My 2021 Book Reading Statistics

From 1 January to 31 December 2021 I have read 81 books.  

The shortest book was The Silver Collection by Carole Matthews which was only 59 pages (a Kindle short story). 

The longest book was Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton which had 563 pages. 

I have read a total of 29,584 pages over the year which is almost 5,000 more than in 2020 (24,646).

This year I have beaten my previous record in both number of books and number of pages read. 

 

I have not yet started my next book that will count as the first in my 2022 statistics. 

Far From True by Linwood Barclay

This is the second book in the Promise Falls trilogy. 

On the last night that the Constellation outdoor theatre is open for business there is a accident.  The screen falls and lands on the two cars parked on the front row.  Four people are killed.  Lucy Brighton’s father was in one of the cars.  When she enters his house the next day she hears someone leave by the back door.  She asks private investigator Cal Weaver to help find out who was in the house and what they have taken.  Whilst looking around the house they find a hidden room in the basement with video equipment.  

Barry Duckworth, the local police Detective, realises that there is becoming a pattern of crimes in the area which all link to the number 23. 

The Push by Claire McGowan

All the members of an antenatal group are invited to a house barbecue.  All the couples should now have their babies, but sadly two don't.  During the afternoon someone falls from the balcony and dies.  

DS Alison Hegarty is called in to investigate the death.  She doesn't believe that it was an accident and is convinced that this is a murder, someone else was on the balcony and it was a push rather than a fall.  

As she investigates DS Hegarty realises that all of the couples have something they are hiding.  They are not telling her the truth either about themselves, their relationships or where they were when the fall happened. 

The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds by T E Kinsey

Superintendent Sunderland has heard that a deserter in the war, who is a diamond thief, is planning to steal hidden jewels from the Aristippus club in Mayfair.  As he doesn't have the manpower to investigate he asks Skins Maloney and Barty Dunn who are musicians in the jazz band The Dizzy Heights to investigate for him.  

The jazz band play at the club and investigate the members of the Alphabet Club who are practicing for a dance competition.  Skins' wife Ellie pretends to be the band manager so that she can gain access to the mens club and help with the investigation.  

One by one they discount different members.  Then there is an unexpected death at the club which looks to have been a murder. 

A Cosy Countryside Christmas by Eliza J Scott

Joss and Ella grew up as best friends in the village of Lytell Stangdale in the North Yorkshire Moors.  At age 16 Joss was sent away by his angry father and had not returned.  

18 years later Joss receives a phone call from his brother Rich to say their father is unwell, he is in hospital and Joss needs to come home to look after the farm.  Joss agrees to help and returns to Lytell Stangdale.  He is determined to keep a low profile, keep away from the villagers and get back to his own home as soon as he can.  He realises that things are not as they should be on the farm and it is probably in financial trouble.  As soon as Joss arrived Rich disappeared and is not answering any calls.  

Ella unexpectedly meets Joss and, although she is happy being single, she suddenly finds him very attractive.  But so does her best friend. 

The Descent by Matt Brolly

This is the second book in the Detective Louise Blackwell series. 

A dead body is found at the foot of a cliff.  A suicide note includes the words 'death is not the end'.  Detective Inspector Louise Blackwell has seen these words before on another suicide note and doesn't think this is a coincidence. She is sure there is something which links the young women who have died.  

One man, Jay, who seems to be the leader of a cult could be the link she is looking for but then he disappears.  DI Blackwell needs to find him before another dead body turns up.

The Friend by Teresa Driscoll

Stay at home mum Sophie is starting to get bored with country life in Tedbury.  The long awaited second child has still not arrived and husband Mark is always away working in London.  She is alone all day with her small son Ben. 

A new neighbour moves in to the village, single mum Emma has a son Theo who is a similar age to Ben.  Sophie and Emma become friends and the boys often play together. 

One day when Sophie has left Ben with Emma, she gets a phone call whilst on a train heading home to say there has been an accident.  Both boys are injured, one more seriously than the other, but the hospital staff don't know which boy is which.  

Sophie realises that there are things about Emma that she didn't know and perhaps she shouldn't have trusted her to take care of her son. 

The Little Christmas House by Tracy Rees

Primary school teacher Holly Hanwell has recently been dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years.  He is going to have a baby with someone else.  This is to be her first Christmas alone for many years and so she is planning something very quiet in her new little cottage.  

Single dad, Edward, has just bought and moved into Christmas House at the edge of Hopley. His 8 year old daughter Eliza has joined Holly's class.  Eliza has chosen not to take part in the school nativity play as she has had stage fright before at her previous school.  Edward encourages Eliza to choose what she wants to do, as long as she is happy.  

Holly and Edward keep bumping into each other in the town of Hopley.  Holly, who has sworn off men, finds Edward quite attractive. 

The House Guest by Mark Edwards

British couple Ruth and Adam are spending the summer in New York.  Ruth is rehearsing for a play she is to star in on Broadway, and Adam is writing a screen play.  Whilst in New York they have been offered the chance to house-sit for a couple they met on a cruise.  

The summer is looking good for them, until one rainy day when there is a knock on the door.  Out in the pouring rain stands Eden who has come to visit her friends, the homeowners, but didn't know they were currently away.  She said they had told her she could stay with them any time she was in the city.  Adam invites her in out of the rain and when they find out that Eden has nowhere else to go, they invite her to stay.  It will only be a few days until Mona and Jack return home and she is their friend.  As soon as Eden moves in things start to go wrong.  She is not who she appears to be.

The Hope Chest by Carolyn Brown

Three cousins Nessa, Flynn and April are reunited when their grandmother jointly leaves them her house in Blossom Texas.  She also leaves a locked hope chest.  The chest can only be unlocked when the cousins have completed a hand stitched quilt which has been left in the quilting shed.  

They all have different memories of Nanny Lucy and the house.  Nessa visited each summer to get away from her strict and religious parents. Flynn used to visit each summer until his mother died, he wanted to stay but Nanny Lucy sent him away to live with his father.  April's mother died just after she was born and so was brought up by Nanny Lucy and always felt unloved.  

The cousins meet up and move into the house to start the task set for them, they all have reasons to want a fresh start in life. 

A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball by T E Kinsey

The Dizzy Heights jazz band is booked to play at the Bilverton House midsummer ball.  A summer storm occurs and due to local flooding the band is stranded at the house.  

The next day, the host, John Bilverton, is found shot dead in his study.  The door had been locked from the inside and the death looks like suicide.  Skins, Dunn and Ellie from the Dizzy Heights are not convinced.  They think this is murder.  They have the short time until the flood water goes down to investigate and work out what has happened.  

Then yet another member of the family is found dead.

In Another Light by AJ Banner

The body of a dead woman, Pauline Steele, turns up at the mortuary where Phoebe Glassman works as a cosmetologist.  Pauline is Phoebe's doppelganger and has a photograph of Phoebe in her belongings.  

