I LOVED this latest page turner by Mary Kay Andrews. The twists and turns kept me guessing through the entire book. This is a GREAT book to pack in your beach bag this summer!

I have always been a fan of Andrew’s books. I enjoy reading books based in the south. I loved her descriptions of Shellhaven and felt like I was touring right through the house. She transported me to the beach and easy going ways of island life. I was surprised by the mystery and murder involved in this one. It is unlike the others I read of hers but I enjoyed it. Great easy read! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the advanced readers copy.

I liked this novel, but it seemed very different from Mary Kay Andrews previous novels. I usually pick up one of her novels expecting a women's fiction/beach read but this did not seem to fit the bill. I am not sure if it was the going back and forth between characters. I still liked the book; the writing still beautiful and characters still strong.

Talisa Island, GA is the setting for this novel about redemption, secrets and murder. I thoroughly enjoyed this Southern themed book about a ninety plus year old woman dying of cancer seeking to repair the damage she has wrought over the years for her three close friends. In doing so, she creates a new friendship for the five women involved in bringing her wishes to fruition.

Another keeper from Mary Kay Andrews. You can always depend on her books to be a great book to take to the beach or even to a comfortable chair for a #staycation. Great characters, amazing location and a story line with a touch of mystery that kept me interested from page one to The End.

I have read many Mary Kay Andrews books over the years and have greatly enjoyed the descriptions of Southern life, family, and friendships. I have also read some of her Callahan Garrity mystery series. So it was intriguing to me to read The High Tide Club as it appeared to be a combination of the essential elements of the two.

The premise really stood out to me - Dual timelines that started with current day but dipped back into 1941 to unlock the secrets of broken relationships, hard feelings, and murder.

The southern setting also grabbed me - Talisa, a secluded barrier Island off from Georgia and not far from Savannah seems perfect for a story based on a dying eccentric wealthy woman trying to determine who to pass along her inheritance.

The story deftly moves from modern day where 99 year old Josephine Bettendorf Warrick hires Brooke Trapnell for her legal skills to the 1940s friends of the High Tide Club. The two are definitely connected but it is a bit of a journey to initially see how. Once established, I moved rapidly through parts of the story - as I really wanted to see what took place all those years ago and also how Talisa could remain as Josephine wished.

I struggled with the modern day twist to the story. It felt a little odd to me and didn't necessarily flow with the first half of the book. And the secret that Brooke kept absolutely drove me batty - as did how it all ended when it came out. However, I understand that this a story that you know will have resolution and a happy ending.

Overall, this was a solid (3 and 1/2 star) read for me. The tale kept me engaged and coming back for more as I really wanted to read more about Ruth, Millie, young Josephine, and Varina. I do wish that there was more time spent with these High Tide girls but found the modern day characters and their quest to figure this all out also made for an interesting story.

I believe this is one to put on your beach TBR list as it is a good summertime read.

I received an e-arc via Netgalley from St. Martin's Press. And while I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book I've read by Mary Kay Andrews, and I'm glad I did. With the title, I expected an easy going, breezy beach read, but it was definitely so much more. Going back and forth between the 1940's and present day, a 99 year old eccentric millionaire has a lot to tell. Between humor, suspense and everything in between, you won't want the story to end. I was very intrigued. Highly recommend.

I enjoy a book when the location and landscape are an integral part of a story. This was a very good story, complete with a diverse cast of interesting and likable characters. It is light reading, perfect for summer reading. The story was easy to follow back and forth from past to present, as chapters were labeled. This is the first book that I’ve read by Ms. Andrews, and I look forward to reading more.

I think Mary Kay Andrews books are great "beach" reads. Although I've only read a couple of her books previously, these books tend to be light mysteries and most of the book is dedicated more to the relationships and family/friendship drama in the story. The High Tide Club was created back in 1941 by 4 young women that created a bond through skinny dipping in the ocean during the full moon's high tide. Over the years, they somehow lost touch with one another.

