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Carolina Tales #2
The Sullivan's Island Supper Club: A Carolina Tale
Welcome to Sullivan’s Island, an idyllic beachside town just outside Charleston, South Carolina. This serene, unspoiled sanctuary offers tourists a picturesque taste of the lush Lowcountry while the locals enjoy a laid-back, small-town lifestyle. Amidst an eclectic mix of newcomers and natives, lifelong resident and social maven Tallulah Wentworth’s legendary monthly dinners have united an unlikely group of women into the very best of friends.
To outsiders, this sunny, seaside haven is nothing short of paradise, but the residents of this beachside hamlet know that it harbors its share of troubles. Everyone has an opinion about the most hotly contested local issue—how to manage the maritime forest that’s sprung up on accreted land—and civility is quickly running out at both town council meetings and in online forums.
When a neighborhood meet-and-greet devolves into violence, several pillars of the community are led away in handcuffs. By the next morning, a very real, very dead body is the newest addition to Sarabeth Boone’s spooky Halloween graveyard display. But who could possibly be responsible for such a heinous act?
Did someone finally snap over the mounting tension between conservationists and cutters? Or was this a premeditated act perpetrated by an opportunistic killer masquerading as a trustworthy friend and neighbor?
The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club weaves a tale of mystery, friendship, and love—new love, old love, and second-chance love. Discover the lengths these women will go to protect each other and uncover the truth, even when it shatters the delicate balance of their seemingly perfect lives.
With her uniquely Southern voice, Susan M. Boyer delivers a fast-paced follow-up to the reader-favorite Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island. Perfect for fans of strong Southern women, twisting tales, and the breathtaking Carolina coast, this charming whodunnit mystery marries scandal and sisterhood for the ultimate reading treat.
Be sure to make your reservation at The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club today!
To outsiders, this sunny, seaside haven is nothing short of paradise, but the residents of this beachside hamlet know that it harbors its share of troubles. Everyone has an opinion about the most hotly contested local issue—how to manage the maritime forest that’s sprung up on accreted land—and civility is quickly running out at both town council meetings and in online forums.
When a neighborhood meet-and-greet devolves into violence, several pillars of the community are led away in handcuffs. By the next morning, a very real, very dead body is the newest addition to Sarabeth Boone’s spooky Halloween graveyard display. But who could possibly be responsible for such a heinous act?
Did someone finally snap over the mounting tension between conservationists and cutters? Or was this a premeditated act perpetrated by an opportunistic killer masquerading as a trustworthy friend and neighbor?
The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club weaves a tale of mystery, friendship, and love—new love, old love, and second-chance love. Discover the lengths these women will go to protect each other and uncover the truth, even when it shatters the delicate balance of their seemingly perfect lives.
With her uniquely Southern voice, Susan M. Boyer delivers a fast-paced follow-up to the reader-favorite Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island. Perfect for fans of strong Southern women, twisting tales, and the breathtaking Carolina coast, this charming whodunnit mystery marries scandal and sisterhood for the ultimate reading treat.
Be sure to make your reservation at The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club today!
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2024
351 people are currently reading
16166 people want to read
About the author
Susan M. Boyer
21 books2,061 followers
Susan M. Boyer
is the USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Subsequent books have been nominated for various honors, including Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Picks, the 2016 Pat Conroy Beach Music Mystery Prize, and the 2017 Southern Book Prize in Mystery & Detective Fiction.
Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives. You’ll find all of the above in her novels. She and her husband call Greenville, SC, home and visit the Carolina coast as often as possible.
Susan loves to hear from readers. You can reach her through her website: http://www.susanmboyer.com/
Sign up for her newsletter to get recipes from her books and to be among the first to hear the news when the next book is scheduled for release.
Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives. You’ll find all of the above in her novels. She and her husband call Greenville, SC, home and visit the Carolina coast as often as possible.
Susan loves to hear from readers. You can reach her through her website: http://www.susanmboyer.com/
Sign up for her newsletter to get recipes from her books and to be among the first to hear the news when the next book is scheduled for release.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
October 3, 2024
EXCERPT: The morning after we hosted the Titanic of all neighborhood parties, Tucker and I were dead to the world, blissfully oblivious - a least for a few sweet hours - as to how spectacularly my plans to sow the seeds of unity in our small, fractures town had failed. I had tried my best to build bridges, I did . . . and every one of them had blown up in my face. Could there possibly be any bigger party fail than having to call the police, who hauled off several of your neighbors in handcuffs? My fall meet and greet was an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions is what I'm telling you.
ABOUT 'SULLIVAN'S ISLAND SUPPER CLUB':Welcome to Sullivan’s Island, an idyllic beachside town just outside Charleston, South Carolina. This serene, unspoiled sanctuary offers tourists a picturesque taste of the lush Lowcountry while the locals enjoy a laid-back, small-town lifestyle. Amidst an eclectic mix of newcomers and natives, lifelong resident and social maven Tallulah Wentworth’s legendary monthly dinners have united an unlikely group of women into the very best of friends.
