This is my first Mary Kay Andrews book. The covers always make me think they are a light read and I was proven wrong. This is the perfect summer read. There is suspense, romance, and friendship abundant in the book, but I wouldn’t call it fluff. I’ve read a lot of heavy books as of late and this was just what I needed.

Letty took her niece Maya and fled New York when she finds out her sister has been murdered. She always claimed if something happened to her it would be her exe to blame. They end up at a beach resort in Florida. The story unwinds as Letty acclimates herself to her new home while making sure Maya’s father doesn’t find them.

The pace was a little slow to start, but once I was drawn into the story, I just wanted to read more about the inn and the quirky cast of characters. The author does a great job of creating people you want to know more about. I don’t think anything about the plot or ending will surprise you, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. This was the perfect choice to cleanse my palate and start my summer reading.

While listening to the audiobook, I enjoyed Kathleen McInerney’s narration. She set a great tone and drew me into the story.

With a complicated synopsis, the basics are a young woman who's younger sister has been murdered escapes NYC with her niece and hopes to run from her problems and start a new life away from it all, but in Florida she continues to find out clues about her sister and eventually it all implodes.

For the audiobook, I did with this one like I have done with others where I switched from the ebook to the audiobook depending on what I was trying to do while also getting reading done. It was great to be able to continue reading this book while getting my garden up and running! I loved the narrator, I will definitely be adding her to my list of narrators that I enjoyed listening to. She did a great job of adding emotion to the story, but not feeling as though she was overperforming it.

I am thankful for Mary Kay Andrews books I don't read synopsis, because had I read this one, I am not sure if I would have so quickly dove into the book. I trust Andrews with my reading time and so far she hasn't disappointed!

Letty was the sweetest character with the purest of intentions to give her niece the childhood that she only wished she could have had herself or that her sister could have provided. Her niece, Maya was was just the sweetest addition of humor throughout the book as she interacted with all the occupants at the hotel and as she was adjusting to a new normal without her mother.

I loved the mix of a mystery with a women's fiction with strong women at the center of the story. Without spoiling all the things, I loved the last bit of the book and how the author let the conclusion happen, it was a bit predictable, but still satisfying in the end.

4.5*

Letty Carnahan, with her 4 year old niece Maya in tow, has found herself fleeing from New York and Florida bound. "If anything happens to me-it's Evan. Promise me you'll take Maya and run." was the warning Tanya gave her sister several weeks prior to Letty finding her sister dead and Maya crying at the top of the stairs. Letty knows that Evan, Tanya's shady real estate ex, is somehow involved but, he has gone to the media pointing a finger at Letty and saying that she has kidnapped Maya. In Tanya's "go bag", Letty finds enough money to get them going and an old article about The Murmuring Surf Motel and sets that as her runaway destination in hopes of finding some answers.

I have only read a few of Mary Kay Andrews' books and this one has me adding her backlist to my never-ending TBR pile! The element that I enjoyed most about this particular story was how the romance is not the main focus. We get to see Letty focus on what she needs to do to protect Maya. Letty and Maya's relationship was such a sweet one and Letty really stepped in and became the mother figure Maya needed. I really enjoyed all of the side characters as well! Ava, the motel owner, her son Joe and daughter Isabel were great additions to Letty's journey.

This was such a joy to listen to! The narrator does such a wonderful job with the character's voices and I had zero trouble following along. I recommend the audiobook if you want just a little extra added to your reading experience.

Whether or not you pick up the audiobook, I still recommend this book. It will be a great option for a summer beach read!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to an early recording of this audiobook. All opinions are me own.

Mary Kay Andrew’s is the queen of the beach read. Her newest book has it all, packed between the covers. When Letty finds her sister dead, she grabs the go bag Tanya had stashed and her four year old niece and runs. Ending up at the Murmuring Sands, a hotel in Florida, Letty has no idea why she’s there, but she knows it’s was important to Tanya. With a cast of eccentric hotel guests and an owner that takes her under her wing, Letty soon lets up a little, but with Tanya’s killer on the loose and as her past comes to light, Letty’s not sure anywhere is safe for her and Maya. An addictive, fun listen with an absolute perfect narrator!