Phoebe starts to investigate Pauline's life and death when she realises that she has seen a photograph of her butterfly tattoo on her husband's phone prior to his death in a car accident. Phoebe uncovers a definite link between her husband Logan and Pauline. 

Logan seemed to have been living another life that Phoebe knew nothing about. 

A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton

The Taylor family bookshop in York is not doing well.  In an attempt to increase trade Megan has arranged for a book launch and signing to take place with award winning author Xander Stone.  

When Megan meets Xander she finds him grumpy, moody and rude.  He is also very attractive and she can see that behind the facade he is quite nervous about the event.  

Megan returned to the family bookshop 3 years ago after the death of her husband and has hidden herself away there ever since.  Meeting Xander, and with a lot of encouragement from her friends and family, she realises that it is time that she moves on with her life and agrees to go out on a date.

The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne

A winter snow storm suddenly hits Silver Ridge.  There are 5 people in the town library who end up having to spend the night there together.  

They are Nora the librarian, she was orphaned aged 6 and is trying to find her missing brother and get him off drugs.  The library security guard Vlado who secretly admires Nora and is always reading the books.  Marlene, an elderly town resident, recently widowed and generally unhappy with life.  Teenage Jasmine who is new to town and a homeless man, Lewis, who feels he has nothing left to live for.  

Forced to spend the night together, they share more about themselves with each other than they have ever done before.  In different ways this helps each of them to reassess their lives. 

Snowflakes Over the Starfish Cafe by Jessica Redland

Having inherited The Starfish Cafe from her mother, Hollie has tried to keep all of her traditions alive.  The story starts on bonfire night, the night that the Christmas tree and decorations are put up in the cafe.  At work Hollie puts on a smiley face, but in private, following the deaths of her mother, father and brother, and the breaking up of her engagement, she is lonely and unhappy.  

Jake also has many tragedies in his past and tries not to get too close to people and never talks about what has happened.   

On bonfire night, whilst on the beach trying to take photographs of the fireworks, Jake finds a lost and very frightened dog.  He manages to catch the dog and knocks on the door of The Starfish Cafe to seek help.  

There is an attraction between Hollie and Jake, but neither of them are used to letting people close to them and initially they both agree not to share the stories of their pasts. 

A Christmas Cracker by Trisha Ashley

After being framed for a crime she didn't commit and sentenced to time in prison, Tabby loses her job, home, boyfriend and her cat is sent to a rescue shelter.   

On release from prison Tabby is offered a job with Mercy Marwood helping her to turn around the failing family business - Marwood’s Magical Christmas Crackers.  Mercy's nephew Randall, who will one day inherit the business, wants to close down the factory and develop the site with craft workshops.  Mercy and Tabby adapt his plans to keep the cracker factory at the heart of the development with demonstrations and an all year round Christmas shop.  Randall still believes that Tabby is a fraudster and watches her every move.  He is convinced that she is untrustworthy. 

Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase by Jane Riley

Newly widowed Geraldine Verne is struggling with life after Jack.  She doesn't want to let him go and keeps him near to her in a red suitcase.  Although she hasn't left the house for the last 3 months, she takes Jack's ashes (in the suitcase) everywhere she goes.  

After having an accident in the home, Geri's friend signs her up to receive meals on wheels. After a rocky start, Lottie, who delivers the meals, encourages Geri to leave the house and they go on some small adventures together.  

Finally, Geri is able to think about Jack's last wish which is to be scattered somewhere exotic. 

Trail of Destruction by Tracy Buchanan

Ellie Mileham is suggested to be the new moderator of the Forest Grove Facebook page.  Almost immediately some of the members become targets of a vigilante following posts they make about the behaviours of others.  Then threatening letters start to arrive.  

Ellie's mum received threatening letters years ago.  Before things get out of hand Ellie investigates, along with the village policeman, to find out who is targetting the locals and try to put a stop to it before anyone gets seriously hurt. 

These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean

Just before her mum died, Fiona was told her secret - that Fiona's biological father is not the man who has brought her up and she must continue to keep this information from him.  

One morning Fiona receives a phone call from a lawyer to tell her that her biological father has died and that she must travel to Italy for the reading of his will when she will find out what she, along with his other children, have inherited.  In Italy Fiona meets her half brother and sister who wish to contest the will.  Fiona knows nothing about the relationship between her mother and father and needs to find out what happened between them all those years ago when her parents spent a summer in Tuscany.  There are also some letters mentioned which need to be found. 

The Sweet Shop of Second Chances by Hannah Lynn

After finding her boyfriend cheating on her, Holly Berry packs a bag and jumps into her car.  She heads off to Bourton in the Water, the Cotswolds village of her childhood.  She sees the old sweetshop 'Just One More' where she worked as a teenager.  It looks very rundown.  

Maud, now the only owner, as business and life partner Agnes has died, is thinking about selling the shop.  She has been approached by developers and is considering their offer.  As soon as Holly hears this she makes an immediate decision to leave her job in London and buy the shop from Maud.  

Whilst the mortgage and details are being sorted Maud heads off to Scotland and leaves Holly to run the shop.  Holly makes new friends and finds some of the locals really friendly and helpful, but there are definitely some who want to sabotage her efforts to make the shop profitable again.

Other books I have by the same author are:

Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin
Peas, Carrots and a Red Feather Boa

When She Returned by Lucinda Berry

Eleven years ago Kate Bennett disappeared.  Her car was found in a supermarket car park and it was assumed she had been kidnapped, but a body was never found.  She was married to Scott and their daughter Abbi was five when Kate disappeared.  After many years Kate was declared dead and Scott re-married.  

Kate suddenly reappears, dressed only in a nightgown, running into a petrol station clutching a very young baby.  She is miles away from home and terrified.  She is a shadow of the person she had been, she had obviously been tortured by the wounds on her body and she is too scared to talk about what has happened. 

The police bring in a specialist team to work with her to try to put together a picture of what has happened and where she has been.  They are convinced she had been taken and held against her will by a cult. 

Wall of Silence by Tracy Buchanan

One evening Melissa Byatt arrives home to find her three children in the kitchen looking down at the injured body of their father.  Patrick is lying on the floor unconscious and with a stab wound in his side.  The children are just standing looking at him.  Melissa phones for an ambulance.  She lets the paramedics into the house and then, on returning to the kitchen, realises that the knife which had been on the floor has vanished.  

Melissa knows that the children are lying and must have something to do with the injury but they all maintain they know nothing about it and won't talk.  If one of them has attacked their father there must be a good reason why so Melissa protects them and doesn't mention the knife to the police.  

Rumours start spreading around the Forest Grove community and Melissa finds out secrets about her family which start to tear them apart.  They are not the perfect family they have appeared to be.  

Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh

Twenty five years ago Bree Taggert's parents were killed on the same night.  Her mother was murdered by her father who then shot himself.  Bree is now a homicide detective in Philadelphia. 

She receives a message from her sister who needs help.  Unable to raise her on the phone, Bree heads back to her home town to check on Erin.  She arrives too later, Erin has been murdered.  Her estranged husband Justin seems to be the most likely suspect and he is missing.  

Bree teams up with Justin's best friend, ex-detective Matt Flynn, to undertake their own investigation and to share information.  Bree wants to know who shot her sister and why, and Matt wants to prove that Justin is not a murderer. 

Where Secrets Lie by DS Butler

This is the second book in the Detective Karen Hart series

When the police go to help an elderly man who has fallen down the stairs he is insistent that they must not go upstairs in his house.  Being intrigued as to why, one of them heads upstairs and finds a locked room.  There is a key in the padlock so he turns it and goes in.  Inside there is a body in a suitcase.  In the house they also find a note which reads 'It's time to pay for your crime'.  

The body is identified as Oliver Fox, a local school teacher, who went missing 30 years ago.  DI Scott Morgan, DS Karen Hart and their team investigate.  They look back over old case notes from when Oliver was reported missing and interview his family and past colleagues.  As they find out more information about Oliver, more people become possible suspects who may have had a motive to kill him. 

I Will Make You Pay by Teresa Driscoll

Picking up the phone in the office, journalist Alice Henderson, receives a threatening message.  It is decided to be hoax/crank call, but then the following week he makes contact again.  It is always on a Wednesday.  The police become involved but can't do a lot to help so Alice's boyfriend Tom employs private investigator Matthew Hill.  Matthew is to follow Alice every Wednesday to make sure she is safe. 

Alice's family then become targets too.  Alice will do anything to keep her mum safe.  

There are things in Alice's past which she has not told the police. Could it be that an old boyfriend is targetting her?  But why is contact always on a Wednesday? 

A Sweet Death by Eryn Scott

This is the third book in the Stoneybrook Mystery series. 

Teenage Miranda, who works part time in the local sweet shop, is reported as missing.  She has not been seen since she was dropped off by her boyfriend near the hospital in Cascade Ridge.  Friend Cassie was to have picked her up but couldn't find her.  There could be a link to the recent murder of a local drug dealer.  

Hadley James helps brother Paul, the Deputy Sheriff, to make enquiries around town and becomes friendly with Cassie.  Cassie was not completely honest with Paul but does tell Hadley about her fears that Miranda was buying drugs.  

When Dennis, the owner of the sweet shop, is seen acting oddly and then disappears, he becomes the prime suspect in the case. 

A Fresh Kill by Eryn Scott

This is the second book in the Stoneybrook Mystery series. 

On Saturday morning whilst the famers market stalls are being set up Hadley James finds the dead body of a florist in his van.  When she opens up the van door to check on him bees fly out. There has been a rivalry between the florist in Stoneybrook and the florist in Cascade Ridge.   

Hadley helps brother Paul, the Deputy Sheriff, to investigate the death when it is proclaimed to be murder.  She is helped by best friend Suzanne, and old school friend Luke who has moved back to Stoneybrook.  The most likely suspects are Leo the florist or Barry the beekeeper.   

A Crafty Crime by Eryn Scott

This is the first book in the Stoneybrook Mystery series. 

Recently divorced jam maker Hadley James, twin sister of Paul the Deputy Sheriff in Stoneybrook, is asked to cat sit by Edith who runs the local knitting shop.  Edith plans to visit her sister for a few days.  On the first morning when Hadley arrives to feed Ansel she finds Edith dead in her chair.  

Edith's death was not from natural causes.  It soon becomes clear that she was murdered.  Hadley, along with her friend Suzanne, help Paul to make enquiries around the town.  They take a suspect each and try to find out who could have murdered Edith and why.  

Hadley takes Ansel home with her to look after him until the investigation is over. 

Other People's Things by Kerry Anne King

Since the age of six Nicole has been compelled to move objects which she senses are not in the right place and are asking her to move them, this is her object relocation project.  This moving of objects has landed her jail.  

Out of jail, and separated from her husband Kent, Nicole is offered a job cleaning houses by her sister - but nothing should be moved from the clients homes.  In the first house she cleans Nicole is drawn to an old copy of a book which is telling her it doesn't belong there.  She takes the book and leaves it at the home of another client.  Finding the book in her house causes panic for Andrea as she feels that events in her past are catching up with her.  

Whilst trying to help Andrea, Nicole is being blackmailed by her husband.  He had money in a drawer at home which was from a bribe to find an alibi for a criminal, but Nicole had sensed it shouldn't be there and had moved it.  She has already moved it on and is being forced to perjure herself in court to keep her family safe.  

Hawk, the private investigator employed by Kent to watch Nicole and hopefully find his missing money, realises that Nicole is not the bad person he has been led to believe her to be and he turns sides and helps her. 

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

Mother and daughter, Maggie and Nina have lived together in the same house for all of Nina's life.  Three years ago their relationship changed and Nina imprisoned and chained Maggie in the attic.  Ever other night Maggie is allowed out to have an evening meal with her daughter and is then put back in her chains and locked in the soundproofed attic again. 

Nina is punishing Maggie for things which have happened in the past and which have been kept secret.  Nina doesn't know the whole story and Maggie is still keeping some things secret. 

The Perfect Mother by Caroline Mitchell

Finding herself unexpectedly pregnant, 24 year old Roz knows that she can't look after a baby at the moment.  She joins an elite adoption site and waits to see if anyone is interested in raising her baby.  She is soon approached by a diamond couple from New York.  Their names are kept quiet as they are well known celebrities.  Roz won't know who they are until she has signed a confidentiality agreement.  

After flying to New York to meet the couple and agreeing they can have the baby, which they want to pretend is their own, Roz has to live with them until the birth.  She is soon living in their basement apartment.  She has a strict schedule of activities, exercise and food that she must stick to.  The basement has no windows and Roz is not able to leave.  She finds out that she is not the first person to have lived in the basement and the other person has never been seen again. 

The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot

As Lindsay has not arrived at work and is not answering her phone, Emily goes to her house looking for her.  She finds her friend Lindsay murdered in her bed and her husband outside hanging from a tree.

Twenty years ago Emily's father had been murdered.  He too was found by Emily hanging from a tree in the back garden of their family home.  At the time of that murder Emily's younger sister Madison had claimed to have been in bed asleep and her older sister Tara had claimed to have been at a friends house.  The killer was soon found and imprisoned.  

Two FBI Agents are brought in to help investigate the double murder.  They also look back at the murder of Emily's father as there are some similarities and not many people are usually murdered in the small town. 

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

Two law students, Femi and Charlotte, are given an assignment by Roderick Tanner QC.  A murder has already taken place, someone has been sentenced and is in prison.  They have to look through evidence which was available at the original trial and work out who the murderer was, who is pretending to be someone else and who doesn't really exist.  

