The Summer Guests (by Tess Gerritsen)
I was truly sold on the Martini Club series when I “met” Tess Gerritsen during a Back Room author event. She was discussing The Summer Guests, the second book in the series, and I was immediately hooked by the premise of retired CIA friends solving crimes in a peaceful New England town. Over the past winter I read the first book, The Spy Coast, and absolutely loved it. I deliberately saved The Summer Guests for summer reading—and here we are.
Set once again in the coastal town of Purity, Maine, the story centers on a teenage girl named Zoe who goes missing during her family’s summer visit. Retired CIA operative Maggie Bird and her fellow ex-spies—who gather ostensibly for a “book club” over martinis—insert themselves into the investigation despite the local authorities’ insistence that they stay out of it. The case grows more complex when a body is discovered in a nearby pond. As the retirees dig deeper, they uncover connections between the disappearance, dark local history, and long-buried secrets.
Tess Gerritsen is a top-notch mystery storyteller. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book and the series so far. The Martini Club is a fascinating group of retirees full of wit and hard-earned wisdom. Acting police chief Jo Thibodeau is especially likable, and I appreciated how her character continued to evolve in this installment. The return of familiar faces in secondary roles was also a welcome pleasure.
I particularly liked how layered the story is. The opening scene is dramatic and unexplained until much later, yet it stayed with me the entire time, leaving me curious about how it would connect to the larger narrative. Mysteries keep stacking—the missing teenager in the present and the body in the pond from the past—opening the door to a web of family secrets.
I listened to the audiobook version from Audible, and Hillary Huber did an excellent job with the narration.
I’m already looking forward to the third book, The Shadow Friends, scheduled for release on August 25, 2026. In the meantime, this is another strong, thoroughly enjoyable entry in a series I’m happy to keep following.
Linked below, you can find my review of The Spy Coast and my recap of the author event.
As much as I enjoy growing all kinds of flowers, the stunning sunflower is my favorite. This growing season, we dedicated a portion — or two — of our vegetable garden to sunflowers and zinnias. Please enjoy these few snapshots of our sunflower garden.
Photo credit to my husband for the spectacular sunset photo — lostthepath.com
As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.
