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The Martini Club #2
Sommergæsterne
Stol ikke på nogen af dem …
Da den tidligere spion Maggie Bird trak sig tilbage til den lille kystby Purity, Maine, regnede hun med at få et stille liv i smukke omgivelser, men fjender fra hendes fortid truede snart med at ødelægge det hele.
Maggie overlevede takket være sin snarrådighed og Martiniklubbens fælles indsats – hendes cocktaildrikkende bogklub, som består af en lille kreds af tidligere CIA-agenter. Deres evner fangede den unge politichef Jo Thibodeaus opmærksomhed, og Jo og de tidligere spioner har nu dannet en usikker alliance.
Da en teenager forsvinder, og Maggies nabo bliver hovedmistænkt i sagen, slutter hun sig til efterforskningen, fast besluttet på at bevise sin vens uskyld. Men pigens velhavende familie presser på for at få en anholdelse. Og da myndighederne finder et gammelt lig i søen ved pigens hus, bliver sagen endnu mere kompliceret, og for længst begravede hemmeligheder dukker op til overfladen.
Mens Jo forsøger at løse to uforklarlige mysterier, kæmper Martiniklubben mod uret for at afdække sandheden bag de dunkle hemmeligheder, før flere liv går tabt …
Da den tidligere spion Maggie Bird trak sig tilbage til den lille kystby Purity, Maine, regnede hun med at få et stille liv i smukke omgivelser, men fjender fra hendes fortid truede snart med at ødelægge det hele.
Maggie overlevede takket være sin snarrådighed og Martiniklubbens fælles indsats – hendes cocktaildrikkende bogklub, som består af en lille kreds af tidligere CIA-agenter. Deres evner fangede den unge politichef Jo Thibodeaus opmærksomhed, og Jo og de tidligere spioner har nu dannet en usikker alliance.
Da en teenager forsvinder, og Maggies nabo bliver hovedmistænkt i sagen, slutter hun sig til efterforskningen, fast besluttet på at bevise sin vens uskyld. Men pigens velhavende familie presser på for at få en anholdelse. Og da myndighederne finder et gammelt lig i søen ved pigens hus, bliver sagen endnu mere kompliceret, og for længst begravede hemmeligheder dukker op til overfladen.
Mens Jo forsøger at løse to uforklarlige mysterier, kæmper Martiniklubben mod uret for at afdække sandheden bag de dunkle hemmeligheder, før flere liv går tabt …
315 pages, ebook
First published March 18, 2025
8541 people are currently reading
21933 people want to read
About the author
Tess Gerritsen
202 books21.2k followersInternationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,425 reviews
March 27, 2025
Former spies, several local residents, an acting police chief, and summer visitors come together in the second book in The Martini Club crime series. Maggie, Declan, Ben, Irene, and Irene’s husband Lloyd have retired to Purity, Maine. It’s a seaside village with several homes on Maiden Pond. Ready for a quiet life after extensive travel for their jobs, they’ve formed a book club and regularly meet to discuss books and enjoy drinks and potluck dinners.
However, Purity isn’t as quiet as one might think and is full of secrets. Acting Chief of Police Jo Thibodeau ends up with two mysteries that start with a missing teenager there on vacation. When Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance, the Martini Club joins forces to investigate despite Jo’s objections.
The five friends in the Martini Club have depth of character. I loved the analogy that was given between sparrows and spies. Both are unobtrusive, unnoticeable, and slip in everywhere without rousing any attention. However, I didn’t feel like this held true throughout the story. Are the retired spies losing their edge? I also enjoyed getting to know Jo. As acting chief of police, she’s hoping to fill the position permanently while dealing with the ramp up of tourist season, the missing teenager, and a state police detective who doesn’t do a great job of investigating and treats her like she’s his subordinate.
The story immediately pulls one in with a prologue set in 1972 before shifting to current times. It’s told from several perspectives including Maggie, Jo, Reuben Tarkin, a permanent resident of the town, and Susan, the mother of the missing teenager. While this adds to the depth of the story, it also tended to slow the pacing.
The author writes well and makes the scenes come alive. I could easily envision the people and places in Purity and its surrounding area. There’s also a historical aspect that comes into play during the latter part of the book that added another level of complexity and interest. There are several twists, including one that caught me completely off-guard. Additional threads that run through the novel include family, secrets, death, disappearances, influence, wealth, infidelity, loyalty, and much more.
Overall, this entertaining and suspenseful novel has great world-building and characterization. It also has some lighter moments as the Martini Club meet to discuss books, life, friendship, and more that add another layer to the novel. I think reading the books in order would provide more background on the town and the main characters, but it worked well as a standalone novel. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Thomas and Mercer and Tess Gerritsen provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 18, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 4.09 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
However, Purity isn’t as quiet as one might think and is full of secrets. Acting Chief of Police Jo Thibodeau ends up with two mysteries that start with a missing teenager there on vacation. When Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance, the Martini Club joins forces to investigate despite Jo’s objections.
The five friends in the Martini Club have depth of character. I loved the analogy that was given between sparrows and spies. Both are unobtrusive, unnoticeable, and slip in everywhere without rousing any attention. However, I didn’t feel like this held true throughout the story. Are the retired spies losing their edge? I also enjoyed getting to know Jo. As acting chief of police, she’s hoping to fill the position permanently while dealing with the ramp up of tourist season, the missing teenager, and a state police detective who doesn’t do a great job of investigating and treats her like she’s his subordinate.
The story immediately pulls one in with a prologue set in 1972 before shifting to current times. It’s told from several perspectives including Maggie, Jo, Reuben Tarkin, a permanent resident of the town, and Susan, the mother of the missing teenager. While this adds to the depth of the story, it also tended to slow the pacing.
The author writes well and makes the scenes come alive. I could easily envision the people and places in Purity and its surrounding area. There’s also a historical aspect that comes into play during the latter part of the book that added another level of complexity and interest. There are several twists, including one that caught me completely off-guard. Additional threads that run through the novel include family, secrets, death, disappearances, influence, wealth, infidelity, loyalty, and much more.
Overall, this entertaining and suspenseful novel has great world-building and characterization. It also has some lighter moments as the Martini Club meet to discuss books, life, friendship, and more that add another layer to the novel. I think reading the books in order would provide more background on the town and the main characters, but it worked well as a standalone novel. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Thomas and Mercer and Tess Gerritsen provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 18, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 4.09 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
March 20, 2025
EXCERPT: When a child goes missing in a small town, rumors fly, parents hug their children a little tighter, and an army of volunteers magically appears to help in the search. Too many volunteers, it seemed to Maggie, as she scanned the crowd milling around the parking lot of the Maiden Pond boat ramp. Most of these people were locals who'd never met Zoe Conover, yet here they all were, summoned overnight by one of the most powerful mobilization tools ever invented: the town's Facebook page. Maggie spotted familiar faces, Hank from the hardware store, Harold from the PO, and Janine from the Marigold Café. Amateurs all, but ready to help because a missing child was everyone's worst nightmare.
ABOUT 'THE SUMMER GUESTS': When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.
Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.
After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.
As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.
MY THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed the first book in this series, The Spy Coast, and now The Summer Guests has cemented this series as one I have to continue to read.
The Summer Guests is brilliantly plotted with many twists and turns as decades old secrets are exposed in the effort to discover just who has abducted Zoe. The characters are complex, the family dynamics razor sharp. There is one character whom I suspected of something terrible because they set my spidey sense alarm bells clanging. Interestingly enough, they were guilty, just not of what I suspected them of. 🤷♀️
Maggie Bird and her band of retired spooks are a tight knit bunch and, unlike the elderly sleuths of many current series, actually have the skills needed to make progress. Not that the local police chief Jo Thibodeau exactly welcomes them. It was interesting to see them doubting themselves at one point, wondering if their advancing years were indeed dulling their minds.
The Summer Guests is full of menace and suspense. There's so much that I want to say, but as I write it, I realize that it will give away too much, so promptly delete it. My advice? The Summer Guests is #2 in the Martini Club series. If you haven't yet read #1, The Spy Coast, pick it up. It's eminently readable and entertaining. Get to know the members of the Martini Club and local police chief, Jo, before you dive into The Summer Guests. You won't be disappointed.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#TheSummerGuestsTheMartiniClub #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published.
