Matcha on Monday by Michiko Aoyama

In this sequel to Hot Chocolate on Thursday with the Marble Cafe again as the place that ties the characters together, the reader meets the individuals who are loosely associated with the cafe when it's closed on Mondays. Taking place over a calendar year, we meet a young woman who falls for a guy named Kippei, who is opening up a branch in Tokyo of his family's tea business. There's also a singer who bonds with the owner of a lingerie shop and a duo of stories told from the points of view of both a granddaughter and grandmother who don't see eye to eye. For me, not as satisfying as the first book in the series.

One Good Thing by Alexandra Potter

Still reeling after finding out about her husband's affair and divorcing him, Liv buys an old house in the Yorkshire Dales in the same village her grandparents lived in when she was a child. The home needs a lot of work, so Liv hires Ben, whom she had a crush on when she was young, to do the repairs. Ben is recently widowed and has a young son, Stanley, who develops a strong bond with Liv's dog Harry. Liv also begins a friendship with Valentine, a close neighbor who recently put his wife Gisele in a home due to her worsening Alzheimer's. One Good Thing is a delightful cozy story of friendship and romance. A great read-alike for This Book Made Me Think of You, A Season of Second Chances, Jenny Colgan, and Gil Neil.

McKenna's Guy by Mike Lawson

When an intruder breaks into Roger Smith's home in the middle of the night, Roger kills him with a baseball bat. The detective assigned to the case, Grace Lillinthal, is suspicious of Roger's claims that he's just a normal guy who works for the Government Publishing Office in Washington D.C. and has a greeting card business that he runs out of his basement. Grace feels that Roger is not being entirely truthful to her. In fact, Grace is correct. For the last twenty years, Roger has secretly been working with local bar owner John McKenna in creating passports for people who want to disappear. Could Roger's side job be the reason someone wants him dead? McKenna's Guy details Roger's and McKenna's search for who is after them, Grace's investigation and her need to get Roger to come clean. A great read-alike for Thomas Perry and readers who enjoy cat and mouse crime stories with "average guy" main characters.

Get Lost by Justin Halpern

When Lila gets the news that her mother Mattie is missing and that her father Dix is in jail because the police think he was involved, Lila is thrown back into her dysfunctional family life. Raised by Mattie, who would disappear at times--even when Lila was pretty young--Lila learned not to count on her dad for anything, even though he's revered in his hometown of Los Armarios, California because he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in his youth. After getting Dix out of jail, Lila realizes that she and Dix have to work together to find Mattie. Dix's charm with other people is exasperating to Lila since he was never there for her. Will the duo be able to put the past behind them and discover what happened to Mattie? A mystery, at times quirky and funny, with touches of Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen.

Birds of Prey edited by Harlan Coben and C.J. Box

In this short story collection by well-known American thriller writers, each person chooses a bird to feature in their tale. Highlights for me include C.J. Box's story "Precious Cargo,"about a peregrine egg thief and Ace Atkin's southern tale "Kudzu," which features one of his series characters, Quinn Colson. I also enjoyed "Silent as a Shadow" by S.A. Cosby, featuring an owl and a man who falls for the wrong woman. Robert Dugoni's "The Falcon" puts a spin on the use of a bird by featuring a Ford Falcon instead of an animal. Overall, an enjoyable collection that gives the reader an idea of each author's style.

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell

In her fifties, Jane lives with her dogs at the estate where she grew up-- Rosebery Hall in Dorset, which is falling down and needs tons of maintenance and repairs. Jane knows in her heart she must put in up for sale. Otherwise, she has lived quite a comfortable life, twice-divorced with stepchildren she adores, but never having had a job. This idleness in part is what causes her to become overly involved in reuniting a dog she finds on her land with its owner. When Jane arrives at the home in the Vale of Heath, northwest of London, she realizes she recognizes the house from her past. After dropping off the dog, Jane is unable to get the home out of her mind,, nor the disappearance of the young woman who was seen with the dog near Jane's Dorset home. It Could Have Been Her follows Jane and her stepson Dexter as they attempt to find the woman, along with the backstory and what's going on in the London house now. A great read-alike for Jewell's The Family Upstairs, Liz Nugent, and Erin Kelly.

Storm Tide by Paul Doiron

Maine game warden Mike Bowditch is witness to the deaths of Brian and Jenna Malloy in a house fire. No one is sorry about their passing, since Brian was a suspect in the disappearance of his son Liam. When another death occurs to someone who was accused of rape and murder, Mike wonders if there's a vigilante out there dispensing his own brand of justice. Things get personal when it appears that Mike himself is being targeted. Mike wonders what he did in the past for someone to come after him and his family. Mike is especially worried, since he and his wife, Stacey have just welcomed their first child. Will Mike be able to keep his family safe and uncover the culprit? Taking place over almost a year, Storm Tide is another solid entry in this long-running mystery series.