Mr Tanner has uncovered new evidence and believes that the person who is in prison may be innocent.  The information Femi and Charlotte have to read is primarily in the form of emails. 

Most of the emails are sent between members of a local amateur dramatics society, they are in the process of rehearsing for a play and also fund raising for a charity appeal to raise money for the cancer treatment needed by the grandchild of the family who run the group. 

Some of the characters are very protective of others, whereas others are not popular as they ask a lot of questions and challenge things they don't believe to be true.

The Crossing by Matt Brolly

This is a Louise Blackwell Detective story. 

In the quiet town of Weston-Super-Mare the body of elderly resident Veronica Lloyd is found with wounds to one hand.  Then the body of an elderly priest is discovered with the same wounds on the other hand.   

Monsignor Ashley contacts Detective Louise Blackwell to let her know there are religious significations to the wounds and to expect three more bodies.  Louise needs to find a connection between the murdered residents so that she can work out who the next target may be, why and who is committing the murders.

The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn

Two friends in America, who are both looking for a fresh start due to relationship break-ups, see a 'help wanted' advert for two people to run a coffee shop for six months.  The shop is in the scottish highlands.  They apply and get the job. 

Bonnie and Dakota move to the small town of Corsekelly.  They fall in love with the town and fit in really well with the friendly locals.  The only exception is Rowan MacGregor the local handyman and son of the coffee shop owners.  He is forever moody, grumpy and cross.  But Bonnie finds him very attractive.  

The coffee shop needs a make-over as it is looking very dreary and the reviews given by the visitors on the local tour buses are really not good.  Bonnie sets out on a mission to make some changes. 

One Year Gone by Avery Bishop

The police are not really interested when 17 year old Wyn vanishes.  She is classed as a teenage runaway, they expect she will come back soon.  After a few days it becomes obvious that there are a few reasons why she may have run away and the police do little to look for her.  

One year later her mother Jessica receives a text message from Wyn asking for her help and saying that the man who has captured her may kill her.  Jessica had never given up hope of finding Wyn and she starts to ask questions and investigate what could have happened and where she may be.  Wyn says the man holding her wears a police badge and tells Jessica not to involve the police. 

Bring Them Home by DS Butler

Two 10 year old girls disappear from their primary school in Heighington, Lincolnshire.  DS Karen Hart investigates the case along with her new boss DI Scott Morgan. 

Karen is convinced that there are similarities with a case they had failed to solve 18 months before when a 19 year old woman vanished.  The difference in age is a concern, but Karen just can't let the subject drop.  

As they interview parents and local people who may be involved, the police unearth lots of lies they have been told.  Days go by and the girls are still not found, the likelihood of finding them alive is getting smaller and smaller. 

This is the first book in the Detective Karen Hart series.

Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse

This story goes backwards and forwards between Bessie's 16th birthday in August 1984 and her 53rd birthday in August 2021.

On the day of her 16th birthday Bessie has to collect her exam results.  She expects to do ok but is shocked when the results are received.  Later when she attends a school party she finds out some information that changes the course of her life.  

Now at aged 53, married and with a grown-up family, Bessie is looking back at her life and thinking about the hopes and dreams she had when she was young and the secrets she has kept for all that time. 

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

Twenty years ago Sarah Crosswhite disappeared.  There was no body, but a murder trial took place and Edmund House was convicted and sent to prison.  Sarah's sister Tracy was never convinced of all the facts.  She had been a chemistry teacher at the local school but changed jobs and trained to be a homicide detective with Seattle PD to help with her own investigations into what had happened to Sarah.  

A body is found buried in a shallow grave in an area which had been flooded for many years.  It is confirmed to be Sarah Crosswhite.  

Tracy visits Edmund House in prison and helps him apply for an appeal.  She wants to get the case of her sister's murder re-opened and find the answers to the questions she has been searching for.  

This is the first in a series of Tracy Crosswhite stories. 

What You Did by Claire McGowan

Twenty five years after they met at University, six friends get together for a reunion.  Bill has been out of the country for years, only visiting to attend Cal and Jodie's wedding, but he has now returned to England. 

Ali hosts the evening at her family home.  She and Mike married before Cal and Jodie but Bill didn't return for their wedding.  They now have two children.  The other friend, Karen, who is Ali's best friend, has remained single.  She brings her teenage son with her to stay for the weekend.  

Late in the evening, after a meal and a lot of alcohol have been consumed in the garden, Karen staggers into the kitchen.  She is bruised and bleeding and claims that she has been attacked and raped by Mike.  

Ali has to decide if she believes her best friend Karen, or her husband of 20 years Mike.  They both tell different stories about what has happened.  

The trauma of the evening brings back memories of their last night at University when after the ball Martha was found murdered.  The murderer was never found. 

The Other Wife by Claire McGowan

After a one night stand with a man from work, Suzi and her husband Nick move out of London into an isolated cottage in the country.  Suzi has given up work, is pregnant and lonely.  Nick is controlling and always seems to know if she hasn't done things exactly as he requests.  He leaves instructions about what she is to cook and insists that she spends an hour each day walking the dog.  

Nora moves into the dilapidated cottage next door.  Suzi and Nora begin to make friends and Suzi feels that she may have someone she can confide in about what is happening in her life.  

Elle is a widow.  Her husband has recently died in a car crash.  She is struggling financially as all the money they had seems to have vanished.  She slowly unearths more information about her husband to find that he really wasn't the person she thought he was. 

Choose Me by Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver

Early one morning Taryn Moore, a young student, is found dead on the pavement outside her apartment block.  She appears to have fallen from the balcony of her apartment on the fifth floor.  Detective Frankie Loomis arrives at the scene to investigate.  She can't find Taryn's mobile phone.  

Something just doesn't feel right to Frankie and she doesn't want to write this off straight away as a suicide.  Taryn was a successful student, what reason did she have to take her own life?  As the investigation continues and the results of the post mortem are released there is more doubt about whether this is a suicide or a murder.  

The story keeps going backwards and forwards 'before' and 'after' telling Taryn's story.  

Taryn had recently split up from her high school boyfriend and she had a vengeful streak. 

The Whitby Murders (A Yorkshire Murder Mystery Book) by J R Ellis

Five friends head to Whitby at Halloween to take part in a Goth weekend festival.  On arrival they have booked an escape room experience.  Dom and Andrea have been a couple for about a year, they are not getting along very well and keep arguing.  Whilst in the escape room Dom pulls out a knife, stabs Andrea and then runs out.  The other three friends stay with Andrea but she dies at the scene.

Louise can’t believe that Dom would have killed Andrea.  She saw him with the knife and she saw the knife sticking out of Andrea’s chest, but he just wouldn’t have done that. 

