Day: August 14, 2019

MKA’s The High Tide Club

Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Published: May 8, 2018
Audiobook

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: July 15 – August 7, 2019
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars

Book Description:

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.

Jessica’s Review:

The High Tide Club features Brooke Trappnell who is introduced in Save the Date.  You do not need to have read Save the Date first, but I would recommend it as you will know Brooke’s backstory. Save the Date was the first Mary Kay Andrews’ (MKA) book I read and she has since become an author who I will read anything she writes!   The High Tide Club has become my favorite of MKA’s that I have read!

The High Tide Club has a little bit of everything that keeps you reading: A little romance, a murder mystery that spans decades, a group of girlfriends, secrets and lies, making amends, and  family: the biological one and the ones you choose.

There are two timelines that connect: One starts in the 1940s, and the other is in present day.  I never lost interest in both timeline stories and I never figured the twists out. Everything fits and  flows together well.  Though it is a fun and intriguing read, there are also some serious situations that occur in the novel including rape and abandoned babies.  MKA may be starting to turn a little ‘dark’ in her novels, but they are still enjoyable and definitely easy beach reads. 

The High Tide Club is a longer novel, coming in at 470 pages, but I couldn’t really see any of it being discarded. I do have the book, but listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Kathleen McInerney.  I have listened to most of MKA’s books on audiobook and McInerney narrates them all.  Both of those ladies just go together like peas and carrots! 

If you have not given MKA a try you really need to! 

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My review for Save the Date is here.
Kim’s review of The High Tide Club (and more!) is here.
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Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK