OMG. I loved this book! I am so impressed by Mary Kay Andrews writing style that I am wanting to read another one of her books right away! Definitely amazing characters and the storyline was fantastic. You will not want to stop reading this one.

Quite a cute book! The romance was there and the chase was not too dominant in the book which made a nice cozy read. This was my first read of Mary Kay and I'll certainly be keeping an eye on her!

Once again Mary Kay Andrews delivers a great beach read. I loved the on the run feeling for main characters Letty and Maya. I totally could envision everything about The Murmuring Surf. Mary Kay does an excellent job of transporting you to the location. This book had it all mystery, murder, family bonds, romance and laughs. I couldn’t put it down. I will be recommending this for everyone’s pool or beach bag this summer! Thanks for the ARC!!

An enjoyable book. The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews. I've read books in the past by author and always liked them but this one for me is a top rated story. With it's setting, characters, dialogue and storyline it really hits it out of the ball park for me. The story has some mystery, some fun characters, great setting and kept me intrigued though the whole book.

3 stars

Letty, the m.c., is in a tough spot. When readers meet her, she is on the run from the scene of her sister's apparent murder...with her four-year-old niece. Her sister, Tanya, has warned Letty for years that her boyfriend/father of the aforementioned niece is bad news, (something Letty knows firsthand, as she actually dated him first), so Tanya has in some ways prepared her sister and child for the possibility of her untimely demise. The race out of town lands Letty and her niece at a beach front motel in Florida, setting the scene for what seems like a contender for a winning beach read of 2021. But...

For the first quarter of the book or so, I was completely on board with the pacing and plot. Then, it started to slowly go...nowhere. There are no surprises. Everything takes forever. I stopped even caring about the safety of the characters. For me, this became a tedious and l-o-n-g road to...exactly where I expected I was going.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not looking for complexity in my beach reads. What I am looking for is some kind of development and excitement. These characters - especially the women characters - deserve more than they get here.

This isn't a bad read, but if you do dive in, know that there is more excitement on the cover than in the pages. I'll give Andrews a try again in spite of my lackluster feelings about this one.

The latest book The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews was a little slow and it dragged on and on for me. There’s really no mystery to it. You pretty much know how it’s going to end IMO. I was hoping to like this more than I did. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

I look forward to reading a new Mary Kay Andrews' book at the start of every summer and was ecstatic to receive an ARC of The Newcomer. I really enjoyed learning about each of the main characters in the story, especially Joe and Lettie. Andrews did a fantastic job of describing the motel and the gulf-style living, and I enjoyed the small bit characters, too! Although there is a murder involved in the story, I found this to be an enjoyable, light story. A perfect beach read for 2021!

The Newcomer story revolves around Letty and her four-year-old niece, Maya. After Letty’s sister is found murdered, Letty beats it out of town taking the now mother-less Maya with her. We soon learn how resourceful Letty can be. In fact, when Letty arrives at the Murmuring Surf Motel (with Maya in tow) she has very little money and a broken down car. Yet, Letty manages to win over the owner of the Murmuring Surf Motel who gives her shelter and a job.

The band of snow-bird senior citizens are regulars staying at the same shabby old motel as Letty. The seniors are a quirky bunch and are quite curious about Letty and Maya. There are some humorous moments as the seniors argue and vie against each over trivial issues. I laughed as the seniors would spring into action to beat each other out in an effort to switch rooms when a vacancy would occur.

Between the nosy seniors and the police officer son of the motel owner, I expected Letty and Maya to be found quickly. However, Andrews did her magic by sprinkling this mystery story with some much needed goodwill and a bit of romance as well. Overall, I found The Newcomer to be an enjoyable summer read.

This was your typical Mary Kay Andrews read. I enjoyed it, but I think it is best served up on a beach or poolside with a cocktail in hand. There was nothing groundbreaking here, but it was an enjoyable read.

The Murmuring Surf hotel is more home away from home than hotel. Each year senior snowbirds gather to watch, sun, gossip on Treasure Island in Florida. Letty, on the run with her niece Maya after her sisters murder uses a clue she thinks her sister left to end up at the Surf hotel. Ava has raised two kids at the Murmuring surf ,a daughter and a son . Her son has feared that her soft spot has kept her from turning the kind of profit the surf could realize. Joe her son and a local cop is suspicious of Letty and her circumstances and keeps an eye on the “newcomer” . Ava see'sLetty as a godsend who organizes and puts systems in place that Joe has urged his mom to adopt for years. The death of her sister puts into motion revelations of secrets that Letty suspected but could not prove. The least of which was who really killed her sister. A little romance along the way never hurts, and Letty and Joe are happy to oblige. A nice clean departure for Ms Andrew’s I hope this isn’t the last of this genre. Happy reading

First, I would like to offer a special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for the pleasure of getting to read this book before it comes out in print.

