Maggie and friends are back and wow! I enjoyed this one much more than the first and I really liked that one. I was completely invested in the mystery. The reveals were paced perfectly. I guessed the outcome completely wrong. I love a good story that takes me by surprise!

“The Summer Guests" is the second installment in the Martini Club series from Tess Gerritsen. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, "The Spy Coast," and have been anxiously awaiting the follow-up. Gerritsen nailed it once again. The members of the "Martini Club," the boozy book club for retired spies, are an absolute joy. They aren't featured as prominently as they are in the first book, but I was happy to see them return for Book #2. I recommend reading "The Spy Coast" before hopping into this one to learn more about Maggie and her friends' past lives as CIA agents. Overall, it was an entertaining and suspenseful novel. The story is well-written and full of surprising twists and turns, and the characters are well-developed and lovable. I enjoyed the chilling mystery combined with a bit of light humor. This was such an enjoyable read, and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Martini Club #2

When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything. Maggie survived thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighbourhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance. After a teenager vanishes - and Maggie's neighbour becomes the prime suspect - she joins the investigation determined to prove her friend's innocence.

I'm really liking this series about a group of retired CIA friends who call themselves The Martini Club, a book club where the friends like to catch up with a few drinks. This time Maggie and her friends get involved when a friend and neighbour becomes the prime suspect in a girl's disappearance. The characters have been well-fleshed out in this well-written and twisted read. Now, I have to sit back and patiently wait for the next book.

Published 18th March 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #ThomasMercer and the author #TessGerritsen for my ARC of #TheSummerGuests in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen is my third book by this author and I really enjoyed it.
Well-written, strong characterizations and an equally strong story makes this latest book by Tess Gerritsen is a thoroughly compelling read.
This one kept my interest throughout and I truly could not wait to find out what happened.
The characters were well developed. It's filled with mystery, intrigue and surprising twist.

The Martini Club, a “book club” of retired spies living in a small town in Maine, is back. This is an excellent mystery about a teenage girl who goes missing. Her family are summer guests - people who own second homes in the area and only come during the summer. The Martini Club have contacts and skills the local acting police chief needs to get to the bottom of the kidnapping and the decades old skeleton found in the pond by the girl’s house.

This is a well-written story with several twists and red herrings. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to mystery buffs.

Not family friendly due to profanity and the violence associated with this genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In book 2 of The Martini Club Series, a teenage girl vanishes & Maggie's neighbor becomes the prime suspect. Maggie Bird, & the the rest of the Martini Club - all ex-CIA friends - use their collective skills to aid the police in their investigation. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.

I loved the Martini Club, and their somewhat unconventional methods. They may have driven the police chief crazy, but they got results! The mystery kept me guessing, and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. If you love a good thriller, then you should definitely check this out. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone, so don't worry if you haven't read book one yet)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Amazon Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the second in The Martini Club series by Tess Gerritsen. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

While I’ve been a forever fan of Gerritsen’s medical mysteries, this group of older, retired CIA agents has captured my heart. Following The Spy Coast (another must read), we see this group (self named The Martini Club) try to find a missing girl visiting Purity, ME, with her family. Once again, Acting Police Chief Jo Thibodeau is alternately frustrated and grateful for the group’s help (interference). I love books showcasing the vitality of older adults and this group would put younger people to shame for sure. Even when they aren't solving local mysteries, they are all active, vibrant and so much fun. The mystery certainly didn’t go the way I thought it would, but everything resolved neatly at the end. Great series!

The second installment of the Martini Club is just as good as the first. The Summer Guests starts with a dramatic event from the past then moves quickly into a missing teenager who is one of the "summer guests" of Purity, Maine. Of course, Maggie and her ex-spy friends are ready to assist acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. Tess Gerritsen is a brilliant writer whose books are always great reads. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the eARC.

A teenager disappears and there aren’t any leads. Their suspect is cleared but where do they go from here? There are a lot of tentacles in this mystery. I suspected part of it but there were quite a few that I didn’t see coming. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Tess Gerritsen, known for her captivating blend of humor and mystery, returns following The Spy Coast with the second installment of The Martini Club series, THE SUMMER GUESTS. This chilling whodunit mystery is infused with a delightful dose of humor and suspense.

