The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

In 1946 after the war has ended, lots of brides in Australia want to be reunited with the English men they have married.  When their names come up on a list they are given places on ships to sail to Britain.  Expecting liners with a degree of luxury one group of wives are disappointed to find themselves on an aircraft carrier which is setting off home on its final voyage.  

Women who would not usually have mixed with each other are placed together to share a room on the long voyage.  Pregnant Margaret has sneaked her elderly dog on board as she doesn't want to leave her behind and the women in her room help her to keep the secret even when they have a marine stationed outside the door at night.  

Avice is horrified by the ship and the conditions but is determined to win the beauty competition which is taking place.  Frances, a nurse, keeps quietly to herself for most of the voyage but helps out Jean, who is the youngest wife on board, when she gets into difficulties.  

Recipe for Love by Katie Fforde

Aspiring cook Zoe Harper has won a place in a televised cookery competition. If she wins she will use the money to open up her own delicatessen.  During the first stage of the competition she has a share a room with Cher who is determined to win at all costs.

For one of the tasks they have to cater for a wedding and produce lots of different canapes.  When the wedding cake fails to appear, possibly at the cost of her place in the competition, Zoe agrees to help out and produce lots of cup cakes to display together on a stand.  None of the other competitors will assist her. 

Zoe is attracted to Gideon, one of the judges, who she met accidently before the competition started as she helped him when his car was stuck on a country lane.  They shouldn't spend any time together but don't seem to be able to keep apart.  

Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller

As she lies in bed at the end of her life Frances Jellico is visited by a vicar.  He wants to know what really happened in the summer of 1969 when Frances was working at Lyntons, an old manor house.   

The story goes back to 1969 when Frances' mother had just died and she was offered a job looking at the old bridges on the land of Lyntons for the new owner.  As well as Frances, there was another couple staying in the old run down house, Peter and Cara. Peter was there to carry out assessments on the house and contents.  Over the summer the three of them spent a lot of time together, they swam in the lake, had picnics on the land and drank a lot of wine which was found in the cellar and was not on the house inventory.  

Frances had met the vicar at the local church when working at Lyntons and he is now a regular visitor to her bedside, even through she is sure he is not a vicar anymore. 

A Secret Life by Christobel Kent

Following a night out with a couple of old friends in London Georgie realises that there are gaps in her memory about what happened.  She feels really unwell as she drives back home to her husband and daughter the next day.

Slowly small bits and pieces of memory start to appear and Georgie recalls there being a man in one of the pubs they visited.  Then she receives a text message from him.  She tries to contact one of the friends she was with to ask her if she remembers what happened but when they arrange to meet up for a coffee and a chat the friend does not arrive.  

Love Untold by Ruth Jones

As she approaches her 90th birthday the one thing that Grace really wants is to find her daughter Alys.  She has not seen her for 30 years, and Grace's great granddaughter Beca doesn't even know that Alys is alive, she has been told that she died.  

Grand daughter Elin is planning a surprise party for Grace, although Grace has been very clear that she doesn't want any fuss.  

All of the women in the family face their own heartache and problems and a few old secrets are also revealed. 

Escape to Darling Cove by Holly Hepburn

Ennisfarne is a small island off the coast of Northumberland.  It is only accessible at certain times of the day depending on the tides.  Eve Darling has lived there all her life.  She doesn't want to be anywhere else.  She runs a bar with her brother Aiden and they have a holiday let cottage.  

Logan, a famous photographer, needs to spend some time alone following a break up from his girlfriend, and he is not sure that he want to continue with fashion photography.  He rents Eve's cottage for 3 months, under an assumed name, and plans to hide out and rest for a while.  

Eve and Logan first bump into each other on the beach when her young Labrador dog Huxley runs up to Logan, knock him over and he smashes his camera lens.  They really don't get off to a good start.  But then when Logan needs protection from the islanders, they all pull together and treat him as one of their own.  Logan falls in love with the beauty of the island and starts to enjoy landscape photography.  

A Deathly Silence by Jane Isaac

Two young boys, Connor and Rhys, playing in a derelict factory in Hamptonshire stumble across the dead and mutilated body of a woman.  They run home and pretend they have not seen anything. 

By the next morning the police are investigating the murder.  The dead woman is Sinead O'Donnell, one of their own police officers.  DCI Helen Lavery returns from injury leave to head up the murder investigation.  Sinead's husband Blane is also a police officer on the force.  He wants to be able to help out with the investigation to find out who did this to his wife but he is not allowed to be involved.  

After Connor and Rhys are identified as the two young boys seen running away from the factory, they are interviewed by the police.  Then Connor realises that he is being followed. 

The DCI in charge has to establish if this is a part of an organised crime or a random, unlucky attack.   During the investigation Sinead is not the only body to be found.  

A Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett

This is the second book in the 'Her Majesty the Queen Investigates' series.  

The body of a member of staff is found dead in Buckingham Palace near to the swimming pool.  Was the death an accident as the police assume or has this rather unpopular member of staff been murdered?  

Whilst on a royal visit Her Majesty notices one of her own paintings of Britannia, which used to hang outside her bedroom, on the wall in a maritime exhibition in Portsmouth.  She wants to know how it got there and she wants it back.  She asks her assistant Rozie to make some enquiries.  Whilst trying to find out more about the painting Rozie receives some threatening letters.  

Her Majesty puts Rozie in touch with an old member of staff who may be able to provide some assistance.