Summertime Guests by Wendy Francis – A Book Review

If you’re looking for a mystery/thriller set in a historical hotel look no further.  Summertime Guests by Wendy Francis is the story of four individuals over the course of a long weekend whose stories surround the death of a female guest.

Plot Summary

Riley is an engaged woman at the hotel with her fiance and future mother-in- law to plan their upcoming nuptials at the Seafarer hotel. The wedding is going to be much larger than Riley had wanted, but neither her fiance or future mother- in- law seem to be interested in what Riley actually wants.  Jean-Paul, the hotel manager, is having marital problems as he and his wife adjust to life as new parents. Claire is a recent widow who has come to town as a break from a recent issue at work.  She’s hoping to reconnect with a man that she loved thirty years ago. Jason is at the hotel  to celebrate his birthday and to spend a romantic weekend with his girlfriend.  As the weekend unfolds, we learn more about the woman that died, and the determination of the others to change their own lives.

Book Review

I liked this book and the intertwining stories.  Each of the characters were well developed and the book was entertaining.  The seaside setting and the activities the characters participated in were appreciated. Furthermore, important mental health issues were discussed with care.  The only shortfall of this book, in my opinion, was that some of the stories were not as relevant to the death as others and felt to be a bit of an afterthought. Having said that, each story was enjoyable and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book.

Audiobook Review

I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Kate Marcin.  Her performance was very good, full of expression and well articulated.  My usual speed of 1.25x was comfortable. I would not hesitate to recommend this format of the book to those that enjoy audiobooks.

What I Liked About Summertime Guests

• The setting at a historic beach hotel
• The interesting, well-developed characters
• The compassion of the author’s discussion of mental health

I Recommend Summertime Guests To

Those readers who enjoy fiction with intertwining storylines.

Add Summertime Guests to your Goodreads shelf

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

The Survivors by Jane Harper

This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

Thanks for reading!  If you enjoy my reviews, please consider subscribing to my blog.  I hope that you have a wonderful day!