The Martini Club, a witty and fun cast, embarks on a search for a missing teen with the local authorities, then another older body is found with a shocking connection to their pasts. Their escapades are thrilling and filled with moments of light-hearted humor, keeping the readers entertained, amused, and engaged.

From birds and books to martinis and murder!

About...

Picking up from Book #1, this exhilarating series, The Martini Club, is a character-driven narrative featuring five fascinating retired CIA agents settling into Purity, Maine, without anyone knowing their past. They want to blend in like their ordinary neighbors (known as the Martini Club) who meet for book club, martinis, great food, gossip, and much more.

Set in Maine, a destination for upscale summer visitors leads to friction between the locals and the demanding outsiders. The haves and the have-nots.

Maggie, who purchased a farm, and her four friends, all retired from the CIA, live nearby, known as the Martini Club. (Maggie, Ingrid, Lloyd, Ben, and Declan).

When the teenage daughter of a wealthy summer family goes missing, and Maggie's neighbor is implicated, Maggie and her four friends join the search for the girl. Maggie has a farm and her neighbors are Luther and his granddaughter, Callie.

The teen missing is Zoe Conover, granddaughter of summer guests and owners of Moonview, one of the largest cottages on Maiden Pond. The search for Zoe leads the police and our Martini Club into entirely unexpected areas, keeping you on the edge of your seat with its suspenseful storytelling.

As we found in the last book, there are clashes with the police chief, Jo Thibodeau, who sees the Martini Club always a step ahead. The over-eager acting police chief suspects there is more to this group of friends than meets the eye.

They think the girl may have drowned, so they drag the pond near the family home but discover a woman's skeleton from the past. They then try to find the identity of the woman and any motive.

As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets that are more sinister than they initially appear…before more lives are lost. (Are they connected)?

My thoughts...

Highly entertaining! Expect humor, thrills, twists, secrets, mystery, suspense, action, and murder. From a group of five ex-spies retired in Maine—birdwatching, books, good food, conversation, martinis, and more from this witty cast of characters. The Martini Club #3 is eagerly awaited, promising more lively adventures. A cracker of a series that leaves the readers excited and eager for the next installment!

I loved THE SUMMER GUESTS even more than The Spy Coast (both five stars) and enjoyed catching up with the Martini Club, the neighbors, and Jo. It's always a pleasure to reconnect with these characters and see how their lives unfold, making the readers feel connected and invested in the story.

The series is a multi-layered ongoing conflict between the town, its visitors, the older and the younger residents, and guests. It is particularly fun to watch Jo and the ex-spies and their back and forth, and in this installment she seems to be drawn slowly into their circle of trust. But of course, the Martini Club can never fully trust her.

The narrative alternates between the POV of Susan, Jo, and Maggie, and there is more going on with this family, may know (from past to present).

From red herrings, suspicions, suspense, and long buried secrets —with conflicts between the locals and the privileged summer people, there is plenty of mystery and intrigue.

I love The Martini Club and drawn to characters in this 70's age range (my age range), as they/we may be old but still have a lot of life left and full of wisdom. I enjoy their fun evenings together and how they solve crimes with good food, bird watching, lively conversation, and cocktails (martinis). I would love to join in.

This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a dose of humor. I am looking forward to Martini Club #3, THE SHADOW FRIENDS (Nov 17, 2026) I hope this series continues with new adventures and mysteries for the group to solve.

I look forward to listening to the audiobook narrated by a favorite, Hillary Huber.

Recs...

THE SUMMER GUESTS is for fans of Tess Gerritsen and the Martini Club series. Also for fans of Mark de Castrique's Secret Lives series.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a gifted advanced reading copy for my honest opinion.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Day: March 18, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars +
March 2025 Must-Read Books
March Newsletter

There’s something about a book that refuses to let you predict its path. This novel is exactly that kind of read. It doesn’t stay where it begins—instead, it takes you on a journey that constantly keeps you on your toes.

