Mary Kay Andrews

Letty Carnahan is on the run with her four-year-old niece, Maya, in tow. After discovering her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her New York City townhouse, Letty knows it’s her responsibility to get the child somewhere safe. Especially because Tanya recently warned Letty that she was in danger and begged her to do whatever is necessary to keep Maya away from her ex and, strangely, Letty’s ex as well: Evan Wingfield.
Evan is an entrepreneur and through some illegal dealings has more than enough money and resources to track down Letty and Maya, so they take off to Florida and wind up at The Murmuring Surf Motel. They’re welcomed with open arms by the owner of the motel but the woman’s son, who is also the town’s handsome detective, Joe, is suspicious of their motives. Letty knows that back in New York fingers are pointing at her in the investigation of Tanya’s murder and Maya’s disappearance, and she’s not sure how long she’ll be able to keep their whereabouts a secret, especially when the motel’s loveable but nosy guests are determined to figure out just why Letty looks so familiar to them.
A little bit romance, a little bit suspense, and everything you’ve come to know and love from a Mary Kay Andrews story, “The Newcomer” is sure to be a summer favorite!

Reviewed by Abbey Peralta for Suspense Magazine

I can always count on a good read from Mary Kay Andrew's. I enjoyed this book, it was fun to feel like I was at the Murmuring Surf right along with Letty and Maya as I was reading. I enjoyed the way she wove all the characters together by the end of the book. All in all, a great summer read. It really deserves 3.5 stars but alas, we don't have that option.

Oh wow. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book. The emotions written in this book brought tears to my eyes or a smile on my face. The characters are well written, have good growth, and are developed into believable characters. I could picture them clear as day like I was interacting with them day to day. The plot is balanced nicely between the romance, the sweetness of a child, the twists and turns of a mystery, to a deep depression of a murdered mother/sister. Evan is slimy, and I'm pleased with his outcome. Rooney is still a bit of mystery, but I think his story played out how it should. The only question that left me feeling like I was missing something is who is the birdwatcher. I have a theory or two, but I just don't know. I enjoyed this book so much! I hope we get more from Ava, Isabelle, and the other guests. Even more of FBI agent Vikki.

A perfect read for the beach! Mary Kay Andrews always makes it so easy to connected with the characters and get attached to the plot!

As always, Mary Kay Andrews delivers an enjoyable story while also keeping some of the mystery within this book engaging. I’ve read all of her books under this pen name and truly continue to enjoy her works. Her description of the scenery in this part of Florida is enough to make anyone want to hop on a plane to visit this paradise, perhaps even hoping to find the Murmuring Surf motel. I enjoyed the characters in this book. Her main characters are well developed but I especially enjoyed the snowbird residents of the motel, this is such an accurate description of what you typically encounter in Florida. I look forward to her next book, this always marks an anticipation of the coming summer in my mind!

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews
Fun, easy to read book with a twist here and there to keep you turning the pages to see what's going to happen next. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book and leave my opinion.

Letty Carnahan may be my favorite Mary Kay Andrews character of all time. She is smart, fierce, protective, and resourceful. Add to that witty, kind, great instincts, and you have a winning and memorable character that I’m low-key mad I can’t be friends with in real life.

The Newcomer, the Mary Kay Andrews novel set to be released May 4, follows Letty in the aftermath of a life altering trauma. After discovering her sister is murdered, Letty remembers her sister Tanya’s warning to her: if anything happens to her, take Tanya’s daughter and run.

When we first meet Letty, she’s just driven from New York to the Florida coast, and is following her clues left by her late sister. She searches for refuge at the Murmuring Surf motel, a relic of days gone by and the last clue her sister gave her. As Letty hides and tries to not only solve Tanya’s murder but also protect her daughter, Letty’s niece Maya, she finds friendship among the staff at the motel and must win over the snowbirds who spend their winters there. The tension builds as Letty discovers just how tangled a web of lies Tanya left her to sort through, with the safety of herself and her beloved four year old niece increasingly in question.

