The Newcomer

 I'm still a newcomer to Mary Kay Andrews' novels, but I thoroughly enjoyed her latest, The Newcomer (#1,046).  Possibly because most of the novel's action takes place on Florida's Gulf Coast, but the snowbird/retiree population in this story is all too familiar everywhere in South Florida.

Letty Carnahan finds her sister's body in her expensive New York apartment.  Tanya had told Letty that if anything happened to her, it was Evan Wingfield's fault, and to grab Tanya's pre-school daughter and run.  So that's just what Letty did.  Along with emergency money, Tanya had an old, faded clipping of the Murmuring Surf Motel near Tampa, Florida.  It seemed as good as any other place to go to ground with her niece.  It turned out to be an old-fashioned motel populated almost entirely "in season" by snowbirds from the chilly North.  They didn't take too kindly to a young woman and a four-year-old.

Fortunately for Letty, the owner of the motel takes a shine to Maya and offers a storage room as a place to stay if Letty is willing to clear it out.  Her son Joe, part-time handyman and full-time local cop, isn't quite as trusting as his mother.  Danger and complications ensue in this diverting suspense novel.

It's a perfect beach read with some interesting characters and plot twists.  Just the thing for when you are in the mood to be entertained, but don't want to do any mental heavy lifting.  Also, I thought the cover art for this book was very cleverly done, with Letty in the middle of shark infested waters.  It's the perfect metaphor for the book!