The Newcomer (Thunder Point)
Carr returns to Thunder Point, a tiny town on the Oregon coast, revisiting the characters introduced in The Wanderer (2013). Cooper is happy he stayed in Thunder Point, and his remodeled business is doing well as his relationship with Coast Guard helicopter pilot Sarah deepens, but he is in for a huge, life-changing surprise. The town’s deputy sheriff, Mac, raising three children on his own with help from his aunt, has fallen in love with Gina, the mother of his 16-year-old daughter’s best friend, Ashley. Life gets tough when Gina’s daughter becomes the object of digital bullying. Mac has problems, too, relating to his gorgeous, apparently wealthy ex-wife, who abandoned him and their young children. And Sarah is up for a reassignment in the Coast Guard that will complicate things for the brother she is raising. Carr dramatizes and deepens her theme—good people caring for each other—as she continuesher thoughtful, well-plotted series with its compelling characters discovering, often the hard way, what family and community mean. --Diana Tixier Herald