She calls her dad who is a police detective in a neighbouring Yorkshire police force.  He heads to Whitby with a colleague and helps the local force to investigate the murder. 

Letters from Lighthouse Cottage by Ali McNamara

Whilst helping her parents in a house clearance Grace finds a box which contains an old typewriter.  Around the roller is a piece of paper with a typed message addressed to her.  On and off over the years Grace finds other messages in the typewriter.  

Having grown up in the seaside town of Sandybridge, Grace can't wait to get away.  She plans to go to university and then to travel, whereas her best friend Charlie is content to stay in Sandybridge and make this his home. 

Grace and Charlie always stay in touch regardless of where they are in their lives, relationships with others, or whereabouts Grace is currently living.  

From time to time Grace asks Remy, the typewriter, for guidance on her life. 

The Sleeping and the Dead by Ann Cleeves

Whilst out canoeing on a lake early one morning a young woman finds a dead body which has been submerged in the water.  It has only become visible due to the recent drought which has caused the level of the water to drop so low.  

Detective Peter Porteous leads the murder investigation.  After searching through details of missing persons from as far back as the 1970s he is able to work out that the body is that of Michael Grey.  Unfortunately there is no other record of Michael Grey having existed before he turned up in the sixth form at Cranwell Grammar School.  

Hannah Morton, now a librarian in her local prison, used to attend Cranwell Grammar School and had been the girlfriend of Michael Grey.  She may have been the last person to have seen him alive.

A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde

Lorna works in the garden of Burthen House which is owned by her old school friend Peter.  She is slowly trying to rebuild the neglected garden back to its original glory.  Peter's new girlfriend comes up with an idea to open the garden and display large statues as a fund raiser for the local church.  Lorna asks her friend Philly, who provides most of the plants, to help out with the work in the garden to get at least some of it ready for the event.  

Lorna meets Jack, the local church stone mason and sculptor, and Philly meets Lucien who is training to be a chef and baker.  Both fall in love but things don't go very smoothly for either of them.   

Peter's mother, Lady Anthea, lives in the dowager house within the grounds.  She enlists the help of Lorna and Philly to clear the area behind her house to see if they can find an old hidden secret garden.

The Cornish Cream Tea Bus by Cressida McLaughlin

After the death of her uncle, Charlie is left his vintage bus in his will.  She is determined to get the bus back on the road and in good condition.  He used to offer local bus tours, but as she is a baker she comes up with the idea of using the bus as a mobile cafe for afternoon teas.  

Charlie goes to stay with friends in Porthgolow, Cornwall and whilst she is there she has the bus converted into a cafe and re-painted back to its original colour.  Not all the residents of Porthgolow are happy about the arrival of the bus and Charlie's other ideas to bring more trade to the sleepy little village.  

Daniel, the owner of the local spa hotel, is not happy at all when he sees the bus parked up on the sea front.  He wants it moved.  But when Charlie arranges the first food festival on the sand he helps out and provides some fireworks at the end of the day.  

Each time Charlie feels that she is making progress, getting to know the locals and becoming accepted by them, something else crops up to make her wonder if Daniel is really on her side or not.

All Fall Down by M J Arlidge

As he is leaving work one day Justin Lanning receives a phone call.  The only words spoken are "You have one hour to live."  In a panic he heads for home.  He doesn't arrive.  

DI Helen Grace leads the investigation into Justin's murder.  

Many years before, Justin and a group of school friends had been held hostage and tortured whilst taking part in a Duke of Edinburgh expedition.  All but one of them had managed to escape their captor.  Maxine Pryce, one of the group, has written a book about their experiences which is just about to be released.  Could this be the connection? 

The Survivors Club by Lisa Gardner

Ordinarily it would have been unlikely that Jillian, Carol and Meg would have met and become friends, but they all have one thing in common.  They have all survived being attacked by the College Hill Rapist.  Meg was the first to be raped, then Carol was viciously attacked and raped and Jillian was attacked whilst trying to help her sister, who had been attacked, raped and died.  

Together the women created The Survivors Club as a support for themselves and to try to help and encourage the police to catch and bring to justice the man who had attacked them all.  They are survivors, not victims.   

On the first day of the trial, as he arrives at court, Eddie Como is shot and killed. The three survivors immediately become suspects.  They were all together in a coffee shop at the time of the shooting but one of them may have paid for a hitman to take the shot.  

Then another college student is attacked and raped and all the evidence again points to Eddie Como, but he is now dead. 

The Little Flower Shop by the Sea by Ali McNamara

It is a surprise to the whole family when Grandma Rose leaves her florist shop to Poppy.  Poppy has to return to St Felix in Cornwall to visit the shop which she has not seen for 15 years.  

All the locals really want Poppy to continue with the family tradition of running a flower shop.  Many people say that her grandmother had a magical touch with her flowers.  At first Poppy isn't sure, St Felix holds a lot of memories from her childhood, some good and some bad, but the longer she spends there the happier she begins to feel.  

Poppy makes new friends and finds (almost) all the locals really friendly and helpful.  There is also Jake, the very attractive local flower grower, who has been supplying the shop for many years. 

Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van by Ali McNamara is also set in St Felix and features some of the same characters (I think I have read these books the wrong way round). 

All About Us by Tom Ellen

On 24 December 2020 Ben meets his friend Harv in a pub for a quick drink.  He wants to have a serious conversation with Harv and tell him his marriage to Daphne is looking rocky and that he has plans to meet up with Alice, an old friend from university, in a few days time. Instead, after a couple of drinks and some banter, he leaves the pub having been given a broken watch by an unknown old man.  The hands of the watch are stuck at one minute to midnight. 

The next morning Ben wakes up to find himself back in university in December 2005 on the very day he met Daphne. As the time approaches midnight he jumps again to re-live another day a couple of years later.  Each time he jumps he has an opportunity to find out something he missed the first time around and to see what life was like with Daphne and what it would be like without her.  He also jumps into the future and can see what his life would be if he chose Alice over Daphne.  

The concept of the story is borrowed from Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’.  Ben needs to work out who he wants to be with and what he really wants to do with his life. 

Rachel’s Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts

Primrose Farm is the family home of Rachel, her mum Jill, and her young daughter Maisy.  As the farm hits financial difficulties Rachel has to come with a plan to diversify to bring in additional cash.  Using Jill’s talent for baking and pudding making Rachel comes up with a scheme to convert one of the old barns into a tea shop.  Timing is tight to get all the alterations finished and the tea shop ready and open for the summer tourist season.  

Whilst the farm is busy undergoing change Rachel realises that her feelings for Tom, the farmer next door, are also beginning to change but she is unsure of how he may feel about her. 

A couple of Jill and Rachel's recipes appear at the end of the book.  

