Book ~ "Summers at the Saint" (2024) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ 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.

Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place and maybe even to find a new romance along the way.

The St. Cecelia (aka the Saint) is a lovely resort where only the wealthy are members or guests. Growing up, Traci was neither but she did work there as a lifeguard, along with her best friend, Shannon, when they were in their late teens. Traci caught the eye of Hoke, a son of the owner, and they ended up falling in love and getting married.

It's now 20 years later and Traci is owner of the hotel since Hoke was killed in a crash four years ago. Hoke's older brother, Ric, resents everything Traci does and doesn't consider her family. Since the pandemic, the Saint has been struggling and Traci is doing all she can to bring it back it to its former glory. Luckily she has staff, new and old. she can depend on.

Twenty years ago an eight-year-old boy drowned while Traci and Shannon were working and they haven't spoken since. Whelan, the boy's older half-brother, arrives in town asking questions. Then there is a sudden death of one of their employees which the police suspect is murder. More stress and pressure for Traci.

I've read many books by this author and liked this one. Judging by the cover, I expected more of a summer beach read so was surprised when the story took a turn and became a murder mystery (but I was okay with that). It is written in third person perspective depending on where the action was. As a head's up, there is swearing, violence and some adult activity.

Book ~ "Bright Lights, Big Christmas" (2023) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother and his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family.

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Kerry recently lost her job so heads home to the family Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. Her father and brother go to New York City every season to sell their Christmas trees but this year her father is too ill to go so she takes his place ... she has nothing else going on. Kerry and her brother, Murphy, spend the month living in a small unheated trailer with no kitchen or bathroom on the lot where they sell their trees. At first Kerry's not crazy about being there but eventually feels a sense of community as she gets to know people in the neighbourhood including a divorced dad named Patrick and his young son, an elderly man named Heinz who everyone assumes is homeless, a restaurateur named Claudia and more.

I thought the story was okay. It is written in third person perspective with a focus on Kerry. Since this is an annual thing for Murphy, he knows lots of people in the neighbourhood who are only too happy to let them use their washrooms, laundry facilities, etc. Considering it's New York City, I found it unbelievable that anyone would give them their key and free access to their condo. They seem to leave the tree lot unattended often and surprisingly no trees are stolen ... it's New York City! Given Patrick and Kerry have only known each other less than a month, I wasn't buying how they fell in love so quickly given the small amount of encounters they had. If you are looking for a nice Christmas story with a happy ending, this is it.

Book ~ "Irish Eyes" (2000) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ Callahan Garrity is the owner of House Mouse, a cleaning service that tidies up after Atlanta's elite. She's also a former cop and a part-time sleuth. She and her coterie of devoted helpers can ransack a house for clues faster than it takes a fingerprint to set.

When Callahan Garrity gets caught in a liquor store holdup on the way home from a St. Paddy's Day party, one of her best friends is shot. Callahan and her House Mouse cleaning crew dive into the investigation - only to discover that her old friend might have been working both sides of the law as an accomplice in a string of robberies. It will take every trick they've got to pierce the veil of secrecy surrounding an Irish police organization and prove that the case is more than it seems. 

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

Callahan goes to a St. Patrick Day's party with her best friend, Bucky, put on by the Shamrock Society, a drinking club for Irish police officers.  Bucky wants her to meet his new girlfriend, Lisa, who he is in love with, something that has never happened to Bucky before.  Lisa is a cop and is tied up with a case and doesn't show up.  When Bucky gives Callahan a drive home, he makes at stop at a liquor store along the way where he is shot twice in the head.  It's reported that that clerk working in the store disappeared that night with the store video of what happened and lots of money from the store safe.

Bucky is essentially brain dead and Callahan starts to investigate how this happened to her friend ... was he targeted or was in the wrong place at the wrong time?  She learns that he has been working part-time doing security at the store and other members of the Shamrock Society do security at other stores and restaurants in which the owners are eventually robbed at ATMs.  Coincidence?!

In the meantime, Mac, Callahan's longtime boyfriend has been offered a job five hours away in Nashville and he wants Callahan and Edna to go with him.  Edna's psyched but something is holding Callahan back from making the move.

The writing was okay.  It is written in first person perspective in Callahan's voice.  Because it was originally written in the late 1990s and is set in the late 1990s, they are still using pay phones, answering machines, cheques, VCRs, etc. Some of the terms used are now cringe-worthy such as the "N-word" and "coloured" which makes the book seem racist.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This is the eighth (and last) in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series. Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided.  It wasn't a great series but I read them all.  This book ended really depressingly rather than happily as most series do, which was surprising.

Book ~ "Midnight Clear" (1999) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ It's a few days before Christmas and sometime sleuth/full-time cleaning lady Callahan Garrity has things under control for a change, until her ne'er-do-well brother, Brian, shows up. He's kidnapped his toddler daughter, Maura, from his estranged wife, a vengeful shrew with the law on her side.