As a bit of a backstory, The Martini Club is a group of seasoned, razor-sharp minds operating outside the usual constraints of law enforcement. While the local police chief might shake her head in frustration, deep down, she knows they’re indispensable.

Enjoying the previous book, I was ready for this challenge. I had set up my mental murder board. Red strings connecting suspects, timelines plotted, backstories emerging. As Gerritsen began unraveling conspiracies and histories, I’d pause, tilt my head, and think, “Ah, I’ve got it!” Then, I’d unwound the string, shift gears, and head in an entirely new direction. By the time I reached the end, I was sure I had solved it. I was certain it could only be one person. And yet—wrong. Utterly, fantastically wrong. That’s the genius of this book. Its plotting doesn’t hand you the baddie on a silver platter.

Beyond the twists and turns, the book weaves in moments of levity and heart. There’s a touch of humor that brightens the darker themes and a budding romance that’s been quietly simmering for two decades.

This second installment in the series gripped me as tightly as the first. For anyone new to Gerritsen’s Martini Club world, I’d strongly recommend starting with The Spy Coast, which lays the groundwork for the recurring characters. And the best part? This isn’t the end. The next book in the series is scheduled for release late next year.

Tess Gerritsen is a go-to author for me and I read everything I can by her. This Martini Club series is a good one with the group of retired spies forming the club. I like following this series so far.


Description:
When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.

Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.

After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.

As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.

My Thoughts:
Maggie and her Martini Club friends get involved when Maggie's neighbor becomes the prime suspect in a missing teenager's disappearance. Maggie know he didn't do it and she has to find out what happened to the girl and get him cleared. The Martini Club members all have special skills from their backgrounds as spies and they put them to good use in following clues and unraveling what happened. It was fun to follow the investigation and the humor in the book was appreciated. This group has a lot of fun even with the seriousness of the case. I liked the police chief, Jo Thibodeau, and the way she cut through bias to prove herself worthy of her position. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will enjoy this book.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Nests of spies are (generally) up to no good

A group of former members of the intelligence community have all retired to the small town of Purity, Maine, to live quiet lives and enjoy the serenity that surrounds them. They - Maggie, Declan, Ben, Ingrid and Lloyd - regularly gather together to share food, drink (lots of drink), and at least theoretically discuss the book they have chosen to read each month; they call themselves The Martini Club after one of their favorite libations, and they recently banded together and resurrected their slightly rusty but still prodigious talents (instilled decades earlier at The Farm, where new clandestine officers are trained) when echoes of their past appeared on their doorstep. They may not be as fast or as strong as they once were, but their minds are still as sharp. When teenager Zoe Conover goes missing from her stepfather's family's summer home on nearby Maiden Lake, suspicion falls upon Maggie's gruff neighbor Luther Yount, who seemingly was the last person to see the girl. The Conovers are longtime summer people in Purity, owning the largest house on the lake, and are wealthy enough to cause Luther a lot of problems. Acting Chief of Police Jo Thibodeau has little choice but to consider Luther a prime subject, and circumstantial evidence does seem to point to his guilt. When the lake is dragged to see if Zoe's body is there, a skeleton is found in its depths...but, although it is a female, it isn't Zoe. Maggie and the rest of the Martini Club know that they need to get involved not only to find out what happened to Zoe, but also whose remains have been resting at the bottom of Maiden Lake.
The sequel to last year's The Spy Coast, The Summer Guests is another twisty mystery featuring a gang of aging intelligence operatives who are more than happy to summon up their respective skill sets when the need arises. While they like Jo Thibodeau, who in turn is slowly coming to appreciate what the group can bring to a case, they are certain that they can get to the bottom of things far more quickly than she and her department can. Maggie's fondness for Luther's granddaughter is the impetus for their involvement this time around, and they uncover far more than they would ever have suspected about the goings on at Maiden Lake. The tensions between the year round townspeople and the wealthy summer people so common in vacation spots are a major element in the unravelling tale, as are the fault lines within the Conover family itself. If John Le Carré were asked to pen a Murder She Wrote mystery, he might have come up with something like the Martini Club books, with the greying operatives simultaneously happy to be out of the game but also missing the challenge of it. This is more mystery and less espionage in this outing than there was in its predecessor, but it is an engaging read nonetheless which I thoroughly enjoyed and which kept me guessing quite a bit. Readers of Francine Matthews, Charles Cumming and John Le Carré should grab a copy of The Summer Guests (and, if they haven't already, pick up The Spy Coast too), pour themselves a martini, or a whiskey (or both...the novel's characters certainly would), or their tipple of choice, and spend some time in Purity, Maine, where spies go to enjoy their golden years. Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me early access to this latest installment in exchange for my honest review.