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
ABOUT 'THE SUMMER GUESTS': When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.
Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.
After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.
As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.
MY THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed the first book in this series, The Spy Coast, and now The Summer Guests has cemented this series as one I have to continue to read.
The Summer Guests is brilliantly plotted with many twists and turns as decades old secrets are exposed in the effort to discover just who has abducted Zoe. The characters are complex, the family dynamics razor sharp. There is one character whom I suspected of something terrible because they set my spidey sense alarm bells clanging. Interestingly enough, they were guilty, just not of what I suspected them of. 🤷♀️
Maggie Bird and her band of retired spooks are a tight knit bunch and, unlike the elderly sleuths of many current series, actually have the skills needed to make progress. Not that the local police chief Jo Thibodeau exactly welcomes them. It was interesting to see them doubting themselves at one point, wondering if their advancing years were indeed dulling their minds.
The Summer Guests is full of menace and suspense. There's so much that I want to say, but as I write it, I realize that it will give away too much, so promptly delete it. My advice? The Summer Guests is #2 in the Martini Club series. If you haven't yet read #1, The Spy Coast, pick it up. It's eminently readable and entertaining. Get to know the members of the Martini Club and local police chief, Jo, before you dive into The Summer Guests. You won't be disappointed.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#TheSummerGuestsTheMartiniClub #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published.
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
September 16, 2024
The Martini Club #2 - boozy book club get togethers by ex CIA agents led by Maggie, all now in their 70’s but still as sharp as ever. They enjoy life, martinis and solving a mystery or two, their skills put to good use by police chief Jo Thibodeau whether she wants their assistance or not!
‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’ William Faulkner.
The summer season is underway in Purity, main with summer guests and tourists that the town relies on beginning to arrive and Jo knows it spells trouble. One evening as she patrols looking for potential problems, her phone rings with the news that a teenager is missing. Zoe Conover, granddaughter of summer guests and owners of Moonview, which is one of the largest “cottages” on Maiden Pond. The search for Zoe leads the police and of course, our Martini Club into entirely unexpected areas.
The novel starts very dramatically and is in contrast to Maggie et al sipping their cocktails, watching birds and maybe, just maybe discussing their latest book club choice. The peace and tranquility of Moonview is also well and truly shattered. What a fantastic setting which adds a terrific atmosphere to a good read. Small town Maine is easy to visualise.
The characterisation is excellent with some unlikeable personalities in the Conover clan, who along with their friends, close ranks. The club members are very likeable and funny although you can understand why they drive Jo mad with their persistence, though inevitably with all their spy skills they lead her in the right direction. Eventually.
The mystery of Zoe and what is uncovered is intriguing, there are plenty of good twists and turns which keep me reading on thoroughly enjoying the plot. There are some bumps in the road, some diversions and red herrings. The storytelling starts in one place and takes a wholly unexpected direction. It is however, very believable. What is uncovered is extremely serious but as always our intrepid heroes provide much entertainment.
I’d love to share a martini or cocktail or two with them and dip into their delicious pot luck! Looking forward to number 3.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’ William Faulkner.
The summer season is underway in Purity, main with summer guests and tourists that the town relies on beginning to arrive and Jo knows it spells trouble. One evening as she patrols looking for potential problems, her phone rings with the news that a teenager is missing. Zoe Conover, granddaughter of summer guests and owners of Moonview, which is one of the largest “cottages” on Maiden Pond. The search for Zoe leads the police and of course, our Martini Club into entirely unexpected areas.
The novel starts very dramatically and is in contrast to Maggie et al sipping their cocktails, watching birds and maybe, just maybe discussing their latest book club choice. The peace and tranquility of Moonview is also well and truly shattered. What a fantastic setting which adds a terrific atmosphere to a good read. Small town Maine is easy to visualise.
The characterisation is excellent with some unlikeable personalities in the Conover clan, who along with their friends, close ranks. The club members are very likeable and funny although you can understand why they drive Jo mad with their persistence, though inevitably with all their spy skills they lead her in the right direction. Eventually.
The mystery of Zoe and what is uncovered is intriguing, there are plenty of good twists and turns which keep me reading on thoroughly enjoying the plot. There are some bumps in the road, some diversions and red herrings. The storytelling starts in one place and takes a wholly unexpected direction. It is however, very believable. What is uncovered is extremely serious but as always our intrepid heroes provide much entertainment.
I’d love to share a martini or cocktail or two with them and dip into their delicious pot luck! Looking forward to number 3.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
October 4, 2025
Goodreads Review
The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen is the sequel to her 2023 hit The Spy Coast. Gerritsen brings back one of my favorite groups of elderly sleuths, "The Martini Club." Although this is a sequel, it can be read as a standalone—background knowledge gained in The Spy Coast enriches the story but is not necessary.
The Martini Club is a group of retired CIA agents who enjoy great food and stiff drinks in their retirement. Set in the fictional small town of Purity, Maine (inspired by the real town of Camden), the story unfolds in a place where wealthy city folk from the Northeastern states leave their harried lives behind to enjoy the great outdoors.
The story is told from different characters' POVs. Maggie Bird, a purveyor of eggs at the local farmer's market, is the main protagonist and leader of The Martini Club. When a teenage girl goes missing from one of the "summer people" families, Maggie's beloved neighbor becomes a suspect. Enter Police Chief Jo Thibodeau, an earnest policewoman who wants nothing more than to keep her town safe and do the right thing. Maggie quickly becomes involved—her neighbor has bad optics (his imposing stature and unkempt appearance make him look like a criminal), but he's nothing more than a working farmer taking care of his granddaughter. Maggie knows he had nothing to do with the disappearance of a girl the age of his granddaughter. She immediately enlists the remaining three members of the club to find out what happened to the girl and clear her neighbor's name.
What's fun about this novel, and the previous one, are the mad skills these octogenarians possess. They fly under the radar because of their age, and it's a delight to see the ways they use it to their advantage. Need to get town history? Baked goods, of course—ply the oldest realtor with freshly baked cookies, and she'll happily provide all the scoop on the property owners.
The missing girl's mother, Susan Conover, provides the POV of a woman who recently married into a wealthy family. After two years of marriage, she's still learning about the Conover customs and is horrified by their entitled detachment. Her daughter is missing and they're more concerned about what's for lunch. Gerritsen uses Susan to explore themes of wealth and entitlement.
The fourth POV is Reuben, a "townie" who lives across the pond from the Conovers. He is of humble means, and the Conovers have always disliked him for reasons the reader learns later in the story. Reuben's father has a social stigma attached to him which Reuben and his sister were never able to shake. Reuben's perspective portrays the tensions that exist between the upper-class summer people and the lower-class townies.
Gerritsen takes the reader on a great adventure. The Conovers are perfect fodder for exploring wealthy greed and entitlement. Maggie and her fellow sleuths uncover interesting information about the Conovers and their wealthy summer friends. Just when the Martini Club uncovers one clue, another pops up, keeping the reader and the Club on their toes. In their search for the missing teen, the police uncover another mystery. Now Police Chief Jo Thibodeau, the Martini Club, and the reader have two mysteries to solve.
I want to be Maggie Bird. She's my hero and the type of woman I'd like to become in my 80s. The club members are a lively and interesting bunch. It's a fun read.
I used the Kindle Unlimited formats for the e-book and paired it with the audio, narrated to perfection by Hillary Huber. Huber elevates the story, which is excellent on its own!
May 26, 2025
I rated the first book in the series 4.5* and the second book again is a 4.5* I recommend this book and the first. The writing is excellent and there are a nice variety of suspects. The Martini Club did another great job. I did guess parts, but it was still an excellent mystery. I find reviewing mysteries hard as I don't want to be the one that gives too much away.
