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 … 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.
Praise for The Weekenders:
“This book has all the makings of a beach read…The perfect blend of drama, humor, intrigue, and just a touch of murder.” —Bustle
“Andrews has this ‘perfect beach read’ label down pat–and then some. The Weekenders is not just good, it is beyond good… Summer doesn’t truly begin without a Mary Kay Andrews book in your beach bag,so here is another winner and Top Pick just for you.” —RT Book Reviews (Top Pick)
“Andrews’ novels…are the epitome of relaxing yet involving summer reads, and her latest is no exception.” —Booklist
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Mary Kay Andrews writes some of my favorite beach reads they are engaging and easy to read. This story is full of romance, and even has a surprising twist that I did not expect!
The people we think we know the best are the ones with secrets we can’t even fathom.” That line in the book stood out to me that even though the characters thought they knew each other so well, they didn’t. I enjoyed this book and the storyline very much. It’s a story of secrets, mystery, lies, and deceit. It’s also a story of friendship, love, forgiveness, and letting go. I found the main characters or the High Tide Club girls, Josephine, Millie, Ruth and Verina become like friends to me. The present day characters of Brooke, Marie, and Lizzie were engaging. The story is a dual time line between the 40’s and the present. I like reading books that have a past to connect to the future and what leads to the place the characters are. The story starts out in the past with the women of the High Tide Club and a secret they promise to keep forever between them. Then it jumps to the future and where that secret has taken each one. There are lots of twists, turns, and surprises I didn’t expect. The story answered the unknown questions as I read along and kept me wanting to read to find out what actually happened after the beginning chapter. I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. This is the first book I’ve read by Mary Kay Andrews and I am looking forward to reading more of hers.
This was more like 2 1/2 stars. I really had to push myself to finish reading this book. I really did not like any of the characters. It was hard for me to get past what Brooke didn’t do with Henry’s father and I’m still mad at her for it. Brooke was not someone I really care about. Josephine wasn’t any better but as she’s sick and 99 you kind of over look her gruff nature. I also didn’t like Lillie or Felicia. In the end all the ladies did redeem themselves some what for me not to completely hate this book. If I wasn’t reading this book for an ARC copy I don’t think I would have finished the book.
*Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this for my honest opinion*
I swear for every 50 pages I read of this book, it seemed like 75 were added.It seemed to go on forever, and I felt that was unnecessary. It was a murder mystery, a multi-generation story of friendships, secrets and lies. But not as well done as others I’ve read and found that I ended up not caring about any of the characters…in fact, the 34 yo protagonist, I wanted to strangle most of the time. While I’m willing to overlook some implausibility, there were just too many coincidences here. I might be in the minority here, but it just wasn’t that engaging to me.
Have all her books except this one. Waiting. for a better price
This was my first book of Mary Kay Andrews. I definitely wasn’t disappointed. To be honest, I was surprised. I expected it to be a lighter read based on the blurb and the cover. It wasn’t completely light or completely heavy.
The characters in this one are definitely a great band of characters. They all have their own uniqueness that made the story even more intriguing.
Secrets are always a great plot point in a well written book. Trust me, there are plenty of secrets in this book. Once they came out, I couldn’t help but to be in shock and awe of them. There are a few that I figured out early on, but not to their full capacity. Some threw me, that is for sure.
Overall, this book is a great story about friendship, secrets long buried, and redemption. I can honestly say that I will be looking at some of Mary Kay’s other books in the future.
I have read every one of Mary Kay Andrews’s books. She’s one of my favorite authors and I look forward to each new book. I don’t know what to say about this one. Wow! I think this has got to be my favorite of all times. It’s very different from her other ones. It was filled with twists and turns, mystery and even covers two time periods, present day and 1941-1942. I think she has surpassed her other novels with this one. It’s a tremendous beach read. If you have never read anything by her, try this one.
Started slow, but then I could not put it down, loved it
Another keeper from Mary Kay Andrews. You can always depend on her books to be a great book to take to the beach or even to a comfortable chair for a #staycation. Great characters, amazing location and a story line with a touch of mystery that kept me interested from page one to The End.
