I was drawn to this book because of the Martha’s Vineyard setting and the glimpse into old Hollywood. In that way, I found the older storyline featuring Mercy to be more interesting than the modern storyline with her granddaughter trying to get to the bottom of the secrets she learns about Mercy after she dies. I am always up for a good story about wealthy-family-dysfunction, and Mercy’s Martha’s Vineyard love interest, Ren, is a juicier character because of his family history and dynamics. Mercy’s life takes a distinct change in direction after this Martha’s Vineyard summer, and as the mystery of what happens to her ramps up and reaches its climax, I found that this is where the story started losing me as a reader. The fire, the boat, the Chappaquiddick confrontation (I am being deliberately vague so as not to spoil too much) were more sensational than I enjoyed considering how well-told and believable Mercy’s story had been to that point. The hidden secrets and the modern-day revelations of them weren’t as compelling for me as I found Kit’s character weak and less interesting. The ending and the couple standing at the end of the story made me feel all the more that Mercy and Ren were the ones that deserved happiness and forever together. I suppose that wasn’t the point of the book, which is why I think I didn’t end up liking it as much as so many of the other reviewers. It is a well-written story with an interesting premise, but the book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good, solid mystery. It wasn't so mindblowing that it unnerved me, but it definitely wasn't something that I could see a mile away. I liked the parallel POV narrative. It was paced almost perfectly; just as pieces were revealed to Kit, you heard the story from Mercy's POV.

I felt that both of the romances were incredibly rushed, but it passed by so quickly that it didn't throw me out of the story that much. There was just no character building to give those relationships any weight.

If a good historical, female-led mystery is your thing, this one would make a great beach read for the summer.

"A tantalizing novel of two women bound by blood but divided by a long-buried secret, and the island that holds the key to the fateful summer that changed everything forever."

Having spent much of my childhood on island, I loved revisiting many of my haunts through the pages of Michael Callahan's book. This was a delightful mystery that takes place in modern day, but flashes back to the late 50s in untangling the disappearance Kit O'Neill's grandmother. You'll find love, betrayal, and murder in these pages.

This was a quick read. The characters were believable, the story line held my attention, and I would recommend it as a great vacation read.

My only regret is not being there myself on the beach, under an umbrella, with my toes in the sand. Thanks, Michael, for taking me back!

Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for my advance e-galley.

The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard was a captivating book about a beloved grandma, and her early life that was revealed in pieces to her granddaughter after her death. I loved the deep connections you could feel between the generations, even when they were not physically present.

The story moved along quickly, telling it from two different perspectives, and there were many surprising twists and turns, keeping me fully engaged and helping me to finish the book in a single day. One particular letter had me in tears, the author so authentically capturing the emotion of a specific situation. It was beautiful.

I was initially drawn to the book due to the setting, having spent many summers on Martha’s Vineyard. It does a lovely job highlighting the many historical and modern places on the island and catches that special feeling of driving up island or along beach road. It made me yearn to be on the island soon, though I may never return to Chappy at night. Overall it was a lovely book that I found myself thinking would make an amazing movie.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner books for the ARC of The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard, in exchange for my honest review.

This is a definiate high priority beach read for this summer!! Captivating, great characters and well written book that takes place in Hollywood and Martha’s Vineyard!! I couldn’t put this book down! Kudos Michael Callahan and thanks for advanced read.

This author has created something really mesmerizing with this book. Kit discovers that there is so much she does not know when her grandmother/mother figure passes away. She is drawn into a story of Mercy Welles and Martha's Vineyard. The book is told in dual timelines where it follows both Kit and her grandmother. Their stories intertwine and come full circle. I really enjoyed this one and am really glad I got the chance to read it. I definitely could not put it down and had to know what happened. I definitely want to read more from this author in the future.

I enjoyed this. I liked the strong female character. This was a good mystery. Would be a good beach read.

Michael Callahan is a new-to-me author and I am so grateful to have found him! This book is a combination of historical fiction and mystery/suspense, with a dash of romance. But really, it is a love letter to Martha's Vineyard (aka The Vineyard).