I could not put this novel down. The pacing is excellent, as the tension ebbs and flows with perfection. I found my heart pounding frequently, and wouldn’t be surprised to find a few new white hairs just from reading this book! It gets intense, especially with the safety of a child at stake. Letty is constantly in fear for Maya and herself, as well as mourning her late sister. As she uncovers more and more about Tanya’s secrets, the danger only deepens.

The characters in this book are absolutely wonderful. From Letty and little Maya, who has such a wonderful voice, to local police detective Joe, Murmuring Surf manager Ava, and all zany cast of motel regulars, each character is intricately crafted and believable. The Murmuring Surf is a character unto itself, a beachside motel from the 20th century sandwiched between the condos and resorts so popular along the coast today.

The setting is intoxicating, and will make you yearn to sink your toes into the sand and hear the crashing waves. Though I have to thank Ms. Andrews for including the rougher side of living in Florida and discussing the roaches and sweat inducing humidity, or else I’d likely be Zillow surfing for houses there again! Anytime I’m tempted by her beach portrayals, I just have to whisper to myself banana spiders, banana spiders, until the urge to move back to Florida passes. So I, for one, appreciate the nuanced view of Florida life. But I still miss the beach, and this novel gave me a pandemic-safe way to visit a favorite location, at least in my mind.

I absolutely adored this novel, and can see myself reading it again and again. Like all of MKA’s books, you’ll be hooked from the first sentence and like to forego all productivity until you know how it ends. I’d say proceed with caution, but it is absolutely worth it to shuck responsibility and dive headfirst into this book.

The Newcomer is available for preorder and will be released May 4, 2021. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy such that I could write this review.

Well written with good character development and literally couldn’t put the book down. A woman follows trails from a life she must leave but hopes to find answers in a shore front hotel. She finds more than answers and the story is just captivating. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54860489

I had high expectations for this book, set in a very familiar place. I think the author captures the snowbird characters well but most of the characters are very stereotypical. There is a murder mystery which is almost an anticlimax when it’s solved at the end. The main characters' romance is very unbelievable and the book suffers from several different plots which just seem to pop up....the child's paternity, a hit put out on a character, and a teenager who solves a tech problem that the FBI couldn’t. I wish I had enjoyed this book more! Thanks to #Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC. #The Newcomer

This is a classic MKA summer read. A cute beach setting, a murder, and a little romance all mixed into an interesting story. I loved the setting at an old motel and meeting all the regulars.Ike many MKA books, the book is a little longer than needed but it still kept me turning the pages and find out the ending. Get your summer started by reading this fun read!

Letty Carnahan is looking over her shoulder in a panic as she and her niece, Maya, run from New York to Florida. Things have gone terribly wrong and the worst-case scenario is now happening.

Letty’s sister, Tanya, is not exactly a paragon of truth and virtue. Hooking up with the slimiest of men. This time she chose the wrong guy. Oh, he looks good on paper but is as scummy as they come. Tanya tells Letty that if anything happens to her, look at the husband. And then take this shoe of money and Maya and run.

When Letty turns up for her standard Sunday with Maya, what she finds is a body and a screaming child. What does she do? She runs. With no idea why she is going to some old motel in an old Southern Living article her sister included with the go-bag, she pushes forward until she finally reaches Treasure Island and The Murmuring Surf Motel.

Why is she here? What does this place have to do with Tanya? And why, oh why, does the motel manager’s son have to be a cop?

Ms. Andrews is the queen of the beach reads. This is one that had a bit of everything in it. Much like real life. The characters are so real and the story so compelling you may want to hit the road to find Treasure Island yourself.

Always a pleasure!

NetGalley/ May 4th, 2021 St. Martin’s Press

This is the perfect beach read, even in cold weather! I loved the characters. Lefty, Ava, Joe, and Maya were so well written that I found myself completely invested in them from the beginning. This one has the thriller aspects with just the right amount of romance. Great read!

