Review: The Newcomer

Title: the newcomer

Author: Mary Kay Andrews

Release Date: May 4, 2021

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Format: Audio

Find it here: Goodreads

Synopsis from Goodreads: In trouble and on the run...

After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex; sleazy real estate entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s warnings: “If anything bad happens to me—it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run. Promise me.”

With a trunkful of emotional baggage...

So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road with her wailing four-year-old niece Maya. Letty is determined to out-run Evan and the law, but run to where? Tanya, a woman with a past shrouded in secrets, left behind a “go-bag” of cash and a big honking diamond ring—but only one clue: a faded magazine story about a sleepy mom-and-pop motel in a Florida beach town with the improbable name of Treasure Island. She sheds her old life and checks into an uncertain future at The Murmuring Surf Motel.

The No Vacancy sign is flashing & the sharks are circling...

And that’s the good news. Because The Surf, as the regulars call it, is the winter home of a close-knit flock of retirees and snowbirds who regard this odd-duck newcomer with suspicion and down-right hostility. As Letty settles into the motel’s former storage room, she tries to heal Maya’s heartache and unravel the key to her sister’s shady past, all while dodging the attention of the owner’s dangerously attractive son Joe, who just happens to be a local police detective. Can Letty find romance as well as a room at the inn—or will Joe betray her secrets and put her behind bars? With danger closing in, it’s a race to find the truth and right the wrongs of the past.

My Review: I thought this was a fantastic book! I loved Letty and Maya and I adored all of the characters at the murmuring Gull. The cast of characters is what really makes this books and why I gave it five stars. I enjoyed the mystery too though I did think that there was a bit too much going at a couple points. There were one detail at the end that I found a bit unbelievable but for the sake of avoiding spoilers I am going to keep it to myself. Overall though - I loved the writing, the mystery element was well done and kept me interested right up until the end. I loved the narrator for the audio and thought she did a fantastic job!

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All opinions are my own.*