The Newcomer
A Novel
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4.4 • 795 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Beach Reads delivers her next page-turner for the summer with The Newcomer.
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Looking for a bubbly beach read with a twist of murder and intrigue? Enter The Newcomer, which follows Letty Carnahan, whose wealthy sister, Tanya, has just been found dead. Tanya knew that this terrible outcome was a possibility—that’s why she left her sister a set of detailed instructions, which Letty follows to the letter, fleeing New York for a seashore hideaway with her four-year-old niece in tow. But drama follows Letty to the Murmuring Surf Motel, where everyone is hiding a secret, from the oddball long-term residents to the owner’s dreamy cop son. With her trademark wit and fun, quirky characters, Mary Kay Andrews once again finds a way to balance the darkness of a suspenseful murder mystery with a perfect touch of whimsy and romance. (There’s even a side story about a litter of kittens!) This novel is a great escape.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Murder, theft, and shady real estate dealings feature in the convoluted plot of Andrews's so-so latest (after Hello Summer). Letty Carnahan, 33, flees Manhattan with her four-year-old niece Maya after Letty's charming but troublemaking younger sister, Tanya, dies. Letty believes Tanya was killed by Tanya's abusive and unscrupulous husband, Evan Wingfield, who's under investigation by the FBI for running illegal Airbnb properties, because Tanya had recently confided her fear of Evan to Letty. Guided by a magazine clipping in Tanya's "go-bag," which also contained $19,000 in cash, Letty stops at the Murmuring Surf motel in Treasure Island, Fla., where owner Ava Decurtis offers her a job in exchange for a place to stay. Letty endears herself to the older guests and catches the eye of Ava's handsome cop son, Joe, while untangling Tanya's involvement with a pair of local criminals who swindled the motel's guests out of their jewelry. In one of many contrivances, one of the criminals might also be Maya's biological father. Meanwhile, an FBI agent sets up a sting to prove Evan wants Letty dead. Andrews is great at making the motel community come alive, but a host of one-note villains weakens the narrative, as does the overly complicated story and unconvincing romance with Joe. This one is a miss.
Customer Reviews
Good but too long
The book is very good but it definitely could have been shorter. Would be a great read if you were on a long flight or road trip.
The Newcomer
What a charming book! This is the first I’ve read from this author, but won’t be the last!
I wanted something to read while on vacation, and could not be more pleased with my choice. I was engaged from the beginning. The characters ranged from the basic to quirky. It’s got enough suspense to keep you guessing with a little bit of a love story thrown in.
Can’t wait to read more books from this author!
Last half ruined it for me.
How this book has 4 1/2 stars I will never know. The last 1/3 of this book I wanted to rip my ears out with boredom. I listened to this book, and I could not wait for it to be over. With good editing this book should be about three hours shorter… less mundane and repetitive. So many details that didn’t need to be told and didn’t add to the story. Not even good chemistry between the cop and Letty.