Like all of MKA books this was a delight! I found myself stuck in the suspense not wanting the main character to get in trouble. As the story progressed, there was suspense consistent throughout. As I was reading I felt the suspense made this book stand out from her other works that I’ve read. I felt invested in the characters and the plot. The story begins with a woman arriving in Florida with a toddler child in tow. She shows up at a motel in Florida that’s filled with senior citizens. They begin to grow on each other and the manager of the hotel takes the character under her wing. The owners son is a local cop and the romance between main character and son develops slowly. That was a little frustrating for me. Character was very hesitant about cops because she was on the run for a perceived crime. By the end you want everything to resolve in a certain manner.
Suspense escalates as you get closer to the end. Suspense about the romance builds as well. I just remember thinking as I was reading that the mystery element of this story was different from anything of MKA that I’ve read in the past. I will go back and reread her novels again.
If you are looking for a novel that provides a good escape from reality and is an easy read, I highly recommend The Newcomer.

This is a wonderful book featuring a little mystery and a little romance. I enjoyed the storyline. The author creates very vivid prose and the character development is strong. This book will likely top the beach read list for 2021.

I love Mary Kay Andrews so much and this is another winner in my opinion!! I love the way she makes a fun beach read into a mystery. It is never a creepy mystery either. She is able to give you drama and suspense while keeping it lighthearted and funny. The characters are well developed and very likable.

Definitely one of the top beach reads for 2021. This book has some mystery, women's fiction and suspense elements. LOVE the cover, perfect for a summer day. I have only read a few books by this author before, I am a fan now. Highly recommended and easy to read in a few sittings.

Thanks to Netgalley, Mary Kay Andrews and St Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/4/21

Enjoyed this book. Great characters, funny, sad and made me laugh. Great read. Did find a few issues that the author should address before publishing. Some may be the writer's style but others are definitely errors. Was informed I should put this info in my review.

Ch 8 should state took Tanya's side not Maya's when Letty heard fighting.
Ch 9 Let me finished getting dressed should be Let me finish getting dressed.
Ch 10 Trude should be Trudi.
Ch 11 Ada should be Ava.
Ch 20 on at the beach should be on the beach.
Ch22 Thereafterl, should be Thereafter.
Ch 24 The space was held a pair should be The space held.
Ch 38 keep breathing through your nose - before it was keep breathing through your mouth.
Ch 44 Letty and Maya approaching the rec room with Maya should be Letty and Joe approaching.
Ch 45 I'm thinking that loot's what Chuck got killed. Should probably be that loot's what Chuck got killed for or what got Chuck killed.

The charming, strong main character and funny little 4 year old were the stars of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the quick pace and cohesive storyline. I loved how the visitors of the motel were like one big extended family at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. This was a fun read that takes us from New York to a beachfront motel in Florida. I loved all the characters from young Maya to old Oscar and their different and sometimes quirky personalities. A side mystery is involved with seniors being scammed in the Florida area while putting the pieces together for a murder in New York. I liked how it all came together and really enjoyed the characters of the Murmuring Surf Motel.

This was a really interesting mystery book. There were multiple mysteries - murder, robbery, scamming elderly people, kidnapping. The plot was fairy complex but not so that you couldn't keep up. There were a number of twists and turns that helped to keep you guessing. All in all, a really interesting read.

The Newcomer was the perfect escape novel I needed right now.

Letty’s sister, Tanya, warned her if anything happened to her, to take Tanya’s four years old daughter, Maya and run. Which is exactly what Letty did after she found her sister dead in her New York townhouse. Following a clue from a magazine of Tanya’s, Letty arrives at an old run-down motel in a sleepy Florida town; Letty tries to cover her tracks while keeping Maya safe and happy. That could be hard when the motel is full of cantankerous noisy senior citizens and the hot police detective that just so happens to be the motel owner’s son.

I really enjoyed this book! From the very first paragraph I was completely intrigued. This book had it all, murder, mystery, intrigue, a touch of romance, and odd ball comedy, not to mention some fun and adorable characters. This is a book I had a hard time putting down! Highly recommend!

I'm a new fan of Mary Kay Andrews and was excited to get this book! This book did not disappoint and grabbed my interest from the first few pages. I loved the mystery aspect and couldn't wait to see how it was resolved. The characters were relatable and endearing. and I hated when this book ended. It will definitely be one that I recommend to to my book club.

