The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews is appropriately named. It seems like this is a new direction for Andrew’s books. I have read all of her books. Seriously, all of them. I guess I expect a certain style of writing or, at least, a specific type of storyline. I’m not saying this is not a good book or even a great book. But if I didn’t know I was reading a Mary Kay Andrews book, I would have thought it was written by a different author. But it is 2020 so expect the unexpected.
Andrews doesn’t disappoint with The Newcomer. The story is exciting, scary and has a great plot. I loved the location too. Treasure Island on the Florida coast is a beautiful place. And the description was welcome since I was reading it on a mountain top in Virginia with snow falling and a below zero windchill outside my door. Letty and her niece are taking shelter in a small beachfront motel on Treasure Island after the murder of her sister. As Letty settles in to the routine and safety of the motel and the surrounding community, her sister’s killer is desperately trying to locate her. Andrews provides plenty of twists and mystery to the plot and those parts kept me reading long past my bedtime. But the feeling of family and comfort that the motel owner and guests provide to Letty and her niece made me want to stay “in” the story. These characters are so well-written that I’m sure if I googled Murmuring Surf Motel I would find it is a real place. And I would make a reservation immediately. The Newcomer is the best of both worlds. Andrews give us an exciting story with murder and money and a glamorous New York lifestyle. At the same time, she makes us feel safe and comfortable with the descriptions of the slightly run down motel at the beach setting and people that vacation there. I was in no way complaining with my opening paragraph. This is a 5 star Mary Kay Andrews book. Just a little different from her other books.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

I've read nearly all of the books by Mary Kay Andrews and this one could easily be my favorite. As always, the character development is superb, the story is heartwarming as well as a page turner.. After a very long drive from New York to Florida, with her 4 year old niece, Maya, in tow, Letty pulls into the parking lot of the Murmuring Surf Motel displaying a clearly marked signed indicating parking is by assignment only for the guests. Exhausted and cramped from sitting so long in the Kia she purchased along the way, Letty pulls as close to a dumpster as possible, turns off the engine and falls asleep. After crying most of the way for her mother, Maya is finally asleep, hugging Ellie, her stuffed elephant, who rarely leaves her side.

Letty left New York in a hurry when she stopped by for her regular Sunday visit with Maya, and discovered her sister was laying in a pool of blood dead. Because of a recent comment her sister made concerning anything happening to her, Letty is to take Maya and leave town. Letty did just that.

The arrival at the Murmuring Surf Motel resulted from finding an ad from a back issue of Southern Living magazine in her sister's bag, along with an enormous amount of cash. What happens next is a story of survival, perseverance, and friends who become like family as this beautifully written story unfolds. This book held me captive until the last page was turned.

I had such fun reading this delightful romystery about a woman rescuing her niece and redefining her life. When her sister is found dead, murdered, Letty grabs her niece and takes her to Florida. She fears that the dangerous father will find them. Soon her life becomes entangled with that of the people who own the motel where she’s hiding. It’s a fun and engaging novel. Part mystery/part romance and a really great read.

Can someone tell the author that BINGO numbers are specific,
B 1-15
I. 16-30
N 31-45
G. 46-60
O. 61-75

It’s a really good book to snuggle up with on a cold day, now, or throw in your beach bag later.

Thank you Netgalley for this fun ARC.

Letty and her niece are in trouble and on the run after Letty found her sister’s body on the floor of her condo. Letty packed a bag and headed to a hotel listed in a slip of paper packed in her sister’s emergency bag - The Murmuring Surf.

Letty is wanted in the murder of her sister, and in the kidnapping of her niece Maya. She finds a friend and job at the Murmuring Surf, but is constantly on edge as the owner’s police officer son seems to be hot on her trail. Will he figure out why she is there and turn her in? All she knows is that she is not going back to New York.