This second outing of the Martini Club, made up of ex-CIA spies, finds the group looking for a missing teenage girl, Zoe Conover. Zoe just happens to be the granddaughter of well to do summer guests. Maggie and her friends become involved much to the frustration of local acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau.

The investigation takes a dark turn when old remains are found in a pond on the Conver's property. This discovery leads the group to look into the history of the town. What they find are long buried secrets. Zoe's family is pushing for an arrest and the police focus on Declan Rose, Maggie's good looking neighbor. Could the remains have something to do with Zoe in tge present day? The plot unfolds through different points of view and we are rewarded with a satisfying conclusion. Of course, to get to the conclusion we are maneuvering around a few red herrings and some twists and turns.

I loved the first book in the series, The Spy Coast, and this one is just as good, possibly even better since we are familiar with this cast of characters and the town of Purity, Maine. Bess Gerritsen knows how to keep the reader turning the page and wanting more and giving us a few hints for the future. I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for an ARC. The review is my own.

4.5 stars. I received The Spy Coast, the first in the Martini Club series, as a Christmas present in 2023 and it sat on my bookshelf until last week. It had received such good reviews that I knew I was going to read it but the impetus was receiving an e-ARC of The Summer Guests, the second in the series, which will be published on March 18.

Well, I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed both books which I read back to back in a week.

The Summer Guests is a well-written cozy-type mystery (think Thursday Murder Club) that continues the story about five retired sixty-something-year old CIA agents (Maggie, Declan, Ingrid, Lloyd, and Ben ) now living quietly in Maine - well as quietly as they can, given their interest in using their skills to investigate and solve murders in their small town in Maine. As they do so, they come up against the by-the-book young female acting police chief, Jo.

All of the characters are so engaging - I’d love to spend time with them at their weekly booze-filled potluck book club meetings! I love how the author shows them as being active, sharp-minded and clever even as their bodies are slowing down. I also find the growing relationship between Jo and the former agents to be endearing.

The mystery that Maggie and her friends get into in this book is well plotted with twists and turns, and it unfolds at a steady, enjoyable pace. The small-town setting is also well-described.

This is a great feel-good mystery series and I can’t wait to be back with the Martini Club for the next mystery they get involved in.

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The second book in The Martini Club series, The Summer Guests puts the tiny town of Purity in Maine at the centre of a perplexing mystery.

A young girl, visiting at the family’s holiday home on the lake, goes missing in mysterious circumstances. The family has money but the dynamic is an unusual one, strained adversarial towards one another. They’re outsiders and close ranks to the local townsfolk.

Acting Police Chief Jo Thibodeaux is on hand to take up the case. And the members of The Martini Club also swing into action to lend a hand. Maggie Bird and the rest of the retired spies and whatnot swing into action lending their expertise (unwanted as it may be from the local authorities) to the search for the missing girl.

In the course of the search, attention turns to the possibility that the girl may have been murdered, her body dumped in the lake. So divers are employed to search the lake. When remains are found during the search, more questions are raised and it becomes apparent that the place has a history.

This is another lively, offbeat mystery that’s carefully crafted to offer up tidbits of older crimes that have been hidden while also dealing with the more recent crisis. The Martini Club members prove equally as competent as they were in their first outing, but their help is equally as unwanted by Jo and the police force as ever.

There are plenty of unexpected twists to ensure we’re rewarded with some very satisfying surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed reacquainting myself with Maggie, Declan and the rest of the gang.

