“The Summer Guests” is the second novel in The Martini Club series by author Tess Gerritsen. This is a thriller that supplies a mix of suspense, mystery and intrigue in the setting of a seaside community. I have enjoyed reading Tess Gerritsen books for many years and loved the Rizzoli and Isles series.

The novel is set in Purity, Maine and features Maggie Bird who is a former spy, now retired but still can’t resist getting involved in local mysteries. Maggie formed ‘The Martini Club’, a book club where all the members are retired CIA operatives. Together they delve into any local mysteries using their intuitive minds to try and solve cases. This is a quirky series, plenty of humour adding to cleverly thought out plots and interesting characters. They team up with local police chief Jo Thibodeau to tackle two complex cases, the disappearance of a teenager and the discovery of a long-dead corpse.

The two mysteries are tied together and make a fascinating read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

After their former lives came back to haunt them in the small town of Purity, Maine, retired spies The Martini Club have settled into a life of birdwatching, book recommendations and - naturally - martinis. But when a friend is drawn into a disappearance, their skills are required to clear his name and find a young girl who has gone missing. But buried secrets don't stay buried for long, and some people will do anything to keep their secrets.

This is another fantastic book in the series - I eagerly awaited a follow-up after the first one, so I'm very glad it was another great one! An easy 5*.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this sequel to The Spy Coast.
Brilliant characterisation and so lovely to see older characters taking the lead and keeping it real.
Family secrets, community dynamics and hidden lies all combine for a gripping read.
A mystery with loads of twists, red herrings and a pacy plot.

Can't wait for the next one

Plot Twist!
Set in the late 20th and early 21st Century in the USA. Combination of abduction, murder, intrigue and mystery.
Thoroughly enjoyed this readable cosy thriller. 100% would recommend.

Second installment of The Martini Club and just as enjoyable as the first. This crime thriller romps along and I enjoyed every moment of it!

The Martini Club #2 - boozy book club get togethers by ex CIA agents led by Maggie, all now in their 70’s but still as sharp as ever. They enjoy life, martinis and solving a mystery or two, their skills put to good use by police chief Jo Thibodeau whether she wants their assistance or not!

‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’ William Faulkner.

The summer season is underway in Purity, main with summer guests and tourists that the town relies on beginning to arrive and Jo knows it spells trouble. One evening as she patrols looking for potential problems, her phone rings with the news that a teenager is missing. Zoe Conover, granddaughter of summer guests and owners of Moonview, which is one of the largest “cottages” on Maiden Pond. The search for Zoe leads the police and of course, our Martini Club into entirely unexpected areas.

The novel starts very dramatically and is in contrast to Maggie et al sipping their cocktails, watching birds and maybe, just maybe discussing their latest book club choice. The peace and tranquility of Moonview is also well and truly shattered. What a fantastic setting which adds a terrific atmosphere to a good read. Small town Maine is easy to visualise.

The characterisation is excellent with some unlikeable personalities in the Conover clan, who along with their friends, close ranks. The club members are very likeable and funny although you can understand why they drive Jo mad with their persistence, though inevitably with all their spy skills they lead her in the right direction. Eventually.

The mystery of Zoe and what is uncovered is intriguing, there are plenty of good twists and turns which keep me reading on thoroughly enjoying the plot. There are some bumps in the road, some diversions and red herrings. The storytelling starts in one place and takes a wholly unexpected direction. It is however, very believable. What is uncovered is extremely serious but as always our intrepid heroes provide much entertainment.

I’d love to share a martini or cocktail or two with them and dip into their delicious pot luck! Looking forward to number 3.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

So excited to have another instalment in this lovely series. There’s so much to get stuck into, the whodunnit of the crime but also the ‘who are they’ of our main characters who we are gradually learning more and more about. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy, looking forward to the next one.

Tess Gerritsen never disappoints, the second in the Martini Club series is as fast paced and unpredictable as the first. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Jo and the Club develop further and can’t wait to read more of their adventures!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

The Martini Group is back, and in fine form.

Several months have passed since the events of "The Spy Coast", and Maggie Bird and her ex-spook friends are enjoying their retirement, with the reading club (read, Martini cocktail drinking club) back on the agenda. Except, they are all getting itchy again, and bored with their quiet existence in the backwater village of Purity, Maine.

So when the daughter of well-to-do summer vacation family, the Conovers goes missing, and a good friend of the club is arrested, they quickly get back into harness and begin using the skills they gained as CIA operatives to investigate. Much to the frustration of acting Police Chief Jo Thibodeau.

And without further ado, the group are soon knee-deep in a mystery that goes back fifty-years and involves some of the powerful families which have dominated Purity for much of that time. The story is full of gorgeous characters - jealous brothers, spoiled brat teenagers, a Matriarch that just shouts "Bette Davis", and a mother who just wants her daughter back. The story unfolds at a brisk pace, leads are followed, the team make mistakes, and soon discover things about their own past employer they'd rather not have know. We learn a little more about Maggie and her cohorts, and what makes them tick, but really, it's the story that's so much fun.

Just like the first book, "The Summer Guests" reads like the very best episodes of "Murder She Wrote" (a story character even asks whether they are in an episode) but that's not a criticism. Nor is this book some cosy-crime novel. It's a fully formed thriller, with a cast of three-dimensional characters, and a plot to rival Lee Child or Robert Ludlum.

Highly recommneded for fans of thrillers and crime beach reads.