The cover and title of Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews indicates chick lit, women's fiction, and a summer beach read. What this book delivers is that plus an actual, entertaining mystery. This being my first book by the author, I have no expectations from her prior work. This book is not the genre of beach read I envision based on the cover and title. It never nevertheless quickly read, quickly forgotten, but fun while it lasts.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/11/sunset-beach.html.

Reviewed for NetGalley

Sunset Beach is a great hybrid of a beach read romance and a mystery. Drive Campbell is at loose ends after her mother dies. Her estranged personal injury lawyer father show up at the funeral with the keys to a beach cottage she’s inherited and a job offer at his firm. She’s soon investigating of his father’s cases on her own involving a murder at a nearby resort. As Drue wades through a network of lies, she battles her (very young) stepmother/office manager, home repairs, and a growing attraction to a coworker.

Drue is an interesting heroine for a beach read. She’s sarcastic, skeptical, wile at the same time compassionate and at times too trusting. The author adds in an interesting subplot that parallels closely with the main plot and adds depth to the characters. The setting adds to the story, almost a character of its own. The plot moves swiftly and believably, though is a little neat in places.

I wasn’t expecting a full on mystery and that added to the enjoyment. A good, satisfying quick read.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book but it definitely won't be my last. Quick, easy read that kept me up turning pages!

A go to author for me. Best escape ever. The cover draws you in and the story keeps you there. Love it.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

I am no longer interested in the content of this book. So, I'm DNF'ing this book for now. I may circle back around to this book one day.

My review is coming late, but this was the perfect summer read. I've come to expect Mary Kay Andrews books to be perfect summer reads. This book had it all for me - location (Florida), family dynamics, a mystery, and some romance which makes my heart happy. This book was fantastic and I enjoyed reading it over the summer. I highly recommend this one!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Drue Campbell is in a rough spot, Out of a job, down on her luck and her mom just passed away. In comes her estranged father that she hasn't seen in twenty years at her mother's funeral. Not only has her father come back, her is remarried and to none other than Drue's friend or rather enemy from sixth grade. Not only is she married to her dad, but she is his office manager too.

Drue's father and new wife, Wendy offer her a job in their office. So not only will Wendy be her step-mother but also her boss. What else can Drue do but to take the job. Her father also informs her that she has inherited her grandparents bungalow on Sunset Beach. It is run down now but Drue can fix it up, right?

Drue is not fond of her new job and feels like Wendy is always out to get her. One day when a disgruntled client walks in and is furious for the firm dropping the ball on a wrongful death suit. Drue can sense that something is off about this case and is determined to find out what it is. Drue also finds lots of old newspaper clippings that her mom has kept and wonders why her mom kept them. The clippings were from back in the 70s and Drue can't figure out why her mom kept them Was her dad involved in this case? Is Drue going to get in over her head?

This is a great mystery and in true Mary Kay Andrews fashion will keep you guessing what is going to happen. The ending will shock you though. Such a great read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Negalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

A classic Mary Kay Andrews, I read this book over the course of three days. I love that she intertwines mystery, romance and a beach setting into her novels. Her books are a great way to relax and unwind after work, or on a beach vacation!

Fun beach read with a suspenseful murder-y twist, but in a lighter way than most. I definitely liked this one and would recommend. I really rooted for Drue and her relationship with her father as well.

Drue Campbell is a mess. She is recovering from a knee injury and her mother just died. At thirty-six she doesn't know what she is going to do with her life. Her father shows up to her mother's funeral to let her know that her grandparent's beach house is hers for the taking. And he has a job for her at his law firm. As reluctant as Drue is to take the job, she knows that she needs the money because her new beach house is old and decrepit. And working at her dad's office is her own personal hell, especially since the office manager is her father's new wife, her childhood friend, Wendy. The days taking calls in a cubicle are soul-sucking for Drue, but a case has sparked her interest. She doesn't understand why the case was settled for a paltry sum and the victim's family has struck a chord with Drue, so she goes rogue and tries to investigate the true details of the case, and while doing so, she realizes that she might have found something she likes doing in a place that she loves, surrounded by people who might be good for her.

Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite summertime authors. To me, her books truly signify the start of summer. Sunset Beach gets back to the "Beach Reads" basics. Drue Campbell is an independent, strong woman who hates the fact that she has to rely on her father for a job. The same father who has always had an inconsistent role in her life. More than once she calls out her father's historic poor behavior and I found myself cheering for her after doing that. Sunset Beach is more of a mystery than many of her books, but I enjoyed watching Drue solve not one, but two mysteries. One of which was more personal than the other. Things worked out as best they could have and for the first time, Drue feels as if her life has a sense of direction. It was heartwarming.

Bottom Line - How can you possibly let summer go by without reading the latest from Mary Kay Andrews? Sunset Beach is the charming kind of novels that loyal readers have come to expect from Mary Kay Andrews. Must read!

Details:
Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews
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Pages: 448
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 5/7/2019
Buy it Here!
Thank you, NetGalley, for the book in exchange for a fair review.

This book was great! Another winner from Mary Kay Andrews. A light fun read with a mystery twist. I enjoy how she really makes the characters come alive. This book would be a great choice if you are looking for a quick and enjoyable read.

Very cute beach read with a little mystery involved. Highly enjoy Mary Kay Andrews writing style. I read this with my book club and it provoked great conversation and input from all of us.

Absolutely adore Mary Kay Andrews stories, there are timeless tales that are easy and comfortable to get into. I would recommend this as a vacation read or a rainy day at home.

I loved this book, acompelling read with characters I could relate to and root for.. It balances the dark past with thrilling action and a love of thebeach, a cultivation of friends and the formation of a new life while having so many unanswered questions. We've all felt adrift sometime, and it makes the story so so good!

Drue Campbell’'s life was all about kiteboarding. It was her passion, and she was good enough to be in competitive levels. And then it came crashing down -- and I mean, her kiteboard! The crash dragged her into the water, shredded her knee, and rendered her helpless. Surgery followed. At the same time, her mother was dying, and she lost her bartending job. She was cut adrift in every way.

At her mother's funera, her absentee father showed up.. Drue had lived without him for 20 years, so this was unexpected. And at this low point, her father offered her a lifeline -- she could stay at her grandparents dilapidated cottage as l iving space, and come to work for him. She had no other prospects, so she reluctantly entered the world of her father: Drue Campbell, attorney-at-law. She ans the phones where clients call in on the number they see at billboards and on TV. Ambulance chasing at its finest.

But while working for her stepmom on the phones is torture, Drue finds she is interested in the cases. When something doesn't feel right, she begins to look into a case.. She discovers she has a knack for investigating, the problem being that the case is open, active murder investigation with a murderer on the loose in the case she's poking into -- danger lurks. Drue begins to look at her life differently, but then she also has to look at the people in her life differently. And when she gets too close, she has to face down a killer and survive....

Dru is a down on her luck former kiteboarder living in Florida. When her mother dies, she finds out from her estranged father that she is has inherited a beach house. That same father offers her a job at his law firm. When she takes the job and moves to St. Petersburg, she meets new friends and becomes entangled in not just one, but two mysteries.

Mary Kay Andrews is always reliable as a great author for any summer beach read list. With this beach read/mystery, we see some more of her mystery writing chops (she has published the Callahan Garrity series under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trochek). It was nice to have a combination of both of her specialties, and both mysteries had twists that were almost impossible to see coming.

I highly recommend this book as a more substantive read that your regular piece of summer fiction. I can't wait for the next one.

Drue Campbell’s life takes a nasty turn when she loses her job right after her mother’s funeral. To add to her misery, her estranged father shows up wanting a relationship with her. It gets even worse when she finds out he’s now married to a much younger woman who happens to be a friend of hers from grade school.

Drue’s father is a successful personal injury attorney and his new wife is his office manager. With Drue having no job prospects in sight, they offer her a job with their company. She’s resistant but she really has to choice. Her new step-mother/former best friend certainly does not make it easy.

Things get a little better when Drue learns she inherited her grandparents’ beach house. It’s not much to look at but it’s hers and she plans to revitalize it.

While working the reception desk, Drue is faced with one of the firm's former clients. She is accusing Drue's father of corruption. She wants justice. Drue is convinced the client may have a case. Against everyone’s wishes, Drue does a bit of investigation on her own. It leads to a cold case which involved her father years ago. Drue is determined to find out the truth.