To outsiders, this sunny, seaside haven is nothing short of paradise, but the residents of this beachside hamlet know that it harbors its share of troubles. Everyone has an opinion about the most hotly contested local issue—how to manage the maritime forest that’s sprung up on accreted land—and civility is quickly running out at both town council meetings and in online forums.
When a neighborhood meet-and-greet devolves into violence, several pillars of the community are led away in handcuffs. By the next morning, a very real, very dead body is the newest addition to Sarabeth Boone’s spooky Halloween graveyard display. But who could possibly be responsible for such a heinous act?
Did someone finally snap over the mounting tension between conservationists and cutters? Or was this a premeditated act perpetrated by an opportunistic killer masquerading as a trustworthy friend and neighbor?
MY THOUGHTS: Just, WOW! I got so much more than I was expecting . . .
The Sullivan's Island Supper Club is an enchanting book of friendship, family and community and I was right in there amongst these delightfully charming people as they supported one another through the varied crises people of our ages seem to endure - adult children and their children moving back home; structural problems in our homes; menopause; the ebb and flow of people through our lives; people putting environmental/political opinions before friendship; and that body in the garden . . .
If you like character driven mysteries and armchair travel, pick up a copy and get reading. These characters are (mostly) wonderful people who I would enjoy calling friends and the setting of Sullivan's Island is just perfect. I can still feel the sand between my toes and smell the scent of the ocean on a balmy breeze. And the food . . . there is a lot of delicious food described at these supper club get togethers. I just wish there were a few recipes at the end.
I am not going into the plot at all except to say that it makes compelling reading. As I said at the beginning, there was so much more to this book than I expected! I enjoyed every word. It is written with love, wit and wisdom.
The Sullivan's Island Supper Club, although #3 in the Carolina Tales series, is easily read as a stand-alone. I am going to be seeking out Books 1 & 2, and can't wait for #4 to be published. I'll also be reading everything else this author has written - I'm smitten!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheSullivansIslandSupperClub #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives. You’ll find all of the above in her novels. She and her husband call Greenville, SC, home and visit the Carolina coast as often as possible.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Stella Maris Books, LLC, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Sullivan's Island Supper Club by Susan M. Boyer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
The Sullivan's Island Supper Club by Susan M. Boyer was published September 17, 2024.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT 'SULLIVAN'S ISLAND SUPPER CLUB':Welcome to Sullivan’s Island, an idyllic beachside town just outside Charleston, South Carolina. This serene, unspoiled sanctuary offers tourists a picturesque taste of the lush Lowcountry while the locals enjoy a laid-back, small-town lifestyle. Amidst an eclectic mix of newcomers and natives, lifelong resident and social maven Tallulah Wentworth’s legendary monthly dinners have united an unlikely group of women into the very best of friends.
To outsiders, this sunny, seaside haven is nothing short of paradise, but the residents of this beachside hamlet know that it harbors its share of troubles. Everyone has an opinion about the most hotly contested local issue—how to manage the maritime forest that’s sprung up on accreted land—and civility is quickly running out at both town council meetings and in online forums.
When a neighborhood meet-and-greet devolves into violence, several pillars of the community are led away in handcuffs. By the next morning, a very real, very dead body is the newest addition to Sarabeth Boone’s spooky Halloween graveyard display. But who could possibly be responsible for such a heinous act?
Did someone finally snap over the mounting tension between conservationists and cutters? Or was this a premeditated act perpetrated by an opportunistic killer masquerading as a trustworthy friend and neighbor?
MY THOUGHTS: Just, WOW! I got so much more than I was expecting . . .
The Sullivan's Island Supper Club is an enchanting book of friendship, family and community and I was right in there amongst these delightfully charming people as they supported one another through the varied crises people of our ages seem to endure - adult children and their children moving back home; structural problems in our homes; menopause; the ebb and flow of people through our lives; people putting environmental/political opinions before friendship; and that body in the garden . . .
If you like character driven mysteries and armchair travel, pick up a copy and get reading. These characters are (mostly) wonderful people who I would enjoy calling friends and the setting of Sullivan's Island is just perfect. I can still feel the sand between my toes and smell the scent of the ocean on a balmy breeze. And the food . . . there is a lot of delicious food described at these supper club get togethers. I just wish there were a few recipes at the end.
I am not going into the plot at all except to say that it makes compelling reading. As I said at the beginning, there was so much more to this book than I expected! I enjoyed every word. It is written with love, wit and wisdom.
The Sullivan's Island Supper Club, although #3 in the Carolina Tales series, is easily read as a stand-alone. I am going to be seeking out Books 1 & 2, and can't wait for #4 to be published. I'll also be reading everything else this author has written - I'm smitten!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheSullivansIslandSupperClub #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives. You’ll find all of the above in her novels. She and her husband call Greenville, SC, home and visit the Carolina coast as often as possible.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Stella Maris Books, LLC, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Sullivan's Island Supper Club by Susan M. Boyer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
The Sullivan's Island Supper Club by Susan M. Boyer was published September 17, 2024.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
September 16, 2024
The first book in this series was amazing, so I was really excited for this one. It starts off with a murder, which immediately drew me in, and I was eager to see where the story would go. However, the narrative then jumps back in time, with different chapters focusing on different characters. Unfortunately, I found myself getting lost in all the characters, and the sheer number of them seemed to slow down the progression of the story.