For those unfamiliar, The Vineyard is a small island off the coast of Massachusetts. It remains my favorite place in the world to visit. There is just something special and magical about the island that is hard to describe to those who have never had the pleasure of seeing it in person. Callaghan does a great job of capturing the essence of The Vineyard and transporting you to this idyllic island.

The plot alternates POVs, timelines, and locations, following Kit in present day as she discovers a shocking secret about her recently deceased grandmother (Mercy). This compels Kit to retrace Mercy's steps in the summer of 1959 from Hollywood to Martha's Vineyard to NYC. The prologue of the book started with a bang and reeled me right into the story, keeping me up late to discover how the mystery would end.

Another unique detail about this novel is that this is one of the only (or maybe the first??) books I have read by a male author in which both of the main characters are female. Typically I enjoy reading books about women written by female authors, because I find them more accurate and relatable. Callaghan is the exception, as he crafts complex and genuine female characters.

I initially rated this book 4.5 stars, but after writing this review and reflecting on my feelings, I have decided to round up to 5 stars. I have a feeling this book will be a hidden literary gem and one of my top of the year!

The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard will be available May 21, 2024. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Mariner Books for an advanced copy to read and review.

“The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard” by Michael Callahan is a captivating summer read. A young TV producer is mourning her beloved grandmother’s passing, the woman who raised her and her sister after their parent’s tragic death. While cleaning out the attic she discovers a hidden box of letters and photos that reveal her grandmother had a secret past. She is determined to find out the missing piece of her grandmother’s life at all cost and becomes entangled in her past identity as and Oscar nominated actress with an entirely different name, an unexplained summer on Martha’s Vineyard and a love affair with a man who was not her grandfather. This book will grab you from the very first page and entertain you to the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This story was such a pleasure to read. I’m on a streak of reading books a bit lighter than I usually read and I also don’t read many mysteries. I’m so glad I chose to read this one. I loved the characters, setting and the mystery. It kept me guessing and it made perfect sense when it all came together.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I truly enjoyed this story of complicated family dynamics, family secrets and self-discovery. This book had a little bit of everything: mystery, murder, romance, scandal and tons of secrets. I love the way this story was told. The story has a dual timeline and you get clusters of chapters from each character and time period. In 2018, you follow Kit as she tries to uncover the mystery of who her grandmother was prior to 1960. In 1959, you follow Mercy to Martha’s Vineyard as she tries to decide if she wants the life of a rising Hollywood star. The prologue really draws you in. It immediately raises that level of anticipation that I need to make me invested in a story. I spent much of the story thinking back to the prologue because I wanted to know whether the character was Kit or Mercy. The story is told in third person which I don’t usually prefer. I feel that first person gives you that more intimate feel that is needed for the reader-character connection. With that being said, the narrative and dialogue had such an easy and natural flow that the third person perspective was irrelevant to how I connected with the characters. I loved Mercy and Kit equally and I particularly liked the parallels between grandmother and granddaughter. There were tons of similarities in their life paths, their personalities, and their mannerisms. Although you don’t get as much of them, Ren and Seth are equally lovable characters and also share character similarities. There was one part of the story that I didn’t get: Claire’s big secret. I really don’t know how it contributed to the story. Claire and her secret felt insignificant and unnecessary. Kit could have been an only child and the story would have played out the same and been just as impactful for me. Overall I give this book 4 stars and will definitely recommend grabbing a copy once it is released on May 21, 2024.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of the scheduled release date.

Review posted to Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6274704392
Review will also be posted to my Facebook page at the end of the month.

I was absolutely drawn into this book from the very beginning. The dual timeline was well done, I feel like every time it switched it was at a great cliffhanger that I just had to keep going to see what happened next. I didn’t want to stop reading once I got started, I absolutely had to know what was going to happen. This was a fun ride to go on and unravel the mysteries of, and it was wrapped up well.

When Kit’s grandmother dies, she finds some mementos in the attic that makes her think she lived a past secret life. Kit can’t believe what she finds and soon can’t stop investigating her grandmother’s life when she was a movie star. A movie star that disappeared in 1959, just when she was on top. The why is what keeps Kit going and learning something that she never expected. From Los Angeles to Martha’s Vinyard, Kit will find out more than she ever bargained for about Mercy Welles, and maybe about herself. Dual timelines, 1959 & 2018, sparkling characters, a beautiful setting, and mystery that begs to be solved.