I always enjoy Mary Kay Andrews’ work and this book is no exception. I thought this would have made a great movie. The characters are well written and the plot keeps you on your toes. Just when I thought I knew all the answers…I find out I didn’t.

I devoured this book in a short period of time. It is chick lit meets romantic suspense. Two of my favorite genres. And, yes, there is a little romance involved as well. Drue Campbell is a strong, but sympathetic character. She is someone I could really care about.

I’m always on the look out for a good Mary Kay Andrews book and this definitely filled the bill.

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews is a 2019 St. Martin’s Press publication.

A perfect beach read mystery!

Drue, now in her mid-thirties, finds herself at loose ends, heading in no clear direction. Her mother recently passed away, and an injury ended her competitive days as a kite boarder. Adding insult to injury, she gets fired from her job. As a last resort, she reluctantly accepts a job offer from her estranged father, who is a personal injury lawyer.

So, she moves to Sunset Beach and into the cottage she just inherited from her mother. Upon arrival, she is stunned to learn her father has remarried for a third time. Not only that, wife number three used to be Drue’s BF. Awkward!

But at least she has a job and a place to stay, right? Unfortunately, her new stepmother and former friend is also her office manager, and for some reason she has it in for Drue. She’s also struggling with her new position, and the cottage is in horrible disrepair.

However, when a disgruntled client barges into the law office, furious with the firm for dropping the ball on a wrongful death suit, Drue senses something is off about the situation and begins investigating in her spare time.

If that weren’t enough to keep her occupied, she discovers a cache of old newspaper clippings detailing the disappearance of a local woman back in the mid-seventies. Why did her mother keep those newspaper clippings? Could her father have been involved in the case somehow? The more questions Drue asks, the murkier the two cases become. But, once she peels back enough layers, she may wish she had left the dead buried.

I realized with a shock that it is already August and I have yet to indulge in an official summer ‘beach read’. I chose this book specifically because it had a ‘beachy’ cover and title, and while we may all have our own definition of ‘beach reads’, I think this book would be perfect to take along on your vacation, or for a day at the beach.

Granted, this is more of a mystery- or in this case, two mysteries, instead of a drama, or romance, although both of those elements are included, as well.

My only small gripe is that I never understood why Drue’s old friend was so heavy handed and mean, but I suppose all’s well that ends well. The family makes progress, though, and Drue deserved a little overdue attention from her father. The story is quite absorbing, but not too heavy and the ending is a real stunner!!

This is my second book by MKA and once again, I see why this author is so popular. I love the amateur sleuth element, and the cold case story. Drue is funny, sarcastic, determined, and a very believable character. I instantly took a liking to her.

I enjoyed seeing her carve out a niche for herself and discover a hidden talent she can build a career on. I’d like to touch base with Drue again and see how her detective skills are developing and touch base with her family and friends, as well.

Overall, a very satisfying read! I am definitely reading more books by Mary Kay Andrews!!

Idgie says:
Another Mary Kay novel - hooray!

Mary Kay always writes novels with so much life chaotically swirling about that there's never a dull moment.

Take a woman working a dead-end waitress job with a torn ACL and a brace she refuses to wear, a car that breaks down every third day, a mother who just passed, a father that shows up suddenly after 20 years - married to your grade school frenemy no less - and finally throw in two murders decades apart and you have a book that never slows down.

Drue ends up working at her father's office, being bullied and harassed by her "stepmother/Office Manager", while dipping her toes into inter-office shenanigans and sleuthing around behind her father's back.

The question is whether she can smooth troubled waters with her father, solve a crime or two and move onward and upward in life..........or will it all come crashing down, sending her even further into a spiral than she already is.

At least it all happens on the beach! Grab a copy before you head out on your beach/pool retreat this Summer!

Mary Kay Andrews consistently gives her readers a great story line with well developed characters, you can feel their emotions right along with them. This book is no exception. A young woman is thrown into family drama after relocating her life to live in and repair a beach home she has inherited. Along the way she stumbles across several mysteries and inconsistencies that will take her into danger while she tries to save her loved ones and solve the crimes. An excellent read for any age, any genre.