August 18, 2024
I received an ARC copy and I’m voluntarily leaving my review. If you are a previous reader of Susan M. Boyer’s Liz Talbot cozy mystery series, then you understand why her fans are so excited when she began a new cozy mystery series, Carolina Tales, with her book Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island. She has now released her second book in the Carolina Tales series, The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club. I love her Southern character descriptions, the food, and most of all our South Carolina Lowcountry outside of Charleston called Sullivan’s Island. To visit this location is to love it. Grab both books in the Carolina Tales series. You will be glad you did!
August 24, 2024
Ms. Boyer has captured my heart again with this new series. She has such a talent for making her characters come alive. This book is wonderfully written and easy to follow. Each character could stand on her own and have a great story, but putting them all together in this book keeps you wanting more, even after it has ended. I highly recommend anything by Susan M. Boyer. You won’t be disappointed.
September 22, 2024
I love Susan Boyer's novels. I should have read "Beginnings" first, and I possibly would have enjoyed this more. I do appreciate getting to know all the characters, but my biggest issue with this novel was we were more than 3/4 through the book before finding out who the body was that was found in the first pages. I like to try to find the clues to the mystery resolution as I'm reading! To leave the victim a mystery for that long just took the enjoyment down a few notches. I also thought some of the zing was missing in a lot of the dialogue, with the exception of Tallulah and Fish. Just not a fan of this one, Susan. But will continue to read everything you write.
September 12, 2024
These books are so fabulous. The characters just come to life on the pages and you just want to live on sullivan's island.
Simply fabulous stories. This is the second book I've read by this author and simply won't
Be the last.
This author Gives us a wonderful Picture painted right before your eyes in a story. Simply amazing book.
The first book in the series was my favorite. But this one just adds so much more, and you'll just want to read them all.
I love this author's work fastly becoming a fan.
Simply fabulous stories. This is the second book I've read by this author and simply won't
Be the last.
This author Gives us a wonderful Picture painted right before your eyes in a story. Simply amazing book.
The first book in the series was my favorite. But this one just adds so much more, and you'll just want to read them all.
I love this author's work fastly becoming a fan.
September 22, 2024
An almost perfect life at the beach
The characters in this story are all well drawn and real. The mystery unexpected and sad. I thoroughly enjoyed this next story in the Sullivan Island series.
The characters in this story are all well drawn and real. The mystery unexpected and sad. I thoroughly enjoyed this next story in the Sullivan Island series.
August 16, 2024
Another wonderful mystery set in the Lowcountry by Susan M. Boyer. The Sullivan's Island Supper Club has lots of interesting, interconnected characters. You'll get hooked on the story from page one with hopes that you could also be one of the invited people at the monthly supper! As you get to know the Sullivan Island neighbors, you will become immeshed in their stories. Add sea breezes, lovely homes, delightful characters, delicious food, and mysterious circumstances, and you wind up with a tremendous read! Well done!
September 17, 2024
I loved it! This is one of my favorite authors! I was drawn into the lives of this group of women revolving around their monthly supper club. The kindness and support they give one another through the day to day ups and downs was touching. Especially when they had to confront truths they didn't want to accept. There are mini mysteries throughout this book but what really shines is the compassion shown among the friends. I hope one day I'll be invited to join! ARC Stella Maris Books LLC
August 18, 2024
Once you get into this book, you'll really wish you could have an invitation to the supper club. The characters are people I'd really love to be friends with. The things they're all going through, to some extent, are things I can relate to. (Except maybe the dead body in the yard and the sketchy parents.) And the scenery and food! Susan Boyer has a wonderful way with words that make you feel the sea breeze and taste the Southern fare.
September 17, 2024
I love the continuation of the Carolina Tales series. Monthly dinners-- a way to enjoy the company of different women from Sullivan's Island. They're all friends, aren't they?! Until there is a disagreement about the maritime forest which has left some residents with no beach view...and then there's that little deal about a murder?! Susan Boyer has again written an excellent book of suspense and friendship. Stick around for there are more adventures ahead.
September 18, 2024
Good but not great
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island, and was looking forward to this one. However, I’m not a fan of the format. The book starts out with a murder but then goes back in time. There are a lot of characters that have a multitude of issues in their lives. At times, it’s hard to remember everyone and each thing that’s happening. By the time I reached the end of the book, I was trying to remember the details of the murder. Also, in the first book the main character was Hadley but she has a very small role in this book.
Overall, I enjoyed it but it would have been nice to maybe not have as many characters and storylines.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island, and was looking forward to this one. However, I’m not a fan of the format. The book starts out with a murder but then goes back in time. There are a lot of characters that have a multitude of issues in their lives. At times, it’s hard to remember everyone and each thing that’s happening. By the time I reached the end of the book, I was trying to remember the details of the murder. Also, in the first book the main character was Hadley but she has a very small role in this book.
