Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen

In the years after World War II, widow Maple Bishop lives in Elderberry, Vermont, mourning the deaths of her husband and brother and wondering how she is going to earn enough money to keep her home. A trained lawyer, Maple also makes dollhouses and all the accessories to go with them. Soon, Maple has set up shop in the local hardware store and is taking orders, but discovering the body of Elijah Wallace in his barn could derail her plans. The sheriff considers Maple a busybody and tells her to keep her opinions to herself about Wallace's murder. Yet Maple, with the help of young police officer, Kenny, just might solve the case herself. Death in the Details is a great start to a new mystery series, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Susan Elia MacNeal, and Allison Montclair.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

Lauren has a big problem. She comes home from a night of partying to find her husband at home--but she's not married. She soon discovers that something bizarre is happening in her attic. It is able to produce an endless supply of husbands. If she doesn't like the husband she's been given, she can just send him up in the attic and he disappears and is replaced with a new one, each having his own history with her. Uncovering the backstory of her life with each current husband can be exhausting at times. In addition, even though time is moving forward, Lauren sometimes finds her close friends' and family's lives have changed too. The Husbands is an interesting and original look at one woman's journey to find a life that works for her.

Trust Her by Flynn Berry

After escaping with their lives in Northern Spy, Tessa and her sister, Marian, now live in Dublin with their children. It's been three years since Tessa and Marian informed on the IRA, and the duo wonder all the time if they are safe--even though the sisters were given new identities. Tessa, though, is kidnapped by the IRA and forced to reestablish contact with her MI5 agent and try to get him to work for the IRA. If Tessa doesn't, her family will be harmed. Tessa worries constantly about the safety of her four-year-old son Finn and also wonders if she and Marian will ever be able to extricate themselves from the situation they are in. Like Northern Spy, Trust Her is a suspenseful read that will have you turning the pages. It will be published in June.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Every time Daphne meets a new guy, she finds a piece of paper with his name on it and the amount of time they will spend together. It's been this way all of her dating life, starting in 5th grade. However, on her latest blind date with Jake, the paper has only his name. What does this mean? Has Daphne finally met the one? Could it possibly be that simple?

Sylvia's Second Act by Hillary Yablon

When sixty-three-old Sylvia discovers her husband, Louis, has been unfaithful, it's the jump start she needs to realize that she no longer loves Louis and is unhappy with their life in Florida. Sylvia decides to move to New York City with her best friend, Evie, for a fresh start. Soon, Sylvia finds herself working as a wedding planner and subletting an apartment in the West Village. While organizing the wedding of Ashton and Dan, Sylvia begins to have feelings of Ashton's father, Frank. Should Sylvia act on her feelings or wait until after the wedding since a permanent position as a wedding planner depends on how well this wedding goes? Sylvia's Second Act is a light and fun look at a second chance at happiness.

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski

In the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Esther has been making food with her fellow "funeral ladies" for seventy years. Recently, she has been the victim of an online scam and is in danger of losing her home if she doesn't come up with $30,000. Her granddaughter Iris, who also lives in Ellerie County, comes up with the idea of covering the debt by publishing a cookbook with all the recipes that Esther and her friends have made through the years. Iris is also the owner of a rental property in which Cooper Welsh and his family are staying. Cooper, his younger half-sister Cricket and celebrity chef dad Ivan, are in town for the funeral of his stepmother, Annabelle. Iris and Cooper are soon spending time together and falling in love. However, Cooper's ongoing trauma from being involved in the aftermath of a shooting threatens their relationship. In The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County, the reader sees the story through Esther, Iris, and Cooper's eyes as family bonds are tested and strengthened.

Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman

The employees of the big box store Town Square in Potterstown, New York are an interesting bunch. When the group of people who work in movement (unloading the trucks at 4am) discover that the top boss is leaving (meaning that means one of them might be promoted) they hatch a plan to pretend that their direct boss, Meredith, is wonderful, hoping that she'll be elevated to the top position, so none of them will have to work with her anymore. Several of them also dream of what a promotion would mean for themselves. In Help Wanted, Waldman creates a novel that explores the lives of contemporary working class Americans--struggling to pay bills, wanting health insurance, and trying to better their situations. It's a touching, heartfelt, and at times lighthearted portrait.