January 12, 2026
4.5 ⭐️/5⭐️
Друга частина про «Клуб Мартіні» мені ��подобалася навіть більше, ніж перша! Тут дуже класний контраст: з одного боку - літо, озеро, дачний відпочинок, а з іншого - таємниці маленького містечка, яких стає все більше і більше. Історія вийшла с��ме такою, якою я люблю трилери: без зайвих сцен, без води, з чітким ритмом і постійним відчуттям, що під поверхнею щось не так.
Чому це не «п’ять зірок»? Тому що це не та книжка, яка перевернула моє життя або стала абсолютним фаворитом на роки. Але це дуже-дуже хороший трилер. Так, загальний вектор подій можна вгадати, але конкретні деталі - ні.
Чекатиму на нові пригоди «Клубу Мартіні» 🍸
Друга частина про «Клуб Мартіні» мені ��подобалася навіть більше, ніж перша! Тут дуже класний контраст: з одного боку - літо, озеро, дачний відпочинок, а з іншого - таємниці маленького містечка, яких стає все більше і більше. Історія вийшла с��ме такою, якою я люблю трилери: без зайвих сцен, без води, з чітким ритмом і постійним відчуттям, що під поверхнею щось не так.
Чому це не «п’ять зірок»? Тому що це не та книжка, яка перевернула моє життя або стала абсолютним фаворитом на роки. Але це дуже-дуже хороший трилер. Так, загальний вектор подій можна вгадати, але конкретні деталі - ні.
Чекатиму на нові пригоди «Клубу Мартіні» 🍸
March 17, 2025
“Some family secrets are best left buried. This is one of them.”
This summer Susan Conover may just regret coming to her husband’s cabin for a family holiday in Purity, Maine.
To many, Purity is idyllic. It’s a remote, small town situated near a lake surrounded by established cabins with long-time residents. When Susan comments on a kayaker not responding to her welcome wave, the tone suddenly changes and readers become aware that all is not as it seems. To some, it’s a powder keg of secrets waiting to explode and it certainly doesn’t live up to its name.
“Everything is about to change. The Conovers are back in town.”
Conovers. Elizabeth and George’s surname made me smirk. And grin widely like a Cheshire cat when I finished the book.
When a tragedy brings the lake crew in contact with The Martini Club, the buried secrets don’t stand a chance. Gerritsen kept me feverishly turning pages with her story about loyalty, family secrets and second chances. Her careful plotting pulled me in and her mystery kept me guessing. I LOVE this series.
“Never overlook the human heart as a source of mischief.”
I’m happy to report that book two is as engaging as book one. This series is a winner!
This summer Susan Conover may just regret coming to her husband’s cabin for a family holiday in Purity, Maine.
To many, Purity is idyllic. It’s a remote, small town situated near a lake surrounded by established cabins with long-time residents. When Susan comments on a kayaker not responding to her welcome wave, the tone suddenly changes and readers become aware that all is not as it seems. To some, it’s a powder keg of secrets waiting to explode and it certainly doesn’t live up to its name.
“Everything is about to change. The Conovers are back in town.”
Conovers. Elizabeth and George’s surname made me smirk. And grin widely like a Cheshire cat when I finished the book.
When a tragedy brings the lake crew in contact with The Martini Club, the buried secrets don’t stand a chance. Gerritsen kept me feverishly turning pages with her story about loyalty, family secrets and second chances. Her careful plotting pulled me in and her mystery kept me guessing. I LOVE this series.
“Never overlook the human heart as a source of mischief.”
I’m happy to report that book two is as engaging as book one. This series is a winner!
November 9, 2025
Book 2 of the Martini club. If you like the Thursday murder club you will like this.
I like tess gerritsen as a writer, if you’ve never read her books, I recommend them.. she is the author of the stories of Rizoli And Isles if you didn’t know..
A family who stay at a idillic house in the summer in Purity Maine..
new members of the family try to fit in with the family..
a new wife and her daughter come to stay with her husband who’s family have this house..
The young teenage girl loves to swim her mum calls her the mermaid.. the lake is just outside the property.
This happen at this property, the police chief Jo Thibodeau and the Martini club try to solve the crime that has just happened, there’s a lot of secrets that they find out about the town
It’s up to them to solve the crime and the secrets that has caused the disappearance of the girl.
An easy read and got me hooked from the start..
Always my view
I like tess gerritsen as a writer, if you’ve never read her books, I recommend them.. she is the author of the stories of Rizoli And Isles if you didn’t know..
A family who stay at a idillic house in the summer in Purity Maine..
new members of the family try to fit in with the family..
a new wife and her daughter come to stay with her husband who’s family have this house..
The young teenage girl loves to swim her mum calls her the mermaid.. the lake is just outside the property.
This happen at this property, the police chief Jo Thibodeau and the Martini club try to solve the crime that has just happened, there’s a lot of secrets that they find out about the town
It’s up to them to solve the crime and the secrets that has caused the disappearance of the girl.
An easy read and got me hooked from the start..
Always my view
March 23, 2025
The second book with the already infamous Maggie Bird and her friends of the Martini club, so far its unknown if they drink it shaken or stirred. And having finished this book savouring it a bit more by not reading it at full speed ahead this copy contained a little present. Namely a short story written by Tess Gerritsen and a gentleman caĺled Lee Child. One big former MP investigator comes to the Maine town of Purity.
Back to the main story about a girl gone missing from the summer visitors and of course the local Policeforce gets assistance of the Martini club, who reside in the Maine town of Purity, and are retired Agency people. They soon find out that the missing girl is the latest thing in an affair that has been troubling the town of Purity for decades.
This cozy mystery does have enough speed to be easily read in one go. But why take your own reading pleasure away by being greedy. As so often is the case with the books of Mrs Tess Gerritsen they are difficult to put away as they are well written and she does write an above average mystery. This time it is no exeption.
I Will be watching out for her next novel about the Martini Club or Rizzoli & Isles , both are fine by me. I expect her standaards remain high and like her current group of retired Agency people I hope she follows their direction. Retiring does not mean life ends.
Back to the main story about a girl gone missing from the summer visitors and of course the local Policeforce gets assistance of the Martini club, who reside in the Maine town of Purity, and are retired Agency people. They soon find out that the missing girl is the latest thing in an affair that has been troubling the town of Purity for decades.
This cozy mystery does have enough speed to be easily read in one go. But why take your own reading pleasure away by being greedy. As so often is the case with the books of Mrs Tess Gerritsen they are difficult to put away as they are well written and she does write an above average mystery. This time it is no exeption.
I Will be watching out for her next novel about the Martini Club or Rizzoli & Isles , both are fine by me. I expect her standaards remain high and like her current group of retired Agency people I hope she follows their direction. Retiring does not mean life ends.
March 25, 2025
What made the first book in this series so good was that the former spies were working on a personal case. They were in constant danger, and the story could be told in past and present timelines. None of that is true for this one. This is a very routine investigation, with the Martini Club and law enforcement hopelessly bumbling their way through a pretty routine crime, completely missing the identity of the villains, the reasons for the crimes, and being in no danger themselves. All of that made it a pretty average police procedural. Yes, the characters are appealing, as they were in the first book, but characters can slightly improve an average story; they can't make a good story. I need something that's either thrilling, horrifying, or suspenseful, none of which really existed here.
March 18, 2025
They are baccckkk!! I loved meeting up with favorite bunch of retirees in the second book in The Martini Club series!! 🍸 Thank you soo much @mbc_books @amazonpublishing for my gorgeous gifted copy!! 🥰 Pub date is tomorrow!! 3/18🥳🥳
We are back to Maine… a seaside peaceful town. They spend their days leisurely sipping martinis 🍸 and attending book 📚 club… Or so you think. 😏 When in fact they are a VERY busy bunch.
Maggie and the gang are actually retired CIA… 😳🤫 They have a little trouble…staying retired.😉
A wealthy family that doesn’t always play by the rules.. 🤷♀️ A missing girl.. Murder… Sketchy dude who is very angry 😡.. just across the lake… Makes for one very adrenaline filled read! This can TOTALLY be read as a standalone! I promise. The first book is fantastic though and I highly recommend it.