Overall, I enjoyed it but it would have been nice to maybe not have as many characters and storylines.
November 19, 2024
4.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed this book! It was southern women's fiction with a bit of mystery, and I was all about it! This is the 2nd book in the author's Carolina Tales Series, and I will be highly anticipating the 3rd!
Long time Sullivan's Island resident, Tallulah Wentworth loves throwing her monthly dinner parties. Her group of friends has been her saving grace since losing her husband. The group varies in age and is unique. However , things aren't quite as picturesque as they seem in this idyllic beachside town. Everyone seems to have a difference of opinion about how the maritime forest on accreted land should be handled. When things really start to heat up, they decide to hold a neighborhood meet and greet. Everything seems to be going ok until a heated argument breaks up the party and the police are called. But how did the police miss the dead body in the front yard? Is this dispute really worth killing over?
Told in multiple POVs & multiple timelines, this was an immersive, character driven read. I loved getting to know the characters and their backstories. The drama kept me thoroughly entertained, and the mystery kept me guessing. I absolutely adored the atomspheric setting of Sullivan's Island, SC. The author does a great job of making you feel like you're really there. If you're looking for a cozy beachside mystery look no further, I highly recommend this one!
I really enjoyed this book! It was southern women's fiction with a bit of mystery, and I was all about it! This is the 2nd book in the author's Carolina Tales Series, and I will be highly anticipating the 3rd!
Long time Sullivan's Island resident, Tallulah Wentworth loves throwing her monthly dinner parties. Her group of friends has been her saving grace since losing her husband. The group varies in age and is unique. However , things aren't quite as picturesque as they seem in this idyllic beachside town. Everyone seems to have a difference of opinion about how the maritime forest on accreted land should be handled. When things really start to heat up, they decide to hold a neighborhood meet and greet. Everything seems to be going ok until a heated argument breaks up the party and the police are called. But how did the police miss the dead body in the front yard? Is this dispute really worth killing over?
Told in multiple POVs & multiple timelines, this was an immersive, character driven read. I loved getting to know the characters and their backstories. The drama kept me thoroughly entertained, and the mystery kept me guessing. I absolutely adored the atomspheric setting of Sullivan's Island, SC. The author does a great job of making you feel like you're really there. If you're looking for a cozy beachside mystery look no further, I highly recommend this one!
September 19, 2024
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review. Boyer does it again! Her ability to craft a story, craft genuine characters, and transport me to Sullivan’s Island. The Supper Club ladies are all dynamic, the first book in the series was amazing and this one brings us more into contact with the club.
It’s not wonder why the fans of Susan M. Boyer are loyal. I’ve been following along for multiple series now and the content NEVER disappoints. I will keep following along with this series and all the Supper Club ladies!
It’s not wonder why the fans of Susan M. Boyer are loyal. I’ve been following along for multiple series now and the content NEVER disappoints. I will keep following along with this series and all the Supper Club ladies!
November 24, 2024
Love this series! This one centered on really getting to know the members of the Supper Club, but there were still a couple of mysteries. I did miss Hadley being more central to the story, but I believe the next book coming 4/25 will take care of that!
November 1, 2024
A nice read. Lots of characters and sub plots. The ending was a little different than what I figured. Looking forward to the next mystery for you his group.
October 27, 2024
3 1/2
The "backstory" to the characters in the Sullivan's Island Supper Club. And there are a LOT of characters.
I have read all of Susan Boyer's books. For the readers that are just getting into this series, you need to know that she plans to alternate between a Hadley-solves-a-crime and Supper Club characters.
Note-- there really isn't a mystery or case Hadley is working on, but there is a suspense to the identity of some characters, a dead body is discovered in the first few pages, but the story travels back to five months previously and spends a lot of time there developing the Supper Club members' lives before the murder is quickly solved about 95% through the book.
Looking forward to the next book in the series!
The "backstory" to the characters in the Sullivan's Island Supper Club. And there are a LOT of characters.
I have read all of Susan Boyer's books. For the readers that are just getting into this series, you need to know that she plans to alternate between a Hadley-solves-a-crime and Supper Club characters.
Note-- there really isn't a mystery or case Hadley is working on, but there is a suspense to the identity of some characters, a dead body is discovered in the first few pages, but the story travels back to five months previously and spends a lot of time there developing the Supper Club members' lives before the murder is quickly solved about 95% through the book.
Looking forward to the next book in the series!
December 17, 2024
Normally I don't find it difficult to follow the plot of a book (which is part of a series), and its characters even if I haven't read the first book.
However, I struggled with this particular book even though it is only the second book in the series. According to the blurb it is supposed to be a southern cosy murder mystery but the actual murder does not take place until the 85-90% mark and it gets solved in a jiffy.
Plus, there are a lot of characters and the major portion of the book is taken up by their personal, professional and and romantic issues which seems to be carried forward from the first book. It was a struggle keeping track of all the characters while listening to the audiobook even though there was nothing wrong with the vocal performance. I feel this is a series that should best be read from the beginning to better understand all the characters and their stories and it is highly rated on Goodreads.