Although it wouldn’t be at all difficult following the places of the characters in The Summer Guests, I would recommend reading The Spy Coast, the first book in the series beforehand. This would ensure you’d have a complete understanding of the talents of The Martini Club members, not to mention the history they have with Jo Thibodeaux.

This is definitely another addictive mystery/thriller series featuring senior citizen protagonists to add to the list.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a digital ARC which has enabled me to read, enjoy and review this book.

Working Outside The Law Leads To An Enjoyable Novel

Purity police officer Randy Pelletier is eating breakfast at the Marigold Café. He just finished the midnight shift. There is a loud crash outside. He sees shattered glass and a body. He rushes outside and sees a woman lying in an expanding pool of blood. Another woman is lying across the street with another further down the street. At the end of the block is a white van, its front end embedded in the side of a parked blue sedan. Pelletier recognizes the van as his friend's. He rushes and finds Sam Tarkin alive in the driver's seat. He reaches across to unbuckle the seat belt. Sam tries to push him away and tells him to leave, but Pelletier drags him out, still struggling. While restraining him, he did not notice that Sam had taken his gun. Now, he is looking at his gun, pointing at his face. It is not Sam Tarkin who is looking at him but someone who looks like Sam Tarkin. Sam Tarkin is not who shot him.

This novel has four main storyline threads. The first thread covers the formal investigation of the missing 14-year-old, Zoe Conover. The acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau, narrates these chapters. The second thread concerns the actions of the Martini Club and their unofficial investigation. The members are all retired CIA operatives who trained together. They spend their time at bird-watching parties and book-reading meetings with wine and food that would make a five-star Michelin-rated restaurant proud is how they spend their time. The third thread describes the intrafamilial dynamics of the Conover clan and several close friends. The last thread centers on the actions of Rueben Tarkin, the son of Sam Tarkin. This thread provides significant insight into the other threads. These threads intermix with the other main storyline threads. The protagonist is the Acting Police Chief Jo Thibodeau. A state police detective assists her, but not very well. The unofficial protagonists are the Martini Club members. The problem is the police chief wants them to stop interfering with her investigation. That is not a problem for the Martini Club, as they just ignore her. The club has resources and expertise that far exceed that of the acting police chief. By dropping appropriate hints, the Martini Club helps guide the investigation. The Conover thread provides the initial information concerning two more cold-case disappearances at Maiden Pond. Real progress is not being made in any of the cases. This kept the hook well set in my attention. Then, Martini Club comes through again, and all the cards fall quickly into place to an end that I was not expecting.

The background on Jo Thibodeau is not extensive but adequate. The Martini Club members' background is more comprehensive and helps explain their actions. All this is done in a cozy mystery manner that provides a lightness to this novel. I enjoyed how they discussed the case, conducted their operations, and their loyalty to themselves and others they felt deserved help. I also found an unsuspecting B-storyline in the novel. This was the Conover family interactions within the family and with whom they considered real Conovers. As this thread was important to the Main storyline, it had a significant twist that completely changed what I thought I knew about members of the Conover family.

Language is one aspect of this novel that may cause some issues for readers. While vulgar language is minimal, rude and impious language is much more noticeable. Intimate scenes are nonexistent. Except for the opening chapter, all violence is described after the fact. This is the second novel in this series. I have not read the first novel but found no references that made me feel I missed something. Readers can read this novel without reading the first volume.

I racked my brain to identify something negative about this novel but could not find anything. I liked the cozy mystery aspect of this novel. The Martini Club members' use of cutting remarks and repartee was very good. Reading this novel was much more enjoyable. I liked the ending, not only with the main storyline but also with several minor embedded stories. This novel did keep me reading. I finished it under my median reading time for novels this size.

I have read four previous novels by this author across two genres. Based on how thoroughly I enjoyed this and her earlier novels, I have upgraded my rating to a must-read author. I highly recommend reading this novel and look forward to reading future novels by this author. I rate this novel with five stars.

