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Book Review of Summers at the Saint

Summers at the Saint
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 637 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


I'm an occasional reader of Mary Kay Andrews and thought Summers at The Saint looked like a fun book to kick off my summer reading. It was ... but I was surprised this is a murder mystery - is that what MKA now writes?

It's set at the beginning summer on the grounds of a luxury resort named the St. Cecelia on the Georgia coast. "The Saint" has been owned and operated by several generations of the Eddings family, and the story is told from management's perspective. It was interesting to learn about the 'behind the scenes' aspects of running The Saint, and the sense of place is strong with detailed descriptions of food, amenities, and furnishings.

The plot includes many dramatic elements including family secrets, rich people behaving badly, rivalries, and romance. There's a contemporary nod to Dirty Dancing with young resort employees living on the grounds in staff housing.

This novel is long (450 pages) even at 1.75 speed, and it mostly held my attention. The audiobook, expertly narrated by Kathleen McInerney, felt like a movie in my mind.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access to the advanced listening copy of the audiobook.