Stolen (a Diana Hunter mystery) by Alison Golden and Gabriella Zinnas

During a charity ball, at a prestigious hotel, suddenly all the guests realise that they have been robbed. All their money, watches and jewellery are missing, but no one present saw or felt a thing. 

When this happens for a second time at another event the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) call in the help of Diana Hunter as a consultant to help them to work out how the crimes were committed and then to find out by whom. 

Not everyone in the VPD is happy to have Diana involved. 

I enjoyed the book and am sure I have previously read a Diana Hunter mystery book. I have also recently read another book by Alison Golden.

Saving Saffron Sweeting by Pauline Wiles

Grace Palmer moved to California due to her husband’s job. She set up her own interior design business but when she suddenly realises that he is sleeping with her client she moves back home to England. 

With her brother and best friend in London, and parents in Norfolk, she decides to find somewhere to live which is in the middle of the two and ends up in Saffron Sweeting. 

Many American families are moving to Saffron Sweeting as a big American plant has opened up near by. The local businesses are struggling and Grace finds herself helping them to make changes which will attract the new American families and keep their businesses running. 

She is starting to make friends and grow a new business but what she doesn’t know is if her marriage is completely over, or if they could ever stand a chance. 

I really enjoyed this story. There was a lot of interaction with the locals, some were very friendly and open to new suggestions, others were very negative and set in their old ways.

This is the first book by Pauline Wiles I have read. I downloaded it free to my Kindle. I will definitely look out for any of her other books to read.

The Marble Collector by Cecelia Ahern

The story is split into two.  There is the life of Fergus Boggs, from the age of five upwards, and the story of Sabrina, Fergus's daughter, throughout just one day. 

When he was small Fergus was given a bag of marbles.  He treasured the marbles and played regularly with his brothers.  The more he practiced the better be got until he was almost unbeatable. 

One morning Sabrina receives a phone call to say that boxes have been delivered to the nursing home where Fergus lives.  She goes to pick up the boxes and finds that three of them contain a collection of marbles with an inventory and valuations.  The inventory is in Fergus's handwriting.  Sabrina did not know that Fergus had ever had an interest in marbles.  When she looks through the inventory she finds that the most valuable ones are missing, but there is no indication that they had been sold.  

Sabrina starts to ask questions and investigate where the marbles came from and what has happened to those which are missing.  During this time she finds out a lot about Fergus that she did not know. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It was an interesting concept and showed some very different relationships within one family.