When his ex-wife is found dead, the cops suspect Brian. To save her brother and her holiday, Callahan, along with her irascible mom, Edna, and a gaggle of House Mouse employees, will crisscross yuletide Atlanta, going everywhere the search for truth leads. 

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

It's a couple days before Christmas and the House Mouse is having their holiday party ... when they are surprised by the the arrival of Brian, Callahan's younger brother, who hasn't been in touch with the family in about ten years.  Edna is ecstatic but Callahan is pissed, especially when he drops off his three-year-old daughter, Maura, who they didn't know existed.  Apparently Brian had married Shay, the local tramp, and when they split up, Brian didn't have any custody rights so he grabbed Maura and is hoping Edna will take care of her for a couple days as he gets himself settled.  Then Shay is found murdered and Brian, of course, is the main suspect and he's being less than cooperative.

The writing was okay, though the editing could have been better as there are typos.  It is written in first person perspective in Callahan's voice.  Because it was originally written in the late 1990s and is set in the late 1990s they are still using pay phones, answering machines, telephone books, etc. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This is the seventh in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided. It hasn't been a great series but this has been the best book so far (only one more to go).  I liked that it was less about the House Mouse employees' flakey side stories and more focused on the main story.  I found Brian to be an unbelievable character ... he cared enough about the welfare of this daughter that he kidnapped her but then pretty much abandoned her with his family who he abandoned ten years earlier.  He was disrespectful of the help that was given to him.

Book ~ "Strange Brew" (1998) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ The winds of change are blowing, bringing gentrification to Callahan Garrity's funky Atlanta neighborhood. Though it probably won't harm her House Mouse housecleaning service, not everyone welcomes the rebirth. And when the body of a murdered microbrewer is discovered in the aftermath of a furious Halloween gale, suspicion falls on the aging "flower child" shopkeeper whom the victim put out of business.

A former cop, Callahan isn't as quick to condemn a colorful local character as some law officers still on the force. But her investigative zeal is stirring up secrets that are forcing her to reassess old friendships and a one-time love - and is brewing up more lethal trouble than Callahan and her "mice" can safely swallow. 

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

The neighbourhood where Callahan and Edna live is cleaning itself up ... trendy and cool businesses are pushing out the struggling businesses that have been there a lot time.  One of them is Wuvvy's shop where she sells posters, teeshirts, etc.  Wuvvy is a the local free spirit who drinks, smokes weeds and sleeps with everyone.  There is a brewpub moving into Wuvvy's shop and she doesn't like it one bit and she's not quiet about it.  When the owner of the soon-to-come brewpub is found murdered, Wuvvy is the suspect, especially since she has disappeared.  Callahan's not convince that Wuvvy did it so starts to investigate.

While this is happening, a storm brings destruction to Atlanta and there is a lot of damage, including to Callahan and Edna's house.  But this brings extra business to House Mouse, which is good because they need the extra money to repair their house and van that damaged in the storm.

The writing was okay.  It is written in first person perspective in Callahan's voice.  Because it was originally written in the mid 1990s and is set in the mid 1990s (just after the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta) they are still using pay phones, answering machines, cheques, etc. Some of the terms used are now cringe-worthy such as the "N-word" and "coloured" which makes the book seem racist.  Edna was nastier than usual in this book ... she was fed up with the "winos", "bums", etc. in her neighbourbood so she forms a neighbourhood watch.  I found the craft beer angle in this one interesting.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This is the sixth in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided. It's not a great series but I only have a couple more to go so I've kept going.  This book was better than the last two.

Book ~ "Heart Trouble" (1996) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ Callahan Garrity has her hands full trying to expand her House Mouse cleaing business. So she's reluctant to take on a client in need of detective services, especially when that client is the most notorious woman in Atlanta - Whitney Albright Dobbs. Whitney is a wealthy socialite who, while under the influence, hit and killed a young black girl and just kept driving.

Whitney's light sentence has set the city's racial tensions on simmer and Callahan is not especially keen on helping track down Whitney's soon-to-be ex-husband's hidden assets. Against her better judgment though, Callahan launches a full-out search for Dr. Dobbs's dollars. But it only takes a glance to see that more than Whitney's alimony is at stake.

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

House Mouse has been asked to bid on a big job but Callahan would have to hire more staff if they won the job and she's having issues trying to find people.  In the meantime, she has been approached to take on an investigation job ... a wealthy woman is in the process of getting divorced and she suspects her soon-to-be ex-husband is hiding his assets and she needs someone to look into it.  Callahan can use the money but the wealthy white woman is one of the most hated women in Atlanta ... she recently ran over and killed a young black girl while under the influence and got away with it because of a technicality. The woman agrees to pay Callahan double her normal rate so Callahan accepts.  On top of all this, Edna is having heart problems so her health isn't great.

