Death on a Winter Stroll

Finished July 6

Death on a Winter Stroll by Francine Mathews

This mystery novel is part of the series featuring Nantucket police chief Merry Folger. Winter Stroll is a tradition on Nantucket and this is the first time it is happening since the pandemic began. Merry knows that the island depends on tourism economically and desperately needs that for the small businesses to survive, but she also wants to keep the community safe amid all the activity.

There is a production team on the island filming a television series at the less populated end of the island, as well as lots of tourist and former residents back for the winter event. Among the former residents is the family of the current Secretary of State, including her stepson Ansel. The famous actor starring in the TV series has brought his young adult daughter Winter along, and a chance meeting between the two has them joining forces when disturbing events cause upheaval in both their worlds. 

Ansel has a secondary purpose on the island that no one else in the family knows, reuniting with his estranged mother, Blythe Fitzpatrick. He wasn't told the truth about her absence in his life and is learning about her and trying to build a relationship. 

As Merry tries to manage the crimes that impact both the production and the government official, she uses her lifelong knowledge of the island and its residents to make connections. 

I liked many of the characters, including both the series characters such as Merry, and the ones appearing first in this novel, such as Ansel, Winter, and Blythe. They are well drawn and have depth. 

I definitely plan to look for more in the series. 

An Island Christmas

Finished January 11
An Island Christmas by Nancy Thayer

This short novel is set on Nantucket as Jilly prepares for the wedding of her second daughter Felicia, which is to take place on Christmas day. Jilly is closer to her eldest daughter Lauren, who lives in New York with her husband and two children, who shares similar interests, and who visits often. Felicia is more outdoorsy, and she now lives in Colorado and her fiance is a rugged man who also spends most of his time outdoors running adventure tours.
Jilly has always dreamed that Felicia would marry a boy she grew up with and live closer, and even in the face of Felicia's impending marriage, still tries to manipulate things to that end.
George, Jilly's husband, can see the stress in Jilly and encourages adding a cat to their household to calm Jilly. The cat is not the one they expected to get, but is definitely the one Jilly needed, and he adds a lot to this story.
The family dynamics are interesting and I liked how the characters were a bit unpredictable. A cosy book for a light, enjoyable read.

Let It Snow

Finished December 28
Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer

This light romance is centered around a group of merchants on a pier in Nantucket. Christina Antonioni runs a toy store and is facing her first Christmas after the deaths of both of her parents. She is an island native, and has lots of friends including the other shopkeepers on the pier. They get together at lunch every day for a quick visit and update.
As the book begins, a young girl, Wink, visiting Christina's store on her own makes an attempt at shoplifting, but Christina calls her out on it. She shows compassion though and offers to help the girl later, convincing her fellow merchants to put together a bag of goodies for her. But Wink turns out to be a surprise that leads to more surprises, including an extremely nice uncle.
The merchants also get a surprise warning of a new landlord and a sharp rent increase in the new year, one that their businesses can't sustain, and they must strategize about how to fight back.
A light seasonal read with appealing characters.

Winter Street

Finished March 12
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand, read by Erin Bennett

This novel begins with Kelley Quinn, owner of the Winter Street Inn in Nantucket walking in on his wife Mitzi kissing Santa Claus. In this case, Santa Claus is the man they've hired for many years to play the role during the inn's Christmas festivities.
The holiday season has already been difficult with Kelley and Mitzi's 19-year-old son Bart with the Marines in the Middle East. It is only a couple of days until Christmas, and no one has heard from Bart in days.
Kelley isn't the only one with issues this Christmas. Two of Kelley's children from his first wife, Margaret, also live at the inn. Ava is a local teacher, and her boyfriend, a cabinetmaker, has gone home to visit his parents in Florida at the last minute. Ava knows his ex-girlfriend is recently divorced, and she doesn't feel secure in their relationship, so doesn't know how to interpret this behaviour. Kevin is a local bartender, with a life that doesn't seem to be going anywhere, and with a secret girlfriend, who springs a very big surprise on him. Kevin's had bad luck with love in the past, and isn't sure he can commit, even though he really cares about Isabelle.
The oldest child, Patrick, has just realized that a big error of judgement on his part is about to catch up with him, and his wife has taken the children to her parents' place rather than deal with what he has done. Patrick has always been the successful, responsible one in the family and this is a big turnabout for him. One he doesn't begin to know how to deal with.
As each of them reaches out to Margaret for reassurance, assistance, or advice, Margaret realizes that her Christmas plans must change as well.
This is the first in a series and introduces a number of interesting characters that will be interesting to follow.