This is my second @tess.gerritsen book.. and I am definitely a fan!! Sign me up for anything she writes. I need her backlist. 😍
We are back to Maine… a seaside peaceful town. They spend their days leisurely sipping martinis 🍸 and attending book 📚 club… Or so you think. 😏 When in fact they are a VERY busy bunch.
Maggie and the gang are actually retired CIA… 😳🤫 They have a little trouble…staying retired.😉
A wealthy family that doesn’t always play by the rules.. 🤷♀️ A missing girl.. Murder… Sketchy dude who is very angry 😡.. just across the lake… Makes for one very adrenaline filled read! This can TOTALLY be read as a standalone! I promise. The first book is fantastic though and I highly recommend it.
This is my second @tess.gerritsen book.. and I am definitely a fan!! Sign me up for anything she writes. I need her backlist. 😍
March 16, 2025
Tess Gerritsen is a go-to author for me and I read everything I can by her. This Martini Club series is a good one with the group of retired spies forming the club. I like following this series so far.
Description:
When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.
Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.
After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.
As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.
My Thoughts:
Maggie and her Martini Club friends get involved when Maggie's neighbor becomes the prime suspect in a missing teenager's disappearance. Maggie know he didn't do it and she has to find out what happened to the girl and get him cleared. The Martini Club members all have special skills from their backgrounds as spies and they put them to good use in following clues and unraveling what happened. It was fun to follow the investigation and the humor in the book was appreciated. This group has a lot of fun even with the seriousness of the case. I liked the police chief, Jo Thibodeau, and the way she cut through bias to prove herself worthy of her position. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will enjoy this book.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Description:
When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.
Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.
After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.
As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.
My Thoughts:
Maggie and her Martini Club friends get involved when Maggie's neighbor becomes the prime suspect in a missing teenager's disappearance. Maggie know he didn't do it and she has to find out what happened to the girl and get him cleared. The Martini Club members all have special skills from their backgrounds as spies and they put them to good use in following clues and unraveling what happened. It was fun to follow the investigation and the humor in the book was appreciated. This group has a lot of fun even with the seriousness of the case. I liked the police chief, Jo Thibodeau, and the way she cut through bias to prove herself worthy of her position. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will enjoy this book.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance copy.
April 23, 2025
Małe nadmorskie miasteczko.
Zaginięcie nastolatki na wakacjach.
Mroczne tajemnice przeszłości.
Po "Wybrzeżu szpiegów" nadszedł czas na "LATO TAJEMNIC", czyli drugi tom pełnej sekretów i akcji serii szpiegowskiej Klub Martini prosto od Tess Gerritsen.
🍸 Można czytać NIEZALEŻNIE od siebie!
❓Co dzieje się z tymi wszystkimi szpiegami elitarnej amerykańskiej agencji, gdy przychodzi czas emerytury? Przenoszą się do takich małych miasteczek jak Purity na wybrzeżu Maine, by tam wspólnie pić martini, gadać o książkach, gapić się na ptaki i... angażować się w lokalne niezbyt bezpieczne sprawy, bo co jak co - szpiegiem jesteś do samej śmierci.
📖 Do miasteczka Purity znów zawitał spokój... Ale tylko na chwilę. To właśnie tam rodzinne wakacje chce spędzić Susan z dzieciakami, ale niedługo później ktoś porywa jej nastoletnią córkę. Klub Martini czuje, że ma to coś wspólnego z przeszłością, dawną zbrodnią i dziwnym rządowym eksperymentem, który już zdążył przejść do historii. Co tym razem wydarzyło się w Purity?
❤️ To, co bardzo lubię w tej serii Tess Gerritsen to:
👉🏻 Nastrój małego nadmorskiego miasteczka i równie małej specyficznej społeczności, która żyje od sezonu do sezonu;
👉🏻 Dojrzałych bohaterów o bardzo niebezpiecznej przeszłości;
👉🏻 Prawdziwe motywy sprytnie wplecione w fikcję literacką;
Nie ma tu zbędnej przemocy. Nie ma tu galonów krwi. Nie ma emocjonalnej dramy. Jest za to grupa starszych mężczyzn i kobiet, którzy zawsze gotowi są stawić czoła wyzwaniom, bez względu na zagrożenie. W końcu - szkolenie przede wszystkim. Instynkt zaraz z tyłu. I wreszcie - poczucie, że ktoś grzebie paluchami tam, gdzie grzebać nie powinien, w miejscu, które miało być ich emeryckim azylem na czas szpiegowskiej zimy ich życia.
Całość okraszona jest sympatycznym humorem (ale bez przesady), a fabuła ma w sobie ten twist, który sprawi, że można otworzyć szerzej oczy ze zdziwienia. To lubię. No i lubię Tess Gerritsen. Także w szpiegowskim, bardziej stonowanym (ale NADMORSKIM!) wydaniu.
Zaginięcie nastolatki na wakacjach.
Mroczne tajemnice przeszłości.
Po "Wybrzeżu szpiegów" nadszedł czas na "LATO TAJEMNIC", czyli drugi tom pełnej sekretów i akcji serii szpiegowskiej Klub Martini prosto od Tess Gerritsen.
🍸 Można czytać NIEZALEŻNIE od siebie!
❓Co dzieje się z tymi wszystkimi szpiegami elitarnej amerykańskiej agencji, gdy przychodzi czas emerytury? Przenoszą się do takich małych miasteczek jak Purity na wybrzeżu Maine, by tam wspólnie pić martini, gadać o książkach, gapić się na ptaki i... angażować się w lokalne niezbyt bezpieczne sprawy, bo co jak co - szpiegiem jesteś do samej śmierci.
📖 Do miasteczka Purity znów zawitał spokój... Ale tylko na chwilę. To właśnie tam rodzinne wakacje chce spędzić Susan z dzieciakami, ale niedługo później ktoś porywa jej nastoletnią córkę. Klub Martini czuje, że ma to coś wspólnego z przeszłością, dawną zbrodnią i dziwnym rządowym eksperymentem, który już zdążył przejść do historii. Co tym razem wydarzyło się w Purity?
❤️ To, co bardzo lubię w tej serii Tess Gerritsen to:
👉🏻 Nastrój małego nadmorskiego miasteczka i równie małej specyficznej społeczności, która żyje od sezonu do sezonu;
👉🏻 Dojrzałych bohaterów o bardzo niebezpiecznej przeszłości;
👉🏻 Prawdziwe motywy sprytnie wplecione w fikcję literacką;
Nie ma tu zbędnej przemocy. Nie ma tu galonów krwi. Nie ma emocjonalnej dramy. Jest za to grupa starszych mężczyzn i kobiet, którzy zawsze gotowi są stawić czoła wyzwaniom, bez względu na zagrożenie. W końcu - szkolenie przede wszystkim. Instynkt zaraz z tyłu. I wreszcie - poczucie, że ktoś grzebie paluchami tam, gdzie grzebać nie powinien, w miejscu, które miało być ich emeryckim azylem na czas szpiegowskiej zimy ich życia.
Całość okraszona jest sympatycznym humorem (ale bez przesady), a fabuła ma w sobie ten twist, który sprawi, że można otworzyć szerzej oczy ze zdziwienia. To lubię. No i lubię Tess Gerritsen. Także w szpiegowskim, bardziej stonowanym (ale NADMORSKIM!) wydaniu.
July 25, 2025
Puiki antroji serijos dalis. Tiesą sakant, patiko labiau ir už pirmąją "Šnipų pakrantė" 😊
April 14, 2025
Tess Gerritsen is back with another novel in her new thriller series, one that is just as exciting as some of her earlier work. Events in a small Maine cottage community ramp up when a girl goes missing and a body is located in the lake. Old family secrets come out and a group of retirees make sure to offer their perspectives on the investigations. Gerritsen delivers a great tale that kept me turning pages!
Maggie Bird was once a spy for her country, though she had long since hung up her binoculars and the life of drama. She and her fellow former-CIA operatives are now enjoying the life of martinis and book clubs in Purity, Maine. They call themselves the Martini Club, for obvious reasons. The cottage community is quiet and local police chief, Jo Thibodeau, seems able to handle things with ease.
