Tina Reads All the Books

Author: Mary Kay Andrews

Rating: 4/5 stars

Book Blurb:

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.

This was a solid read!

This was a mix of women’s fiction, romance and mystery – and it was a nice balance. When I saw the book was 472 pages, I was a bit discouraged because lately I have not been too successful with reading anything over 350 pages. I keep losing interest. However, I breezed through this book. It read like a really long cozy mystery. That may be a turn off for some, but for me it was a nice fit. I liked spending time with these different characters.

I didn’t agree with all the decisions Conley, the main character, made. She was intrusive as a reporter and I felt she may have crossed the line a couple of times with trying to figure out what was behind the senator’s death. Her grandmother was endearing and supportive of her granddaughters throughout the book. The story had a strong sense of family and a hometown feel that I appreciated. The story was a bit twisty, things that seemed connected weren’t and vice versa.

Overall this was a joy to read, which is all I ask for really. I look forward to reading more of Mary Kay Andrews books.