Trouble by Lex Croucher

When her dear sister Amy falls ill, Emily reluctantly decides to go in her place to be the new governess at Fairmont House so Amy does not lose the position. Where Amy is kind to everyone and loves children, Emily is ornery and dislikes kids. However, the residents of Fairmont House are a quirky crew, and soon Emily finds herself liking her co-workers and having feelings for Captain Edwards, the widowed head of the household and father to two teenagers--Aster and Grace. Trouble is a delightful historical romance with a contemporary bent and is perfect for readers who enjoyed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira

In 1878 Glasgow, Samuel Fiddes lives with his five-year-old sister Alison in poverty. Their parents and siblings died of diphtheria several years ago. Samuel, who can read and write and has a knack for numbers, dreams of a better life for himself and Alison. He has had his eye on wealthy Hailey MacIntyre after seeing her weekly in church, but he knows her parents would never approve. Yet Samuel and Hailey secretly start to spend time together after Samuel saves Hailey's younger brother's life. When the MacIntyre family sets sail for Seattle after losing their fortune, Hailey asks Samuel to follow her there. In A Wild and Heavenly Place, the reader follows Samuel and Hayley over the next four years as they individually make their lives in the Pacific Northwest--a land of enormous promise, yet at times dangerous and lawless. Will Samuel and Hayley's love be strong enough to let them eventually be together? A great read-alike for Sandra Dallas.

Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita

Police detective Cara Kennedy is still trying to find out how her husband Aaron and son Dylan died. One clue lies in the photo she found of her, Aaron, and Dylan on the phone of a dead gang member. There are photos of other people on the phone too. Could there be a connection between them? Meanwhile, Ellie Wright--owner of the Cozy Condo Inn in Point Mettier--is mourning the death of her estranged son, Timmy. A third story in the novel is that of Mia--a waitress and office cleaner--who left the secluded community of Unity for life in Anchorage. Village in the Dark is the tale of the trio of women, along with other characters who featured in Yamashita's first book in the series, City Under One Roof. A solid mystery that builds on the previous book and pushes the series forward.

Float Up, Sing Down by Laird Hunt

It's 1982 in Bright Creek, Indiana. In this story collection, the reader spends a day with the inhabitants of this small town. There's teenagers Della and Sugar who are in the beginnings of a relationship, despite others' objections. Sugar's best friend, Greg, is obsessed with Kung Fu and works at the Galaxy Swirl with Della, while Della's grandfather Hank (the former sheriff) is stuck mulling between the past and present in his mind. Other people we hear from are Cubby, who owns the local garage, and Candy, an older resident who mourns her best friend, Irma Ray. For readers who enjoy Kent Haruf and Shannon Bowring.

Knife Skills by Wendy Church

The only job Chicago chef Sagarine could find was working at a restaurant owned by Russian mobster Anatoly. When Louie the head chef is murdered, Sagarine is promoted. In addition to being in charge at the restaurant, she begins to cater dinners at Anatoly's home. Soon, the FBI persuades Sagarine to work for them, but when she falls for Ekaterina (the only female member of Anatoly's crew) the situation becomes even more complicated and dangerous. Will Sagarine be able to keep her betrayal secret? Knife Skills is a very twisty novel, but perhaps it twists the knife one time too many.

The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear

It's 1945 and World War II is over. With the death of Lord Julian Compton, Maisie is helping her former mother-in-law, Lady Rowan, settle Lord Julian's affairs. When squatters are discovered at the family's London mansion, Maisie lets the lawyers know she will look into the matter. Maisie's investigation leads her to protect some of the youngest people who worked for Britain in the war effort. In this final book of the Maisie Dobbs series, Winspear lets the reader visit with all the characters in Maisie's world one last time. The Comfort of Ghosts will be published in June.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

Author Amanda Bailey decides to write a book about the Alperton Angels case. Twenty years ago, three members of a cult were found dead, while the two teenage members of the group escaped with a baby. Amanda decides to focus her research on finding where the baby is now. Amanda soon learns, however, that there are some who want to forget that the Alperton Angels ever existed and will kill to keep the case buried. The story is told through emails, letters, and transcripts of interviews that Amanda does with all those involved over the last two decades, heightening the suspense and getting the reader involved in the puzzle.