A teenage girl visiting with her family goes missing. Panic ensues and the family is determined to find her. Maggie’s neighbour becomes the prime suspect, though he denies having anything to do with it. While Chief Thibodeau is quick to pull him into custody, Maggie and her friends use their skills to open an investigation all their own.
Scouring the water, a woman’s body is discovered, but it is not the teen. Speculation goes to a woman who has been missing since 1972, though the remains are so degraded it is difficult to determine. Questions swirl around as to what happened to her and how she ended up at the bottom of the lake. A missing teen, a body, and a family with secrets they hoped would disappear with the passing years are all part of the case that keeps Chief Thibodeau and the Martini Club busy throughout the summer! Gerritsen sends the reader down a rabbit hole or two in this gripping thriller!
Tess Gerritsen has always been an author I trust when needing a great thriller to pass the time. Her ability to weave a story is always on point and the narrative of this piece shows it. Clear direction and strong development are key to the story, which grips the reader from the outset. Characters are relatable and well-established, helping the reader connected to the story even more. Plot points balance entertainment and surprises, keeping things forging on and leaving suspenseful moments to keep the reader guessing.
Kudos, Madam Gerritsen, for a great story that has many moving parts to help add to the mystery.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Maggie Bird was once a spy for her country, though she had long since hung up her binoculars and the life of drama. She and her fellow former-CIA operatives are now enjoying the life of martinis and book clubs in Purity, Maine. They call themselves the Martini Club, for obvious reasons. The cottage community is quiet and local police chief, Jo Thibodeau, seems able to handle things with ease.
A teenage girl visiting with her family goes missing. Panic ensues and the family is determined to find her. Maggie’s neighbour becomes the prime suspect, though he denies having anything to do with it. While Chief Thibodeau is quick to pull him into custody, Maggie and her friends use their skills to open an investigation all their own.
Scouring the water, a woman’s body is discovered, but it is not the teen. Speculation goes to a woman who has been missing since 1972, though the remains are so degraded it is difficult to determine. Questions swirl around as to what happened to her and how she ended up at the bottom of the lake. A missing teen, a body, and a family with secrets they hoped would disappear with the passing years are all part of the case that keeps Chief Thibodeau and the Martini Club busy throughout the summer! Gerritsen sends the reader down a rabbit hole or two in this gripping thriller!
Tess Gerritsen has always been an author I trust when needing a great thriller to pass the time. Her ability to weave a story is always on point and the narrative of this piece shows it. Clear direction and strong development are key to the story, which grips the reader from the outset. Characters are relatable and well-established, helping the reader connected to the story even more. Plot points balance entertainment and surprises, keeping things forging on and leaving suspenseful moments to keep the reader guessing.
Kudos, Madam Gerritsen, for a great story that has many moving parts to help add to the mystery.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
September 7, 2024
I've been eagerly anticipating this book since I read/loved THE SPY COAST, which ranked as one of my top reads of 2023. I have recommended it everywhere.
I'll be doing the same with THE SUMMER GUESTS. I enjoyed this second book every bit as much as I'd hoped to. Even in the first pages, the reader can be confident that Gerritsen is a master storyteller with impeccable prose. The plot is twisty and the characters are three-dimensional. Having read THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB in the interim, I can see some similarities, but I prefer this Martini Club series as it keeps me more riveted to the page. I especially like the story of Luther and his granddaughter Callie. Also realistic is the fact that the club isn't necessarily as spry as they once were, but they're still sharper than most, even in their 70s. And small-town life is accurately depicted, especially from the viewpoint of Jo, the interim police chief.
Once again, I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book, since I have no doubt it will be another 5-star read for me!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas/Mercer for an early copy of this book--all opinions are my own.
I'll be doing the same with THE SUMMER GUESTS. I enjoyed this second book every bit as much as I'd hoped to. Even in the first pages, the reader can be confident that Gerritsen is a master storyteller with impeccable prose. The plot is twisty and the characters are three-dimensional. Having read THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB in the interim, I can see some similarities, but I prefer this Martini Club series as it keeps me more riveted to the page. I especially like the story of Luther and his granddaughter Callie. Also realistic is the fact that the club isn't necessarily as spry as they once were, but they're still sharper than most, even in their 70s. And small-town life is accurately depicted, especially from the viewpoint of Jo, the interim police chief.
Once again, I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book, since I have no doubt it will be another 5-star read for me!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas/Mercer for an early copy of this book--all opinions are my own.
June 8, 2025
This is one of the best mystery series I have read. I loved the first book, I love this one and I avidly look forward to the next one. The retired CIA "Martini Club" just can't help but involve themselves in any mysterious/murderous happenings around their retirement home, Purity, Maine. Maggie is the ringleader. She has taken the acting chief of police, Jo, under her wing and is giving her the full benefit of the groups many decades of experience with the company. It has taken Jo some time to accept that these retirees actually are a benefit to her but has now come to accept them. But even the Martini Club can get it wrong, but not very often.
It's June in Purity, Maine and the summer "cottages" on Maiden Pond are filling with their owners. One family, The Conover's have come to spread the ashes of the patriarch. It is the first time in a long time that son Ethan has been to the pond. He doesn't have many fond childhood memories of the place, but his new wife, Susan, and stepdaughter, Zoe, are looking forward to seeing it.
Zoe loves Maiden Pond and has made friends with Maggie Bird's young neighbor, Callie. The girls are a similar age and share interest in swimming and animals. When Zoe disappears after a visit to Callie's farm, Callie's grandfather, Luther, becomes a prime suspect. When he lies to the police, he's arrested. Maggie and the Martini Club - a group of former CIA operatives, mobilize to find Zoe and prove Luther innocent. Jo Thibodeau, acting police chief, reluctantly has taken Maggie's advice in the past and knows she and her friends are a crime savvy group of retirees, and she reluctantly takes their intel in this case.
When Madian Pond is searched for Zoe's body, the dive team discovers not Zoe, but a skeleton. A murdered woman who could have been there for decades. Now Jo has a missing teen and a murdered woman to investigate when the police department is already overwhelmed by summer tourists. Jo needs all the help she can get especially when the wealthy Conover family are demanding action. Oh, the secrets that this discovery is about to uncover.
It's June in Purity, Maine and the summer "cottages" on Maiden Pond are filling with their owners. One family, The Conover's have come to spread the ashes of the patriarch. It is the first time in a long time that son Ethan has been to the pond. He doesn't have many fond childhood memories of the place, but his new wife, Susan, and stepdaughter, Zoe, are looking forward to seeing it.
Zoe loves Maiden Pond and has made friends with Maggie Bird's young neighbor, Callie. The girls are a similar age and share interest in swimming and animals. When Zoe disappears after a visit to Callie's farm, Callie's grandfather, Luther, becomes a prime suspect. When he lies to the police, he's arrested. Maggie and the Martini Club - a group of former CIA operatives, mobilize to find Zoe and prove Luther innocent. Jo Thibodeau, acting police chief, reluctantly has taken Maggie's advice in the past and knows she and her friends are a crime savvy group of retirees, and she reluctantly takes their intel in this case.
When Madian Pond is searched for Zoe's body, the dive team discovers not Zoe, but a skeleton. A murdered woman who could have been there for decades. Now Jo has a missing teen and a murdered woman to investigate when the police department is already overwhelmed by summer tourists. Jo needs all the help she can get especially when the wealthy Conover family are demanding action. Oh, the secrets that this discovery is about to uncover.
July 2, 2025
Можна сказати, що книжка мені сподобалась, було цікаво. Але, якщо чесно, то я ненавиджу коли хтось лізе у розслідування. І окей, якби вони сказали, що працювали в тій сфері(хоча наче у Джо Тібодо була думка про фбр) але ж вони на пенсії, немає ніяких повноважень та прав на розслідування, так ще і кажуть, коли вже вияснили багато що, щоб Тібоді сама додумалась.
Ще був її напарник, хоча я не пам'ятаю його з першої книжки(а він був, бо є натяки на попередню справу), і тут він постійно мене дратував.