The writing was okay, though it could have been edited better as there were words left out. The storyline was more racial-charged than I was expecting and there was a lot going on (too many unimportant side stories like Neva Jean's husband buying emus and Callahan's sister and brother-in-law moving in because they are renovating their house). The ending came quickly and I wasn't buying it. 

It is written in first person perspective in Callahan's voice.  Because it was originally written in the mid 1990s and is set in the mid 1990s (just before the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta) they are still using pay phones, answering machines, cheques, etc. Some of the terms used are now cringe-worthy such as the "N-word" and "coloured" which makes the book seem racist. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This is the fifth in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series ... I read the first one in 2018 and recently picked the series back up again.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided.  It's not a great series but I'm now more than halfway through so I'll keep going to the end.

Book ~ "Killer Fudge" (2012) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ Atlanta private investigator/cleaning business owner Callahan Garrity once again proves her ability to clean up a sticky mess. When the grandson of faithful House Mouse employee Ruby is charged with brutally bludgeoning an elderly antique dealer, Callahan is called on to investigate. What she discovers is a recipe for homicide. 

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

Ruby, one of Callahan's House Mouse employees, comes to her for help ... her young grandson had been arrested for the murder of an elderly client he had been hired to do lawn work for.  Plus he'd taken a pile of cash from the old man.  Callahan investigates and discovers what really happened.  The solving of the real killer is pretty lame.

This is a short story in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series. 

 Also included is a recipe for a fudge.

Book ~ "Fatal Fruitcake" (2012) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ Atlanta cleaning lady/private detective Callahan Garrity, the protagonist of the author's eight critically acclaimed mysteries, returns from a long hiatus in this short story to track down the source of a killer fruitcake--and in the process discovers that some forms of Christmas spirit really can be lethal. 

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

It's the Christmas season and Callahan and Edna are putting up their tree.  Callahan gets a call from Jacky, one of her House Mouse employees, that while cleaning after an office party, she came across a dead body in the boardroom.  Panicked she called Callahan who advises her to call the police.  When Callahan arrives, the coroner has found a piece of fruitcake lodged in the dead guy's throat and deems it death by asphyxiation.  Callahan doesn't believe this and investigates and discovers what really happened.

This is a short story in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series. 

 Also included is the author's recipe for a not-so-fatal fruitcake.

Book ~ "Happy Never After" (1996) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ Since retiring from the Atlanta Police Department, Callahan Garrity is really cleaning up with her House Mouse housecleaning company - especially since she added "crime investigation" to the list of services offered.

Callahan agrees to locate the missing member of the popular '60s girl group, the VelvetTeens. Then lead singer, Rita, is found passed out drunk by a swimming pool near the dead body of the trio's former producer. The smoking gun in Rita's hand suggests that the VelvetTeens won't be reuniting for a comeback tour anytime in the near future ... unless Callahan and her "Mice" can spotlight - and survive - a different killer act. 

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

The VelvetTeens are heading for a comeback but are missing Delores, who no one has seen in about 20 years. Vondette, one of the singers, Delores' cousin and the ex-wife of a good friend of Callahan's, hires her to find Delores.  Rita, Delores' sister and a bandmate, has fallen into hard times over the years and is now an alcoholic,  When their former manager, Stu, ruins their potential comeback, Rita vows to kill him ... and then is found passed out at his house holding the gun that just killed him.  She is arrested and Callahan is then redirect to help her lawyer to prove Rita didn't do it.  Stu had lots of enemies so it could have been anyone.

The writing was okay, though it could have been edited better as there were words left out. The storyline was convoluted and there was a lot going on (too many side stories). The ending came quickly and I wasn't buying it. It is written in first person perspective in Callahan's voice.  Because it was originally written in the early 1990s, they are still using pay phones, CDs, answering machines, etc. and there are references by Callahan of growing up in the 1970s. Some of the terms used are now cringe-worthy. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This is the fourth in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series ... I read the first one in 2018 and recently picked the series back up again.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided.  It's not a great series but I'm now halfway through so I'll keep going to the end.

Book ~ "Homemade Sin" (1994) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ Callahan Garrity is the owner of House Mouse, a cleaning service that tidies up after Atlanta's elite. She's also a former cop and a part-time sleuth. She and her coterie of devoted helpers can ransack a house for clues faster than it takes a fingerprint to set.

Some people might call Callahan Garrity nosy but she prefers to think of her tendency toward snooping as a healthy interest in the truth. So when news reaches her of her cousin Patti's death during a carjacking, Callahan shakes off her House Mouse cleaning uniform to don her detective's cap. It's not that she doesn't have confidence in the Atlanta police - she used to be among their ranks - but the crime is too incongruous with Patti's suburban life to seem like a random incident.