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

First thing on a Monday morning in New York, whilst people are heading into work, 4 people step into an elevator and press buttons to go up to different floors.  On the journey up, instead of stopping at the requested floors, the elevator goes all the way up to the top.  The doors don’t open. The elevator then plummets all the way down to the bottom.  The occupants don’t all get out alive.  

On Tuesday there is another elevator malfunction in another building.  On Wednesday there is another elevator accident in yet another building.  Each day people are dying.  

Mayor Richard Headley announces that all elevators in the city must not be used until they have been inspected.  There are about 7000 elevators in the city and 28 inspectors.  This brings the city to a stand still.  How can some of the elderly people who live many floors up in apartment buildings get up and down using the stairs? 

Reporter Barbara Matheson, who is no fan of the local Mayor, hears that the elevators may have been sabotaged and starts her own investigation to work out of there is a link between the buildings and the events. 

The Locket by Ruth Saberton

Needing something to occupy herself whilst her son is away with the army on active duty, Alison Foy is encouraged by her friend to look into her family history.  Alison knows that her family used to live in the local area of Cornwall and had connections with the old Pendennys family who used to own a large old house which had burnt down many years ago.  

As she looks though some old boxes that had belonged to her mum, some of which hold items which had belonged to her grandmother, Alison makes interesting discoveries of links between her family and Kit Rivers the famous local War Poet.  

The story goes backwards and forwards from 1914 at the start of the war and the life of Emily Pendennys to modern times with Alison and her family. 

This was a free Kindle download. 

The Silver Collection by Carole Matthews

This is a collection of short stories, each also has a brief introduction from the author. 

Ignorance is Bliss

Pamela knows that her husband is having an affair. She keeps a check on his clothes, pockets and briefcase to know what is going on.  

Travelling Light

Alice is taking a final backpacking holiday on her own before going home to get married. She meets Kane on her travels.  

A Weekend in Venice 

Beth should be in Venice with her husband for the weekend celebrating their 5th anniversary, but instead she is there on her own as Jerrard has decided the marriage isn’t working and has moved out.  

Hotel du Lac

A young woman on her own meets a lovely Frenchman Yves, whilst on a moonlight cruise in Switzerland. They are staying in the same hotel and for the next few days spend some time together. 

The Way to a Man’s Heart

After a relationship breakup Mandy leaves her job and sets up her own mobile Chocoholics Anonymous business.  She bakes cakes and sells them at markets from her ex-burger van.  James, the ex-boyfriend who lives in the flat above, starts dropping in after work in an evening to sample the cakes.

This was a free kindle download. 

The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren

Arriving in Oxford from America to visit her grandmother and help in the shop for a few weeks, Lucy finds the knitting shop, Cardinal Woolsey, closed.  The shop is never closed outside of its published opening hours.  Lucy is told by the old ladies in the tea shop next door that her grandmother died 3 weeks ago, peacefully in her sleep, and that they had not been able to make contact with her or her mother to let them know.  

After a visit to the solicitor Lucy is told that she, not her mother, is to inherit the shop with the living accommodation above, and that her grandmother’s wishes are that she runs the shop for a least the next year.  Lucy had never planned to run a shop and she can’t even knit.  

Lucy becomes convinced that all is not what it seems with her grandmother’s death after finding spots of blood on the floor in the shop along with her grandmother’s glasses on a broken chain, when they should have been upstairs with her by the side of her bed.  

There is someone trying to buy up the row of 4 shops, at a very high price, who tells Lucy her grandmother was just about to sign the paperwork.  Lucy needs time to work out what is happening and what her grandmother was really planning before she can decide what to do. 

The story contains witches and vampires.  

Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham

A Tom Thorne and Nicola Tanner Thriller

Whilst investigating a suicide DI Tom Thorne is convinced that the woman was driven to kill herself after being duped by a man who preyed on women to steal their money.  

Although this is not a murder which needs to be investigated, Thorne wants to do a bit of digging to see if he can identify the man.  He is able to find some DNA but there is no match on the police files.  

Sarah is integrating herself into a small group of parents who drop off and pick up their children outside school each day.  Some days they go out for coffee and cake after the drop off to have a chat.  She is a bit more secretive than the others and often sits slightly away from the group.  One day a man at another table in the coffee shop starts to talk to her and they begin a relationship.  

S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move One) by Paul McGee

The straight-talking guide to succeeding in life. 

The messages within this book are that by looking at things differently you can better enjoy life and be more successful. I have learned that E + R = O (event + response = outcome).  I can control how I respond to something which can give me a better outcome. I can recognise when someone is ‘wearing the victim t-shirt’ and know I don’t do this.  I can see that I sometimes need a bit of ‘hippo time’ but quickly get over it and pick myself up out of the wallowing.  And appreciate that not everyone sees the beachball from the same side that I do.  

This is not the genre of book I would usually choose to read, but it is interesting and quite thought provoking.  I will definitely be able to take some of the messages and use them in my daily life to better understand myself and others. 

X by Sue Grafton

After completing the quick and straight forward job of providing the contact details of a son who had been put up for adoption as a baby 32 years ago and who has recently been released from prison, Kinsey Millhone finds that she has been paid for the job with marked notes.  The client has now vanished and the contact telephone numbers provided are out of service. She sets up her own investigation to find out who the client really is and why she wanted the details. 

At the same time she is also helping a widowed friend to go through paperwork left by her murdered husband, PI Pete Wolinksy, who was an old associate of Kinsey's.  They find a hidden parcel which needs to be delivered and some old notes from an investigation Pete was undertaking.  Kinsey picks up the investigation and discovers links between a number of women and a very dangerous sociopath. 

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Whilst out shopping one day PI Kinsey Millhone witnesses a lady shoplifting.  She helps the store to apprehend her.  Kinsey is then almost run over in the car park by a second woman who may have been an accomplice. 

A few days later Kinsey reads in the local paper that the body of Audrey Vance has been found at a local suicide spot.  There is a photograph of Audrey, she is the shoplifter.  

Kinsey is approached by Audrey's fiance and asked to look into her past as he is convinced that she would not have killed herself and that she would not have been shoplifting.  

As Kinsey starts to investigate she finds evidence to indicate there may be a large criminal organisation operating locally in which Audrey has been involved. 

The Flip Side by James Bailey

On New Year's Eve Josh has planned a very romantic proposal in an exclusive pod on the London Eye with champagne, chocolates and a ring.  Within the first couple of minutes of the half hour journey he has popped the question.  Unfortunately the answer is no and they have to spend a very long and uncomfortable journey together until the pod comes back down to the ground.  

As his girlfriend is both a colleague and the daughter of the owner of the hotel where they work, and they also live in a flat owned by her father, he has managed to lose his girlfriend, job and home all in one go.  He has to move back to live with his parents.   

For the whole of the year, for every decision that he needs to make, Josh will flip a coin.  The coin will tell him which way to go and he will follow. 