Отже, на початку книжки зникла дівчинка, вона прийомна донька Ітана Коновера, він одружений на її матері. І його родина взагалі не переймалася долею дівчинки, ось взагалі. У них була фраза 'родина понад усе' чи 'все заради родини' і вони не вважали їх родиною, тому було таке відношення. Єдиний адекват це Ітан, вітчим зниклої дитини. Я взагалі не переймалася що він якось винен у чомусь.
Напевно найгірша частина, це коли звинуватили Лютера, він дідусь Келлі та друг Меґґі, бо бачьте у нього була кров у вантажівці, хоча потім як виявилось, то кров від менструації 😀 Ні спочатку перевірити яка саме кров, навіть якщо ДНК співпадає, і вони ж потім виявили що це саме менструація була, а не якесь поранення. А ще, один з головних причин чого він заарештований, бо він був бачьте неохайний, зарослий волоссям, і 100% він вбивця або гвалтівник. Хоча, люди, які за собою слідкують і гарно виглядають теж можуть бути вбивцями, але якщо він схожий на якогось безхатька, то він точно вбивця😐
Ще таке зауваження, Меґґі та її друзі створили книжковий клуб, в принципі серія так і називається, але мені було мало обговорення книжок, там може 5% а то і меньше було. Мені подобається те, що вони збираються разом, але де обговорення книжок😭
А ще, мені було мало Келлі, це онука Лютера, тут було 2 чи 3 сцени з нею і все, але я розраховувала, що їх буде більше, бо все ж таки вони з Меґґі подружилися, і та полюбила ту дитину, мало взаємодії було😭
Ще був її напарник, хоча я не пам'ятаю його з першої книжки(а він був, бо є натяки на попередню справу), і тут він постійно мене дратував.
Отже, на початку книжки зникла дівчинка, вона прийомна донька Ітана Коновера, він одружений на її матері. І його родина взагалі не переймалася долею дівчинки, ось взагалі. У них була фраза 'родина понад усе' чи 'все заради родини' і вони не вважали їх родиною, тому було таке відношення. Єдиний адекват це Ітан, вітчим зниклої дитини. Я взагалі не переймалася що він якось винен у чомусь.
Напевно найгірша частина, це коли звинуватили Лютера, він дідусь Келлі та друг Меґґі, бо бачьте у нього була кров у вантажівці, хоча потім як виявилось, то кров від менструації 😀 Ні спочатку перевірити яка саме кров, навіть якщо ДНК співпадає, і вони ж потім виявили що це саме менструація була, а не якесь поранення. А ще, один з головних причин чого він заарештований, бо він був бачьте неохайний, зарослий волоссям, і 100% він вбивця або гвалтівник. Хоча, люди, які за собою слідкують і гарно виглядають теж можуть бути вбивцями, але якщо він схожий на якогось безхатька, то він точно вбивця😐
Ще таке зауваження, Меґґі та її друзі створили книжковий клуб, в принципі серія так і називається, але мені було мало обговорення книжок, там може 5% а то і меньше було. Мені подобається те, що вони збираються разом, але де обговорення книжок😭
А ще, мені було мало Келлі, це онука Лютера, тут було 2 чи 3 сцени з нею і все, але я розраховувала, що їх буде більше, бо все ж таки вони з Меґґі подружилися, і та полюбила ту дитину, мало взаємодії було😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2026
Book 1 of the
2026 Read Your Hoard Challenge
4.5 stars
I wanted to start the New Year with a really good book and The Spy Coast was one of my favourite novels of 2025. I liked it so much that I bought this book, the second of the Martini Club series, soon after finishing the first. It was a good choice.
This installment may be more realistic than the first one, as the club members realize that they can be distracted just like regular folk. Declan manages to break his ankle, then he and Maggie visit a long term care facility. They both find themselves horrified by this view of a possible future.
As usual with me, the mystery is fine, but it's the characters who truly engage me. The third volume will be published here in August and I will be excited to read it.
4.5 stars
I wanted to start the New Year with a really good book and The Spy Coast was one of my favourite novels of 2025. I liked it so much that I bought this book, the second of the Martini Club series, soon after finishing the first. It was a good choice.
This installment may be more realistic than the first one, as the club members realize that they can be distracted just like regular folk. Declan manages to break his ankle, then he and Maggie visit a long term care facility. They both find themselves horrified by this view of a possible future.
As usual with me, the mystery is fine, but it's the characters who truly engage me. The third volume will be published here in August and I will be excited to read it.
June 5, 2025
Some kid wants to be a mermaid, but gets kidnapped instead and ruins her family’s summer vacation. Fortunately, a bunch of ex-spies are pottering around just waiting for an investigation to butt into.
June 30, 2025
Nadat een tiener verdwijnt en Maggies buurman de hoofdverdachte wordt, sluit voormalig spionne Maggie Bird zich aan bij het onderzoek, vastbesloten om de onschuld van haar vriend te bewijzen. Maar de rijke familie van het meisje dringt aan op een arrestatie.
En wanneer de autoriteiten een lang geleden overleden lichaam in een nabijgelegen vijver ontdekken, wordt de zaak extra gecompliceerd en komen er diep begraven geheimen aan het oppervlak.
Terwijl de jonge politiechef Jo Thibodeau worstelt met twee onopgeloste mysteries, probeert de Martini Club - een groepje voormalig CIA-agenten, waaronder Maggie - de waarheid achter schimmige geheimen te ontrafelen. Voordat er meer levens verloren gaan...
'De zomergasten' begint met een heel erg interessante inleiding in het jaar 1972. Er vindt een enorm heftige gebeurtenis plaats en hierdoor werd ik meteen het verhaal ingezogen.
Vervolgens spring je naar het heden en lees je vanuit verschillende personages, waaronder die van voormalige spionne Maggie en korpschef Jo. Deze twee kruisen elkaars pad vanaf het moment dat er een tiener vermist raakt.
Het meisje was met haar moeder en stiefvader op vakantie bij haar rijke familie, maar van het kind ontbreekt ieder spoor. En dan wordt er een lichaam in het water gevonden en blijkt er veel meer aan de hand te zijn dan eerst gedacht werd.
Dit is het tweede deel van de Martiniclub, maar het is ook best goed als losstaand deel te lezen! Misschien dat je een beetje informatie mist over de onderlinge relaties, maar dit is weer een totaal nieuwe zaak waaraan Maggie en de andere leden van de club aan werken.
Eigenlijk is het vanaf de eerste pagina al boeiend en er hangt een mysterieus sfeertje. Het wordt nog vreemder als het meisje vermist raakt en ze kort daarna een lichaam in het water ontdekken. Deze ontwikkelingen waren heel erg interessant en eigenlijk kon ik dan ook niet stoppen met lezen.
Dan denk je onderhand te weten hoe het zit, maar komt er alsnog een heerlijke plottwist en blijft het verhaal je tot het eind verrassen.
Ja, dit was zeker een supergoed tweede deel en het was genieten!
Heel erg bedankt voor het recensie-exemplaar @uitgeverijthb!
Beoordeling: 4,5 ⭐️
En wanneer de autoriteiten een lang geleden overleden lichaam in een nabijgelegen vijver ontdekken, wordt de zaak extra gecompliceerd en komen er diep begraven geheimen aan het oppervlak.
Terwijl de jonge politiechef Jo Thibodeau worstelt met twee onopgeloste mysteries, probeert de Martini Club - een groepje voormalig CIA-agenten, waaronder Maggie - de waarheid achter schimmige geheimen te ontrafelen. Voordat er meer levens verloren gaan...
'De zomergasten' begint met een heel erg interessante inleiding in het jaar 1972. Er vindt een enorm heftige gebeurtenis plaats en hierdoor werd ik meteen het verhaal ingezogen.
Vervolgens spring je naar het heden en lees je vanuit verschillende personages, waaronder die van voormalige spionne Maggie en korpschef Jo. Deze twee kruisen elkaars pad vanaf het moment dat er een tiener vermist raakt.
Het meisje was met haar moeder en stiefvader op vakantie bij haar rijke familie, maar van het kind ontbreekt ieder spoor. En dan wordt er een lichaam in het water gevonden en blijkt er veel meer aan de hand te zijn dan eerst gedacht werd.