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

Callahan is shocked and sad when her close cousin, Patti, is murdered in a carjacking.  Patti's young son was in the backseat when it happened and is a witness but has a mental handicap so isn't able to fully tell what happened.  The police are looking into it and suspect that it's gang related. But Callahan is wondering what her cousin was doing on that side of town where it happened because she rarely left her neighbourhood.  Callahan starts her own investigation by questioning and then alienating her family members.  There is a $1.5 million insurance policy on Patti so Callahan gets some help from the insurance company agent investigating it and friends who are still police officers but who aren't on the case.

The writing style and storyline were okay.  It is written in first person perspective in Callahan's voice.  Because it was originally written in the early 1990s, they are still using pay phones, CDs, etc. and there are references by Callahan of growing up in the 1970s.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This is the third in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series ... I read the first one in 2018 and recently picked the series back up again and read the second one last week.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided.

Book ~ "To Live and Die in Dixie" (1993) Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Hogan Trocheck)

From Goodreads ~ From her time on the Atlanta police force, Callahan Garrity, house cleaner and private investigator extraordinaire, has excelled at mopping up messes - of all kinds. But she has no idea what she's getting into when she agrees to work for infamous antiques dealer Elliot Littlefield.

The first day on the job she and her crew discover the bloodied body of a young woman in a bedroom - and are soon on the trail of a priceless Civil War diary stolen by the killer. As if two crimes aren't enough, deadly serious collectors, right-wing radicals and impulsive teenagers make the case even more difficult to tidy up ... and more dangerous.

Callahan used to be a police officer and changed careers when she bought House Mouse, a cleaning service that she runs with her mother, Edna ... but she still does private investigating on the side.

House Mouse is hired to do a large last minute cleaning of a mansion.  When they arrive, they find a murdered young woman in one of the bedrooms.  The owner of the house is an antiques dealer and the woman, Bridget, was his shop assistant.  In addition to the murder, some Civil War artifacts were stolen and the owner hires Callahan to find them which taggles her into the police's murder investigation.  There are many suspects including the mansion owner himself, who was acquitted of murder many years ago of a young woman but everyone suspects he did it.  Or perhaps it was Bridget's secret boyfriend because she thought she was pregnant.

The writing style and storyline were okay.  It is written in first person perspective in Callahan's voice.  Because it was originally written in the early 1990s, they are still using pay phones, VCRs, etc. and there are references by Callahan of growing up in the 1970s.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This is the second in the Callahan Garrity Mystery Series ... I read the first one in 2018 and for some reason never went back to continue the series though I liked it enough.  As with the first one, because there is enough going on with the storylines, I find it odd that the author includes health issues like Callahan recovering from cancer and Bridget's sister having eating disorders.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided.

Book ~ "The Homewreckers" (2022) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ Hattie Kavanaugh went to work helping clean up restored homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at 18; married the boss’s son at 20; and was only 25 when her husband, Hank, was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Broken hearted but determined to continue the business of their dreams, she takes the life insurance money, buys a small house in a gentrifying neighborhood, flips it, then puts the money into her next project. But that house is a disaster and a money-loser, which rocks her confidence for years to come. Then Hattie gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called "The Homewreckers", cast against a male lead who may be a love interest or may be the ultimate antagonist. It's a question of who will flip, and who will flop, and will Hattie ever get her happily-ever-after.

Hattie is in her early thirties.  She was widowed about seven years ago and continues to work for her father-in-law (who is more like a father to her) restoring houses ... they buy them, fix them up and then flip them.  Hattie is approached to be part of a reality show called "The Homewreckers" ... the show will follow her as she restores a dilapidated house.  She will be accompanied by Trae, a handsome charming designer, who unbeknownst to her is supposed to pretend to woe her to get more ratings for the show.  She sinks all her money (plus money she's had to borrow) in a condemned beachhouse and they get to work.  Not surprisingly there are sparks between Hattie and Trae but because everything is on the line with the house, that's what she has to focus on.

While they are renovating, a wallet is found hidden in the house that belongs to a well-loved school teacher who had disappeared 17 years ago.  No one knows what had happened to her but speculation was that she had run off with her lover, leaving her husband and young daughter behind.

I thought the book was okay.  When I started reading it, it came across as a light fun read about the behind the scenes of a reality show.  Then when the wallet was found and the story included the disappearance and possible murder of the teacher, there was a disconnect for me ... it's like the author was trying to stick two stories together that didn't fit.  I think each on their own would have been a better way to do it.  It is written in third person perspective.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Santa Suit" (2021) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love - but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it.

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit - beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love. 