About 70 years later, one of the women, Josephine, is dying and wants to make amends. She hires a lawyer to help her find these women and bring them to her home. There are a lot of different sub-plots going on in this book, but I found them all interesting and fun. There are definitely some sensitive topics that are touched on and weave their way into the story line (racism, domestic abuse, rape), but Mary Kay Andrews does a good job not diving too deep into anything to keep the book focused on the characters. I enjoyed this book, the characters, and the mystery... however, IMO if you are looking for a book with some deep meaning, you may not enjoy this book.

You can't go wrong with a Mary Kay Andrews beach read! As always, great characters, great settings and a story line that keeps the reader interested. I always enjoy her novels and this one was another win!

It is difficult to describe this book without giving too much of the plot away. It goes back and forth between the 1940's and present day, and tells the story of four friends whose lives are all affected by the events that occur in the 40's. There are many mysteries and secrets and it makes for compelling reading. It took me a bit to get in to the book, but I reached a point where I just had to finish it (and quickly) to find out what was going on. It is also a bit different than the author's early books which are generally more comedic. This is a more serious book and more of a mystery story, but all together an enjoyable read.

I love how this book reminded me of her earlier writings as Kathy Hogan. The book went back to her who done it writing, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also have a soft spot for Southern Fiction. I enjoyed the friendships between the characters and that she included a more variety of races in this book. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was that I figured out what was going to happen a few chapters in, but maybe that’s because I know the author so well!

Great beach read. This book had a great mystery that kept me engaged the entire book.

Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. This is probably the best yet! Plot twists and turns makes you NEED to keep reading. This was one of those books you just lose the day reading. If you like Southern Fic you will love this book. Difficult to say too much without revealing the story but you won't be sorry you purchased this book.

Mary Kay Andrews sure knows how to weave a southern tale. This book is lengthy for a beach read. Be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen as you will be drawn into the lives of Josephine, Millie, Ruth and Varina, the original High Tide Club back in the Forties. Present day Brooke is tasked with finding these ladies or their heirs by the aging Josephine. There were times when snippets from the past seemed intrusive but as the mysteries increased, the past became as interesting as the present.

I have always been drawn to books using coastal locations, and MKA succeeds once again with her portrayal of the fictional island of Talista. It was easy to feel the heat and picture Josephine’s stately home trapped in it’s Sixties decor. It was a fitting backdrop for Brooke, Felicia and Lizzie as they tried to unravel the mysteries surrounding Josephine and her estate.I enjoyed watching bonds form between this disparate trio of present day women. I liked how Andrews inserts enough humour to lighten the darker moments and appreciated the parallel themes of orphans and single parents in the past and in the present. .

Not my favourite read by this author thanks to threads left unresolved and slow pacing. My need for speed thriller side found this book a slow go.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

3 stars


READING PROGRESS

Always enjoyable, MKA did not disappoint with this book! I enjoyed the dual storyline, the setting, and all of the characters. Always a good way to kick off the beach reading season!

Thank you Net Galley
I had read most of Mary Kay Andrews’ book, and love them all. This one is a little different, it is near the beach but mostly a mystery that spans decades.
Josephine Warren who is her nineties, hires local lawyer Brook to help her keep her property from the
Government and find three childhood friends to make amends. Before she can, Josephine dies.
The mystery!
The book goes back and forth in time, telling us the story a little at a time. I did enjoy the book, though it was different that other books by Ms. Andrews.
The writing is wonderful with the characteristic Ms. Andrews is known for. I recommend this book highly!

Josephine is in her 90's. She lives on a private island off the coast of Georgia. She is terminally ill and she wants to make amends before she dies.

She gets in touch with Brooke, an attorney, and wants to hire her to help in her quest to write a new will as well as protect her island from being taken over by the state. When Josephine explains everything to Brooke, it turns out that it could be a conflict of interest. Because Brooke and her mother, Marie, may be beneficiaries. Marie's mother, Millie, was one of Josephine's best friends when she was young.