Dit is het tweede deel van de Martiniclub, maar het is ook best goed als losstaand deel te lezen! Misschien dat je een beetje informatie mist over de onderlinge relaties, maar dit is weer een totaal nieuwe zaak waaraan Maggie en de andere leden van de club aan werken.
Eigenlijk is het vanaf de eerste pagina al boeiend en er hangt een mysterieus sfeertje. Het wordt nog vreemder als het meisje vermist raakt en ze kort daarna een lichaam in het water ontdekken. Deze ontwikkelingen waren heel erg interessant en eigenlijk kon ik dan ook niet stoppen met lezen.
Dan denk je onderhand te weten hoe het zit, maar komt er alsnog een heerlijke plottwist en blijft het verhaal je tot het eind verrassen.
Ja, dit was zeker een supergoed tweede deel en het was genieten!
Heel erg bedankt voor het recensie-exemplaar @uitgeverijthb!
Beoordeling: 4,5 ⭐️
March 10, 2025
I absolutely loved this book! The second installment in the series did not disappoint—it was everything I hoped for and more. From the small-town setting to the nail-biting mysteries, I couldn’t put it down.
The story kicks off with Zoe’s disappearance, and just when I thought I had a handle on things, a decades-old corpse turns up and completely changes the game. The way the two mysteries were layered together was brilliant, and the twists kept me guessing until the very end.
What really made this book special for me were the characters. Maggie Bird and her Martini Club friends feel so real—like people I’d want to hang out with (if they weren’t ex-spies constantly in danger!). And Detective Jo adds such a great balance to the mix with her determination and sharp instincts. The alternating viewpoints, especially from Zoe’s mom and the mysterious neighbor Reuben, added so much depth and kept me totally hooked.
The writing is just incredible—Tess Gerritsen knows how to build a story that’s complex without ever being confusing. I was so impressed by how well the mystery around the Conovers was handled, with every twist feeling natural and earned.
This series has quickly become one of my favorites, and I’m already dying to read the next book. If you haven’t started it yet, you’re missing out—I’ll be recommending it to everyone I know!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The story kicks off with Zoe’s disappearance, and just when I thought I had a handle on things, a decades-old corpse turns up and completely changes the game. The way the two mysteries were layered together was brilliant, and the twists kept me guessing until the very end.
What really made this book special for me were the characters. Maggie Bird and her Martini Club friends feel so real—like people I’d want to hang out with (if they weren’t ex-spies constantly in danger!). And Detective Jo adds such a great balance to the mix with her determination and sharp instincts. The alternating viewpoints, especially from Zoe’s mom and the mysterious neighbor Reuben, added so much depth and kept me totally hooked.
The writing is just incredible—Tess Gerritsen knows how to build a story that’s complex without ever being confusing. I was so impressed by how well the mystery around the Conovers was handled, with every twist feeling natural and earned.
This series has quickly become one of my favorites, and I’m already dying to read the next book. If you haven’t started it yet, you’re missing out—I’ll be recommending it to everyone I know!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 24, 2025
Another really good book from Tess Gerritsen. I really like The Martini Club series and this one, #2 in the lineup, was as good as the first!
October 29, 2025
Dar vasarą skaityta pirmoji "Martinio klubo" serijos knyga man paliko puikų įspūdį. Norėjosi ją pratęsti. Ir galiu pasakyti tik viena - puiki serija!
Šioje istorijoje sutinkame jau pažįstamus veikėjus. Megė - buvusi slaptosios žvalgybos darbuotoja, kuri savo pensiją leidžia nedideliame Puričio miestelyje.
Nors šis miestelis ramus ir čia nusikaltimų lygis yra išties mažas, tačiau nelaimės tyko visur..
Pradingus paauglei ir Megės kaimynui tapus pagrindiniu įtariamuoju, ji bei jos bendražygiai taip pat įsitraukia į tyrimą. Pasirodo, jog ši sąjunga atskleis ir į viešumą iškels dar ne vieną paslaptį.
Manau Tess knygų sėkmė yra, jog ji moka sukurti tikrai įtaigius, žmogiškus bei įdomius veikėjus. Prie to prisideda dar intriguojantys nusikaltimai ir turime tikrai puikų trilerį.
Čia netrūko netikėtų įvykių, senų paslapčių bei šeimos dramų. Man buvo tikrai įdomu skaityti, o ypač apie tuos į pensiją jau išėjusius CŽA agnetus, kurie vis dar neprarado savo ugnelės 🤭 Kitą vasarą turėtų pasirodyti ir trečioji "Martinio klubo" serijos knyga. Viliuosi, jog Gerritsen mus ir vėl nustebins.
Rekomenduoju mėgstantiems trilerius, kuriuose kapstomasi po senas paslaptis.
Šioje istorijoje sutinkame jau pažįstamus veikėjus. Megė - buvusi slaptosios žvalgybos darbuotoja, kuri savo pensiją leidžia nedideliame Puričio miestelyje.
Nors šis miestelis ramus ir čia nusikaltimų lygis yra išties mažas, tačiau nelaimės tyko visur..
Pradingus paauglei ir Megės kaimynui tapus pagrindiniu įtariamuoju, ji bei jos bendražygiai taip pat įsitraukia į tyrimą. Pasirodo, jog ši sąjunga atskleis ir į viešumą iškels dar ne vieną paslaptį.
Manau Tess knygų sėkmė yra, jog ji moka sukurti tikrai įtaigius, žmogiškus bei įdomius veikėjus. Prie to prisideda dar intriguojantys nusikaltimai ir turime tikrai puikų trilerį.
Čia netrūko netikėtų įvykių, senų paslapčių bei šeimos dramų. Man buvo tikrai įdomu skaityti, o ypač apie tuos į pensiją jau išėjusius CŽA agnetus, kurie vis dar neprarado savo ugnelės 🤭 Kitą vasarą turėtų pasirodyti ir trečioji "Martinio klubo" serijos knyga. Viliuosi, jog Gerritsen mus ir vėl nustebins.
Rekomenduoju mėgstantiems trilerius, kuriuose kapstomasi po senas paslaptis.
February 17, 2025
In follow-up to The Spy Coast, The Summer Guests plunges the Martini Club into a search for a missing teen. It's up to the collective intelligence of the Martini Club (the circle of ex-CIA friends in the cocktail-sipping book club) to do their best to solve the case.
Meanwhile, the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest ... and the authorities have discovered a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond.
I dearly love this series and its characters. Just when I thought I had figured everything out, I discovered I hadn't. At all. I love it when that happens. It's wonderful to have senior characters shown in such a positive manner.
One of my favorite parts in the book was this: "Ben stirred from his heat-induced stupor to squint up at the bird. What was it about growing older that turned one into a bird-watcher?" Yep. There I am!
Big, BIG thanks to both #MercerAndThomas and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Summer Guests. This book is #2 in the #MartiniClub series and has an expected publication date of March 18, 2025.
#TessGerritsen #Mystery #Suspense #MartiniClubSeries
Meanwhile, the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest ... and the authorities have discovered a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond.
I dearly love this series and its characters. Just when I thought I had figured everything out, I discovered I hadn't. At all. I love it when that happens. It's wonderful to have senior characters shown in such a positive manner.
One of my favorite parts in the book was this: "Ben stirred from his heat-induced stupor to squint up at the bird. What was it about growing older that turned one into a bird-watcher?" Yep. There I am!
Big, BIG thanks to both #MercerAndThomas and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Summer Guests. This book is #2 in the #MartiniClub series and has an expected publication date of March 18, 2025.
#TessGerritsen #Mystery #Suspense #MartiniClubSeries
January 5, 2026
The Summer Guests is the second book in the Martini Club series by award-winning, best-selling American author, Tess Gerritsen. For Susan and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Zoe, it’s their first visit to Moonview, the “summer cottage” owned by the Conover family. Widowed seven years earlier, Susan has now been married to writer Ethan Conover for two years, and they have travelled from Boston to Purity, Maine, to carry out the last wishes of Ethan’s father, George, to scatter his ashes.