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone is requested by Michael Sutton to investigate something he remembers seeing 20 years ago.  When he was 6 years old he saw two men digging a hole and they had a wrapped up bundle on the ground near to them.  The memory has been triggered by reading a recent newspaper article about some famous kidnapping stories which included the kidnapping and disappearance of Mary Claire Fitzhugh in 1967.  Even though the requested ransom money was paid Mary Claire was never seen again. 

Kinsey agrees to help out for at least a day and by tracking back over all the information Michael remembers she takes them to Horton Ravine to try to find some familiar ground.  They find the exact spot and the police are brought in to excavate the area.  What they find and dig up starts a whole new investigation for Kinsey.

R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton

Kinsey Millhone is hired by Nord Lafferty to collect his daughter Reba from prison and to drive her home.  She then has to keep an eye on her, keep her out of trouble and make sure she sees her Parole Officer.  The job should only take a few days.  

Kinsey soon realises that Reba has taken the fall for her ex-boss and ex-lover Beck.  

The FBI are watching Beck and trying to get evidence against him as they believe he is laundering money for a drug cartel.  They want Kinsey to convince Reba that she should help them to get the evidence they need.  At first Reba is not keen, then she sees it as a way of getting even. 

Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses by Carole Matthews

Single mum Christie Chapman sets out early each morning to commute by coach into London to work as a secretary in a legal firm.  She gets home late in the evenings and spends time with her teenage son Finn.  Christie is very creative, she is always watching Creative World on the television, she enjoys all sorts of crafts and sells some of her cards to the people at work.  

She is amazed to be offered a chance to work for the US company Contemporary Crafts as their UK link, to get their name known and products sold in the UK, this is the ideal opportunity for Christie.  Just as things look about to take off in the crafting world Finn becomes ill and Christie has to make a choice about which career path she wants to follow as there is not enough time in the day to support Finn and hold down two jobs. 

Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton

Private Detective Kinsey Millhone is approached by 2 detectives who want her help in looking into an old murder case.  The body of an unknown young woman was found by them at the edge of a local quarry 18 years ago, her identity has never been established and her murderer has never been found.  The detectives want to have one last look at the case before they end their careers in the police force.  

Kinsey agrees to help them and together they go through the old murder book and re-look at all the evidence.  They talk to people who were both witnesses and suspects 18 years ago.  By retracing some of the possible steps some of these people may have taken they begin to piece together where the young woman could have been travelling from.  

Her jaw bones have been kept in police evidence as a lot of dental work had been undertaken which could help to identify her if they get a possible name. 

The Enemy by Lee Child

Early in the morning on New Years Day 1990 Major Jack Reacher receives a phone call from the local police to let him know that a soldier has been found dead in a motel bedroom.  The dead soldier turns out to be a General who was not where he should have been, was with someone he shouldn't have been with and his briefcase with confidential papers for a conference he is about to attend is missing.  When Reacher goes to the General's home to inform his wife he finds the house has been broken into and the wife dead on the floor.  

In typical Reacher style, when given an order to drop his investigations he immediately feels there is some cover-up taking place and he wants to get to the truth of what has happened. 

The House of New Beginnings by Lucy Diamond

SeaView House (which doesn't have a sea view) is an elegant regency house near to the seafront in Brighton.  It has been split into 5 flats.  For different reasons all the inhabitants of the flats have moved there for a fresh start.  

Rosa has split from her boyfriend after finding that he was living a double life and she is now trying out a new career as a trainee chef.  Charlotte has parted from her husband and is struggling to come to terms with the death of their baby daughter.  Georgie and Simon have move from Yorkshire so that he can take on a dream job which will be the making of his career.  Jo lives with her daughter Bea after leaving her husband for another woman, and glamorous elderly Margot who moved to her flat 20 years with her lover now refuses to return home to France to be with her sons. 

The residents of SeaView House slowly start to bump into each other and new friendships begin.

The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths

Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is involved in a dig at Norwich Castle and finds the bones of a victorian woman who was hanged for the murder of 5 children.  She was known as Mother Hook as she had a metal hook in place of one hand.  A television company becomes interested in including the find in a series of programmes called 'Women Who Kill'.  Ruth is asked to be involved in the programme and present some of her findings.  There is some evidence which may prove that Mother Hook was wrongly convicted.  The director of the series wants to investigate this whilst the presenter wants to just show her as a very scary and evil woman. 

DCI Harry Nelson is investigating the death of young child.  This is the third child in the same family that has died and Harry, unlike most of his colleagues, is not convinced that the mother is completely innocent.  Then a young child goes missing from her bed at night.  Ruth becomes involved in the investigations with the police.

One-Hit Wonder by Lisa Jewell

In 1985 Bee Bearhorn had a number one hit single.  Her next 2 records didn't do very well and her singing career ended.  Bee had then become estranged from her mother and younger half sister Ana after the death of her father. 

Ana is sent by her mother from Devon to London to sort out her sister's flat after Bee, at only 36 years old, has been found dead.  Ana had always imagined that Bee lived a really glamorous life but what she finds in the flat seems to indicate that she had been very much on her own.  Ana meets Bee's neighbour and also Bee's two closest friends, Lol and Flint, and discovers that they had all believed Bee was regularly visiting Ana, whereas they hadn't seen each other for years.  

Ana, Lol and Flint investigate where Bee was going each weekend and find she had a country cottage in Broadstairs, Kent.  They visit the cottage and more and more unusual things are discovered.  Together they need to work out what Bee was doing and why she died. 

The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts

This is the sequel to The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop. 

Emma continues to run her chocolate shop and look for new ideas for both her range of chocolates and how to bring in extra income.  She trials a chocolate and prosecco party for some of the local ladies and this is very well received so she sets out to get a licence for the premises.  

Unfortunately her scheming landlord decides that he will only continue her lease on a month by month basis as he is really looking to sell and Emma can't afford to buy the property.  Her livelihood could be in danger if she can't find an alternative place to live and work.  A new sweet shop opening up at the harbour also impacts on her trade. 

Her relationship with Max is going well but as they are both busy running their own businesses they struggle to find much time for each other.  

There are a few recipes at the end of the book to try. 

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

The story is set in London in 1792-93.  The Kellaway family move from Dorset to London as the father, chair maker Thomas Kellaway, has been offered work by Philip Astley who own an amphitheatre and circus.  

London is very different from Dorset and the family struggle to fit in and settle into their new life.  The children Jem and Maisie meet up with local streetwise girl Maggie and become friends.  Jem, along with Maggie, regularly visits the neighbour Mr William Blake who is a printer and a radical.  He is seen wearing the bonnet rouge in support of the French revoluntionaries.  Mr Blake shares his writing and drawings with Jem and Maggie.  They find them interesting although they do not always fully understand what they mean. 