This book had the potential of being a typical Mary Kay Andrews book in that it begins a bit scandalous and mysterious however, it falls a little flat. It has a good storyline and kept my interest for the most part but isn't extremely exciting. It is a bit slow. I am glad I read it as I love her books but it was not one of my favorites.

Tanya had a daughter named Maya and was living across the country from her sister whom she had a strained relationship with as they got older. This was Tanya's fault because she was a bit wild and unstable in her adult life. Her sister Letty came back into her and Maya's life a couple of years ago and now Tanya has died. Letty picked up the pieces and took Maya and tried to figure out who killed her sister. The books winds down nicely and satisfying and answers the questions that came up throughout the story.

*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I believe this was my first time reading Mary Kay Andrews and I was not disappointed.

After finding her sister Tanya dead in her NYC apt and her 3 year old niece, Maya, alone, Letty grabs what she can and heads to Florida, convinced her sister’s ex killed her since Tanya had weeks before warned her if anything happened to her, it was him.

A story of love and devotion, Letty keeps her promise to keep Maya safe. Finding herself at the Murmuring Surf Motel, she manages to endear herself to Ava, the owner and now has a place to stay. Ava’s son Joe is a cop and he is very suspicious.

Letty is a savvy character and does a lot of bluffing to keep her story a secret. She makes new friends in Ava, her daughter, Isabelle and Joe. She also manages to ingratiate herself with the regular snowbirds who are not happy at her arrival.

A good mystery with lots of love, caring and intrigue.

Great book and a story that will keep your interest for the entire duration of reading. The story is bold and powerful yet draws you into the lives it is telling you about. Add this one to your TBR list.

I live in Florida, I've been to Treasure Island, and this book really makes me want to go back. I loved the Murmuring Surf and the regulars there. I think I would love to stay in a place like it. I loved Ava, Isabelle and Joe. This was a long book, but extremely enjoyable. I loved how in depth the story went and I liked how it all unfolded. It was predictable, but still entertaining. I would definitely recommend it.

Cannot believe that this is the first Mary Kay Andrews’ books that I have read! What a great book! Could easily see this made into a movie! Do yourself a favor and read it as soon as it comes out...you’ll love it!

Mary Kay Andrews is a master storyteller, and I've read a few of her past books. So I knew I was in for another great story in The Newcomer, her latest novel to be published this coming May. The fast-paced, character-driven plot alternates between sinister and serene events. The very first chapter sets the scene and the tone. Letty and her young niece, Maya, on the run from New York City, are headed to an old motel in a small town on Treasure Island in Florida. Letty's half-sister Tanya has been brutally murdered in her posh townhouse while Maya was living there. Letty immediately suspects Evan Wingfield, Tanya's ex, who is a rich, narcissistic real estate entrepreneur. Tanya had made Letty promise to take Maya far away from Evan if anything happened to Tanya. Honoring her promise, Letty escapes with Maya, taking her sister's "go bag" and Mercedes. Inside that bag is a large amount of cash and a faded clipping of a magazine article for the Murmuring Surf Motel. Sensing that this locale has some significance, Letty decides to go there to uncover her sister's secrets and to keep Maya safe from Evan and other shady people from Tanya's past..
As a newcomer to the motel which caters mainly to retired quirky yet relatable snowbirds, Letty convinces the owner, Ava, to let her work there in exchange for a musty efficiency room that has been used for storage. Letty, a very likable character despite her flaws, gradually wins the hearts of the elderly residents who were at first so unwelcoming to young woman with a four-year old niece. And the simmering romance between Letty and Joe, Ava's police detective son, adds lots of spice to the plot. The many twists and turns of the plot result in a satisfying conclusion.
Fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Nancy Thayer, and Mary Alice Monroe will enjoy this wonderful summer read. Thanks to #netgalley for an ARC of this novel..

Such a sweet,exciting, adventure packed story. The characters were wonderful. It was difficult to imagine 5 months without conversation. I am hoping to see Maya grow up!