I picked up The Newcomer because I was looking for something fluffy with both romance and mystery subplots. Objectively speaking, The Newcomer delivered on all accounts. The story follows a young woman called Letty Carnahan, who must flee New York City with her four-year-old niece following the murder of Letty’s sister Tanya. Ending up in a family-owned motel in Florida called The Murmuring Surf, Letty hopes to find a safe place to lay low while trying to raise Maya. While she does find this, she also must deal with a suspicious cop, her own sister’s shady past, and a tight-knit community of elderly folks who do not look fondly on newcomers.
This book has a foot in both the romance and mystery genres, with a heap of the ‘found family’ trope sprinkled throughout.
Plot
Andrews’ plot development is the high point of The Newcomer. Although the book starts off a little slow, the suspense is worth the wait. This book never kept me up at night, but it did compel me to spend some long afternoons on the couch! Andrews carefully unpacks the characters’ shady pasts with more finesse than I (honestly) expected from a classic “beach read”. As the book goes on, Letty and the reader uncover more and more layers to Tanya’s past, ultimately putting together a final picture full of complexity and unexpected connections. While The Newcomer is not a textbook “mystery” story, Andrews’ web of betrayal and interpersonal drama provides plenty of intrigue.
I have to admit, though, I was a little disappointed with the novel’s climax. If you are looking for a high-octane thriller, this is probably not the book for you. However, if you want a drama tinged with some mystery, maybe the Newcomer will be a good fit.
Characters
Fortunately, Letty Carnahan successfully avoids catching Main-Character-itis. She is intelligent, humble, hard-working, and self-reliant in the face of adversity. After understanding how much she has struggled, to see Letty be taken in by the makeshift family at The Murmuring Surf is satisfying on both narrative and emotional levels.
Many characters are introduced in this novel (to the point where you may need to keep a list). While some of them do tie into the mystery of Tanya’s past, a lot of them are just some guy. There is an extensive cast of elderly “snowbirds” who also live at The Murmuring Surf and, boy, do they have a lot to say. The never-ending bickering of unreasonably stubborn old people is only cute for so long.
A point of redemption for many characters is their adoration of the little girl, Maya. Tanya’s daughter is inquisitive, sweet, and at times a little too smart to believably be four years old. Her dynamic with Letty (and others) adds emotional depth to the story, but overall I found most characters to be pretty flat. The Newcomer doesn’t claim to be a detailed character study, but I wish there had been more energy spent here.
Romance Although The Newcomer is advertised as having a romantic subplot, I had serious issues with the presentation of the main romantic lead and his treatment of Letty. The qualities displayed by the male love interest which drew Letty in would have signaled me to run away (and fast). He talked down to Letty and never took her decisions seriously. Any attempt Letty made to turn down the male lead was trivialized by the narrative itself; her statements were bracketed by wishy-washy verbs, overruled by “well-meaning” side characters, and quickly dismissed by the main guy’s own point-of-view. Andrews herself made Letty seem silly, fickle, and indecisive for trying to set boundaries against a pushy male love interest.
In conclusion, The Newcomer is not only a mystery novel OR a romance OR a story about a found family – it is all three. The novel’s versatility made the story well-rounded, but because it incorporates all of these elements, The Newcomer lacks true distinction in any one of them. This is a great book for readers seeking fluff, but maybe not for readers seeking true substance.
Rating: 2.5 of 5