Summers at the Saint
A Novel
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4.6 • 73 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
"Andrews perfectly balances the second chance-romance with the twisty mystery against a beachy backdrop that will please any armchair traveler." --Publishers Weekly
"A fun, heart-warming, and intriguing summer read. For readers who’d enjoy a blend of friendships (old and new), budding romance, and secrets held within the walls of a hotel that needs rescuing, as in Elin Hilderbrand’s The Hotel Nantucket." --Library Journal
Book your summer escape with a "mesmerizing mix of mystery and romance" (Publishers Weekly, starred) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Newcomer.
Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .
Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help—including the daughter of her estranged best friend—Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.
Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this mesmerizing mix of mystery and romance, Andrews (Bright Lights, Big Christmas) details one woman's mission to ensure her late husband's legacy. Four years after Traci Eddings's husband, Hoke, died in a plane crash, she struggles to keep afloat the Eddings family's long-running St. Cecelia resort hotel on an island off the Georgia coast. As employees leave for better opportunities, Traci hires a new executive chef and gets her niece, Parrish, to run the front desk, further straining her contentious relationship with her entitled brother-in-law, Ric, who's trying to cut Traci out of his father's will. Then tragedy rocks the hotel staff when someone close to Traci is murdered. As she works to keep guests happy during a police investigation, the hotel's landscaper, Whelan, a former P.I., mounts an investigation of his own. Mutual attraction ignites between Traci and Whelan even as he unearths some unusual information about a decades-old drowning death at the Saint that tore apart Traci and her former best friend, Shannon. Andrews's expert exploration of complex family dynamics, hidden secrets, and class divisions in a small resort town add authenticity to the gripping mystery and swoony romance. Series fans and newcomers alike will be riveted.
Customer Reviews
Another Winner!
A different direction than the normal MKA books I have read and was totally drawn into the story from the first pages. Traci a widow from the wrong side of the tracks now runs the family owned luxury resort known as the Saint. Slowly getting on with her life after the sudden death of her beloved husband and recouping from the COVID shutdown has its own set of challenges. Trying to open up for another season has caused Traci scrambling in different directions, staffing shortages, finding a new Chef and the list goes on. Coming up with the idea of offering a sign up bonus plus free on site housing has gotten her the results she hoped for. Things seem to be going well, but when her niece who works there goes missing and guests are complaining about everything……something is wrong, but what?
A well developed story that has suspense, old mystery and new mystery to be solved. Family secrets, who dunnit and why? I listened to part of the story as a audiobook, but preferred reading. Only because I could keep all the characters straight. It definitely was a book I enjoyed reading and just couldn’t put down. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #SummersAtTheSaint #MaryKayAndrews
An Entertaining Read!
Mary Kay Andrews, “Queen of the Beach Reads”, does what she always does best by writing a fun and entertaining read, while incorporating a mystery! I love how Mary Kay Andrews added in the element of connecting the past to the present! From the characters to the story, this book will have you turning the pages as the story unfolds and secrets are unveiled. It will make you gasp, not expecting it! A perfect book to take on vacation!
I wanted this book to go on forever!!
“Summers at the Saint” is a suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat story that kept me guessing until the last colorful sunset rose over the summer sky. Southern charm and hospitality are front and center as we join Traci Eddings, the CEO of “The Saint” as she welcomes summer, new employees, and the many guests who flock to Saint Cecelia for sun, sand and delicious food. This summer Traci needs a chef and a personable, unflappable individual to work at the guest relations desk. Her new chef sought her out as the lure of free on-site housing was too much to pass up. Traci didn’t have to go too far to find the perfect manager to greet the guests upon their arrival, and a new waitress arrived on the scene who was thrilled to be working at such an historic and iconic hotel.
Traci treats all of her employees as if they are part of her family and with any close-knit group there is bound to be drama, in-fighting, and deep, dark secrets that are best left in the past. Traci had her work cut out for her as she navigated suspicious activity throughout the resort, her constant loneliness and the possibility of a romance that she never expected. As with any Mary Kay Andrews masterpiece, the vivid descriptions of the serene resort made me want to book my next vacation right away! I fell in love with all of the characters and wanted this book to go on forever!