Thank you Netgalley and Mariner Books Publishing for an ARC ♥️

"The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard" is a total page-turner that'll suck you in from the start. The story flips between two timelines - 1950s Hollywood and present-day Manhattan - and it's getting two stories for the price of one! You've got Mercy, a rising star in Tinseltown, living her best glam life but hiding a secret that'll change everything. Then there's Kit, a TV producer, who's trying to figure out her grandmother's mysterious past after she passes away.

As Kit digs deeper, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies that lead her to Martha's Vineyard. It's like a puzzle, and you'll be eager to fit all the pieces together. The writing is top-notch, and the characters feel like real people with all their flaws and drama. Plus, the setting on Martha's Vineyard is a dreamy backdrop for the whole story.

This book has it all - romance, family drama, and even a murder mystery! It's like a juicy soap opera, but way more intelligent and engaging ♥️

Escape to Hollywood and Martha’s Vineyard! An excellent novel by Michael Callahan, The Lost Letters of Martha’s Vineyard draws you in from the first page. Seamlessly set with a dual timeline , 1950’s and present time, the mysterious life of Mercy Welles unfolds. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the mystery of a secret life and the setting. Must read!

Thirty seconds ago, I read the last chapter of an ARC from NetGalley of The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard. I love how it ends! This is a carefully compiled mystery with interesting characters. I could do without some of the immature short-term romantic relationships of some of the characters--particularly Kit, but it didn't overpower the narrative. This novel also contains an exception to the unspoken rule that prologues are unnecessary. The prologue set the mystery in motion and was something for the reader to refer back to.

Release Date: May 24, 2024
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In 1959, Hollywood ingenue Mercy Welles seems to have the world at her feet. Far removed from her Nebraska roots, she has crafted herself into a glamorous Oscar-nominated actress engaged to an up-and-coming director…
Until she shockingly vanishes without a trace, just as her career is taking off.
Almost sixty years later, Kit O’Neill, a junior television producer in Manhattan, is packing up her recently deceased grandmother’s attic, only to discover a long-lost box of souvenirs that reveal that the grandmother who raised her and her sister Claire was, in fact, the mysterious Mercy Welles.
Putting her investigative skills to use, Kit is determined to solve the riddle of her grandmother’s missing life, and the trail eventually leads to Martha’s Vineyard.
Mercy retreats to the island nursing a broken heart, only to be drawn to the roguish Ren Sewards, who is not just the simple oysterman he appears to be but a scion of one of the island’s wealthy founding families. With her attraction to Ren quickly growing, Mercy soon finds herself entangled in the intrigues of the tightly knit community and the secrets of the Sewards.

The lost letters from Martha’s Vineyard book was very good. It took a little bit in the beginning to grab my interest but then I couldn’t wait to read what was going to be discovered next! The depth and drama kept the pace moving and the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I truly loved this book. Marcy retreats to her grandmothers home to start her life over and get clarity.
She finds letters in her grandmothers attic and she decides to put her sleuth hat on and find out how these letter relate to her grandmother and her her life.

I don't want to give too much away but I highly suggest you give this one a try.

I must say that I really enjoyed this book.
The favorite thing was the setting of this book. The author made me feel like I was there.
The timeline was done very well, and I loved the many secrets that kept popping up to make it interesting.
This book will keep your interest until the end.
My 2nd favorite thing was the mystery part of what happened to Mercy. I loved Mercy's story the best in the beginning, but eventually, I ended up loving all of the story.
There were some places in this book that made me angry and in others stumped because of all the things that were happening to Mercy.
I think y'all will be in for a pleasant surprise, and the ending really feels like that there could be more told.
I'm giving this novel 5 stars for some excellent writing and seeing what Hollywood might have been really like in the 50s.
Some.great stuff is going on. I didn't want the story to end.
I highly recommend.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fun little book. I needed a change from my usual genre, and this was a nice, easy read. I really enjoyed the older POV, but really could have done without the current timeline and the MC. I did enjoy the ending a lot, though, so I guess the current timeline was helpful. Overall, a good read with fairly likeable characters.