Island Girls

Finished June 15
Island Girls by Nancy Thayer

This perfect summer read. Boston resident and Nantucket real estate agent Rory Randall has recently died, and a surprise clause in his will leaves his Nantucket vacation home to his three daughters from different marriages, provided they live there together for summer.
The oldest, Arden, is a successful TV show host in Boston, doing a show about decluttering. She is feeling threatened by a new younger colleague and hopes to use the summer on the island to make some new contacts and prove her worth to the station's managers.
Meg is a professor at a Boston college, with a strong belief in helping people succeed, a writing project to work on for the summer, and a lack of self confidence in her personal life. A younger colleague has shown interest in being more than a friend, but Meg doesn't feel confident to take the chance on real love.
Jenny already lives on the island, has been living in the Nantucket house for years, running a successful computer company with both local and off-island clients. She has recently ended a relationship and has a big local project beginning that she is working on with another computer company entrepreneur.
The girls haven't spent much time together since the summer that an incident occurred that resulted in Arden and Meg being banned from the vacation home at Jenny's mother's insistence.
Spending time together will give them a chance to get to know each other as adults, and deal with the long ago family rift.
The women are all successful in their own ways, all distrustful of men after watching Rory's charm with women, and all a bit lonely for family.
We see not only these women, but their mothers, and how they came to where they are now. A feel-good novel with a touch of romance.

Summerland

Finished August 1
Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand, read by Erin Bennett

This novel takes place over one summer, beginning with a warm June evening, graduation day for Nantucket High. As usual, there are a few parties, and one of them is on a beach. But leaving that party Penny Alistair drives her boyfriend Jake Randolph's jeep, with her twin brother Hobson (Hobby) in the back along with a friend Demeter Castle. Something was driving Penny to drive recklessly and the trip ended in a crash, with Penny dead and Hobby in a coma. Jake and Demeter were wearing their seatbelts and escaped injury.
Zoe, the single mother of Penny and Hobby is devastated. Zoe is an easy-going mother, often more like a friend to her children. She works as an private chef and a caterer and lives in a small house on the beach. Jake's parents Jordan and Ava have a marriage that has been growing apart, especially since the death of Jake's little brother from SIDS. Ava has immersed herself in sadness, a sadness that Penny was drawn to, spending more and more time lately with Ava. Jordan is the owner and editor of the local newspaper, a newspaper that has been in his family for generations. It is a big part of his life, and why he refuses to leave Nantucket, even though Ava has wanted to return to her native Perth, Australia for years.
This accident and its aftermath drive Jordan to pull Jake away from Nantucket, giving in to Ava's wish to return to Perth.
Demeter feels strongly about her role as outcast, overweight and with few friends. She wants badly to be part of the crowd, and particularly wanted to be close to the very popular Penny. What did she say to Penny that night on the beach, and did that lead to Penny's self-destructive actions. Demeter's parents, Al and Lynne, don't seem to see her issues for what they are and are only too happy to ignore signs of unhappiness. But things won't stay hidden, and Demeter's alcoholism eventually comes to light.
We see these stories from many points of view: Zoe's, Jake's, Jordan's, Demeter's, Ava's, Hobby's, and Lynne's. I liked this aspect, seeing how different views changed the story. Everyone has secrets, and sometimes the secrets affect the lives of those around them. An interesting story about a group of normal, flawed human beings and the emotions that drive them.

Entertaining Listen

Finished March 19
The Beach House by Jane Green, read by Cassandra Campbell
This is definitely a romance, but also more complex than that. It is also about being true to who you are, moral behaviour, and taking responsibility for actions.
The book follows a number of groups of people, separately at first, and then as they engage with each other. Nan married into an old Nantucket family and raised her son there after her husband walked into the sea in an apparent suicide. Her son, Michael, is a jeweller in New York City, never finding the right woman to settle down with, and sometimes making bad choices in the women he has relationships with. Nan's money is getting tight and she decides to open her historic home to boarders for the summer to get some much-needed income.
Daniel and Bee are married with two young daughters, but their marriage is shaky. They are trying counselling, but Daniel has a troubling truth to face before they can truly move forward.
Daff and Richard has recently divorced after Richard had an affair. Their thirteen-year-old daughter has not been dealing with the family breakup very well and is acting out in a variety of ways.
Daniel and Daff both become boarders in Nan's house and Michael returns home, running from the bad decisions that he has made.
Of course, it all works out in the end, that's the type of book it is, but it is an entertaining book, with engaging characters.