The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Joyce make up the Thursday Murder Club at the Coopers Chase Retirement Village. They meet in the Jigsaw Room under the pretense of discussing Japanese opera, figuring this will keep others away. When one of the owners of the retirement village, Tony Curran, is murdered, the group is thrilled to have real case to work on, rather than cold cases from the past. They also charm PC Donna De Freitas and DCI Chris Hudson to share information with them. The Thursday Murder Club is a humorous cozy that hopefully will become a series.

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant

 French-born Sophie is a chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York. When her career is sabotaged by a jealous ex, she is devastated. Then her grandmother becomes ill and she travels to the family's chateau near Toulouse to be with her. When Sophie was a teenager her mother and grandmother stopped speaking and Sophie has not been back since then, although she does have great memories of spending time there every summer when she was a child. In fact, it was her grandmother who taught Sophie how to cook and nurtured her passion for food. The Secret French Recipes of Sophia Valroux recounts Sophie's journey to get her confidence back, reunite with her grandmother, and maybe even find love.

Bear Necessity by James Gould-Bourn

 Danny's son Will hasn't spoken since his mother, Liz, was killed in a car accident a year ago. Danny also misses Liz immensely and wishes there was some way to help Will start to heal. With his landlord pressuring him for rent that is a couple of months overdue, and having just lost his job, Danny wonders how he can dig himself out of the financial hole he's in. With nothing really left to lose, he decides to dress up in a panda costume to earn money as a street performer in London. He is stunned that one day Will talks to the panda not knowing that it's his dad, Danny, inside. How can Danny tell him of his identity and will Danny make enough money to pay his back rent and support himself and Will? Bear Necessity is a touching and humorous story about a father and his son.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

 At 85, Eudora Honeysett believes she is done living and wants to go out on her own terms. She starts to make plans to travel from her home in London to a clinic in Switzerland to make that happen. However, when 10-year-old dynamo Rose moves in next-door, Eudora finds herself enjoying spending time with her. Another neighbor closer to Eudora's age, Stanley, also joins them on their adventures. Slowly, Eudora begins to question her decision to end her life. Interspersed throughout the novel are scenes from Eudora's life--from growing up during World War II to the loves of her life and her relationships with members of her family. Despite the somber underlying theme of one's choice to end their life, the book is quite humorous at times. For readers who enjoyed The Story of Arthur Truluv and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning

Bostonian Kate Kirby is asked to write a magazine article about the Cheapside Hoard, a large amount of jewelry from the 16th and 17th centuries which were found in 1912 by workmen excavating a cellar in London. As a jewelry historian, Kate is excited about being able to see some of the collection up close since most of it is off-view. As she views the jewelry, Kate notices that it's similar to some drawings her great-grandmother Essie had in her possession. Kate wonders if there is some connection between the jewels and her family. In an alternate storyline, it's 1912 and Essie lives in poverty in London with her mother, brother, and three sisters. The family is barely able to make ends meet when her brother, Freddie, happens to be one of the workers on a job site where a large amount of jewels are discovered. The Lost Jewels follows Kate on her journey of discovery. A great read-alike for Jennifer Robson and Fiona Davis.

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

In 1840, governess Evangeline Stokes is sent from England to Van Diemen's Land (the island of Tasmania) because the lady of the house believes she stole a ring that was actually a gift from Evangeline's lover, the family's adult son. The many-months journey to Australia on an all-female prisoner ship is harrowing because of the elements, overcrowding, and lack of proper hygiene and food. While on the ship she meets teenager, Hazel, whose midwifery and knowledge of herbs in treating ailments is prized by many. The Exiles recounts the journeys of Evangeline and Hazel, along with the story of Mathinna, a young aboriginal girl. Mathinna, along with other aborigines, has been forcibly moved to Flinders Island. The wife of the governor of Tasmania spots her and decides that Mathinna would make the perfect project and takes her back to the family's home in Hobart. There Mathinna struggles to adjust to a way of life that is foreign to her and feels isolated and alone. A heartbreaking story that deserves to be told and read by many.

Atomic Love by Jennie Fields

It's 1950 in Chicago and Rosalind Porter works the antique jewelry counter at Marshall Field's after a traumatic exit from her job working on the Manhattan Project. When FBI agent Charlie Szydlo asks her to report on her former lover, British scientist Thomas Weaver, Rosalind is hesitant, even though Weaver left her heartbroken and was probably responsible for Rosalind losing her job as a physicist. Szydlo believes that Weaver is working for the Russians and giving them secrets about the atomic bomb, so getting information from him is extremely important to the American government. Rosalind's life becomes more even complicated when she realizes she has feelings for Charlie. Atomic Love tells the story of Rosalind's life both past and present, with a great sense of place for mid-century Chicago. A great read for those who enjoy Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig.