Ending explained Summers at the Saint Mary Kay Andrews

Summers at the Saint Ending Explained: Full Breakdown of the Climax, Character Fates, and Unresolved Mysteries

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

The Climax: How Parrish Dies and the Conspiracy Unravels

The novel’s central tragedy occurs at an employee afterparty in a hidden clearing called the Shack, a former landscaping shed the staff has used for years as a secret hangout. During the raucous gathering, a stoned musician named Cedric delivers a fentanyl-spiked marijuana joint that was originally intended for Olivia "Livvy" Grayson, Fred Eddings’s secret daughter. Instead, the lethal joint reaches Parrish Eddings, who smokes it and dies from the overdose. The murder plot was orchestrated by Madelyn Eddings (Ric’s wife) and Garrett Wycoff (a waiter and Madelyn’s lover), with help from KJ Parkhurst and Charlie Burroughs, the general manager.

The conspiracy aimed to erase Livvy from the Eddings family picture after Madelyn discovered a paternity test proving Livvy was Fred’s biological daughter, as well as a nondisclosure agreement that Fred had forced Shannon Grayson (Livvy’s mother) to sign. Madelyn’s plan included extortion, blackmail, arson, and theft. Charlie Burroughs dies while fleeing from state police after the plot collapses. Garrett and Charlie had also been stealing from the hotel. After the murder, KJ Parkhurst cuts a deal, testifies against his co-defendants, and receives a five-year prison sentence.

Major Character Outcomes

Traci Eddings

Traci, now pregnant and married to Whelan, has moved past the grief of losing her husband Hoke and her niece Parrish. She confesses her feelings to Whelan after a night of danger, and he reveals he has already quit his job at the hotel to eliminate the conflict of interest. They marry, and Traci becomes a co-owner of the Saint alongside Livvy. She demonstrates resilience by confronting Ric Eddings directly, revealing her knowledge of the paternity test, the NDA, and Madelyn’s scheme. She tells Ric he is the architect of his own misfortune and declares she is moving forward, leaving the past behind.

Olivia "Livvy" Grayson

One year after the murder, Livvy nervously steps into her role as co-owner of the Saint at a sunset ceremony. The media frenzy around Madelyn’s trial continues, with national coverage from outlets like CNN, People magazine, and Dateline, but Livvy gains confidence from Traci’s resilience. She is in a serious relationship with Nick, a young man from Baltimore, and has invited his family to visit. She has also taken ownership of Gardenia Cottage after a court fight with Ric Eddings. She jokes about her mother Shannon’s fling with a doctor (whom Livvy calls "Dr. BoyToy") and prepares to attend Georgetown in the fall.

Felice Bonpierre

Felice, the executive chef Traci hired, has lost thirty pounds through running and Pilates. She is dating Dave, the EMT who responded to the dormitory crisis. She remains at the Saint, training a new sous-chef and living in Whelan’s old apartment while waiting for countertops for her new place. She appears dressed in pink from head to toe at the epilogue’s sunset ceremony.

Ric Eddings

Six weeks after Parrish’s death, Traci confronts Ric outside a liquor store. He has physically deteriorated: jaundiced, thinner, unkempt, with a patchy gray beard. He is drinking heavily and threatens legal action against Traci and Livvy. Traci reveals she knows about his affairs, his rewriting of Fred’s will, and his indirect role in Parrish’s death. He is fined $500 for parking in a handicapped space. The epilogue notes that Ric filed for divorce from Madelyn within hours of her arrest.

Madelyn Eddings

Madelyn is arrested for the murder of her stepdaughter Parrish, as well as the attempted murder of Livvy and Felice. Her trial is ongoing at the time of the epilogue, generating national media attention. The book confirms she orchestrated the plot with Garrett to eliminate Livvy as a rival for the Eddings fortune, using a spiked joint that killed Parrish instead.