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC early!
In general, I am a fan of Mary Kay Andrews. She writes a very unique and interesting mix of womens fiction, mystery and romance, and this one is no different. In this book we follow Letty as she navigates being on the run with her niece after her sister is killed. Her sister had some substance abuse issues and had always told Letty-- if something happens to me take my daughter and run, don't let her dad have her. So thats exactly what Lettie does. She runs to Florida to a somewhat run down motel called the Surf. She had found a picture of the motel in her sisters stuff so she thought that would be a good place to go. One of my complaints about this book is that Letty is on the run, trying to evade the uber wealthy ex of her sister, and yet she doesn't change her name, appearance, cell phone, etc. Furthermore, she and her sisters are both actors who have recognizable faces. Is it believable that nobody would find them? No. Anyway, when Letty gets there, she is sort of taken in by the motel owner and her tough, police officer son. I LOVE the found family element of this book and the first half of the book in which it builds the relationships between everyone was my favorite. Around the 50-60% mark, the suspense started escalating as Evan (the ex) started coming after them and we found out what Tanya (the sister) had been doing and why its all happening the way it is. I was so engaged in the women's fiction element of the story that I got a little bored when it turned to so much mystery. That being said, I always feel this was with Mary Kay Andrews and wish she would focus in on one or the other or weave them together more instead of being so abrupt and separate, so if you don't feel that way you would likely love this! I thought the mystery element was a little boring and unoriginal but I still really liked the overall story so 3.5 stars it is!

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Tanya (the sister) had been apart of a group that was stealing from old people by telling them their precious valuables were worth almost nothing. They would by the jewels then resell them for much more. Evan (the ex) was a property owner and put some of his stuff in Tanya's name because it was illegal doings and so when she died it all went to Letty and the daughter, so now he's after her to try to get the money as well as all of the jewels. Theres multiple people after her but in the end it all works out and she lives happily ever after with the cop and the daughter.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews
Narrated by Kathleen McInerney
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
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Description from NetGalley...
“In trouble and on the run...After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex; sleazy real estate entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s warnings: “If anything bad happens to me—it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run. Promise me.” So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road . . .

With a trunkful of emotional baggage...and her wailing four-year-old niece Maya. Letty is determined to out-run Evan and the law, but run to where? Tanya, a woman with a past shrouded in secrets, left behind a “go-bag” of cash and a big honking diamond ring—but only one clue: a faded magazine story about a sleepy mom-and-pop motel in a Florida beach town with the improbable name of Treasure Island. She sheds her old life and checks into an uncertain future at The Murmuring Surf Motel.”

The No Vacancy sign is flashing & the sharks are circling...And that’s the good news.”
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Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
Enjoyable. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was really good; her voice for little Maya was just adorable. What would you get from The Murmuring Surf Motel? A group of amusing seniors “from up north” enjoying themselves as long-term guests whilst Letty figured out what exactly happened to Maya’s mother, of course. There was enough mystery, humour, romance and it was a quick story to make it a cozy beach read.

Great audio!

The cover and title of this book really piqued my interest from the start. Then I noticed it was a stand alone and thought I will give it a try. I have listened to others by this author, but it is challenging to keep up with a new series when you have been a lifetime reader.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this one. The language was a little off-putting, but I didn't feel that it was overly loaded with cursing throughout by any means. There was much more story than sex in this one which surprised me, but I think I enjoyed it more than her past novels.

As far as the narrator, I enjoyed the multiple voices that were used in this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mary Kay Andrews for this ARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

Letty's world is turned upside down when her sister is brutally murdered. She knows she has to take her niece and run to keep her safe. They find refuge in an old Florida motel on the beach. She finds herself among the old timers who come to the motel to wait out the winters of the north. As she tries to care for her niece and herself there is still a hunt for her in interest of her sisters murder. The murderer is also very interested to find them.

The Newcomer was an enjoyable read. However, I do feel it went one a little too long. There seemed to be many point of views, side plots, and details that were just not necessary. I felt as if the author put these in to make the book longer and try to provide more details but it ended up feeling very unnecessary and extra. The characters in The Newcomer were very developed and I feel like I could be standing right next to them through their journeys. The plot itself definitely took some liberties that in real life would not happen. If reality is the goal it did not meet it. If the plot was not supposed to be completely believable and only for enjoyment it achieved its goal.

What perfect read, whether on the beach or couch, or for me I had an audio book, that made me not want to reach my destination.
I have read many of Mary Kay Andrews books, and this one sure didn’t disappoint.
Maya stole the show, but a lot of great characters are here.
Letty, now the guardian of her niece, Maya the four year old, Ava and her daughter and son, whom you quickly meet in the parking lot of the motel in Florida.
There is never a dull moment here, take a breath, because you will quickly be holding it again!
Only bad part of this read was having to say goodbye!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Macmillian Audio and was not required to give a positive review.

Another great beach read brought you by Mary Kay Andrews. When this book opens we meet Letty who is on the run with her four year old niece Maya, after her sister Tanya is found dead. Letty is the main suspect, but she knows somehow her ex-boss and sister’s ex-boyfriend is the culprit. She winds up in a small motel in Florida because her sister indirectly lead her there.

We get a funny array of characters when she lands in Florida. From Joe the cop, to Eva tho motel owner and all the long term guests that come every winter season every year. When Joe figures out something is just not right with Letty’s presence he goes to great lengths to find her truth.