I received an ALC of the book from the publisher Dreamscape Select/Stella Maris Books LLC and the author via NetGalley.
Rating: ⭐⭐✨💫
However, I struggled with this particular book even though it is only the second book in the series. According to the blurb it is supposed to be a southern cosy murder mystery but the actual murder does not take place until the 85-90% mark and it gets solved in a jiffy.
Plus, there are a lot of characters and the major portion of the book is taken up by their personal, professional and and romantic issues which seems to be carried forward from the first book. It was a struggle keeping track of all the characters while listening to the audiobook even though there was nothing wrong with the vocal performance. I feel this is a series that should best be read from the beginning to better understand all the characters and their stories and it is highly rated on Goodreads.
I received an ALC of the book from the publisher Dreamscape Select/Stella Maris Books LLC and the author via NetGalley.
Rating: ⭐⭐✨💫
March 30, 2025
Got exactly what I wished for and more 🥰
The way Boyer manages to teleport you right there with the ladies and their mens, is downright a wonderful experience! I absolutely adore these ladies and their mouthwatering taste for food, drinks and a good old time together. Truly hoping there will be more books in this series as I'm not ready to say goodbye yet 🫶🏼
The way Boyer manages to teleport you right there with the ladies and their mens, is downright a wonderful experience! I absolutely adore these ladies and their mouthwatering taste for food, drinks and a good old time together. Truly hoping there will be more books in this series as I'm not ready to say goodbye yet 🫶🏼
January 16, 2025
When I opened this book by Susan M. Boyer, I knew it was going to be hours of entertainment. She packed it all in with a good mystery, fun at the beach and lots of comfort food. But mostly, she emphasized the importance of community support and kindness.
There wasn’t a dull moment in this story. Eight women along with their husbands or guests couldn’t wait to get together each month at “The Supper Club.” Each event had music and a spread with all sorts of southern dishes. My stomach couldn’t stop craving a bite of the tea sandwiches and sweet potato biscuits or salad with blue cheese crumbles and candied pecans. Yet, even with all the plans in place for the host, something had to go horribly wrong at one of the gatherings.
I loved how she described some of my favorite restaurants and places on Sullivan’s Island. It truly is a beautiful place. In the book, you can picture yourself with these ladies having to sort out all kinds of life events together. For readers that aren’t close enough to smell the salty sea, then this is the next best thing.
After the last chapter, I went on to read the Author’s Notes and Acknowledgements. It doesn’t happen very often but when an author includes the readers, it makes me smile. Susan Boyer said, “Because of you I get to spend my days doing the job I love. I am endlessly grateful.”
I am pleased that she not only gives us something to look forward to with her books but also sponsors a gathering of our own on Facebook. “The Low Country Book Club” is where I learned about her books as well as many other upcoming beach reads.
There wasn’t a dull moment in this story. Eight women along with their husbands or guests couldn’t wait to get together each month at “The Supper Club.” Each event had music and a spread with all sorts of southern dishes. My stomach couldn’t stop craving a bite of the tea sandwiches and sweet potato biscuits or salad with blue cheese crumbles and candied pecans. Yet, even with all the plans in place for the host, something had to go horribly wrong at one of the gatherings.
I loved how she described some of my favorite restaurants and places on Sullivan’s Island. It truly is a beautiful place. In the book, you can picture yourself with these ladies having to sort out all kinds of life events together. For readers that aren’t close enough to smell the salty sea, then this is the next best thing.
After the last chapter, I went on to read the Author’s Notes and Acknowledgements. It doesn’t happen very often but when an author includes the readers, it makes me smile. Susan Boyer said, “Because of you I get to spend my days doing the job I love. I am endlessly grateful.”
I am pleased that she not only gives us something to look forward to with her books but also sponsors a gathering of our own on Facebook. “The Low Country Book Club” is where I learned about her books as well as many other upcoming beach reads.
August 17, 2024
(Contains a few spoilers) Sullivan’s Island Supper Club is another brilliant addition to Susan Boyer’s world of novels and her Carolina Tales series. I absolutely loved it!
The group of women friends, young and old, married and single, who live on Sullivan’s Island, and their men, boyfriends and husbands and lovers, are sweet and saucy, unique and fascinating, and extraordinarily fun to get to know.
The women meet once a week for happy hour and gossip and the couples meet once a month for Supper Club.
Often discussed at each is the big topic of conversation on the island which are the trees and brush encroaching on beach views of many home owners and causing extreme disagreements on the island. Some want to cut them all down. Others, environmentalists, want to keep the land pristine.
One of the newer couples decides to have a fall meet and greet to try to get the two factions who are neighbors to be more friendly to each other.
But the next morning a dead body is found in their front yard. It’s the husband of one of the newer Supper Club members. She is also a U.S. Marshal whose house has also been broken into and some art work stolen. Only she knows it was planted to tempt the parents of another Supper Club member, who thinks her parents are in witness protection when in reality they are art thieves in hiding. And they have just run out of town.