Whelan

Whelan, who was initially the hotel’s contractor and later Traci’s love interest, becomes the Saint’s general manager after much persuasion from Traci and Livvy. He marries Traci, who is pregnant with their child. He shows a playful side, teasing Livvy about her boyfriend Nick. In the epilogue, he and Traci tour the property in a golf cart, observing new employee housing and a doe with fawns, then head home to assemble a baby crib.

Shannon Grayson

Livvy’s mother is still wary of the Saint but has accepted a pass to attend the ceremony. She is having a "little fling" with a doctor, which Livvy finds amusing. Livvy notes that Shannon is "okay" with her relationship with Nick and is letting herself "cut loose" for once.

KJ Parkhurst

KJ, the son of a business associate whom Ric forced Traci to hire, cuts a deal with prosecutors and testifies against his co-defendants. He is serving a five-year prison sentence. During interrogation, he admits to being involved in the theft, arson, and attempted arson, though he insists he did not kill anyone.

Charlie Burroughs

The general manager, who had been stealing from the hotel alongside Garrett, dies while fleeing from the state patrol. His injuries from the crash are fatal.

Resolved and Unresolved Threads

Resolved

  • Who killed Parrish: Madelyn orchestrated the plot; Garrett carried out the delivery of the drug; Cedric actually gave her the spiked joint.
  • Traci and Whelan’s romance: They marry, and Traci becomes pregnant.
  • The hotel’s survival: The Saint stays open and expands employee housing. Traci and Livvy become co-owners.
  • Livvy’s place in the family: She is legally recognized as Fred’s daughter through a paternity test and inherits Gardenia Cottage and co-ownership.
  • Employee housing: The "Little Saint" villas are near completion, replacing the old segregated dorm.
  • Ric’s comeuppance: He loses his wife, his daughter, and his legal battle, and is publicly humiliated.

Unresolved / Open to Interpretation

  • Madelyn’s trial outcome: The verdict is not shown; the epilogue only states that the trial is ongoing.
  • Garrett Wycoff’s fate: He is still at large at the time of the epilogue, though a Dateline producer claims to have done a jailhouse interview with him, suggesting he may later be captured.
  • Fred Eddings’s final days: Ric refuses to tell his dying father about Parrish’s death. It is unclear whether Fred ever learns the truth.
  • The full scope of the financial crimes: The extent of the money stolen from the Saint by Charlie and Garrett is not fully detailed.
  • Livvy’s long-term role: She is learning on the job and will attend Georgetown in the fall, but her permanent commitment to the Saint is not cemented.

Theme Resolution

Class Divide and Social Hierarchy: The novel resolves this theme by showing Traci, once an "Ain’t," now owning the hotel and building housing that treats all workers fairly. The new villas are described in the same Spanish revival style as the main hotel, symbolizing the end of the old two-tiered system. Livvy, another outsider, takes ownership alongside Traci.

Family Secrets and Cover-Ups: Nearly every major secret is exposed: the paternity test and NDA, the affairs, the will tampering, and the murder plot. Traci confronts Ric with all of them. The only remaining secret may be what Fred’s final wishes actually were, as Ric attempted to rewrite the will.

Mother-Daughter Relationships: Traci becomes a surrogate mother figure to both Parrish and Livvy. Shannon and Livvy’s relationship is strained but healing, and Shannon’s new fling suggests she is moving forward.

Grief and Resilience: Traci, Livvy, and Shannon each process Parrish’s death differently. Traci channels grief into action, Livvy steps into her new role despite trauma, and Shannon allows herself to find joy again. The epilogue emphasizes that the characters have not forgotten the dead but choose to move forward.

Justice and Accountability: Madelyn is arrested and on trial; KJ is imprisoned; Charlie dies; Ric loses everything. The legal system is shown as imperfect but functional. Traci’s personal confrontation with Ric provides a form of moral justice outside the courtroom.