I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Editor’s note: This review and roundup appears in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines, including at https://cullmantimes.com/2025/03/11/review-a-sip-of-spring-fiction-with-a-bit-of-history-for-flavor/

A sip of spring fiction, with a bit of history for flavor

By Tom Mayer

On the cusp of the 80th anniversary of the atrocities ending with World War II’s VJ Day, comes an important reminder in the form of cinematic storytelling from the pen of best-selling author Robert Dugoni, assisted by fellow academic researchers Chris Crabtree and Jeff Langholz.

Five hundred-page novels that contain more than a hundred pages of afterword and notes aren’t typical fare for the type of thrillers Dugoni writes; and if cinema is used as an adjective for such tomes it generally implies “best documentary” rather than “best picture.” But this fictionalized re-telling of the end of the war is anything but documental, especially with its final 150 pages moving full steam ahead, filled with submarines, warships and Clancyesque code breaking.

“Hold Strong” (Lake Union) tells the story of Sam Carlson and Sarah Haber, young sweethearts from Eagle Grove, Minnesota. It’s the end of the Great Depression and looking for a way out of his and his parents’ misfortunes — the family farm has been repossessed — Sam joins the war effort. Finding that the Army life suits him, he rises through the ranks. In 1942, he’s taken prisoner by the Japanese and survives the worst that that experience can offer, including the Bataan Death March in the Philippines and captivity in the hold of a Japanese “hell ship,” the Arisan Maru.

Through this, Sarah, and Sam’s family, receive no word about him, and the Army records him as missing in action. Though the couple made a promise to each other but never cemented an engagement before he left, Sarah especially is left in limbo, loving a man who she knows could be dead.

But Sarah’s strong, independent character is coupled with a brilliant mathematical mind, and she’s recruited out of college by the Navy to become a code breaker in the service of the WAVES — Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service — helping to turn the tide of the war, and possibly even unknowingly, Sam’s fate. The upshot is that no one, not even their families, can know what the women are doing, even to the point of telling others if asked that they are nothing more than secretaries in the service of Uncle Sam.

The story of Sam and Sarah is just that, a story, but Dugoni and company get it right, opening new and little-known chapters on the hells of that war — and the critical roles of female recruits — with startling and stark reality.

“Hold Strong” works well as a novel, and its secondary characters, such as Father Tom with his unflappable faith and Grace Moretti with her unbounded optimism, are extraordinarily well-developed. But this is one book bound for the big screen, and with its historic foundation underpinning a captivating wartime love story, one that is sure to become the sleeper read of the year.

Another novel of potential sleeper status comes to us as a dream in the charming coming-of-age “The Rainfall Market” (Ace). Written by a young South Korean novelist, You Yeong-Gwang (whose own dream as a young author is this story), and translated by Slin Jung, this magical novel tells the story of the impoverished teenager Serin and an abandoned house on the outskirts of Rainbow Town.

The legend says that if you send an essay explaining your misfortunes to that address, you could receive a ticket in return, and one that not only allows entrance to the Market beyond the house’s front door, but the offer to swap your life for another.

The odds are long but Serin sends off her letter and gets in return a ticket and an invitation to visit the Market for the duration of the rainy season — those who overstay the welcome are destined to never leave — with the total of its enchantments, including a magical cat companion named Issha.

Travels and travails follow Serin and Issha as they are plagued by Dokkaebi — goblin-like creatures taken from the pages of Korean folklore — who run the individual shops in the market, each offering a “happier story in our stock.”

With help from Issha and others that she befriends, Serin traverses the market’s allegorical landmines, comparing one life’s outcome with another until she comes to the end of her visit in this predictable but rewarding fairytale.

Other notable titles out this spring and worth the price of admission — no essay required — range from the fantastical to the feral with a number of big-hitting authors submitting some of their best work, including sequels:

“Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” (Berkley) by Grady Hendrix: 15-year-old Fern arrives alone and scared and pregnant at the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida — as are all the young woman and girls living at the home. Life is strictly regulated under the tyrannical control of the adults until Fern is gifted a book about witchcraft — and the power it contains to both create and destroy.

“The Ends of Things” (Blackstone) by Sandra Chwialkowska: A romantic lovers’ paradise is anything but idyllic for Laura Phillips and her boyfriend as shea becomes involved in the disappearance of the lone traveler befriended on the beach. An exotic getaway soon itself gets away from Laura as garnished cocktails and sumptuous suites turn into a murder investigation — and a fight for her innocence.