Solving the murder and the art theft turns out to be a thorny situation that also saves the life of another Supper Club member and puts still another one behind bars. And two more get married. But you’ll have to definitely read this wonderfully imaginative book to find out what happens! Enjoy!
The group of women friends, young and old, married and single, who live on Sullivan’s Island, and their men, boyfriends and husbands and lovers, are sweet and saucy, unique and fascinating, and extraordinarily fun to get to know.
The women meet once a week for happy hour and gossip and the couples meet once a month for Supper Club.
Often discussed at each is the big topic of conversation on the island which are the trees and brush encroaching on beach views of many home owners and causing extreme disagreements on the island. Some want to cut them all down. Others, environmentalists, want to keep the land pristine.
One of the newer couples decides to have a fall meet and greet to try to get the two factions who are neighbors to be more friendly to each other.
But the next morning a dead body is found in their front yard. It’s the husband of one of the newer Supper Club members. She is also a U.S. Marshal whose house has also been broken into and some art work stolen. Only she knows it was planted to tempt the parents of another Supper Club member, who thinks her parents are in witness protection when in reality they are art thieves in hiding. And they have just run out of town.
Solving the murder and the art theft turns out to be a thorny situation that also saves the life of another Supper Club member and puts still another one behind bars. And two more get married. But you’ll have to definitely read this wonderfully imaginative book to find out what happens! Enjoy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2024
I received an ARC to give an honest review of this novel.
This book is the second in a series of The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club. I would strongly recommend you read the previous book, “Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island”. The author has conveniently listed the cast of characters in her preface so you can help keep track of everyone.
Susan has woven this new story about a group of residents of the SC island that plays like a vignette of everyday dramas and relationships. I honestly related to one of these family dynamics so much that I had to remind myself that the author wasn’t peeking in my windows!
The book starts a bit slow but once you get into the story it will draw you in. There are two companion stories that have cut scenes that I think you should read after the main book to give more insight into each character’s back story.
I give Susan M. Boyer a five 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 rating! Keep them coming!
This book is the second in a series of The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club. I would strongly recommend you read the previous book, “Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island”. The author has conveniently listed the cast of characters in her preface so you can help keep track of everyone.
Susan has woven this new story about a group of residents of the SC island that plays like a vignette of everyday dramas and relationships. I honestly related to one of these family dynamics so much that I had to remind myself that the author wasn’t peeking in my windows!
The book starts a bit slow but once you get into the story it will draw you in. There are two companion stories that have cut scenes that I think you should read after the main book to give more insight into each character’s back story.
I give Susan M. Boyer a five 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 rating! Keep them coming!
September 30, 2024
The Sullivan’s Island Super Club is filled with characters that jump off the page in so many ways. The ways their lives intersect and intertwine is unique and intriguing. Reading it, the author draws you in and you feel as if you are there with them as plot lines unfold. A good read!
May 3, 2025
I love Susan M. Boyer's Carolina Tales beach mysteries! I can't wait for the next one to release!
August 23, 2024
Susan Boyer never disappoints. I'm a big fan of her original series, so when she began a new series,I wasn't' sure I'd like it as much. But this story draws you in. The way she intersects all of the backstories of all of the characters isn't overwhelming, as it sometimes can be. Susan approaches it in a way that it's not "homework" to keep up with who's who. Highly recommend - make sure you read this one!
October 30, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ I was sent this book in a give away and this review is all my own thoughts and opinions. This was a cute book and the first one I’ve read from the author. I liked the description of Sullivan Island and the friendships of the residents. The premise of the supper club and how the story was told by multiple points of view made it very interesting. I look forward to reading more books from this author!
October 12, 2024
Tallulah Wentworth loves trowing rather elaborate supper parties for her many friends. Once a month they come together and enjoy an evening of fine dining and talking about everything under the sun. All of them have their own troubles - writer's block, house trouble, relationship problems, environmental disputes... But thankfully, helping each other is as normal for this friend group as offering a vegetarian option at dinner.
Sadly, I'm quite disappointed in this book. Mainly because I went into it with the wrong expectations. When I read the summery provided by the publisher, I thought this would be a cosy southern murder mystery. This is not the case. The teased murder occurs 90% into the book and is solved in a snap. All the other troubles and "mysteries" are interpersonal and - mostly - boring.
There is a very large cast of character's and I often got confused as to who was who... I also didn't connect with any of them and really didn't care about their problems. As this is the second book in the series and I didn't read the first, this may be a problem of my own making.
The audiobook narrator gave her best and had a wonderful southern twang but couldn't get me any more excited either.
So, all in all read this if you want to enjoy a book about a slice of life on a southern island but not if you want a murder mystery.
Only 2.5 stars 😢
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!
Sadly, I'm quite disappointed in this book. Mainly because I went into it with the wrong expectations. When I read the summery provided by the publisher, I thought this would be a cosy southern murder mystery. This is not the case. The teased murder occurs 90% into the book and is solved in a snap. All the other troubles and "mysteries" are interpersonal and - mostly - boring.