The Epilogue: One Year Later

The epilogue opens with Livvy nervous before her first public appearance as co-owner. Traci, now visibly pregnant and married to Whelan, reassures her. The media circus around Madelyn’s trial continues, with six news vans outside the gate and a Dateline interview pending.

Livvy gives a toast to the assembled members at sunset, officially stepping into her role. Afterward, Traci and Whelan tour the property in a golf cart, passing the nearly completed employee housing villas called "Little Saint." They see a doe with two fawns, a symbol of renewal. The final lines show them heading home to assemble a baby crib, closing the story on a note of hope.

Notable details from the epilogue evidence:

  • Livvy jokes that her mother Shannon is having a fling with a doctor, and Livvy calls him "Dr. BoyToy."
  • Felice has lost thirty pounds, is dating Dave the EMT, and wears a pink chef’s coat and toque to the ceremony.
  • Nick, Livvy’s boyfriend, is from Baltimore, and Livvy has been invited to his family’s cabin in Maine.
  • Whelan becomes the general manager after being convinced over months.
  • The paternity test and NDA that Madelyn discovered are explicitly confirmed as the motive for the murder plot.

Reasonable Interpretations

  1. The symbolism of the doe and fawns represents Traci’s pregnancy and the rebirth of the Saint as a family enterprise that includes all its members, not just the blood Eddingses. The deer, wild and unbidden, suggests that renewal comes from nature and resilience, not from control.

  2. Traci’s "moment of clarity" during the danger (chapter 74) suggests she has fully shed Hoke’s shadow and her own professional caution. Her choice to prioritize personal happiness over company policy marks her emotional arc.

  3. Livvy’s discomfort with media attention indicates she will never fully escape the scandal’s legacy, but her willingness to speak at the ceremony shows she is choosing to own her story rather than hide from it.

  4. Ric’s physical deterioration is left ambiguous: it could be alcoholism, grief, illness, or all three. The jaundice suggests possible liver damage from heavy drinking, aligning with his appearance at the liquor store.

  5. The missing "bitch book" (Parrish’s composition book containing secrets) is discovered by Livvy and Felice when they clean Parrish’s dorm room. The book is found in a decorative pillow, suggesting Parrish had hidden evidence. The outline implies this discovery leads to uncovering the conspiracy, though the novel does not show its full contents.

6 Reader Questions Answered

1. Who actually killed Parrish Eddings? Madelyn Eddings orchestrated the murder plot, Garrett Wycoff arranged the delivery of the fentanyl-laced joint, and Cedric, a stoned musician, mistakenly gave it to Parrish instead of Livvy. The death was unintentional from Cedric’s perspective but a direct result of Madelyn’s conspiracy.

2. Does Traci end up with Whelan? Yes. After a night of danger, Traci confesses she wants him to stay, and Whelan reveals he has already quit his job to avoid company policy conflicts. They marry, and Traci becomes pregnant.

3. What happens to Olivia "Livvy" Grayson? Livvy becomes co-owner of the Saint alongside Traci. She is in a serious relationship with Nick, has taken ownership of Gardenia Cottage after a court battle with Ric, and plans to attend Georgetown in the fall. She successfully gives the sunset toast to the membership.

4. Does Ric Eddings face consequences? He loses his daughter, his wife (who is arrested), and his legal fight for control of the hotel. Traci confronts him publicly, revealing his affairs and his role in his own downfall. He is also fined $500 for parking illegally.

5. What is the status of the employee housing project? The "Little Saint" villas are near completion one year after the main events. They are built in Spanish revival style with pink stucco, arranged around a communal courtyard. Javi confirms the first six units will be done by Memorial Day.

6. Is there a sequel or cliffhanger? No explicit sequel is set up. The story resolves major threads: the murder is solved, the conspiracy is exposed, the hotel is saved, and the main characters find personal happiness. The epilogue closes on a note of stability and hope. The ongoing Madelyn trial and Garrett’s possible arrest are left to the reader’s imagination but are not cliffhangers in the traditional sense.