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:
This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
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Wendy Williams
Lovely review Jodi. Sounds like such a good book. I love a book with intertwining characters.
thathappyreader
Thank you Wendy!
GWT
The type of read that sits well on a weekend like this. Lazy Sunday, double digit temperatures and refreshing ice teas. A read to escape with this summer.
thathappyreader
I can picture it now! Thanks for your comment ☺️
Jaya Avendel
I love that each of the people in this book have their own relationship with love and marriage. We have a widow, an engaged couple, a girlfriend, and even a marriage on the rocks.
Thanks for sharing a lovely summertime read; I enjoy little backstories and definitely like to see small lessons learned.
thathappyreader
Thank you Jaya!
Raji
Great review! The setting of this book sounds really nice. It’s great that all the characters’ arcs were well developed – I’ve found that mysteries and thrillers are often so fast paced that character development doesn’t get as much focus as it should.
thathappyreader
I agree! Thanks Raji!
Lisa
This sounds like the perfect summer read in a comfy chair with a cool drink – thank you, Jodie!
thathappyreader
Thank you Lisa!
Kelly
I really like the sound of the book, it seems like an easy read that would be perfect for sitting in the sunshine x
thathappyreader
That’s a great idea Kelly! Thanks for your comment.
Ali Duke
This is a great review. I love that it has intertwining stories that are connected by one event. This would be great for reading sat in the garden.
thathappyreader
Thanks Ali!