Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .
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. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.
Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews is women’s fiction with some mystery and romance built in. Many stories are threaded together, and there are lots of crimes, mysteries, and cover-ups to add layers to it. You have to peel back the thickness of the many clues to not only figure out whodunnit but also why.
Set at an exclusive family-owned and operated resort in Georgia, there are secrets galore. There are also many who are not as they seem and have most of us fooled. Many roles the characters play in their personal and work lives, and sometimes they seem at cross purposes. There are many strong female characters and unlikely friendships and alliances. There is also a family legacy surrounding the hotel that takes an unexpected twist. There is attention to detail and vivid descriptions.
But there’s also a dark side, and Traci, the widowed owner who came from the wrong side of the causeway and was an “Ain’t,” is doing her best to keep it afloat while seemingly dependent on the wrong employees. There are twists and turns, sleuthing, bad decisions, lots of food, drinks, drugs, some laugh-out-loud moments, a few tears, and more. The crimes are solved one at a time, and most get their comeuppance, but it doesn’t seem all do. The epilogue gives a happily ever after on several fronts but didn’t go far enough for me.
Summers at the Saint is filled with people who expect nothing but the best when vacationing at the Saint. Relax in your beach chair, with a cold drink or two, under the umbrella with the beating sun, and form new friendships.
MARY KAY ANDREWS is The New York Times bestselling author of Bright Lights, Big Christmas, The Homewreckers, The Santa Suit, The Newcomer, Hello, Summer, Sunset Beach, The High Tide Club, The Beach House Cookbook, The Weekenders, Beach Town, Save the Date, Ladies’ Night, Christmas Bliss, Spring Fever, Summer Rental, The Fixer Upper, Deep Dish, Blue Christmas, Savannah Breeze, Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies, and Savannah Blues. A former journalist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
