May 4, 2021
THE NEWCOMER
Mary Kay Andrews
St. Martin's Press
5/4/21
Fiction
Hardcover, 488 pages
Mary Kay Andrews, Queen of the Beach Reads, delivers her next page-turner for summer with The Newcomer. 

Chock-full of her trademark wit, humor, a dash of romance and a lot of suspense, the novel tells the story of Letty Carnahan, on the run after her sister Tanya's death. Checking into the Murmuring Surf Hotel, she finds herself at odds with the locals—and butting heads with the (admittedly cute) town sheriff. But can Letty solve the mysteries surrounding her before the law and a murderer catch up with her?


"Mary Kay Andrews is back with this perfect-for-poolside binge-rinding pick."
-Country Living

"A little bit romance, a little bit suspense, and everything you’ve come to know and love from a Mary Kay Andrews story, The Newcomer is sure to be a summer favorite!"
-Suspense Magazine
Dear Reader:

When I started writing The Newcomer, the only thing I knew for certain was that my protagonist, Letty, was on the run, from something . . . with a four-year-old child in the backseat of her car.

I pictured her pulling into the parking lot of a throw-back mom-and-pop Florida motel, The Murmuring Surf, at dawn, exhausted, terrified, emotionally wrecked by the memory of finding her sister’s lifeless body . . . and her niece, Maya, crying for her mother. Letty closes her eyes, and when she wakes up, a cop is tapping on the window of her car, demanding that she vacate the premises.

That cop, Joe, also happens to be the son of the owner of The Murmuring Surf. And when his sympathetic mom, Ava, overrules his suspicions and agrees to rent a storage room to Letty and Maya, things start to happen. The motel’s “regulars,” mostly silver-haired snowbirds who’ve been flocking to “The Surf” for years, regard these two newcomers with a mixture of hostility and curiosity. What deadly threat could Letty be hiding from? Who is she really? And what kind of dangers could be lurking in her past?

I hope you'll agree that The Newcomer is the perfect accompaniment to summer fun.

-Mary Kay Andrews
THE NEWCOMER
 Book Club Menu and Recipe
For the menu that follows I wanted deliciously beachy, no-fuss recipes that could be served poolside, packed into a cooler for the beach, or beautifully arrayed on a hostess’s table for your next book club gathering.

This simple marinated shrimp dish is one that even a confirmed bachelor like Joe-the-cop could whip up on the fly, and it’s best made with fresh Gulf shrimp like the ones found in the waters off Treasure Island, Florida, the setting for The Newcomer. Pair that with an easy-peasy bowl of Black Bean and Corn Salsa to serve with chips or red and yellow peppers cut into triangles for dipping. For something as sweet as new romance, make my oatmeal chocolate chip congo bars. 

My book club besties usually bring LOTS of wine to our gatherings, but why not surprise everyone with a fun twist on the Prosecco Sippers from my Beach House Cookbook? Use frozen or fresh strawberries and raspberries instead of peaches, and macerate with a little sugar to transform this cocktail into an entirely new creation I call Pink Shark Bites—a fun reference to the sharks—real and symbolic, that seem to be circling our heroine Letty.

Mary Kay Andrews
The Newcomer Menu
*Appetizer/Side Dish:
Black Bean and Corn Salsa

*Entrée:
Marinated Shrimp

*Dessert:
Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Congo Bars

*Cocktail:
Prosecco Sippers (recipe below)

Bloggers are celebrating The Newcomer release with a virtual recipe party. You'll find their creative book-inspired recipes and reviews on our party page. Follow #TheNewcomerParty on social media for all party posts.