Take a Long Break from the Summer Heat with Mary Kay Andrews's Beach Read

by Donna Huber

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.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

May 2024; St. Martin's Press; 978-1250278388
audio, ebook, print (448 pages); mystery

We are in the midst of summer, if you haven't picked up the Queen of Beach Reads summer book now is the time. I usually think of Mary Kay Andrews's summer reads as suspenseful women's fiction as they feature women who are finding themselves with some mystery thrown in. However, this year's book Summers at the Saint is squarely in the murder mystery category. 

It is still filled with great female characters and there are a number of interpersonal relationships that develop over the course of the story.

I loved the characters. I was sad when the character I was most looking forward to seeing grow through the story turned up dead. I felt sorry for Traci. She was an "ain't" before she married one of the Eddings brothers. Unfortunately, her husband died in a plane crash and while she took his place as CEO of the St. Cecilia Hotel his brother and father never let her forget that she didn't belong. But that isn't the only reason I felt sorry for her. She was doing everything she could to continue her husband's legacy and someone was stealing from her. Did the thief think it was harmless or were they purposefully wanting her to fail?

Not only are the characters great but so is the plot. I didn't want to put this book down. If you are looking forward to a vacation (or weekend) where you do nothing but read, this book would be perfect. I highly recommend grabbing a cool drink, a comfy seat, and this book.

Buy Summers at the Saint at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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