Stillwater by Tanya Scott

Luke Harris is back in Melbourne to settle his past and move forward with a regular life studying and working towards an accounting degree. He meets Emma when he takes a job looking after her brother, Phil, who has developmental disabilities. Emma and Luke hit it off, but Emma's father, Jonathan, disapproves of their relationship. Jonathan is wealthy, abrasive, and involved in illegal activities--which Luke has some familiarity with. When Luke was young, he was known as Jack Quinlan, and was connected to local criminal Gus Alberici, who forced Luke into a life of crime. Now in the present, Gus has found out that Luke's back in town and coerces him into the fray. Still, Luke yearns for a normal life and finds himself caught between Jonathan and Gus. Will Luke be able to free himself from his past? A great read-alike for Thomas Perry, Lou Berney, and the Nick Mason series by Steve Hamilton. A promising first novel that has me looking forward to what Tanya Scott will write next.

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan

Private detective Annie Gore is hired by Max Andrews to find his younger sister, Molly, who went missing ten years ago. Molly was the third girl to disappear in Quartz Creek, North Carolina in a matter of months. The second girl, Olivia, was actually returned days before Molly was kidnapped. In addition, applehead dolls were left in the place where all three girls were last seen. Annie warns Max that many in the small mountain town will not take lightly to someone coming in and asking questions after all these years. Soon death and physical harm descends. Will Annie be able to give Max the closure he needs to move on? The Witch's Orchard is an unputdownable mystery with a great sense of place and an interesting main character. I'm so glad that this looks to be a start to a new series. A good read-alike for Northwoods by Amy Pease, the Bell Elkins series by Julia Keller and Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad novels.

Jenny Cooper Has a Secret by Joy Fielding

Linda Davidson, a widow, spends her days missing her husband and visiting her best friend Carol at Legacy Place, a memory care facility. On one visit, Linda meets Jenny, a ninety-two-year-old fellow resident, who tells Linda that she's killed several people. Not sure whether to believe her, Linda begins to visit with Jenny when she comes to Legacy Place. Jenny also reveal the names of the people she's killed--but is she telling the truth? A great read-alike for Hallie Ephron and Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante.

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen

In 1938, Ellie is stunned when her husband, Lionel, tells her he is in love with someone else and wants a divorce. With their two sons grown, Lionel expects that Ellie will move out of their home and into a small cottage in the village or move to London. Ellie instead decides to travel to France with Mavis, her former housekeeper, and Dora, an older woman that she's known for many years. With the South of France as their destination, the trio end up in Saint-Benet, a small fishing village near Marseille. They soon become part of the community, making friends, and finding a villa to call home. However, war is looming. Will Saint-Benet and its residents come through unscathed? Another enjoyable novel from longtime novelist Rhys Bowen.

Hunter's Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Vermont State Police detective Franklin Warren and his assistant Walter "Pinky" Goodrich are called out to the Ridge Club, an old private fishing and hunting club for men, because former ambassador Bill Moulton has been shot to death. There are several high profile men staying at the lodge. Which one could have wanted Bill dead? As the winter weather begins to worsen, Warren and Pinky find themselves snowed in while trying to uncover the killer. Meanwhile, Warren's next-door neighbor, Alice, is having a dinner party and widow Sylvie Weber, another local resident, prepares for the birth of her fifth child. Hunter's Heart Ridge is the second book in Taylor's mystery series set in 1960's Vermont. A great choice for those who enjoy character-centered mysteries.

Love Forms by Claire Adam

At 58, Dawn lives alone in London after a divorce. Her older son, Finlay, a doctor, lives near her, while her younger son, Oscar, resides in the United States. Dawn was born and raised in Trinidad and when she was sixteen got pregnant. Her parents arranged for her to travel to Venezuela to have the baby, a girl, who was then put up for adoption. Dawn has for years been trying to find her daughter, to no avail. Love Forms recounts growing up in Trinidad in the 1970's and 80's, her journey to Venezuela, and her current life still hoping to be reunited with her child. A poignant character-centered novel memorable for its great sense of place. One of my favorite reads this year. Give to readers who enjoyed Nancy Johnson's The Kindest Lie.

Mendell Station by J.B. Hwang

At the beginning of 2020, Miriam's best friend, Esther, dies. The two women had been friends since they were teenagers. Esther's death unmoors Miriam, who finds herself now in her her early thirties questioning her faith and wanting to be alone. She quits her job at a Christian school and goes to work as a mail carrier just before the world shuts down because of the pandemic. A quiet book, Mendell Station, follows Miriam's life in the six months after Esther's death as she comes to terms with a world that doesn't include Esther. A good read-alike for You Can't Stay Here Forever.

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

The Cassidy-Shaws are driving to son Charlie's lacrosse match when they are in a car accident that kills both people in the other car involved. Charlie was in the driver's seat of the family's self-driving car and grabbed the wheel right before the collision. The dad, Noah, was in the front passenger seat. Mom Lorelei was in the back of the vehicle, behind the two other kids in the family--teenagers Izzy and Alice. Lorelei, Izzy and Alice are injured and all five family members are traumatized by what happened. They wonder what the police investigation of the accident will bring. They then decide to rent a house for a week to get away, but the home turns out to be near tech billionaire Daniel Monet's compound, and he seems to already know Lorelei. Lorelei, who is a MacArthur fellow, professor at Johns Hopkins and a foremost authority on AI, denies any connection. The relationship between the two families is further complicated by the beginnings of a romance between Charlie and Monet's daughter Eurydice. Over the vacation, lies are exposed and the family's bonds are tested. A read-alike for Elin Hilderbrand, Jodi Picoult, and Hazel Says No.