This book was a little bit different that other MKA’s books. I really enjoyed the location off the coast of Georgia (familiar with the area). The book contains great characters that bring a few laughs, descriptions of the island make you feel you are there, and suspence regarding a murder in 1942 being unraveled in present day. A few twists (one that I saw coming) that keeps your guessing.
Finding her childhood friends and making amends was one of Josephine Bettendorf Warrick’s dying wishes. Josephine and her two childhood friends had created THE HIGH TIDE CLUB during one night of fun.
The girls were lifelong friends until Josephine had words with them. Brooke Trappnell was hired by Josephine to find these women or their descendants because she wanted to leave her island to them since she had no children of her own.
Josephine is an ornery woman who wants what she wants. Brooke desperately needs the money so she takes this job.
Brooke wasn’t sure she would legally be able to take on this assignment because she and her mother surprisingly were named in the inheritance that included twenty acres of land and a pink mansion.
THE HIGH TIDE CLUB is set in Georgia and has eccentric, fun characters. We follow Brooke as she goes on her search for these women and/or family members.
We also get the treat of going back to 1941 and seeing first hand all of the antics and mischief THE HIGH TIDE CLUB girls got into along with secrets kept and heartaches.
Ms. Andrews smoothly goes from one time period to another linking both stories and keeping your interest with her marvelous, detailed writing style and story line.
The fun of finding these friends and/or family members made this book delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the story line.
The story line became better every time I turned the page and especially when secrets were revealed about Josephine’s life and those in it.
The characters were the highlight for me as well as the location.
The island, its history, and its description made you want to be there with the characters.
I enjoyed the lives of the characters in 1941 as well as the present-day family members.
This was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews, and it was a very pleasing, entertaining read.
If you enjoy family sagas, secrets, and mysteries, you will want to read THE HIGH TIDE CLUB. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This was a good book with many twists and turns. Maybe too many twists and turns. It seemed to take a little long to get to the ending. However, still a good book and worth the read.
The High Tide Club by author Mary Kay Andrews is one of her best yet in my opinion! I really enjoyed the characters and the mysteries. The author carefully weaves more than one secret and mystery into the story. The beginning of the main secret begins on Talisa Island in 1941 between four friends. The full tale is told in different sequences by different characters. I won’t post spoilers, but there is a lot of emotions, secrets, and lies told over the years which will affect each of the girls in some way.
In the present day, Josephine Bettendorf Warrick is 99 years old and is dying of end stage lung cancer. She contacts a young attorney Brooke Trappnel and asks her to come to the island to discuss a legal matter. The state has been trying to take the property from Josephine because of the derelict condition of the once grand mansion. Josephine wants to fight till the end to keep her property from becoming another state-owned coastal park. The old lady also wants Brooke to help her locate the remaining three friends Millie, Ruth, and Varina or their heirs so she can make amends before she dies. These are the girls of the High Tide Club, Josephine’s friends who pledged to come together and party under a full moon and swim together.
Josephine dies before she can tell the complete story of why she wants to make amends. So the secret is still to be uncovered even after her death. Anytime there is a lot of money to inherit, there are family members ready to claim what they consider their part.
Brooke has a secret in her personal life, also. She is a single mother of a three-year-old son. Brooke is the only person who knows the identity of the father. She has her reasons, but her life is beginning to become complicated.
A very intriguing mystery with romance and murder and most of all, exposing secrets for the benefit of a new generation of strong women!
Great book
An entertaining listen with a touch of everything we love in our stories–friendship, familial love, mystery, danger, romance. Satisfying & enjoyable!
Have enjoyed all Ms. Andrew’s books!
I liked reading this book because it kept my interest to keep on reading to discover what would happen next and it had a very surprising ending.
I love her books. I am pretty sure I have read them all.
Great beach read – wonderfully descriptive of a little know coastal community.
I am a fan of anything written by Mary Kay Andrews!