There are also 3 other women who could be a part of the inheritance. Varina, an elderly African American woman, who has been a friend to Josephine all her life, her niece Felicia and finally, Lizzie, the granddaughter of another long dead friend, Ruth.

There is nothing in this story that goes in a straight line. The reader is taken from the 1940's to today. The characters from the past and the present all have secrets. And each secret has a huge influence on past and present events.

Josephine is not a nice person. She has lived her life as though only she knew what was best for people around her. She was jealous, selfish, deceptive and generally not a nice person. She has caused pain for nearly every person in her life.

Brooke is a single mother who is starting her own law practice and finding it difficult to cope with her son, her lack of money and her general disappointment in her life. Her mother, Marie, is a nice woman who wants what is best for her daughter. But also feels at loose ends since her divorce.

Varina and Felicia have a relationship which is at times adversarial and at times loving. Felicia is certain that Varina was never treated well by Josephine, Millie or Ruth.

Lizzie appears to be a money hungry woman who has no desire to connect with anyone on anything but a very superficial level.

The history of old relationships can be heartbreaking. Being wealthy and self involved seemed to be a complete protection from the troubles in the world, and then things changed.

The present day events are even more complicated. People are not who they appear to be and after Josephine's death there are secrets from the past which start appearing at every turn. The Geechee people who have lived on the island forever fear they will be displaced. Josephine's staff members are afraid they will also lose their home. So many lives will be changed forever.

The High Tide Club name comes from the 4 young women from the past. Best friends who loved and cared for one another until they didn't.

Ms Andrews has created a cast of characters of depth and texture.

The plot held my interest, but at times I did feel there were too many paths to follow. For me, I think things could have been less complicated and just as entertaining.

This is a story of finding truth and learning to trust yourself. It is about women learning that they can depend on friends and family when needed. And the women also learn they can depend upon themselves.

I liked this book very much. I have been enjoying books by Ms Andrews for many years. She creates stories which draw me in and hold me until the final pages.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

This isn’t a beach book. I’m leading with that because I tend to expect a Mary Kay Andrews book to be somewhat beachy. I’ve read all of her recent books but none of her earlier ones under her actual name which I believe are mysteries.

But at this point, I’ll admit that I am assuming it will be a beachy book. I also think I’m not the only one, so we should get that out of the way now :)
If you aren’t expecting the wrong thing from this book you’ll probably enjoy it more.

Brooke is a lawyer who is contacted by Josephine about her will and her final wishes. She knows she’s dying and she has a lot of apologies to make before that happens.

At first, the storyline bounces between current day and the 1940’s when Josephine and her friends formed a club that they called The High Tide Club.

In the present day, Josephine wants to reunite the club.
But Josephine is 99 years old, the other girls might not be alive any more.
So, Brooke is to contact the families or the women themselves and gather them together to see Josephine.

It’s about this point in the story where the mystery starts to kick in.
In the 1940’s someone was murdered. We don’t know by who, we just know that the High Tide Club vows to keep it secret.

I’d say this book classifies as a mystery.
Who committed the murder?
Why?
And who should inherit Josephine’s fortune?

What I didn’t like:
-Lizzie-she was pretty unbearable in the beginning and then became likable randomly with no connection between the two
-Multiple mysteries going at once, it got really confusing by the end

What I did like:
Despite it being confusing, I really did want to know who committed the murder
Brooke was a likable character that tied everyone else together

I honestly hope the next MKA is a beachy book again. I’m sorry but it’s what I like best from this author. Didn’t the cover even look summery?

I got to read an early edition of this book through NetGalley. Thank you!

Friendships, loyalties ,deceptions, love, intrigues...this novel has it all and more. Mary Kay Andrews has once again written a novel that is both compelling and entertaining. Don't wait for beach weather to read this one.