Ivy has recently been divorced from her husband ... he had fallen in love with her best friend so she needs a change.  She buys an old farmhouse across the country she finds online and she and her dog pack up move into it.  It hasn't been lived in for a while and is in worse shape than Ivy had thought (she bought it without visiting it).  She has to clean and fix the house plus get rid of the furniture, trunks, boxes, etc. that were left behind.  

She comes across an old Santa suit in a box in the closet ... the former owner was the local Santa many years earlier.  Inside the pocket, she finds a letter written by a child named Carlette asking Santa to bring her daddy home safely from the war.  Ivy is curious to find out who Carlette is and what happened to the family.  

This is how she meets a grandfather who hasn't seen or heard from his granddaughter in many years, a woman who is excited to marry a man she's never met, a local shop owner who needs marketing help to keep her business alive and many more.  Plus there's the very helpful real estate agent who sold her the house who is very helpful and handy in fixing things around her house. 

This was a quick read.  It's a cute story written in third person perspective with happy Christmasy endings for all.

Book ~ "The Newcomer" (2021) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ 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. 

Tanya had been in a relationship with Evan, a sleazy rich guy, and they had a child together, Maya, who is now four, who her parents are in a custody battle over.  Tanya tells her older sister, Letty, that if anything happens to her, she should take Maya, along with her secret stash of money and a ring, and leave town and hide.  When Letty discovers her Tanya dead in her condo, she assumes Evan killed Tanya, and does just what her sister had instructed.  Letty heads to the Murmuring Surf Motel in Treasure Island, FL, because there was also an ad for it with the money and ring.

Ava, the owner of the motel, lets Letty clean up the junk room and move in.  Ava needs help so she hires Letty in exchange for a lower room rate.  Ava's son, Joe, is a police office, suspects Letty is hiding something so does some investigating.  As Letty and Maya settle in, they get to know the long-term motel vacationers but Letty never lets her guard down.  It's a good thing because back in New York, Evan is looking to hire someone to take care of Letty and get his daughter back.

I thought this book was okay, though a bit on the long side.  It is written in third person perspective with the focus on the various characters, including briefly a feral cat named Midnight who lives on the motel property.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I found Ava too trusting ... she let Letty move into a room, didn't ask for ID and let her pay cash (possibly so wouldn't have to claim it as income).  Joe keeps bringing up all the mistakes she has made in the past in trusting people over the years and you'd think she would have learned her lesson by now.

Joe was a bit unbelievable and immature.  He's a cop and had figured out what was going on in Letty's life so knew she had a lot going on.  But he kept pushing her to get into a relationship (he's a long-time bachelor but he fell in love pretty well immediately) and kept getting pissed when Letty would ask for space.  Not surprising, she eventually gives in and they live happily ever after.

I'm not crazy about kids in stories and found Maya annoying and whiny.  Everyone keeps saying how smart she is and in New York she had exposure to the best of the best but her vocabulary didn't reflect this ... I cringed every time she said things like "bited" or "hitted".  And then a couple paragraphs later this four-year-old used "ashamed" properly in a sentence.  No way!  And at one point she wanders off the property and is grabbed by a man and they hide in a culvert.  She is terrified and fighting and eventually gets away.  A couple hours later she does the same thing again ... wanders off!  You'd think she would be more traumatized by the experience and would still close to home for a while.

Book ~ "Christmas Bliss" (2013) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ Christmas is coming but Savannah antique dealer Weezie Foley is doubly distracted - both by her upcoming wedding to her longtime love, chef Daniel Stipanek and also by the fact that her best friend and maid-of-honor BeBe Loudermilk is due to give birth any day - and is still adamantly refusing to marry her live-in-love, Harry. 

Weezie is an antiques pickers.  She is engaged to Daniel, a chef, and they are getting married in a week.  He owns his own restaurant in Savannah and has seconded himself to chef at a high end restaurant in New York for a while (it's a great honour).  Meanwhile Weezie is at home preparing for the wedding ... getting her dress fitted, baking the wedding cake, arranging for friends to decorate, etc.  She getting a bit frazzled when she doesn't hear from Daniel because he's so busy so she heads to New York for a couple days to surprise him.

In the meantime, Weezie's best friend and maid of honour, Bebe is eight months pregnant and feels like an elephant.  Her boyfriend and father of her child, Harry, is a fisherman ... he wants to get married but she's been married three times already so refuses.  Then she discovers a shock regarding husband #2 and tries to rectify it without Harry finding out.

I've read a lot of books by this author.  This is the fourth (and last so far) in the Weezie and BeBe Mystery Series ... I've read the first three.  It was a light read (not much of a mystery) but I liked it.  It works well as a stand alone and you don't have to read the first ones to know what's going on.  I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective alternating in Weezie's and Bebe's voices.