This novel falls under the genres of mystery & thrillers, romance, and women’s fiction – a perfect trifecta!

If you can’t go to the beach, why not read a novel where a beautiful beach is the main setting, right?

I was ready for a book that I could enjoy and read quickly. This novel struck a balance between being suspenseful and edgy and then light and even funny at times. Oh, and let’s not forget the romance.

Letty and Joe are the two main characters but the other characters are quite strong. Letty is on the run from New York with her niece in tow. She has nowhere to turn and limited funds. Following a clue from her murdered sister, she ends up at a small mom-and-pop seaside motel. The owner quickly befriends her but her handsome police detective son senses that something is off and is wary of Letty.

I appreciate the attention, detail, and development of all the characters in this novel. I could definitely picture each character and this novel would make a fantastic movie. I like a book where I am curious to see what unfolds – this makes a good book when you want to turn the page and find out more.

I definitely recommend this book. So whether you are lucky enough to be reading it on a beach or in the comfort of your own home, this novel is available on May 4, 2021.

First I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Newcomer in exchange for my honest review! I love Mary Kay Andrews so this one has been on my tbr for a while! I was so excited to find out I was approved to read it early and share my review! I like how Andrew's has a true talent for storytelling and developing characters. I thought this was a fantastic beach read and honestly one of her best yet! I will be telling everyone I know to buy it and I will personally be buying my mom a copy for her birthday!

Such a sweet story! The mystery was gripping and kept me holding out to see how it would end. I loved the characters, especially Letty and Joe. It felt like a good chick flick movie but with a little bit of crime/murder sprinkled in. Definitely would make a great read for a long day at the beach. I look forward to checking out Andrews' other books.

After finding her sister dead, Lettie takes her niece Maya on the run, to Florida. But runners become suspects and the mystery has made its way down to Florida... I want to forget I read this book, and pick it up again in June when I am laying on the beach! I love the suspense / mystery aspect of this book, with the romance and the old FL beach town setting. This book is a little longer than it needs to be, but its an easy read and thats what you get with MKA, but i love how she spiced it up with the little bit of darkness that is not typically in her books.

I really enjoyed the start of this story, and it completed reeled me in. The aunt and niece escaping, the quaint motel they find and work at, the local cop, his mom, etc. All so good! It just felt soooo long. So many details and after about 30 percent I lost Interest and didn’t end up finishing.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

If you are looking for a great beach read - look no further. I couldn't put the book down. I am a sucker for stories of starting over in a new place.

I would definitely recommend this book!




#TheNewcomer #NetGalley

Mary Kay Andrews is a must read for me. So when I was lucky enough to get an ecopy through Netgalley I was stoked! This book did not disappoint. A perfect beach read with intrigue and romance all wrapped up in a book package. Letty who takes off in the night with her niece Maya after finding her sister murdered. She heads for a mom and pop motel on the coast in Florida after finding an old magazine article in her sister’s go bag. Her sister, Tanya, told her if anything happened to her it would be at the hands of her ex. Letty becomes immersed in her new life in Florida all while trying to figure out her sister’s life as more and more secrets come to light. Joe, the motel owner’s son, also a cop, is weary of Letty because his mom is always has a soft spot for a sad story. The secrets unfold, treasures are found, and romance blooms.
Thank you Netgalley and publishing house for the chance to review this perfect beach read.

Mary Kay Andrews is known for her fun, romantic beach reads and she was going for the same with "The Newcomer." Letty discovers her murdered sister and traumatized niece and goes on the run with Maya (the niece) to keep her safe. Her sister's ex is looking for her with evil, murderous intentions. Letty and Maya find safety in an oceanfront motel, where they quickly become friends with the motel's owner. The best part of this book is the various relationships between all the motel guests. Letty and the motel owner's son fall in love as well, but I didn't enjoy his character very much and the relationship didn't appeal to me. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book, and it was overall pretty good.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Wow, this book has it all! Letty goes to her sisters townhouse and finds her body on the floor. Her sister had told her if anything happened to her who would have done it, and to take her 4 year old daughter Maya and her hidden cash and go. Letty does what her sister had told her to and ends up in Florida at a motel her sister had a picture of in her bag. Little does Letty know this place and the people there will be who help her and to fill in secrets of her sisters life. This book was hard to out down as you want to see who did it and what will happen next.

"Newcomer" by Mary Kay Andrews was a good "escape" read. The descriptions of the scenery; beach, motel, New York apartments were so good, I could visualize everything. I loved the characters and would love to see a series with them in it. Possibly Ava working part time for Joe and Letty, with the same snow birds coming every year. I really liked this book.