Mary Kay Andrew always gives us delightful beach reads. This one has mystery, romance and humor in this fun read. All the more she added the adorable Maya who will melt your heart the instant you meet her. This book is very fast paced and keeps you for wanting more. I can’t think of a perfect way to spend a day or two at the beach reading this gem.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about Letty. She finds her sister dead in her apartment and takes her niece and runs. She knows that she must protect Maya from her father, Evan.

Letty and Maya arrive at The Murmuring Surf Motel and when they see a no vacancy sign, they sleep in their car.

Ava is a sweet caring woman. She is the owner of The Surf, and she decides to help Letty and Maya. She even gives Letty a job.

During the course of their stay, Joe, Ava's son and the local police officer finds himself curious about Letty and decides to delve further into her story.

I liked this story a lot! There were twists and turns and it even had some romance.

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.

This book follows Letty and her niece Maya hiding out after the death of Tanya, Maya’s mother, and Letty’s half sister. Letty is a responsible caring aunt who knew her sister had secrets but had no idea how many until her death. Tanya told Letty if anything happens to her she should grab the “go bag”, Maya and run!

I love every Mary Kay Andrews book I have read (ALOT) and this book will rank up as one of my favorites! Maya might be the sweetest, smartest four year old! Letty is an outstanding aunt who fills the mother roll more naturally than she gives herself credit for. After arriving at the Murmuring Surf Motel she catches a break and life starts to change fast.

If you are looking for a good mysterious beach read, this is the book for you!! Pick it up and you will feel back at the beach and eager to figure out the mysteries within!

A perfect beach read to get you in the mood for summer! This was a really entertaining story about Letty, on the run with her 4 year old niece Maya after she discovers her sister dead in her NYC apartment. Her sister always told her if anything happened to her it would be because of her abusive husband and she should take her daughter and hide. Thus Letty ends up at a run down motel in Florida where she finds a refuge with a cast of memorable characters. I loved how cute Maya was - she was my favourite part of the story. There’s also some decent romance between Letty and Joe (the motel owner’s son) and a light suspense/mystery element as Maya’s father is trying to track the two down and has put a hit out on Letty. With the help of Joe and an undercover FBI agent everything comes to a satisfying end. The story really made me nostalgic for spring break trips to Florida!! Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun escape read this summer. Thanks to NetGalley for my advance audio review copy!

Letty has left her life in New York in haste, after her sister is murdered. She grabs her niece and followers her sisters command, that “if anything happens to me, grab Maya and run.” Letty finds herself at a long stay motel in Florida, guided by a news clipping from found in her sister’s bag. While Letty tries to figure out who killed her sister, she is also maneuvering life at the motel with a community of “snow birds” who have been coming to the motel for years and are not fond of a young child in their presence. Ava, the motel owner, has a son who is a cop named Joe and is getting rather close to Letty… knowing she has secrets.

I am torn… really. I love the idea of the book and thought it was executed well, but there were several things that I felt took away from the story. First off, what would the Yelp review or rating be for this motel? Cops seem to be there often for busts and yet people keep coming every year – even after they have been ripped off. I enjoyed the characters, but Letty and her love interest, Joe, are almost unbelievable. Joe falls for Letty for not really any reason… he knows nothing about her or does know some things that he finds in the police database. They never really talk or if they do, she doesn’t share anything. Their relationship development is not convincing.

Overall though, I still enjoyed it even with its flaws. The narrator was good, but I would have probably enjoyed reading this book instead of the audiobook it. I am going to summarize it to a rating of 3.5, but will round it up to a 4.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. I would consider suggesting to my book club for a discussion. It would be interesting to hear others points of view.

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.

As for the narrator, I have no particular thoughts. She didn’t make this audio into something fantastic, but she did a good job, and I didn’t find her voices for other characters annoying. I don’t think anything she did detracted from the story. If you prefer audiobooks, this one is fine on audio.

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

Mary Kay Andrews does it again with this new romantic, mystery summer read. And with Kathleen McInerney as the narrator you can not go wrong with this book. So put your ear buds in and sit back and enjoy!

Tanya made her sister, Letty, promise that if anything ever happened to her, she would take her daughter and run, so when Letty found Tanya dead in her apartment, that's what she did. Tanya also said that her estranged boyfriend, the father of her daughter, would be the one responsible.

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was perfect to keep the tension up and the characters were well developed. I listened to the audio version and hated when I had to pause it. It just really kept me on the edge of my seat and make a long drive a lot easier. I've enjoyed several books from this author and this one was no different. I got a great feel for the Tampa area it was set it too.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting a hard to put down mystery. It's not quite a cozy but definitely not a thriller either. It's an easy read without gore or a lot of violence. I'll keep reading more from this author.

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.

I listened to the audio version of this story and I loved the narrator, Kathleen McInerney. She’s one of my favorites. The story really came to life and was even more charming and engaging with her storytelling.

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!