Book ~ "Hello, Summer" (2020) Mary Kay Andrews

It’s a new season ...

Conley Hawkins left her family’s small town newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, in the rearview mirror years ago. Now a star reporter for a big-city paper, Conley is exactly where she wants to be and is about to take a fancy new position in Washington, D.C. Or so she thinks.

For small town scandals ...

When the new job goes up in smoke, Conley finds herself right back where she started, working for her sister, who is trying to keep The Silver Bay Beacon afloat - and she doesn’t exactly have warm feelings for Conley. Soon she is given the unenviable task of overseeing the local gossip column, “Hello, Summer.”

And big-time secrets.

Then Conley witnesses an accident that ends in the death of a local congressman - a beloved war hero with a shady past. The more she digs into the story, the more dangerous it gets. As an old heartbreaker causes trouble and a new flame ignites, it soon looks like their sleepy beach town is the most scandalous hotspot of the summer. 

Conley is a reporter for a paper in Atlanta when she gets a job offer in Washington.  On her last day at her old job she finds out her new job has now disappeared because the paper has just shut down.  With nowhere to go, she heads home to Silver Bay, FL.  She moves in with her grandmother and starts working at the family newspaper, which her sister, Grayson, runs.  Conley and Grayson have never gotten along so there is a lot of tension.  As Conley sends out feelers for another job, she starts working on stories in Silver Bay and the surrounding community.

I've read quite a few books by this author and thought this one was okay.  It is written in third person perspective.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

Conley's full name is "Sarah Conley" but she now goes by "Conley" (her second name) but her family calls her "Sarah".  I don't know why the big fuss was made about this.  I was waiting for the big reveal why she doesn't want to be called "Sarah" anymore but it never came.  Why didn't the author just give her a name and leave all the fuss out about it?  Another drama was about Conley's parents.  Her father had been dead about six years and her mother left the family years before.  This was a drama that wasn't needed. 

I found it weird that when the grandmother was in a scene, she was referred to as "Lorraine" and "G'mama" ... for example, "Lorraine said," whatever and then it the next paragraph "G'mama said," whatever.  It seemed weirdly inconsistent.  And having her grandmother referred to at "G'mama" seemed strange.

There was a lot going on in this book.  A local congressman passes away in an accident and Conley knows there is more to the story (she witnessed the crash) and she starts digging.  She starts to hang out with Skelly (Sean Kelly!), the "boy next door", who wants more than she is able to give him.  The local DJ has a mysterious past.  A cop investing the congressman's death is a slimy dog.

Book ~ "Sunset Beach" (2019) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ Drue Campbell’s life is adrift. Out of a job and down on her luck, life doesn’t seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother’s funeral after a twenty-year absence. Worse, he’s remarried - to Drue’s eighth grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they’re offering her a job.

It seems like the job from hell, but the offer is sweetened by the news of her inheritance - her grandparents’ beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach, a charming but storm-damaged eyesore now surrounded by waterfront McMansions.

With no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm, spending her days screening out the grifters whose phone calls flood the law office. Working with Wendy is no picnic either. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive beach resort nearby exposes possible corruption at her father’s firm, she goes from unwilling cubicle rat to unwitting investigator, and is drawn into a case that may - or may not - involve her father. With an office romance building, a decades-old missing persons case re-opened, and a cottage in rehab, one thing is for sure at Sunset Beach: there’s a storm on the horizon.

Drue is a 36-year-old server in a bar.  She doesn't really like her job or her boss and is fired.  Around this time, her estranged and successful father contacts her to let her know that she has inherited her maternal grandparents' rundown cottage due to the recent death of her mother.  Plus he offers her a job in his law firm.  With no other prospects, Drue moves into her grandparents cottage and works for her dad and his wife (Drue's former best friend but now enemy due to an incident in the grade eight).  Answering the phones and trying to meet quotas isn't Drue's idea of excitement but at least it's paying the bills.

Drue's interest is piqued when Yvonne, a former client of her father's, comes into the law office demanding what's fair.  Her daughter had been murdered on-the-job at the resort where she worked and Yvonne was awarded not a lot of money because it happened during work hours.  Drue doesn't think this is fair so starts digging into the case.  And in the meantime, she finds a box in her attic which included newspaper clippings about a woman named Connie who had disappeared 40 years ago.  She becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her.

I've read quite a few books by this author and thought this one was just okay.  It is written in third person perspective and as a head's up, there is swearing.

I found the story a bit convoluted with the two mysteries going on ... finding out what really happened to Yvonne's daughter and ensuring she had proper compensation and figuring out what happened to Connie 40 years ago.  Considering she had no experience or inclination in the past, I found it a bit unbelievable that Drue could/would jump right into being an "investigator".  The "whodunnit" in the present case came out of the blue and I didn't really buy it.  I didn't find Drue overly likable and had a hard time believing she was 36 ... she acted more like 26.  And I wasn't buying the love interest in the end.