There is a very large cast of character's and I often got confused as to who was who... I also didn't connect with any of them and really didn't care about their problems. As this is the second book in the series and I didn't read the first, this may be a problem of my own making.
The audiobook narrator gave her best and had a wonderful southern twang but couldn't get me any more excited either.
So, all in all read this if you want to enjoy a book about a slice of life on a southern island but not if you want a murder mystery.
Only 2.5 stars 😢
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!
September 17, 2024
Once again, Susan Boyer has written a book that will be in my top five for the year. If you’ve read her Liz Talbot Lowcountry series you will love the Carolina series too. This is book two in the series and it’s every bit as good if not better. The main characters are well developed and so likeable. The story is filled with drama, murder and romance all set on beautiful Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina. Once again we get to enjoy the setting as if we are there, plenty of delicious food and characters you feel are your friends. I couldn’t recommend this one more!
September 28, 2024
Supper Club
I am a fan of Susan M. Boyer. We waited a long time for this book. The first book was very good. I am looking forward to the next book.
I am a fan of Susan M. Boyer. We waited a long time for this book. The first book was very good. I am looking forward to the next book.
September 20, 2024
In the first book in this very cozy mystery series, Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island, we met P.I. Hadley Cooper and the group of sisters-from-other-misters from multiple generations who form the core group of Hadley’s friends on Sullivan’s Island – led by the grand doyenne of the group’s beachfront Happy Hour, Eugenia Ladson.
Together, they solved a big mystery and prevented an even bigger miscarriage of justice, even as Eugenia succumbed to the cancer that had done its damndest to blight the final years of her life – but did not succeed even though it took her life.
The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club, one of Eugenia’s many brilliant ideas to “fix” one of her friends – something she was extremely good at – was designed to give her lifelong best friend Tallulah Wentworth something to focus on after the death of her beloved husband, Henry.
The ‘supper club’ isn’t really a supper club in the old tradition. Rather, it’s a monthly dinner, often bartended and occasionally even catered, organized and arranged by Tallulah at her big, built-for-entertaining, Sullivan’s Island home.
It’s a grand idea that worked for Tallulah, and has provided all of the women involved – as well as the men in their lives – with a chance to get together, enjoy each other’s company, catch up with each other – and just generally keep the sisterhood that Eugenia started going strong.
Howsomever, just as the first book in the Carolina Tales series was titled Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island, this second book could easily have been called “Big Trouble at the Sullivan’s Island Supper Club” – because that’s exactly what it’s about, and not just because there’s more big trouble on Sullivan’s Island itself.
Although there certainly is, as an island-wide civil war is brewing over the accreted land that has been deposited on all the sides of the island that face away from Charleston as a result of work done to maintain the Charleston harbor. A maritime forest has grown up on that “new” land – all of which belongs to the town and not to any of the property owners who bought ocean-front views they no longer have – but it seems are still being taxed for. Many of those owners want the forest clear-cut in spite of the protection it provides from soil erosion. Other owners want to eliminate the rats, snakes and other small burrowing wildlife that thrive in the forests and more than occasionally invade their homes.
And there are conservationists who want the maritime forests preserved, as well as many residents who believe the protection from soil erosion is worth the occasional rat sighting. (You may shudder but still agree – as this reader certainly did).
The island’s general troubles, pitting neighbor against neighbor and bringing former friends to outright blows, is just the terrible icing on the really awful cake of personal troubles that nearly every member of the supper club is experiencing during the months leading up to the big blowup and blowout between the cutters and conservers that takes place on one supper club member’s lawn, leading to the morning discovery of a dead body out front even as another friend is in grave danger – of being placed in one.
Escape Rating B-: I picked this up because I’ve really enjoyed the author’s Liz Talbot mystery series (starting with Lowcountry Boil) and had a good reading time with the first book in her Carolina Tales, Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island. So I was expecting more of the same, meaning a cozy mystery with a good cast of characters set in a quirky small town with plenty of Southern charm.
Which was almost, but not quite, what I got. I came here looking for the mystery to be the backbone of the story, and that’s not what happens in The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club. There were plenty of little mysteries, definitely plural, but the big mystery, the dead body on the front lawn, wasn’t any bigger of a mystery – except for the corpse, of course – than any of the other many tangled mystery threads on the way to it.
This is a story of sisterhood – and about each of the sisters individually. Often with women’s/relationship fiction, I describe them as stories about friendship in which ‘a romance occurs’ but is not the focus. The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club is a story about friendship in which ‘a romance does occur’ AND ‘a mystery occurs’.
Which was not the emphasis I was looking for. Your reading mileage may vary.
The story this time around is told in first-person, as this author’s stories often are, but in this case it was multiple first persons. For each month – and each supper club meeting – in the months preceding the ‘main event’, we get a chapter from each of the core members of the group, from their individual points of view, focusing on the individual crises in their lives that includes a personal mystery in each case. I found some of their personal trials and tribulations more involving than others – and I expect that will be true for most readers, albeit mixed somewhat differently based on the reader.