“Somewhere Toward Freedom” (Simon & Schuster) by Bennett Parten: Parten, a Georgia-native university professor with an expertise in the Civil War period, shines with storytelling as his reporting illuminates new, and unconventional, light on one of the most well-documented and well-known war episodes in our nation’s history — Sherman’s march to the sea. Subtitled “Sherman’s March and Story of America’s Largest Emancipation,” Parten re-tills well-trodden ground, telling the story of the thousands of enslaved people who followed Sherman and his army, turning a march of destruction into the launch of liberation in this meticulously researched book.

“Cupid on the Loose” (Blackstone) by John J. Jacobson: This timely novel that slipped into best-selling list early in February is nonetheless a timely tale for the ages, and especially for those who love a love story in the vein of Nicholas Sparks, and the romantic mayhem of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” — an author who incidentally plays a prominent role of his own in this fun read. Centered on a “kindred kind of romance” that needs a bit of tender to set it ablaze, enter a meddling grandmother whose intentions are as well-conceived as they are misguided.

“Destiny’s Way” (Berkley) by Jack Campbell: In this sequel to Campbell’s “In Our Stars,” the time traveling part-human, part-alien-DNA Selene Genji is thrust 30 years into the past, before the Universal Way destroyed the world, in an attempt to save Earth — excedpt those alive who want her dead after being declared a traitor by the Earth Guard. Assisted by at least one friend from the first part of the “Doomed Earth Duology,” Selene must find a way to save a prejudicial mankind that wants this independent and strong woman dead.

“The Secrets of Flowers” (Blackstone) by Sally Page: A story floating from the depths of the Titanic — and we never get tired of those — Page crafts a unique, heart-healing tale of Emma, who is bereft following her husband’s death. Told through the language of flowers, Emma discovers the lost story of a girl from the ship, one told in the arrangements of the flowers on board during the maiden, and final, voyage, that might just blossom into the healing of her own grief.

“The Memory Ward” (Blackstone) by Jon Bassoff: A seemingly Elysian small town is the scene of bizarre oddities, and postal worker Hank Davies isn’t the first to notice — he comes to realize he’s delivering mail filled with blank pages — but he’s the one whose willing to cry foul. A secreted story discovered beneath the walls of Hank’s bedroom touches off pages of alternate reality as Bassoff delivers a tale of trauma and altered identity, and one questioning the concept of humanity itself.

“American Fever” (Arcade) by Dur e Aziz Amna: This engaging and humorous novel centers on a Pakistani exchange student in rural Oregon who finds herself between worlds — and entrenched in the navigation of first love, racism, Islamophobia and homesickness. When she finds herself quarantined after a diagnosis of tuberculosis, her world shrinks further as themes of religion, family and national identity take on increasingly larger proportions.

“Protecting Jess” (Arcade Crimewise) by Karna Small Bodman: A White House economist and rising star, Jessica Tanner, has both brains and beauty. Sent to Brazil to speak at an international conference on behalf of her boss, a planned exotic dream assignment descends into a dangerous and foreboding nightmare.

“Don’t Tell Me How to Die” (Blackstone) by Marshall Karp: Marshall Karp, of NYPD Red series (aka, co-conspirator of James Patterson) fame, offers a taut, sharp and on-target psychological thriller in “Don’t Tell Me How To Die” (Blackstone). Told in parts, past and present, Karp crafts a evolving storyline centered on 43-year-old Maggie, a woman who is not only diagnosed with the same deadly disease that claimed her mother but vows to not recreate the adolescent hell she endured because of the passing. Seeing firsthand her dying mother’s warning that, once she died, women would flock to 17-year-old Maggie and her sister’s father “like stray cats to an overturned milk truck” and that it would be up to girls to protect him. Which they do, admirably — until one slips through their gatekeeping. … Determined that the same thing won’t happen to her own family, Maggie devises a plan to find a perfect match as wife and mother … before she dies. If this were all to the plot, the storyline would be worth an afternoon, but in succeeding parts of the novel, Karp continuously turns everything upside down, projecting surprise after surprise in a trope-laden, over-blown style that works perfectly for a main course instead of the appetizer it would have been coming from a lesser pen. Karp is a veteran in keeping the cinematic action going and the shocks coming — both of which are abundantly on display in his latest.

“Cold Iron Task” (Berkley) by James J. Butcher: In this Book 3 of 3 in Butcher’s “The Unorthodox Chronicles,” Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby — one of the most notable names in literary history — has solved at least one case, but he’s still a beginner in Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. As he joins an unlikely partner in the heist of of an otherworldly vault, Grimsby touches off past and closely guarded secrets, freeing demons and monsters, Usual and Unorthodox, that could be his demise in this series finisher.

“The Gate of the Feral Gods” (Ace Hardcovers) by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl series): Welcome, Crawler, to the fifth floor of the dungeon in Book 4 of Dinniman’s quest series, and one filled with warrior gnomes, malfunctioning machines and a deadly, haunted crypt. On the eve of utter failure, Carl and his team find they must rely on the untrustworthy crawlers trapped in the bubble with them.

“The Summer Guests” (Thomas & Mercer) by Tess Gerritsen: In Book 2 of The Martini Club, retired covert agent Maggie Bird has “retired” to the seaside. In Purity, life is quiet, but it’s not without murder as a friendly neighbor of Maggies becomes embroiled in double homicide charges. It’s up to the Martini Club, a circle of ex-CIA friends book club, to find the truth behind the secrets that portend more murder on the horizon.

“Gothictown” (Kensington) by Emily Carpenter: What if you could purchase a Victorian home for $100 in a small Georgia town eager to spur its pandemic-riddled economy? So begins this story of Billie Hope’s dream of fleeing cramped and crimped New York City with her husband and daughter. Dreams, as they often do in the offerings from Carpenter — a Birmingham, Alabama, native now living in Georgia — descend from opportunities to devilish bargains, and “Gothictown” is part and parcel of the oeuvre. More than genteel charms lurks beneath the facade of Southern hospitality in this town. View a free 66-page teaser of the novel (“Gothictown: A Sneak Peek”) at online booksellers.

“Home Is Where the Bodies Are” (Blackstone) by Jeneva Rose: Questions and secrets arise when three estranged siblings begin to sort their mother’s estate — and discover a VHS recording of their blood-soaked father involved in a death of which none of them have any recollection. Revive the past or leave it buried with their mother? That becomes the question … with no easy, or safe, answers.

Reach Tom Mayer at tmayer@cullmantimes.com.

When a teenage girl on vacation in rural Maine goes missing, the police follow some leads while a group of CIA operatives who have retired there and formed "The Martini Club" also take up the case. The lake is dredged, and the girl is not found, but an old skeleton is. The mystery of the drowned woman and the missing girl take the friends and the lead cop in directions they didn't see coming.

I really liked the first book in this series (this is the second one). I thought it was different and well written. I liked the Maine, retired lifestyle setting and their interactions with local law enforcement. This is a mystery series, so it had some action and some character development. The problem is this one didn't have much of that. All of this book is set in Maine, and the characters are hardly developed at all. I liked this book as the popcorn, light thriller that it is, but it is not much more. I hope the next book brings in either some new characters or a new slant or leaves Maine.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

When the Granddaughter of a prominent summer guest goes missing and a decades old cold case coming roaring back to the present, the Martini Club convenes to help acting Police Chief Jo Thibodeau solve both cases.

This book was definitely a slow burn at first. I enjoyed the action packed first chapter but then it felt a little like someone slammed on the breaks and the action slowed to a crawl for the rest of the first half. That being said, once the cold case was introduced the pace really picked up and I couldn't put it down from that point to the end. This book in particular did an awesome job of filling out a whole cast of summer guest characters as well as a whole cast of townspeople without being at all confusing which was great. Many of the characters are endearing; I love Maggie & Declan especially.

As a long-time fan of this author, I'm still partial to Rizzoli & Isles but the Martini Club is starting to develop as it's own cool thing and I'm definitely looking forward to more from Jo & the club! :)