Hero by Thomas Perry

Justine Poole works for the private security firm Spengler-Nash. One evening, Justine is assisting her boss Ben, making sure Jerry and Estelle Pinsky get home safely. Justine and Ben succeed in protecting the Pinskys, but Justine kills two of the five men who were attempting to rob the couple at their home. Mr. Conger, who hired the robbers, is embarrassed that a woman was able to basically take out five men. He hires hit man Leo Sealy to kill Justine. Hero follows the cat and mouse game between Justine and Sealy around Los Angeles. Will Justine be able to stay alive and eliminate the threat?

Lowbridge by Lucy Campbell

Katherine moves to her husband Jamie's hometown of Lowbridge, a small community about an hour outside of Sydney, after their teenage daughter Maggie's death. Katherine is devastated by Maggie's passing and is numbing her grief with pills and alcohol. Katherine and Jamie are also drifting apart as a couple. One day, Katherine happens upon the Lowbridge Historical Society. Eventually, volunteering there starts to help her to heal. When Katherine decides to organize an exhibition about the history of the women's center that opened thirty years ago, she discovers articles about teenager Tess Dawes who went missing around that time. Katherine becomes interested in Tess' story, much to the dismay of Jamie. In an alternating storyline, the reader is taken back to 1986 to get a firsthand look at Tess and her friends Sim and Luisa. Will Katherine be able to find out what happened to Tess all those years ago? Lowbridge is a great read-alike for the novels of Christian White and Silence by Susan Allott.

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

Neither Ike Randolph nor Buddy Lee Jenkins were accepting of their gay sons. Isiah and Derek met in college, fell in love, married, and had a three-year-old daughter, Arianna. Recently, however, Isiah and Derek were murdered and the police have no leads on the killer. Both Ike and Buddy Lee are grieving and angry, and they want justice for their boys. Both ex-cons (now with regular jobs), Ike and Buddy Lee team up--an unlikely pair, with Ike being black and Buddy Lee a southern white man, yet having their loss and regret in common. They will stop at nothing to avenge their sons deaths and make the killer pay.

Northwoods by Amy Pease

Eli North has hit rock bottom. He is drinking too much. He has nightmares about and continued trauma from his service in Afghanistan. He works as a deputy in the local police department, where his mother Marge is the sheriff. One night, while on duty and drunk, he finds local teenager Ben Sharpe dead.  Also, Ben's friend Caitlin Wallace has gone missing. In the northwoods Wisconsin resort town of Shaky Lake, the police operate on a very limited budget, so Marge, Eli, and their two fellow officers finds themselves working with Chicago-based FBI agent Alyssa Mason. In her debut novel, Pease writes a story with a great sense of place, interesting characters, and a mystery that has the reader guessing until the end. I hope we see more of Eli North or at least another book by the author. A great read-alike title would be The Distant Dead by Heather Young.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Evie Porter is thrilled that her relationship with Ryan is getting serious and that he's asked her to move in. However, her excitement isn't for the usual reasons--she's been hired to get close to Ryan and report back to her boss, Mr. Smith. In fact, Evie is not even her real name. First Lie Wins is a fast-paced novel with many twists and turns as Evie tries to stay one step ahead of those who are out there to take her down. A great read-alike for Liv Constantine, Julie Clark, and Greer Hendricks.

Northern Spy by Flynn Berry

Tessa lives with her young son Finn outside of Belfast and is a producer at the BBC. One day, her sister Marian is seen participating in an armed robbery. The police tell Tessa that Marian is a member of the IRA. Tessa doesn't believe it's true, since both she and Marian are against all the violence that has occurred over the years. What if the evidence the authorities have is real? Could Marian really have put Tessa and Finn in danger? Northern Spy keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as Marian's decisions have serious repercussions for everyone.

Invisible Woman by Katie Lief

Joni's past and her friendship with college roommate Val come rushing back when Hollywood bigwig Lou Pridgen is accused of assaulting several women. In the 1980's, Jodi directed two critically acclaimed films--the first starring Val, who was raped at that time by Lou and another man. Val decided to not go to the police then, and she and Joni lost touch. For the past twenty-five years, Joni has focused on motherhood and her marriage to Paul, who found major success in television. Lately, Joni has been unhappy with Paul and his work obsession. When Joni contacts Val to talk about what happened in the past, both women's lives change irrevocably. Invisible Woman is a page turner in the style of Peter Swanson.