THE NEWCOMER
Mary Kay Andrew
St Martins Press
May 4, 2021
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448 pages
I have mentioned this before: Mary Kay Andrews is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. She never disappoints….her books are always easy to read and entertaining. They are perfect for the beach but sadly I don’t think I have ever read one while at the beach.
The Newcomer is mostly set in Florida, at an old-style mid 20th century motel….I’m picturing something from the late 1950s in my mind. It is done in bold and beachy colors. I’m sure the style would be something from my childhood travels with my parents. Full of nostalgia. But, the timeline is in the present. Letty, our protagonist, is on the run after she discovered her sister murdered. She has her 4-year-old niece, her sister’s daughter, in tow. The little girl may have witnessed her mother’s murder.
The plot involves all sorts of juicy and bad components: murder, child endangerment, scams against senior citizens, kidnapping, shooting etc. etc. Of course, there is a reluctant love story developing during all the bad stuff.
Some of the events were a little over the top and unrealistic but it’s ok. When reading a Mary Kay Andrews story that is something the reader comes to expect. It’s fun to mentally boo the bad guys and cheer on the good guys.
I enjoyed all of the characters. The motel was full of regulars. They were a group of senior snowbirds who had come from the cold north to spend the winter in Florida. Some were cantankerous, some were sweet. It was fun to read about their activities: Aloha Bingo and shuffleboard and stealing the handicapped parking spot from each other.
The ending was not a surprise to me. But, in reading this book, I got what I expected. Fans of MAK will enjoy this fun beach book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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