Inheritance by Jane Park

Anne is a successful lawyer in New York City who has tried hard to put her childhood as the daughter of Korean immigrants behind her. During her youth in rural Alberta, her parents struggled to be accepted, yet both worked long hours to provide for Anne and her older brother, Charles. Charles chafed under his parents strict rules and discipline, so Anne took his place as the child that would achieve all their parent's dreams by going to Yale and making a generous salary. Anne's father has just passed away, so she's back in Edmonton for the funeral and to settle his financial affairs. It is also time for Anne to reflect on the past and to think about what she really wants out of life. A story about the memories of childhood, familial obligation, and coming to terms with the past.

The Last Letters of Sally and Walter by Cammie McGovern

Sally and Walter are both residents at the Golden Grove retirement community and meet when Sally comes to the Scrabble club that Walter runs. Walter happens to be the only member, but soon they are playing a game and it becomes clear that they are kindred spirits. Sally is also a very good Scrabble player, probably better than Walter, because she stays calm under pressure. Soon, Walter is coaching Sally and they find their friendship possibly deepening into something more, but both find that they have unresolved issues with their adult children that they need to take care of. Additionally, Sally's increasing Parkinson's symptoms are causing her to revert inward. Can Sally and Walter expose their true feelings and become truly vulnerable with each other? The Last Letters of Sally and Walter is a cozy story of friendship and romance similar to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and the novels of Elizabeth Berg.

Last One Out by Jane Harper

Five years ago, Ro Crowley's 21-year-old son Sam disappeared from their small town of Carralon Ridge in rural New South Wales. Since then, Ro and her husband Griff have split and she has moved to Sydney with their daughter Della, although she comes back to Carralon Ridge annually for a memorial around the time Sam was last seen. The few residents that are left in the town join the family in remembering Sam, but numbers decrease every year, since the local mine has continued to buy people's homes. In Last One Out, Harper writes a novel that's a slow burn, with tension building as she introduces all the inhabitants of the town through Ro's eyes, a mother who really wants to know what happened to her son. With a great sense of place and atmosphere, this is one of her finest, right up there with The Lost Man. Absolutely one of the best books I've read this year.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Natalie lives with her wealthy husband Caleb and five children on a five hundred acre farm in Utah. She is an influencer who has embraced the homestead lifestyle and is fervently Christian. However, there are cracks in the image that Natalie is presenting, and one day she wakes up on her land--but it's 1855, not the present time. What has happened to Natalie and why is she where she is? Yesteryear recounts Natalie's time in the past and goes back to give the reader insight on how Natalie and Caleb met, in addition to them establishing their farm, Yesteryear. A book that's hard to put down and eminently discussable.

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

In Upward Bound, the reader meets both the employees and the clients of an adult day care center for people with disabilities. There's Walter, who's non-verbal and has gone to college. Tom nurses a crush on Ann (one of the workers), but complications of his cerebral palsy prevent him from telling her of his feelings. Dave, the director of the facility, is a failed actor who tries to do what he thinks is best without adequate funding. Worker Carlos is beloved by everyone and has developed a strong bond with Jorge, who doesn't speak and has a tendency to bolt from the center frequently. Written by author Woody Brown--whom the character Walter is based on--the novel is able to give the reader much insight into the disability community.

Missing by E.A. Jackson

In 1990, amid a heatwave in London, DI Martha Allen is in charge of the investigation into the disappearance of five-month-old Bella Carpenter. Bella and her parents--Viv and Tom--are visiting from Wells and staying at a local hotel where Bella was taken from the room as her parents slept. With two distraught parents and intense media coverage, no one is more surprised than Martha when Bella is dropped off at the police station by a woman named Nell Beatty. Even though Bella is back with her family and Martha is told to drop the case, she has lingering questions about the situation. Now, thirty years later, Martha gets word that Nell Beatty has died and decides once more to investigate Bella's kidnapping. With a tense, almost claustrophobic setting, Missing is a book that's hard to put down. A great read-alike for Nicci French's Frieda Klein series.

The Politician by Tim Sullivan

The former mayor of Bristol, Peggy Frampton, is found dead in her home. She was not without enemies--after her tenure she provided online advice and had more than five million followers. DS George Cross and DS Josie Ottey soon are looking for her murderer. The Politician follows along with their investigation, but also explores George's feelings about his mother, who left his father Raymond when George was a child. What part might Raymond have played in the breakup? A solid entry to the series.