The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews @mkayandrews @StMartinsPress #bookreview #contemporary #mystery

Title: The High Tide Club

Author: Mary Kay Andrews

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication Date: May 8, 2018

Page Count: 480

My rating:  5 stars

About the book:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Weekenders comes a delightful new novel about new love, old secrets, and the kind of friendship that transcends generations.

When ninety-nine-year-old heiress Josephine Bettendorf Warrick summons Brooke Trappnell to Talisa Island, her 20,000 acre remote barrier island home, Brooke is puzzled. Everybody in the South has heard about the eccentric millionaire mistress of Talisa, but Brooke has never met her. Josephine’s cryptic note says she wants to discuss an important legal matter with Brooke, who is an attorney, but Brooke knows that Mrs. Warrick has long been a client of a prestigious Atlanta law firm.

Over a few meetings, the ailing Josephine spins a tale of old friendships, secrets, betrayal and a long-unsolved murder. She tells Brooke she is hiring her for two reasons: to protect her island and legacy from those who would despoil her land, and secondly, to help her make amends with the heirs of the long dead women who were her closest friends, the girls of The High Tide Club—so named because of their youthful skinny dipping escapades—Millie, Ruth and Varina. When Josephine dies with her secrets intact, Brooke is charged with contacting Josephine’s friends’ descendants and bringing them together on Talisa for a reunion of women who’ve actually never met.

The High Tide Club is Mary Kay Andrews at her Queen of the Beach Reads best, a compelling and witty tale of romance thwarted, friendships renewed, justice delivered, and true love found.

The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews is a contemporary read with an added edge of mystery to it as secrets from the past and slowly revealed during the story. The point of view is mainly that of Brooke Trappnell, a thirty something single mother who is struggling to make it as a lawyer in a small town but there are flashes into the long ago past to a group of ladies that called themselves the High Tide Club led by now ninety nine year old Josephine Bettendorf Warrick.

If being ninety nine isn’t enough to know that Josephine’s days are limited she has also had to deal with a devastating diagnosis. Carrying a secret for the last seventy years Josephine wants nothing more than to make things as right as she can before she goes and also to protect Talisa Island which her family had owned and lived upon for years and years.

When Brooke receives a call from the eccentric widower curiosity wins her over as she wonders what services Josephine could need her help with and the urge to meet the lady wins over. The tale that Josephine tells is one of a long ago death and three friends she would like to make amends with by including their heirs in her new will which shockingly enough includes Brooke herself.

With wonderful writing it was easy to immerse myself into this read from the opening pages. Weaving the past into the present unfolded nicely along the way with more than a surprise or two to be found. I think more than once while reading this novel I was reminded a bit of Fried Green Tomatoes and it’s story of Idgie in the present reliving her friendship of Ruth and the mystery of who killed Frank Bennett which was always a favorite of mine. We have a bit of the same with this one and Josephine telling of her friends years before and a mysterious death to uncover. The High Tide Club though went one step further bringing the present characters deep into the unfolding tale. In the end I found this a wonderful tale that spans several generations of women and their lives.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online: 

Goodreads  /   Amazon

About the author:

MARY KAY ANDREWS is The New York Times bestselling author of 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.