I loved THE NEWCOMER! Tragic and horrible in places, but a compelling story about one sister carrying on, loving and raising her young niece. The interwoven stories. the characters at the Murmuring Sands Motel, and the tropical setting mix together for the perfect read any time of the year. I wished the book didn't have to end. Another soon to be a huge hit for Mary Kay Andrews!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Mary Kay Andrews has outdone herself with The Newcomer! This book has it all, mystery, intrigue, crotchety old timers, a handsome police officer and layers. This story has layers. The plot and sub plots intermingle and grab you so hard that it's next to impossible to put down. I highly recommend this book. You'll laugh and cry, bite your nails, sigh and feel all the emotions with #TheNewcomer . Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

A beach read and a mystery all on one, who can ask for anything more. While this is my first book by this author ( I seriously don’t know what took me so long). It will not be the last. Prepare to turn the pages quickly and buckle in !

Another great summer read from Mary Kay Andrews! She’s one of my favourite author and this book is the perfect mix of suspense, intrigue and romance.Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! The Newcomer was a suspense-filled summer beach read romance! I really enjoyed piecing together Letty and Maya's story. The characters they meet at the Murmuring Surf were interesting and endearing. We begin the book knowing something horrible has happened, it takes the rest of the book for all to be revealed. This is a fun and suspenseful book. I suggest you read it while sipping something fruity and pretending you're on a white sand beach!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Definitely not your average beach read! I've always loved Mary Kay Andrews's mystery novels and her she combines a beach setting with a violent crime. We already know a murder has been committed so we work backwards. After discovering the body of her sister, Letty takes off to Florida with her 4 year old niece. A great read for someone looking for a beach read with some meat!

Mary Kay Andrews does not disappoint with her latest book. Letty is on the run with her 4 year old niece, Maya, having been warned by her late sister. All she has to go on is a receipt from a motel outside of Tampa, Florida.
Once there, Maya begins winning the hearts of the residents and Letty finds a temporary home for the two of them .
A cloud on the horizon-Letty's wanted for murder and kidnapping. As she tries to figure out ways to clear her name, a local cop, who happens to be the son of the motel's owner, wants to know more about her.
Enter a scamming real estate mogul, an FBI agent, and a two bit hood, and you have the makings for some great twists and turns.
I enjoyed it, but wanted more depth to the characters.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews is thirty-something Scarlett Carnahan who discovers her sister’s dead body in an apartment in New York and grabs her four-year-old niece and heads for a motel on the beach on Treasure Island in Florida. She’s sure Tanya’s lover Evan killed Tanya although the newspapers are reporting that Letty herself killed her sister then vanished with her niece.

Turns out Tanya was afraid of what Evan might do and told Letty that if something happened to her, take little Maya and run. She even had a bag hidden for Letty to take with her that contained money and an expensive diamond ring.

On Treasure Island, Letty practically begs for a room at the Murmuring Surf Motel although the sign says “No Vacancy.” But owner Ava has a tender heart and allows Letty to clean out the storage unit then she and Maya can stay there. Ava’s son Joe is a police officer, and he starts digging into Letty’s background.

The regulars at the Surf are upset that not only has Ava rented to a young person when they consider the motel as a winter respite for seniors only but alsoLetty is someone with a child. As Letty tries to figure out what to do next, she finds she is only a few steps ahead of Evan who has hired someone to make Letty vanish and bring Maya back home to him.

As Joe gets closer and closer to the truth, he finds he has a soft spot for Letty and refuses to believe she could have killed anyone. But when the FBI comes calling, he finds his failure to turn Letty in could have severe repercussions.

Only someone as skilled as Mary Kay Andrews, the Queen of Summer Reads, could write a believable way through this precarious situation. Andrews, a pseudonym for Kathy Hogan Trocheck, is definitely one of my go-to authors for beach reads. A former journalist, she is based in Atlanta with her own hideaway on Tybee Island.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting March 1, 2021.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

This book hooked me from the very beginning and I read it very quickly. I liked the main character, Letty, and found her little niece adorable. This was part mystery, part romance and I found it very enjoyable. It would be a great beach read.

This book made me wish it was summer time and that I was sitting by the pool reading it with a fruity cocktail in hand! I enjoyed the story. It was what I’m used to from having read some of Mary Kay Andrew’s other books. I did feel the book was a bit too long! The story could have ended a 100 pages sooner. But as whole I enjoyed reading about the adventures of Letty and Maya and I figured out the mystery pretty early on. This is a good beach read for when we can finally be back on the beach! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.