The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas

Little Maudley, a village in the Cotswolds near to Bletchley Park, is the perfect place for Lucy to spend a few months to unwind from her stressful job and to do some research into the work women were involved in during the second world war.  Lucy rents a small cottage which is next door to Bunty, the oldest person in the village, and as part of the rental agreement she needs to keep an eye on Bunty and help her out with odd jobs.  

The village is beautifully kept with the exception of the very old telephone box.  The telephone is about to be decommissioned and the village committee has to decide what to do with the box.  Bossy Helen would like the box to be removed and replaced with a bench and flowers.  Young teen Freya is upset that the nearby library is about to close and suggests that the telephone box is filled with books and converted into a small village library.  

Lucy quickly makes friends with a number of the locals and gets involved with the many activities they have planned. 

Girl on the Run by Jane Costello

Since starting her own business Abby Rogers has done no exercise and eaten very unhealthily.  When one of her employees makes a shocking annoucement which will affect her for life, Abby agrees to help to fundraise by running a half marathan.  She joins her best friend's running club and although her first session does not go very well and she wants to give up, she is persuaded to get a bit fitter and return to the club again to continue her training.  

Another reason for returning to the running club is to see Oliver the very attractive and single club captain.

The Child in Time by Ian McEwan

On a Sunday morning, whilst his wife Julie is still in bed, Stephen Lewis takes their 3 year old daughter to the local supermarket.  At the checkout he looks away for a moment as he puts items from his trolley onto the conveyor belt.  When he looks back his daughter Kate has gone.  

Stephen and Julie struggle with their loss and find their own different ways to cope.  They eventually end up living apart.  

Stephen, who is an author of childrens books, is asked to sit on a government committee who are looking at areas of childcare and at what age children should learn to read and write. Attending the meetings is often the only time he leaves the house. 

Stephen's relationship with Julie, his parents and the friend who published his first book are also covered.

By the same author I have also read:
On Chesil Beach
Saturday

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

After being made redundant from an admin job with a property development company Issy doesn't really know what to do with herself.  She then decides to take on the lease for a small shop hidden away in Pear Tree Court and create her own Cupcake Cafe.  The property has held a few unsuccessful businesses over the years and is slightly hidden away but seems to be in a lovely setting.  She loves baking and makes lots of cakes using her old Grampa Joe's recipes and she also creates new recipes of her own.  Issy has never run a business before and relies on help from her friends and her local bank manager who all have faith in her ability to succeed.  

Included in the book are many of Issy's cupcake recipes. 

This book comes before 'Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe' which I have already read. 

Happiness for Beginners by Carole Matthews

Living in a caravan on a small 25 acre farm is the perfect isolated life for Molly Baker.  She is surrounded by animals that she has generally acquired as no-one else wants them.  She runs the farm as an alternative educational placement for children who do not achieve well in a mainstream school.  Some of the children attend every day and others for just a few days each week.  Working with animals can be a really positive experience for the children.

Shelby Dacre, a very attractive local actor, turns up one day with his son Lucas who has been excluded from school.  He is looking for help with his son as he is struggling with his behaviour.  Molly takes on Lucas and very soon begins to see a change in him.  Although Lucas is responding well to Molly, he still has a very difficult relationship with his father which Molly hopes to be able to change. 

All For You by Sheila O'Flanagan

The weather had always fascinated Lainey Ryan and so she studied to become a meteorologist.  Although now successful in her field she is sure that she is still a disappointment to her estranged mother, Deanna Ryan, who is a high profile feminist. 

Deanna returns to Dublin to do some research and film interviews for a new documentary she is planning.  Deanna had lived in America for many years and Lainey was raised by her grandparents in Dublin.  Very little is publicly known about Deanna's private life and the relationship with Lainey has never been mentioned.

Family secrets start to be revealed. 

Maybe This Time by Jill Mansell

On her first visit to the village of Goosebrook in the Cotswolds, where her Dad now lives, Mimi meets many of the locals and makes lots of new friends.  Four years later she moves to the village, having had a broken relationship with her boss and walked out of her job in London.  

Since her first visit Mimi has always really liked Cal but any relationship other than friendship just isn't possible.  He is now a single parent and focuses on his daughter and making her feel secure and happy.  

Mimi helps her friends to sort out their relationships but doesn't seem to be doing very well with her own. 

A Summer at Sea by Katie Fforde

A phone call from a friend asking for help comes just at the right time for midwife Emily who needs a break from the medical bureaucracy in her local Cotswold village.  Her friend Rebecca asks her to be the cook on their puffer boat in Scotland until the end of the holiday season. 

Emily arranges to take a short sabatical from her normal job and heads to Scotland to cook on the boat as Rebecca, at 6 months pregnant, is struggling to continue with the work herself.

Emily falls in love with the area and the people.  She is attracted to Alasdair the local GP who is also Rebecca's brother in law.  But although he is also possibly attracted to her, he is a single parent with a small daughter who must always come first in his life.

She had been convinced that she wanted to stay single and not have children of her own but then, after Rebecca gives birth, she changes her mind. 

Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay

Following the accidental death of his father, Ray Kilbride returns to Promise Falls to make the funeral arrangements and to take care of his brother Thomas.  

Thomas has always been obsessed with maps and he spends all day sitting at his computer using a programme called Whirl360.  He looks up and down streets in all cities in the world learning all the details.  He is convinced that one day all the on-line maps in the world will vanish and the CIA will call on him for help with navigation. 

During one of his on-line sessions Thomas looks up at an apartment block and sees a face in a window.  It seems to be a head with a plastic bag pulled tightly over it.  Has he witnessed a murder?  Thomas convinces Ray that he has to go and find out what has happened. 

Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay

Having been asked by his mother to drop off a bag of food for his cousin Marla, David Harwood finds her holding a baby.  She says she was given the baby by an angel.  

David tries to find out who the baby belongs to and return him to his family.  When he gets to the family's home he discovers that the baby's mother has been murdered.  Marla is the prime suspect although she insists that she has never been to the house and does not know the murdered women. 

On behalf of the family David must find out as much as he can about what has happened to try to save Marla from being sent to jail for murder.

A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay

On a rainy evening, whilst waiting at a traffic light, a teenage girl taps on his car window asking for a lift home.  The girl recognises the driver as Cal Weaver, local private investigator and father of Scott Weaver who had been in the same school class as her.  As she knew his recently deceased son and she is worried that someone is following her, Cal opens the door and lets Claire into the car.  On the way she asks him to pull into the car park of a local diner as she feels unwell.  The girl who later gets back into his car is not Claire.  

The next day Claire is missing, the girl who had swapped with Claire is found murdered and as Cal seemed to have been the last person to see both of the girls he becomes a murder suspect. 

Cal needs to find Claire and ask her who she is running from so that he can work out what is happening and who the murderer really is.

I also have the following books by the same author on my bookshelf to read, they came together as a boxed set: 

Broken Promise

Trust Your Eyes