The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

Working as a paralegal in London, Flora MacKenzie, is glad to be away from her hometown of Mure in far north Scotland. Infatuated with her American boss, Joel, she is stunned to find herself working with him back in Mure. One of the firm's big name clients, Colton Rogers, is building a luxurious property on the island, but its beautiful views are going to be blocked by a wind farm. Colton wants a local's help (i.e. Flora) to stop the project. To her surprise, Flora finds herself warming to the beauty of Mure, as well as the father and brothers that she left behind. At the same time, she might be finding love. The Cafe by the Sea is a charming novel filled with quirky characters and lots of heart. Perfect for readers of Gil McNeil.

Dark Saturday by Nicci French

Even though she's made a promise to herself to stay away from crime cases, psychotherapist Frieda Klein agrees to meet Hannah Docherty, who was convicted of brutally murdering her stepfather, mother, and younger brother over ten years ago. Committed to a psychiatric hospital, Hannah has spent much of her time in solitary confinement. When Frieda visits her, Hannah is unresponsive, and in bad shape physically. While Frieda isn't sure of Hannah's guilt, she feels compelled to try and help Hannah because of the state she is in. Soon, Frieda is delving into the murder files, rankling the authorities and people close to the deceased. Frieda also worries that Dean Reeve (introduced in the first book in the series, Blue Monday), whom the police have declared dead, is out there keeping tabs on her. In Dark Saturday, French continues the story of Frieda and her circle of family and friends, while leading the reader through a gruesome psychological puzzle. It will be published next month.

Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy

Liv and Nora, who are first cousins, decide to go on a Christmas cruise to Latin America with their families. They take their four children, aged six to eleven, ashore for a zip-line tour, while their husbands go golfing. Then, the kids get separated from Liv and Nora, who become frantic with worry. In a foreign country with limited diplomatic help, Liv and Nora, who speak no Spanish, hope they get their children back safely. Do Not Become Alarmed is a fast-paced tale told from the point of view of the children and their parents and is a great read-alike for Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay. A sure bet summer read.

Final Girls by Riley Sager

Living in New York with her boyfriend, Jeff, Quincy has tried to put her past behind her. When she was in college, she was the only survivor of the Pine Cottage massacre, in which five of her friends were killed. With that incident, she became known in the media as one of "The Final Girls." Two other women, Lisa Milner and Samantha Boyd, suffered similar tragedies before her and are also part of the trio. When Lisa is found dead in her home with a preliminary verdict of suicide and Quincy discovers that Lisa sent her an e-mail about wanting to talk just before she died, Quincy wonders if Lisa really did kill herself. Then, Samantha shows up at Quincy's door, forcing her to really think about her past and who she is as a person. Will facing what happened at Pine Cottage allow Quincy to finally heal or be her destruction? Final Girls is a fast-paced tale similar in writing style to the mysteries of Linda Castillo. It will be published next month.