Book ~ "Ladies' Night" (2013) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ Grace Stanton's life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool. Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account, and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style. 

Moving in with her widowed mother, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called The Sandbox, is less than ideal. So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man for whom betrayal seems to be the only commonality. 

When their "divorce coach" starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at The Sandbox and the unanticipated bonds that develop lead the members of the group to try and find closure in ways they never imagined. Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there?

Grace is a former interior decorator who is now a lifestyle blogger.  One night she discovers Ben, her husband, in the garage doing things he shouldn't be with her assistant, J'Aimee.  She runs J'Aimee off and then drives Ben's prized car into the pool.  The police are called and Grace leaves and moves in with Rochelle, her mother, who lives above the bar she owns.

Grace then discovers that Ben and J'Aimee have taken over her blog.  Plus, she is locked out of her house and bank accounts so is left with nothing.  When they go to divorce court, the woman-hating judge takes Ben's side and orders Grace to go to divorce counselling classes to learn how to control her rage.  There she meets Camryn, Suzanne, Ashley and Wyatt.  They meet and bond after each class at her mother's bar ... hence the name of the book.  Wyatt's wife, Callee, recently left him for a neighbour.  Wyatt and Callee have a young son together, who Callee doesn't hesitate to use to rile up Wyatt and his father.  Grace and Wyatt end up dating.

I've read quite a few books by this author and thought this one was just okay.  It is written in third person perspective in Grace and Wyatt's voice.  The editing could have been tighter as there were typos and grammatical errors.  Plus there was some weird math.  Wyatt says he's 38 with a six-year-old son.  He tells Grace that he had his son when he was 36.  Wouldn't that make him 42 not 38?!  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I thought it was odd that Grace moved out of the house the night of the blow-up ... the police didn't force her to.  They lived in a mansion with lots of bedrooms and Ben had locked himself up in the den.  Why couldn't she lock herself up in another room?  If it was me, I never would have left because it was MY house and because of what happened to her (Ben locked her out and the security guard wouldn't let her into the complex).

It was hard to believe she was 38 as she had the sense of someone much younger.  As successful as she was, she left everything up to Ben and didn't even have her own bank account.  He was able to shut down access to their bank account and credit cards no problem.  I found this unbelievable.  I'm assuming she could have showed up at the bank and made them give her access.

They landed in divorce court very quickly.  Could a judge really be that judgmental and have that much power that he could make Grace go to counselling but leave Ben free (with everything) to do as he pleased.  I might be inclined to check the laws before I'd be writing this into a story because it sounds ridiculous.

Wyatt and Grace met and fell in in love so fast after both had devastating experiences with the long term spouses.

Book ~ "The Fixer Upper" (2009) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ After a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed and homeless. She reluctantly accepts to refurbish Birdsong, the old family place in Guthrie, Georgia.

But, oh, is Dempsey in for a surprise. "Bird Droppings" would more aptly describe the moldering Pepto Bismol pink dump. There's also a murderously grumpy old lady who has claimed squatter's rights and isn't moving out. Ever.

Furthermore, everyone in Guthrie seems to know Dempsey's business, from a smooth-talking real-estate agent to a cute former lawyer who owns the local newspaper. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the pesky FBI agents who show up on Dempsey's doorstep, hoping to pry information about her ex-boss from her.

All Dempsey can do is roll up her sleeves and get to work. And before long, what started as a job of necessity somehow becomes a labor of love and, ultimately, a journey that takes her to a place she never expected back home again.

Dempsey is a lobbyist working in Washington for Alex.  She gets caught up in a scandal caused by Alex and he pushes the blame her way.  With no job or money, she heads to Birdsong, a big ole house that her father has just inherited from Uncle Norbert about an hour outside of Atlanta.  Her father says if she fixes the house up so they can sell it, he'll split the profits with her.  With no other options, she packs up her meager belongings and takes on this challenge.

When Dempsey gets to Birdsong, she discovers the house is in worse shape than her father thought.  Everything has to be renovated and her father has given her an $80,000 budget to get it all done.  So she has to digs in and start learning how to do the manual labour.  Plus she discovers that Ella Kate, Uncle Norbert's elderly and crusty caregiver, is living in the house with her dog and has no intention of leaving.

FBI agents are investigating the scandal and have all the proof they need to put Dempsey in prison for about 15 years.  But if she cooperates with them, they may be able to give her a break.  She eventually hires Carter, Uncle Norbert's lawyer, and starts dating his son, Tee.

I've read quite a few books by this author ... I didn't really like this one and didn't enjoy the story.  It is written in first person perspective in Dempsey's voice.  I hated the way the blue-collar locals spoke ... they sound so illiterate, for example saying "I brung this" or "I done that".  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.  There are recipes at the end of the book.

