Summers at the Saint — Complete Book Guide

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Quick Facts

Short Summary

Traci Eddings, owner of the historic Saint resort, fights to keep the hotel afloat after key employees quit. She hires a new chef, recruits her niece Parrish, and unknowingly brings in a young woman named Livvy Grayson whose mother Shannon harbors a traumatic secret involving Traci’s late father-in-law. When Parrish is murdered at a staff party, Livvy and chef Felice investigate, uncovering a theft ring, a decades-old drowning cover-up, and Shannon’s hidden rape. The truth forces a reckoning with the Eddings family’s dark past and reshapes the future of the Saint.

Full Summary

The novel opens with a young Traci Eddings first glimpsing the pink-turreted Saint resort from her grandfather’s fishing boat; she is told people like her do not belong there. Years later, as a teenage lifeguard, she falls in love with Hoke Eddings, heir to the resort, and eventually becomes its owner after his death in a plane crash.

In the present day, Traci struggles to staff the Saint for the summer. General manager Charlie Burroughs reports that two key employees have left for a rival. Desperate, Traci offers on-site housing in a renovated golf-cart barn, recruits her niece Parrish to work guest relations, and hires Felice Bonpierre as executive chef. She also offers a job to Olivia “Livvy” Grayson, a waitress she meets at another restaurant. Livvy’s mother Shannon, Traci’s former best friend, forbids her from working at the Saint, hinting at a painful past.

Among the new hires are KJ Parkhurst, a rich kid forced to work by his father, and Garrett, a veteran waiter. The staff dormitory mixes privilege and poverty, creating tensions. Meanwhile, a mysterious man named Whelan takes a job as a landscaper to investigate the 2002 drowning of his half-brother Hudson at the Saint.

At the Beach Bash, Parrish gets drunk, stumbles behind a shack, and is murdered. Her body is found the next morning. Sheriff Coyle investigates, but evidence is destroyed. Traci grieves while trying to keep the resort open.

Livvy and Felice recover Parrish’s “bitch book” — a notebook of guest complaints. They discover patterns of mattress shortages and suspicious vendor deals, pointing to a theft ring. Livvy also learns from her mother Shannon that her biological father is the late Fred Eddings, who raped Shannon when she was nineteen. Fred’s will, manipulated by Ric Eddings, includes a “surviving heirs” clause that could give Livvy a share of the Saint.

Whelan’s investigation reveals that Hudson did not drown but died from anaphylaxis after being given peanut M&Ms by Ric Eddings. Fred Eddings covered up the death with a payoff. At the same time, Livvy and Felice’s snooping alarms Garrett and Charlie, who set fire to the staff dormitory to kill them. The arson fails; Felice drags Livvy out, and KJ confesses to his role.

Traci deduces that Parrish was murdered by mistake — the killers intended to kill Livvy to prevent her inheritance. Madelyn Eddings, Ric’s wife, masterminded the plot after learning about Livvy’s paternity. In a sting operation, Madelyn is arrested after shooting Garrett. Charlie Burroughs flees but is caught after a crash.

In the aftermath, Shannon and Traci reconcile. Livvy accepts her inheritance and becomes co-owner of the Saint. Traci and Whelan marry and expect a child. The epilogue shows Livvy confidently addressing members at a sunset ceremony, while Traci and Whelan tour the property, now with new employee housing and a sense of renewal.

Main Characters

• Traci Eddings — Owner and CEO of the Saint, determined to save the resort while uncovering family secrets.
• Shannon Grayson — Traci’s former best friend, a recovering alcoholic who hides the trauma of being raped by Fred Eddings.
• Olivia “Livvy” Grayson — Shannon’s daughter, who becomes an amateur investigator and later co-owner of the Saint.
• Felice Bonpierre — The talented executive chef who survives the dorm fire and helps expose the theft ring.
• Parrish Eddings — Traci’s niece, murdered by mistake while working at the Saint for the summer.
• Whelan — A former Marine working undercover as a landscaper to investigate his half-brother’s drowning; falls in love with Traci.

Themes

• Class divide and social hierarchy — The “Saints vs. Ain’ts” system drives conflicts from the prologue to Ric’s manipulations.
• Family secrets and cover-ups — Hidden paternity, sexual assault, blackmail, and a drowning cover-up expose the Eddings family’s dark past.
• Mother-daughter relationships — Shannon’s control clashes with Livvy’s independence; Traci’s bond with Parrish mirrors maternal love and loss.
• Grief and resilience — Traci’s grief over Hoke and Parrish fuels her determination; Shannon and Whelan grapple with old traumas.
• Justice and accountability — The novel culminates in arrests and confessions, showing that buried crimes cannot escape exposure.

Symbols

• Parrish’s “bitch book” — A blue composition notebook recording guest complaints and suspicious details that leads Livvy and Felice to uncover the theft ring.
• The Shack — A hidden after-party spot where Parrish’s body is found, later connected to the arson plot.
• Peanut M&Ms — The candy given to young Hudson that causes his fatal anaphylactic reaction, the original crime haunting the narrative.
• The staff dormitory — Renovated from an old golf cart barn, symbolising Traci’s attempt to bridge class divides and later the site of the arson attack.

Ending Overview

One year after the murder, Livvy prepares for her first public appearance as co-owner of the Saint. Traci, now pregnant and married to Whelan, reassures her. Shannon has a new relationship with a doctor. Felice has lost weight and started dating Dave, the EMT who saved her. Madelyn Eddings is on trial; Ric Eddings is physically deteriorated and powerless. Livvy toasts the members at sunset, formally stepping into her role. Traci and Whelan tour the property, observing new employee housing and a doe with fawns, before heading home to assemble a crib. The ending emphasises new beginnings, justice, and the Saint’s renewal.

Chapter-by-Chapter Summary Table

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who killed Parrish Eddings?
Parrish was murdered by mistake. Madelyn Eddings masterminded the plot; Garrett Wycoff and Charlie Burroughs carried it out. They intended to kill Livvy Grayson to prevent her inheritance.

2. What is the “bitch book”?
It is a blue composition notebook kept by Parrish Eddings. She recorded guest complaints and suspicious details. Livvy and Felice use it to uncover the mattress-fraud and theft ring.

3. How did Hudson really die?
Hudson did not drown. He died from anaphylactic shock after being given peanut M&Ms by Ric Eddings. The Eddings family covered it up and paid off the mother.

4. Why does Shannon hate Traci?
Shannon blames Traci for being fired after Hudson’s drowning while Traci was protected. Additionally, Shannon was raped by Traci’s father-in-law Fred Eddings, a secret she kept for over twenty years.

5. Who is Olivia Grayson’s biological father?
Her biological father is Fred Eddings, the late patriarch of the Eddings family. He raped Shannon when she was nineteen.

6. What happens to the Saint resort at the end?
The Saint survives. Livvy becomes co-owner alongside Traci. The resort undergoes renewal with new employee housing and a successful summer season.

7. Are Traci and Whelan together at the end?
Yes. Traci and Whelan marry, and Traci is pregnant. They live in Wisteria cottage on the property.

8. What is the significance of the peanut M&Ms?
They symbolize the original crime that haunts the novel. Ric Eddings gave them to young Hudson, triggering the fatal allergic reaction that was then covered up by the family.

Further Reading

• Ending Explained
• Questions and Answers
• Take the Quiz
• Essay Prompts
• Full Character List
• All Themes
• All Symbols