I enjoyed this story of a woman on the run, while discovering what it means to be a mother. Not only does The Newcomer contain a mystery and eccentric fun characters, but it contains a bit of romance as well. Definitely enjoyed this one (and ready to book a beach trip!)

I am a huge fan of Mary Kay Andrews and will read anything she writes. Loved this latest book which is part love story/part mystery. Her characters and setting are always amazing! I would love to spend a week at the Murmuring Surf with Ava and Lettie! Although I read this in mid-winter, this will be a great quick beach read next spring/summer. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Another great novel from Mary Kay Andrews. She does it all in one book. Mystery, thriller, romance and it is sometimes very funny. Please write more and faster...

Mary Kay Andrews has done it again. The Newcomer is part mystery, part love story and all entertaining.. Letty and her niece Maya have made their way to Florida’s Gulf coast in an effort to escape from the man that Letty thinks murdered her sister. Not only must Letty protect them, but Letty also has to figure out how to parent a four -year - old. She has to figure out who she can trust as well. Bring in the local police and the FBI, and Letty’s life really gets complicated.

Great book that I had trouble putting down. The story was interesting with several twists. Would make a great beach read.

I just finished The Newcomer. I am a big fan of this author. She is one of my summer favorites!
The novel had something for everyone- great characters, love interest and quite an intriguing mystery.
I really enjoyed reading it.

Fans of family drama will love The Newcomer, the latest novel by southern fiction powerhouse Mary Kay Andrews. Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book!

Letty and her niece Maya are on the run after Letty’s sister (and Maya’s mom) Tanya is found murdered in her New York home. Tanya told Letty that if anything ever happened to her, she should take Maya and run, so that’s exactly what she does. She makes her way to a charming old Florida motel called Murmuring Surf, where the owner gives her a job and place to stay. Meanwhile, figures from Tanya’s shady past are after Letty and Maya for their own nefarious reasons.

This novel was really entertaining and had a bit of everything - mystery, family drama, an adorable little girl, a budding romance, and a cast of quirky hotel regulars. Letty is a scrappy heroine determined to protect her niece, and this novel is full of strong female characters. All of that plus MKA’s skill at setting a southern scene makes The Newcomer a winner.

4.5 stars When Letty's sister is murdered, she takes her niece and leaves town with her, ending up in Florida at the Murmuring Surf Motel. A murder, drama, family relations, people who become family, love, and relationships- this book has it all. Definitely recommend.

Tanya has told her sister, Letty, if anything happens to her, it’s Tanya’s no good ex, Evan. So when Letty finds her sister dead in her New York penthouse, she’s pretty sure who the killer is. Letty takes her sister’s car and her four year old daughter, Maya, and goes on the run. With only an old magazine story about Treasure Island, Florida and a bag of highly suspicious cash, Letty and Maya head for the Sunshine State, unsure of what awaits them. Andrews delivers her usual comical, heartfelt Southern story

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley. I haven't read many Mary Kay Andrews books but I found this mystery beach read to be very enjoyable. Letty and her four year old niece Maya are on the run after Letty discovers her sister Tanya dead.
Tanya always said that if something happened to her that Letty would have to take Maya and run.

This book is going to be the perfect beach read next summer, I found myself thinking about the mystery of what happened to Tanya when I wasn't reading the book. I loved the setting of the Murmuring Surf Motel, and all of the zany characters who live and stay there. If you are looking to do a little arm chair travelling, solve a mystery and fall in love this is the book for you.

Overall, an intriguing story. I enjoyed getting to know Lettie and Maya, and the rest of the supporting cast. The elderly folks were good for a quick laugh every now and again. The baseline story involving Evan was fairly average, but it helped move the plot along.