Moonview easily accommodates the extended family: Ethan’s new wife and daughter, his imperious mother, his arrogant brother, aloof sister-in-law and silent, slouching nephew. As soon as they arrive, Zoe, a mermaid with Olympic aspirations, is in the pond and loving it. The next morning, she has already made a friend her own age, and is soon heading for the Yount farm to pet Callie’s cow and goats.
But, although Luther Yount drives Zoe back to the Maiden Pond boat ramp at lunch time, there’s still no sign of her for the evening meal: no calls or texts, nothing, and Susan is worried enough about this out of character behaviour to call Purity PD. Acting Police Chief Jo Thibodeau is on the case, but when Maggie’s good friend and neighbour, Luther comes under suspicion, of course, the Martini Club gets involved.
Susan is regretting ever coming to Maine, feeling irritated that Ethan was so consumed by his sudden inspiration to write that he didn’t pay enough attention to his adopted daughter, a creepy neighbour watching from across the pond, and feeling claustrophobic within the family that’s not really hers, that keeps going on as normal, with neighbours arriving for drinks and offering opinions.
Before matters are resolved, the Martini Club uncover marital infidelities, secret drug trials, missing young women that might explain a skeleton found in the pond, and government cover-ups. They also manage to eliminate a threat to the health and happiness of a certain young goat farmer without bloodshed. There are enough red herrings and twists that readers might want to pre-book a chiropractic appointment. More of this cast and their blackly funny dialogue may be eagerly anticipated in the third instalment, The Shadow Friends. An entertaining mystery/thriller.
The print version includes a bonus short story by Lee Child and Tess Gerritsen, featuring Jack Reacher and Maggie Bird, in which her search for Joe Reacher on behalf of the daughter of a former CIA colleague results in a visit to Purity, Maine, from Reacher. Is it some issue of paternity, or is there more to it? A delightful bonus.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.
Moonview easily accommodates the extended family: Ethan’s new wife and daughter, his imperious mother, his arrogant brother, aloof sister-in-law and silent, slouching nephew. As soon as they arrive, Zoe, a mermaid with Olympic aspirations, is in the pond and loving it. The next morning, she has already made a friend her own age, and is soon heading for the Yount farm to pet Callie’s cow and goats.
But, although Luther Yount drives Zoe back to the Maiden Pond boat ramp at lunch time, there’s still no sign of her for the evening meal: no calls or texts, nothing, and Susan is worried enough about this out of character behaviour to call Purity PD. Acting Police Chief Jo Thibodeau is on the case, but when Maggie’s good friend and neighbour, Luther comes under suspicion, of course, the Martini Club gets involved.
Susan is regretting ever coming to Maine, feeling irritated that Ethan was so consumed by his sudden inspiration to write that he didn’t pay enough attention to his adopted daughter, a creepy neighbour watching from across the pond, and feeling claustrophobic within the family that’s not really hers, that keeps going on as normal, with neighbours arriving for drinks and offering opinions.
Before matters are resolved, the Martini Club uncover marital infidelities, secret drug trials, missing young women that might explain a skeleton found in the pond, and government cover-ups. They also manage to eliminate a threat to the health and happiness of a certain young goat farmer without bloodshed. There are enough red herrings and twists that readers might want to pre-book a chiropractic appointment. More of this cast and their blackly funny dialogue may be eagerly anticipated in the third instalment, The Shadow Friends. An entertaining mystery/thriller.
The print version includes a bonus short story by Lee Child and Tess Gerritsen, featuring Jack Reacher and Maggie Bird, in which her search for Joe Reacher on behalf of the daughter of a former CIA colleague results in a visit to Purity, Maine, from Reacher. Is it some issue of paternity, or is there more to it? A delightful bonus.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.
July 20, 2025
The second novel in Tess Gerritsen's Martini Club series is, I'm plesaed to say, as entertaining as the first.
While the first novel (The Spy Coast) featured numerous flashbacks to the lives of a group of retired spies when they were much younger The Summer Guests shows them as their older selves.
Gerritsen, as always, puts together a fine plot. This one not only features her retired spies, but also gives plenty of story to acting police chief Jo Thibodeau. I'm alreday looking forward to the next adventure, The Shadow Friends, although it will be a bit of a wait.
This edition of The Summer Guests includes a bonus short stort story (Over Easy) by Tess Gerritsen & Lee Child. It features Gerritsen's Maggie Bird & Child's Jack Reacher & is far better than the rubbish that Lee Child & his talentless brother are writing about Reacher these days.
While the first novel (The Spy Coast) featured numerous flashbacks to the lives of a group of retired spies when they were much younger The Summer Guests shows them as their older selves.
Gerritsen, as always, puts together a fine plot. This one not only features her retired spies, but also gives plenty of story to acting police chief Jo Thibodeau. I'm alreday looking forward to the next adventure, The Shadow Friends, although it will be a bit of a wait.
This edition of The Summer Guests includes a bonus short stort story (Over Easy) by Tess Gerritsen & Lee Child. It features Gerritsen's Maggie Bird & Child's Jack Reacher & is far better than the rubbish that Lee Child & his talentless brother are writing about Reacher these days.
March 18, 2025
Book 2 in the Martini Club Series!
I really enjoyed the first book with our retired CIA agents in Purity, Maine.
And this second book was just as great.
It's summer in our little Maine town and the tourists are all over the place. Including the Conover family; they've summered in their lake house for decades. This is the first year that Ethan is coming again. He never much liked it there as a kid. Now he's newly married to a single mom of a teenaged girl and he needs the quiet lake time to finally write his second book.
But on their first full day at the lake Zoe disappears after playing with local girl Callie - who we remember from the first book.
And the state police and the Zoe's family all look at Callie's grandpa as the bad guy.
So Maggie and her retired CIA buddies need to find out what really happened to prove her neighbor's innocence.
This was such a great small town summer mystery. I really enjoyed reading it.
When you think Zoe's disappearance is the only mystery Maggie, Jo and the gang have to deal with... nope. It's only the beginning!
Can't wait to see more of the Martini Club! This whole thing would look so good on TV!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
CLICK >HERE<
TO GET THE BOOK!
November 21, 2024
The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen is the second book in the Martini Club series. I very much enjoyed the first, The Spy Coast and this was - as much, if not even more - enjoyable. From memory the investigation in the first book centred around the former CIA (et al) club members' old lives whereas this is more of a straight-forward whodunnit (and as importantly whydunnit). And I was rivetted. I adored catching up with the Martini Club members again though Maggie (again) was the standout and our lead character, along with Purity Police Chief Jo Thibodeau, who we met in the first outing.
We also spend a lot of time here with the likeable Susan, who's holidaying with her in-laws for the first time at their palatial holiday home in Purity when her very trustworthy and sensible 15 year old daughter, Zoe disappears.
Jo's on the case and discouraging the Martini Club's involvement, at the same time knowing she can't stop them or discount the help they're providing as they're uniquely qualified and absurdly talented at digging up information not accessible to most.
I really enjoyed this and found it hard to put down both evenings I picked it up. There's something warm and familiar about the characters, though it's not quite a 'comfort read'. Here for example the baddie's treatment of Zoe is astoundingly callous it morphs from a cosy(ish) read into something more evil and quick shocking even to this reader-of-books-regularly-featuring-sociopaths-and-psychopaths.
4.5 stars
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
We also spend a lot of time here with the likeable Susan, who's holidaying with her in-laws for the first time at their palatial holiday home in Purity when her very trustworthy and sensible 15 year old daughter, Zoe disappears.
Jo's on the case and discouraging the Martini Club's involvement, at the same time knowing she can't stop them or discount the help they're providing as they're uniquely qualified and absurdly talented at digging up information not accessible to most.
I really enjoyed this and found it hard to put down both evenings I picked it up. There's something warm and familiar about the characters, though it's not quite a 'comfort read'. Here for example the baddie's treatment of Zoe is astoundingly callous it morphs from a cosy(ish) read into something more evil and quick shocking even to this reader-of-books-regularly-featuring-sociopaths-and-psychopaths.
4.5 stars
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
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