I found it unbelievable that one minute she is living a life in Washington with pedicures/manicures and suits and the next her father is sending her off to renovate his house.  He had confidence in her abilities because she coloured a couple chairs in her Barbie house about 20 years ago!  The next thing we know, she's sanding cupboard doors, stripping floors, etc. like a pro!

I didn't find most of the characters likable.  Dempsey is in her late twenties and graduated from law school but she had the maturity of someone much younger.  When news of the scandal hit and she was threatened with prison time and everyone was advising her to talk to a lawyer, she resisted ... because she didn't want to hurt Alex's feelings?!  Really?!

I hated Ella Kate and didn't find her amusing at all.  She was unappreciative and rude beyond belief.  I would have kicked her out of the house the second there was conflict.  Plus Ella Kate was stereotypically racist ... she wanted an "American" doctor rather than the East Indian one and she called a nurse "coloured".  Even Shorty, Ella Kate's dog, was cranky.

Dempsey's parents were awful.  Her father and stepmother were condescending and A-holes and never nice to her.  Her mother was a flake.  It was weird that Dempsey usually called them by their first names rather than "Mom" and "Dad".

Carter and Tee become Dempsey's friends and Tee is in love with her after about hour of meeting her.  Seriously?!  It seems like the story took place over a couple weeks and even though she pushes him away, Dempsey and Tee end up in love in the end (sorry to ruin the surprise of the happy ending).

I thought it was odd, though the story was written in and I'm assuming set in 2009, the only album Dempsey has on her ipod was Michael Jackson's Thriller, which came out in 1982, around the time she was born.  Why Thriller?!  I like listening to older albums but I mix it up.

Book ~ "Hissy Fit" (2004) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ Keeley Murdock's wedding to A. J. Jernigan should have been the social event of the season. But when she catches her fiance doing the deed with her maid of honor at the country club rehearsal dinner, all bets are off. And so is the wedding. Keeley pitches the hissy fit of the century, earning herself instant notoriety in the small town of Madison, Georgia.

Even worse is the financial pressure A.J.'s banking family brings to bear on Keeley's interior design business. But riding to the rescue - in a vintage yellow Cadillac - is the redheaded stranger who's purchased a failing local bra plant. Will Mahoney hires Keeley to redo the derelict antebellum mansion he's bought. Her assignment: decorate it for the woman of his dreams - a woman he's never met.

Only a designing woman like Keeley Murdock can find a way to clear her name and give her cheating varmint of an ex-fiance the comeuppance he so richly deserves. 

Keely is an interior decorator and engaged to marry A.J., the son of a local wealthy banker.  On the night before the wedding, at the rehearsal dinner, Keeley catches A.J. and her maid of honour and best friend doing naked stuff they shouldn't be doing.  Keeley freaks out and needless to say, the wedding is off.   A.J., though, hasn't given up and tries to woo Keeley into going back to him.

In the meantime, Keeley is hired by Will, a rich business owner who has recently purchased a plantation house, and he has a very aggressive schedule.  He wants Keeley to redo the house so it will be the marital of home for him and Stephanie, a lawyer.  Will, though, has never met Stephanie.  He saw her on TV on a telethon and fell in love with her.  By making a large donation, she has agreed to go to dinner with him.  He feels that once she gets to know him and the house, they will live happily ever after.  Seriously?!  I thought he was either very arrogant or very stupid to think this way.  And Stephanie is a lawyer but I thought she came off as very dumb.

On top of of this, there is the story of Jeanine, Keeley's mom, who had run off with one of her dad's employees 25 years ago.  Neither was ever seen or heard from again.  Keeley realizes she may have abandonment issues so decides to find out where her mother is after all these years.

I've read quite a few books by this author and I didn't really like this one.  I found most of the storylines (except for the one about finding Jeanine) absurb.  It is written in first person perspective in Keeley's voice.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I found the author's portrayal of some of the characters questionable.  The two gay men were so stereotypical and it made me wonder whether the author had ever met a gay man before.  There is an Asian woman named Selena and I thought the author's portrayal of her was racist and I cringed a bit.  Keeley seems surprised that Selena has a Southern accent.  And she's also surprised that Selena is making Shrimp Creole and not "some sort of chop suey or stir-fry" for supper.  Later when Keeley and her friend are talking about Selena, her friend wonders whether she knows any "kinky geisha girl tricks ... sort of like that whole Kama Sutra thing".

As I was reading this, I was happy that the author had seemed veer away from her usual style which was girl meets boy, girl and boy get together, something happens to break up girl and boy but they end up together in the end.  The last chapter was disappointing as apparently a happy ending can't happen unless a girl is finally with a boy (this came out of the blue).