As the story went on, it also felt like there was just ‘one too many cooks’ making this particular meal, but they all do tie mostly neatly together at the end. Leaving this reader, at the end, not as sure and/or happy about the thing as I expected. I think that this was the right book at the wrong time for me and probably means I just need to find a more straightforward ‘whodunnit’ this weekend.
Howsomever, the Carolina Tales continue next year in Trouble’s Turn to Lose, with P.I. Hadley Cooper featured again as the protagonist, AND there’s a short story about the beginnings of the Sullivan’s Island Supper Club, titled, appropriately, Beginnings, that’s available now. The next time I’m looking for something a little more relationship fiction-y I’m planning to go back and see how it all began.
Originally published at Reading Reality
Together, they solved a big mystery and prevented an even bigger miscarriage of justice, even as Eugenia succumbed to the cancer that had done its damndest to blight the final years of her life – but did not succeed even though it took her life.
The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club, one of Eugenia’s many brilliant ideas to “fix” one of her friends – something she was extremely good at – was designed to give her lifelong best friend Tallulah Wentworth something to focus on after the death of her beloved husband, Henry.
The ‘supper club’ isn’t really a supper club in the old tradition. Rather, it’s a monthly dinner, often bartended and occasionally even catered, organized and arranged by Tallulah at her big, built-for-entertaining, Sullivan’s Island home.
It’s a grand idea that worked for Tallulah, and has provided all of the women involved – as well as the men in their lives – with a chance to get together, enjoy each other’s company, catch up with each other – and just generally keep the sisterhood that Eugenia started going strong.
Howsomever, just as the first book in the Carolina Tales series was titled Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island, this second book could easily have been called “Big Trouble at the Sullivan’s Island Supper Club” – because that’s exactly what it’s about, and not just because there’s more big trouble on Sullivan’s Island itself.
Although there certainly is, as an island-wide civil war is brewing over the accreted land that has been deposited on all the sides of the island that face away from Charleston as a result of work done to maintain the Charleston harbor. A maritime forest has grown up on that “new” land – all of which belongs to the town and not to any of the property owners who bought ocean-front views they no longer have – but it seems are still being taxed for. Many of those owners want the forest clear-cut in spite of the protection it provides from soil erosion. Other owners want to eliminate the rats, snakes and other small burrowing wildlife that thrive in the forests and more than occasionally invade their homes.
And there are conservationists who want the maritime forests preserved, as well as many residents who believe the protection from soil erosion is worth the occasional rat sighting. (You may shudder but still agree – as this reader certainly did).
The island’s general troubles, pitting neighbor against neighbor and bringing former friends to outright blows, is just the terrible icing on the really awful cake of personal troubles that nearly every member of the supper club is experiencing during the months leading up to the big blowup and blowout between the cutters and conservers that takes place on one supper club member’s lawn, leading to the morning discovery of a dead body out front even as another friend is in grave danger – of being placed in one.
Escape Rating B-: I picked this up because I’ve really enjoyed the author’s Liz Talbot mystery series (starting with Lowcountry Boil) and had a good reading time with the first book in her Carolina Tales, Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island. So I was expecting more of the same, meaning a cozy mystery with a good cast of characters set in a quirky small town with plenty of Southern charm.
Which was almost, but not quite, what I got. I came here looking for the mystery to be the backbone of the story, and that’s not what happens in The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club. There were plenty of little mysteries, definitely plural, but the big mystery, the dead body on the front lawn, wasn’t any bigger of a mystery – except for the corpse, of course – than any of the other many tangled mystery threads on the way to it.
This is a story of sisterhood – and about each of the sisters individually. Often with women’s/relationship fiction, I describe them as stories about friendship in which ‘a romance occurs’ but is not the focus. The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club is a story about friendship in which ‘a romance does occur’ AND ‘a mystery occurs’.
Which was not the emphasis I was looking for. Your reading mileage may vary.
The story this time around is told in first-person, as this author’s stories often are, but in this case it was multiple first persons. For each month – and each supper club meeting – in the months preceding the ‘main event’, we get a chapter from each of the core members of the group, from their individual points of view, focusing on the individual crises in their lives that includes a personal mystery in each case. I found some of their personal trials and tribulations more involving than others – and I expect that will be true for most readers, albeit mixed somewhat differently based on the reader.
As the story went on, it also felt like there was just ‘one too many cooks’ making this particular meal, but they all do tie mostly neatly together at the end. Leaving this reader, at the end, not as sure and/or happy about the thing as I expected. I think that this was the right book at the wrong time for me and probably means I just need to find a more straightforward ‘whodunnit’ this weekend.
Howsomever, the Carolina Tales continue next year in Trouble’s Turn to Lose, with P.I. Hadley Cooper featured again as the protagonist, AND there’s a short story about the beginnings of the Sullivan’s Island Supper Club, titled, appropriately, Beginnings, that’s available now. The next time I’m looking for something a little more relationship fiction-y I’m planning to go back and see how it all began.
Originally published at Reading Reality
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