I was sitting in my neighborhood nail salon having a manicure while carefully turning the pages of Tess Gerritsen’s latest, The Summer Guests. A woman leaned over and asked, “Is that another mystery about those retired CIA operatives in Maine?” I nodded. “Well, I spent a lot of time on the Maine coast and always knew there were lots of ex-CIA people living there,” she said. “I read the first and can’t wait to read this one.” I told her she wouldn’t be disappointed.
In 2023’s Spy Coast, which launched Gerritsen’s new series, Maggie Bird, a 60 year-old former CIA agent left behind her storied and dangerous career chasing bad guys all over the globe to settle down in the Maine small town of Purity. (Obviously a misnomer since evil people seem to pop up all the time.) As my new salon friend observed, Maggie and her friends chose Maine for a reason. Retired intelligence officials find that they can find cover in the pine tree state, living off the grid and in peace.
Old habits, however, die hard. The Martini Club, consisting of Maggie and her CIA alumni, Ben, Declan, and Ingrid, along with Ingrid’s non-CIA husband, Lloyd, meet regularly, ostensibly for a pot luck dinner to discuss books. After a few drinks, the conversation tends to veer off into the happenings in Purity. And when Maggie’s neighbor and friend, Luther, is arrested for a crime the club knows he didn’t commit, they spring into action to help the young acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau.
For decades, the wealthy Conovers have had a summer home on Maiden Pond. The family patriarch, George, has died and the family has made this pilgrimage to scatter his ashes on the nearby mountain. The two Conover sons have radically different memories of the times they spent in Moonview, as the mansion is called. Colin was, and still is, a bully. Having made his mark in finance, Colin falls back on adolescent behavior to taunt and belittle his younger brother, Ethan, who is struggling to write his second novel. Colin’s wife, Brooke is blond, model thin, and adored by her mother-in-law, Elizabeth. After his first wife died, Ethan married Susan and adopted her teenage daughter, Zoe. Susan made the trip to support Ethan. She also knows he’s suffering from writer’s block and hopes a change of scenery will help.
When they arrive at Moonview, Zoe, an accomplished swimmer, wastes no time jumping into Maiden Pond. Susan is glad to see that another teenage girl has joined Zoe in the water and hopes that making a new friend will help her daughter enjoy her time in Maine. But when Zoe doesn’t return for dinner, Susan begins to worry. The other family members dismiss her concerns, but Susan knows her own daughter. She wouldn’t stay out without calling and the fact that she’s not answering her cell phone exacerbates Susan’s anxieties.
Tess Gerritsen (Photo Credit Josh Gerritsen)
Zoe was swimming with Luther’s granddaughter, Carrie. When Luther learns that Zoe is missing, he calls Maggie, concerned he might be implicated in the teen’s disappearance since he was the one who dropped her off at the lake after her visit. Luther runs a small farm and his appearance makes him look less like the esteemed MIT professor he once was and more like a panhandler who might be capable of kidnapping a young girl. Although Carrie backs up her grandfather’s story, Jo is not convinced and ends up taking Luther in for more questioning. After arranging for Carrie to stay in her spare room, Maggie visits Luther at the police station. She still believes he’s innocent, but also knows he’s not telling her the whole truth.
Another suspect is added to the list. Reuben Tarkin is a local who lives in a cabin across the lake taking care of his invalid sister. When Reuben was just a young boy, his father, Sam, drove his car into town and ended up killing several people. After that the Tarkins were avoided by locals and vacationers alike. Like father, like son? Reuben has a history of targeting the Conovers, once leaving rotting fish at their door. But why would he abduct Zoe who isn’t really a member of the family?
When the pond becomes the focal point for finding Zoe, the divers are called in. Zoe’s body isn’t found but the bones of another young woman are recovered from the water’s bottom. Tests show that the remains are decades old. Who was the other woman killed and then dumped into the pond? And does her death have anything to do with Zoe’s disappearance?
While Jo has come a long way since she became acting chief, she will need the help of more experienced investigators to solve this crime. Maggie and her friends use their considerable skills and knowledge to help, never guessing that what they discover will hit close to home.
The Summer Guests
Tess Gerritsen
Top photo: Shutterstock
Our editors love to read and independently recommend these books. As an Amazon Affiliate, Woman Around Town may receive a small commission from the sale of any book. Thank you for supporting Woman Around Town.