Thank you NetGalley for this early, uncorrected copy of The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews. I enjoyed this book and thought it pretty well thought out, In most books of this type believable outcomes and realities should be suspended and the reader should just enjoy the book for what it is a fast, fun read with likable characters. Real world would have halted this story right at the beginning but I am glad we got a chance to see the relationship between Letty and Joe play out.
Maya is delightful, albeit pretty easily distracted which I found not to be the case with my 4 year old! While I did enjoy this read I do think the author was less detailed with the character motives and more so with location description. Bad guy was a typical bad guy, good guy a typical good guy, old person a typical old person and so on which made it a tad cliched.
I loved the setting at a bygone era motel on the Florida Gulf Coast. The octogenarian cast of motel residents/guests were fun and added a bit of color to the book. The location itself was a scene stealer, digging your toes into the warm sand while watching sunsets sounds lovely.
This is the perfect book when you just want to be distracted, a good beach read!

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I first started reading The Newcomer, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised when I got a suspenseful murder mystery with a dash of romance thrown in. The writing style and plotline remind me of an old-school Nora Roberts novel, and those were some of my favourites so I definitely enjoyed this.

The only hesitation I have for not giving this 5 stars is the lack of romance and some sort of twist at the end. I felt like the climax of the story came too early (around 70%) and resolved itself by 85% so I was left wondering what was going to happen in the last 15% of the book. The ending to the murder mystery was also neat and tidy and I wished for something a bit more complex and honestly expected the killer not to be the obvious choice. From a romance perspective, I wish there were more sizzling moments where I could feel the love they had for each other.

That said, the writing was superb and everything flowed really well. I would definitely not hesitate to pick up another Mary Kay Andrews book and would recommend this to all my friends.

I have read a couple of this authors other books and enjoyed them. However, I DNF this book due to the bullying comments that were left by this author on another author’s social media. Times are hard enough without people trying to tear others down. I appreciate the publisher providing me with this ARC to read but I cannot condone bullying behavior.

This wasn't the type of story that I am used to reading from this author, but it was entertaining and suspenseful. Letty finds her sister Tanya married, and takes her 4 year-old niece to escape to safety. Details of the murder and Tanya's past begins to be revealed as Letty finds a home at a beachside motel in Florida. A romantic interest enters the scene, but he is also a detective. The storyline was slightly predictable but suspenseful nonetheless. An enjoyable read.

Letty Carnahan is a newcomer to Treasure Island, Florida’s shades of a 60’s postcard The Murmuring Surf Motel. She’s also a newcomer to parenting as she is raising her sister Tanya’s charming four year old daughter Maya. This has all happened because she found Tanya’s dead body in the New York City townhouse she had shared with Evan Winfield. Maya, cradling her stuffed elephant toy, was crying nearby. Letty knew that Tanya believed Evan would kill her and had shown her a getaway bag stuffed with cash, jewelry and a Murmuring Surf brochure. So of course, Letty grabs Maya and ends up at the motel the next day.

Letty convinces motel owner Ava DeCurtis to rent her an efficiency, even if has been used for storage and not cleaned in some time. Letty takes that on and soon volunteers to do other housekeeping chores. The problem is Ava’s son Joe, a local policeman. He’s attracted to Ava but he also knows what happened in New York. Then Evan Wingfield enters the picture, Tanya’s past catches up to Letty and she is forced to decide what really matters to her.

Mary Kay Andrews has really nailed the Florida snowbird scene! Chaise lounges by the pool “reserved” with towels, the early bird special at 4:30, and the arguments over whose turn it is to use pools and shuffleboard courts. You expect the best of the best beach read from her and in The Newcomer, you’ve got it! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Mary Kay Andrews for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. I have been a long time fan of Mary Kay Andrew’s books and although I enjoyed this one I feel like I read it in the past. Was this a reworking of a past book?
This story had a bit of romance, some mystery and suspense, but the part I enjoyed most was the setting. The story mainly takes place at an old fashioned motel near St Pete beach Florida. Some of the characters staying in the motel were like caricatures of crotchety old people and the police officer romantic interest was disappointing to me in his blatant disregard of the law, but other than that I really enjoyed the story.