So, I Met This Guy...by Alexandra Potter

As Maggie is turning fifty, life is not going well. She lives in an old caravan on a farmer's land, penniless after she found out her fiancée Theo was a con man who took all of her money. Young reporter Flick comes to Maggie wanting to write a story about her situation and suggests that they try and find Theo so Maggie can confront him about what he did and Flick can write a story about it. So, I Met This Guy... follows Maggie's and Flick's journey through Europe (including Monte Carlo, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, and Tangier) as they try and track Theo down. It's the story of a blossoming friendship, good food, humor, and healing.

The Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett

The amateur drama troupe, The Fairway Players, are staging Agatha Christie's play The Hollow, but a murder occurs during the performances. Months later, lawyers Femi and Charlotte are tasked with sorting through emails and text messages of the people involved, since the person convicted of the murder wants to appeal their sentence. Who was murdered? Are all the characters who they seem? Follow along as the truth is uncovered...

Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus

As Batter Gray grows up, he can't think of anything he'd rather do than be involved with poetry. He knows he has a special gift for understanding and interpreting poems, but everyone from his parents to his teachers to even his college roommate Paul tells Batter that it's not a real career, but should just be a hobby. Somehow, he manages to graduate from college, jumping from major to major, in the late 1970s. He finds himself in New York City in the 1980s working at Peck and Peck, the revered poetry journal. Peck & Peck recounts Batter's early twenties through his eyes--getting a job there, the people he meets and the eccentric and (at times) dehumanizing workplace. The novel has the same quirky feel as Garmus' first novel, Lessons in Chemistry, and it has a main character you can't help but cheer on while it immerses you in 1980s literary New York. It will be published next month.

How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop by Poppy Alexander

Petra, a literary agent who lives in London, flees to the small village of Portneath to run a bookstore for six months, following a social media post gone wrong. Petra has lost confidence in doing her job and figures lying low will help her decide what to do next. As the manager of Capelthorne's, Petra becomes immersed in village life--recommending books to customers, running the book club, and enjoying all the local food. She also becomes friends with Ross, whom Petra soon recognizes as a famous novelist who published his first book to great acclaim five years ago and then disappeared. Petra agrees to keep Ross' secret, but finds herself falling in love. Does Ross feel the same way--and what will happen when the bookstore's owners come back after their time away? How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop is a cozy, feel-good romance, similar to Jenny Bayliss, Alexandra Potter, and Jenny Colgan. As a bonus, it is set in the same town as some of Alexander's past books, and those characters make appearances in this book.

Brain Damage by Freida McFadden

Charlotte or "Charly" is a dermatologist in New York City when she's shot in the head, survives, and is admitted into a rehabilitation facility. Brain Damage moves between Charly's life before the crime, when she meets and marries Clark, and after the shooting--when the reader sees up close the difficulties of therapy and healing after a brain injury. There's also the question of who shot Charly? Is it someone she knows? The novel is a fast-paced journey to uncover the truth.

Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan

In this second mystery featuring private detective Annie Gore, Annie is hired by Katie May to look into the death of Katie's father, Ezra King. Ezra was a preacher at a snake-handling church in Mount Zion, Kentucky. He and Katie had been estranged for years. Ezra was bit by a snake and was quickly buried, which Katie finds a bit suspicious since she was Ezra's only relative. As Annie settles into Mount Zion and begins her interviews, staying under the radar in the small town becomes impossible. Working together with the local police force, however, is successful and might be enough help for Annie to solve this complex case. Brimstone Hollow is a worthy successor's to Sullivan's debut and is a great choice for readers who miss Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone. Other read-alikes include Alice Henderson, Julia Keller, and Sharyn McCrumb.

The Tailor by Tim Sullivan

In the eighth book of the DS Cross series, George's team is investigating the death of tailor Billy Titcomb, who was brutally murdered in a train lavatory. What could Billy have been involved in that would cause someone to kill him so violently? As George looks into Billy's business and personal life, he wonders if Billy's wife Min, a chemist who was born in China, could be involved. Another satisfying entry in the series.

Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarty

It's 1949 and Nora meets Leonard at their high school in St. Petersburg, Florida. Nora and her family are new to Florida. Her stepmother Mae was the driving force for their move from Missouri. Nora and Leonard fall in love, but Leonard's father disapproves of the relationship because Nora is not from a wealthy background. It is this criticism that has far reaching affects over Nora's and Leonard's lives and those around them for many years to come. Sunlight Finds You is an emotional and heartfelt love story similar to Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams and the novels of Kristin Hannah.

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.

The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright by Casey Sherman

In 1914, at Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin estate, one of the servants set the home ablaze and murdered several people inside. The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright recounts the life of Frank Lloyd Wright through the lens of his romantic relationships, most notably Mamah Borthwick. Frank and Mamah were both married to other people when they started their affair, but were soulmates. They were starting to build a life together, but the tragedy at Taliesin cut their dreams short. While the book is a work of narrative non-fiction and moves quickly, I would have loved more pictures of Wright's architectural works that are mentioned and the people involved in the story. The book also heavily relies upon Frank Lloyd Wright's autobiography and newspaper articles of the time as source materials, because that's all that is available. While that's not the author's fault, the book feels slight and at times overdramatized.

But For the Grace by Peter Grainger

In this second book of the DC Smith series, Smith is the lead investigator in the death of Joan Riley who lived at Rosemary House, a retirement community. Did Joan die by her own hand or was someone else involved? Joan was part of a quartet of friends, and another of the friends, Elspeth, died a few months ago. Could Elspeth's death be considered suspicious also? But For the Grace is another solid police procedural from author Peter Grainger.

An Accidental Death by Peter Grainger

DS Smith is asked to look into the death of Wayne Fletcher, who drowned in a local river. The case has been marked as an accidental death, but DI Reeve doesn't feel that's the case. Joined by newbie DC Chris Waters, Smith agrees with Reeve's assessment and soon finds that the case has its roots in the Yugoslav Wars. In this first book of the long running series that has just been published in the U.S., Smith writes a mystery that will appeal to fans of Peter Robinson and Ann Cleeves.

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Dolly and her teenage son Gus are spending the summer with her dad and her younger brother Christopher to help with the cleanup after a fire in her childhood home. Located in the oceanside small town of Whitfield, Rhode Island, Dolly's family has owned Brick Fish House for four generations. Dolly plans on working there, but longs to expand the business with all the baked goods she makes. In a chance encounter, she meets wealthy Stewart Whitfield, who wants her to pose as his girlfriend for the summer after his fiancee cheats on him. Dolly agrees, since Stewart will be paying her enough money to replace the roof on her father's house. Their arrangement soon becomes personal as they develop feelings for one another. In her fifth novel, Monaghan writes another great beach read with in-depth characters that you really root for.

Dog Person by Camille Pagan

Miguel is the owner of Lakeside Books, which sits in a tourist town on Lake Michigan. He hasn't been the same since his wife Amelia (a romance author) died more than a year ago. In fact, the bookstore is now in danger of closing after bestselling author Jonathan Middleton-Biggs didn't show up for an author event Lakeside was hosting. Miguel decides to try and find Jonathan so they can do a makeup event, but instead he meets Jonathan's sister Fiona and niece, who coincidentally is named Amelia Mae. Told through the eyes of Miguel's and Amelia's dog, Harold, Dog Person is a story of love, loss, and second chances.