The retired CIA operatives introduced in The Spy Coast return in this second installment, where a teenager's disappearance in the town of Purity, Maine, draws Maggie and her fellow Martini Club members—Declan, Ingrid, Ben, and Lloyd—back into action. When the Conover family’s summer vacation takes a dark turn and suspicion falls on Maggie’s neighbor, the ex-spies can’t help but investigate.

There's plenty to enjoy here: sharp suspense, good character development, and a plot with satisfying twists. That said, I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as The Spy Coast. It's definitely a 4-star book vs the 5-star Spy Coast. The Martini Club took more of a back seat than I’d hoped, and I missed them driving the action. Still, this is a solid follow-up, and I’m eager to see what Book 3 brings—hopefully more old spies!

This second installment of the Martini Cllub series was fantastic. It was a very different kind of case from the first book but there were lots of secrets and a great mystery to solve. I was so worried for Zoe and I felt for Susan as her daughter was missing. The Conovers were such an odd family but I never imagined some of them would stoop so low. The ending was amazing and I will very much be looking forward to the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loving this new series (although there's a lot of authors doing the senior crime fighter thing these days). Great premise and character development...and some romance in the crew!

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting, I have had continuing familial health challenges to contend with in the past months.

This is the second book in a new series by a well-known author who is almost a guarantee for a gripping read - and this did not disappoint. I loved the emphasis on "older" sleuths that many would consider past it, and the team effort solving this mystery requires. Well written, hard to put down and characters that are way more than what they may appear. Nothing not to like!

This is the second book in the martini club series, I did not read the first book, but I definitely will be reading the first book now. I really enjoyed the members of the martini club.

A small town in Maine the summer folks are back, not all the residents of this small town are pleased to see them. Ethan is taking his new bride, Susan and her teen daughter to his families cottage for the first time, in part for the burial of Ethan’s father. There are secrets in this small town and when Susan’s daughter Zoe goes missing, acting police chief Jo, starts to wonder if she really knows her small town

This was a really good book. I really enjoyed it and I enjoyed every book I’ve ever read by this author. I love her Rizzoli and Isles series as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review, based upon my honest opinion.

Bookish thoughts: I enjoyed book 2 from the Martini Club book series by author Terri Gerritsen. I even liked it more than the first book.

What I enjoyed:
Cozy Mystery
Fast paced
Humorous
Like able characters that are retired spies
Plot twists

Looking forward to reading the final book in the series and the wonderful cast of retired spies looking for their next adventure!

I received an advanced electronic copy from publisher Thomas and Mercer books and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book. All opinions are my own.

The Summer Guests was full of suspense, mystery, drama, secrets, and betrayal. It was even better than the first Matini Club book, The Spy Coast. It was definitely more psychological thriller than covert spy thriller, which I much prefer.

Tess Gerritsen knows how to draw you in. Her writing style is addictive. I honestly couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting.
I really enjoyed reading about Maggie, Declan, and the rest of the martini club again.
The Summer Guests had many twists and turns, which I thought I'd figured out, but I was wrong.
I wasn't even close.

I highly recommend it.

4.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Tess Gerritsen for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Special thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Tess Gerritsen for an ARC of this very well done mystery/thriller novel.

I read this book as a stand-alone, although there is another book prior to this one in the series. I greatly enjoyed the characters, the setting, the mystery, small town history and the twists included throughout. It was an easy and enjoyable read from start to finish. I could really see this becoming a movie, or perhaps even a TV series? Overall, 4.5 stars for me, and I would definitely read other books by this author.

Book 2 in Tess Gerritsen's series feels VERY different than book 1 -- but not in a bad way. The first book felt like a true standalone, and I wonder if she sold it that way. It was a spy novel that was mostly told in flashbacks. Sure, there was room for continuation with the characters, but it felt like a bit of a departure for the author as a way to stretch her writing legs. Book 2 felt like familiar territory. While book 1 was a spy thriller, this one was more mystery. The cast of characters from book 1 are here, along with a new cast of suspects. It was fun to see those original characters thrust into a new situation. With movies, I always felt those were the best sequels -- the ones where you know the characters but the story presented is completely different. I'm sure book 3 (which has been announced) will continue to be more mystery than spy novel, but I'm on board either way. This one was fun. And it's always a pleasure to hang out in Maine for a bit.

Second book of the Martini Club series about retired spies, we go back to their local community where a girl goes missing near a lake and they dredge up a dead body. Absolutely loved this series so far and Gerritsen will become an auto-read for me.

I loved The Spy Coast, so I was excited to dive into its sequel. The Summer Guests is a decently entertaining follow-up, and another nice chance to revisit the delightful retired spies as its heart. Said characters are definitely the stand-out part of an otherwise serviceable plot.

Hillary Huber did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Tess Gerritsen, Thomas & Mercer, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

really good mystery. Kept me on my toes and loved all of the characters and what they went through on this journey. Loved that they a happy ending happened.

The Summer Guests is full of menace and suspense. There's so much that I want to say, but as I write it, I realize that it will give away too much, so promptly delete it. My advice? The Summer Guests is #2 in the Martini Club series. If you haven't yet read #1, The Spy Coast, pick it up. It's eminently readable and entertaining. Get to know the members of the Martini Club and local police chief, Jo, before you dive into The Summer Guests. You won't be disappointed. “Everything is about to change. The Conover's are back in town.” Conover's. Elizabeth and George’s surname made me smirk. And grin widely like a Cheshire cat when I finished the book. When a tragedy brings the lake crew in contact with The Martini Club, the buried secrets don’t stand a chance. Gerritsen kept me feverishly turning pages with her story about loyalty, family secrets and second chances. Her careful plotting pulled me in and her mystery kept me guessing. I LOVE this series and I cannot wait for the third, I just wish they were longer.

The first book in the series, The Spy Coast, was a mixed-bag for me but even so I decided to read the second book. I am glad I did! The issue I had with the first book was no where to be found in The Summer Guests. With concentration mainly on the plot and no long-winded flashbacks to break the rhythm, the pacing was definitely fast: plus the personality and character quirks of each of the members of the Martini Club shone through clearly in this book.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Thomas and Mercer and the author for the digital ARC of the book.

The Summer Guest is the second book in the Martini Club series by Tess Gerritsen and its every bit as good as the first book The Spy Coast, although you could read this as a standalone I would highly recommend reading in order to get the full Martini Club experience, the characters are so likeable and interesting, the story line intriguing it had me hooked from the beginning till the end, long may this series continue its Tess Gerritsen at her best.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

The Summer Guest is the second book in The Martini Club series and it does not disappoint. This time they end up searching for a missing teen but they end up having a connection to their past. The book was a page turner from beginning to end and I was captivated from the first page. It was written well and I enjoy the characters in this. All of the twists in this were great and I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I loved this book and would recommend it to any reader who loves mysteries. Thank you to MBC Books for this amazing read in exchange of my honest review of The Summer Guest by Tess Gerritsen.

I actually liked this one even better than the original! The Martini Club and Jo are a perfect combination, and I can't wait for more! This is a rare combination of a mystery with surprising twists AND characters that you adore. Well done, Tess Gerritsen!

This was a great follow up to The Spy Coast. Maggie and her crew (The Martini Club) are back and better than ever.
The mystery worked well, with plenty of twists and surprises. It was great to be back with these characters, who are fun and continue to develop in this second book. And the town of Purity, Maine is its own character, which I always love in a book.

While the "spy novel" angle is lacking in this one compared to the first book, it all still worked. I'll always happily return to Purity, Maine to catch up with the Martini Club.

Thank you to Tess Gerritsen, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for my advanced copy.

Oh, how nice it is to be back with The Martini Club! I read the first book in this series last year and I anxiously awaited the second book in the series. My love for Maggie Bird and her collection of retired CIA friends and Jo, the police officer in the small town of Purity, Maine knows no bounds. We jump right back into the action with this book. The Martini Club and Jo have a missing young girl, a new family member to one of the prominent “summer guest” families who vacation in Purity yearly. The mystery of her disappearance takes many twists and turns, and the readers are taken on a wild ride that hits close to home for The Martini Club. I absolutely loved this book. I found these books to be incredibly easy to read and unputdownable. I really enjoyed this case and loved how we got more character development, especially with Jo. I said at the end of the last book that she was becoming one of my favorite characters, and she continues to be such an integral part of these books. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series, and hope it goes on forever! HIGHLY recommend to anybody who loves a mystery/police procedural with lots of twists and turns! 4.5/5 stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Lately there have been many books where the central characters have been retiree aged. The Martini Club is Tess Gerritsen's contribution to my collection of books that kept me up all night reading. THE SUMMER GUESTS is book #2 in this excellent series. But then, I don't think Tess Gerritsen can write anything less than a 5 star read.
The Martini Club is a group of retired friends who meet monthly to discuss a book and have a potluck dinner. This group of friends has a particular set of talents, they are all retired CIA undercover agents who moved to Purity, Maine to get away from the "life". But this group, along with temporary Police Chief Jo, are not willing to let anything bad happen in their county, especially when it affects their friends. One of the best things of this series is the stories all contain several story arcs that will eventually thread together but serve to keep the action tense and their attention split. Gerritsen also doesn't portray these characters as super heroes. They are older, slower and not always wiser as they pool resources to help solve some crimes that have nothing but questions when first discovered.
If you have not read THE MARTINI CLUB, don't worry, you still have time to "discover" the series without being too far behind. You don't necessaryily have to read them in order, but both books are excellent, so treat yourself. 5 easy stars from this satisfied reader.