Date with Malice by Julia Chapman

This is the second book in the Dales Detective Agency series. 

Samson O'Brien didn't really believe Alice Shepherd, a resident of the Fellside Court Retirement Home, when she said that someone was trying to kill her.  She seemed to be a bit confused, but then a few days later she was found dead.  He then has to wonder if there really was something true in her suspicions and it wasn't just confusion of an elderly woman.   

Then others at Fellside have accidents or unexpected deaths and Samson asks his landlady Delilah to help him to investigate.  

Together they investigate and set up a stakeout.  They also try to find a missing ram for a local farmer. 

Take a Chance on Me by Beth Moran

There are five sisters in the Italian/Irish Donovan family.  Three of them are already married, after a long time in a relationship Bridget is about to be married, and then there is Emma, the eldest, who is happily single and runs her own cake making business.  

Cooper, who is Bridget's best friend, has just returned from Wales where he has left his job and ends up back in the same lab working with Bridget again.  He has always been in love with Bridget but kept that bit of information to himself.  

Whilst helping Bridget arrange her wedding Emma realises that perhaps this is what she also wants too.  When Professor Cole, Cooper and Bridget's boss, is challenged to find two people who are compatible and will get married on first sight, Emma decides to apply to take part in the project. 

The Guesthouse by Abbie Frost

A husband, wife and daughter, a father and son, and two single ladies are all the first visitors to stay in The Guesthouse in Ireland.  It is in quite a remote place and the final access on the road in is only on foot.  

Hannah, one of the single ladies, is struggling to get over the death of her boyfriend Ben, who should have been with her, but she decided to continue with the trip.  The story is narrated from her point of view.  

Mo has booked the visit along with his dad Sandeep.  During his time in the local police force Sandeep had worked in the area and had visited The Guesthouse when it had been a family home.  

Liam and Rosa along with daughter Chloe are staying as they are waiting for the completion on a house they are moving to in Scotland and have nowhere else to go.  

Lucy, an aspiring singer, had booked at the last minute as she found details of the house and the initial very temping offer.  

There are locked rooms in the house which haven't yet been renovated and also hidden passageways.  The wifi, electricity and heating are not reliable.  Then guests start disappearing and/or being found dead and the guests that are left can't leave due to the bad weather conditions and lack of transport. 

Abigail's Shop by Rachael Herron

Following the death of Eliza, who was famous in the world of knitting and fibres, Abigail inherits a cottage with all its contents in the middle of the land of Eliza's sheep farming ranch.  The rest of the ranch goes to her nephew Cade who has been running and managing the ranch for the last 10 years.  Cade is very unhappy about this unexpected splitting off of the land.  

For Abigail this is the fresh start she needs in a new place away from her ex-boyfriend who has been stalking her.  She is famous in her own right as an author and creator of knitting patterns.  The cottage is absolutely full of boxes and bags and the water has been turned off.  Without work the cottage is not immediately habitable.  Cade is convinced that the cottage is just full of Eliza's rubbish, but when Abigail starts to look through the boxes they are full of fibres, spinning wheels and other things she will need to set up her own shop.  

Although he doesn't want her there, Cade allows Abigail to stay in the main house whilst she works on the cottage.  Eliza was plotting more than just a shop for Abigail, she seems to have deliberately put Cade and Abigail together.  

Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano

Auntie Poldi has decided to move to Sicily to have a sea view whilst she drinks all day and waits to die.  She has family in Sicily who keep an eye on her and discourage her drinking.  

A young man, Valentino, has been helping to do jobs for Poldi in her new home and then one day he fails to turn up.  Poldi makes enquiries about where he is and no-one has seen him.  After four days Poldi discovers his body on the beach, he has obviously been murdered.  She calls both the Carabinieri and the state police.  Both turn up and both suspect Poldi of being involved.  

Commissario Montana is put in charge of the murder case.  On the beach Poldi had promised the dead Valentino that she would find out who had murdered him and even though she is told by Montana to keep away from the case, she ignores him and makes her own enquiries.  She uncovers some dodgy dealings with items being stolen from old houses and sold on.  She makes a few new friends in the local community but most of their names end up on her list of possible murderers.  

Poldi ropes in her family to help her and to take it in turns to stake out the area looking for the unknown dark haired man who turned up at the funeral.  

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

This is the third book in the Thursday Murder Club series. 

The Thursday Murder Club look into a 10 year old mystery.  Bethany Waite disappeared and it is assumed that she is dead but her body has never been found.  The group meet up with Mike Waghorn, a TV presenter who used to work with Bethany. They go through all the details of her last known movements and find that there was someone in the car with Bethany on her final journey.  

Ibrahim visits Connie Johnson in prison and asks for her help.  A second murder is then committed. Whilst looking into Bethany's disappearance Elizabeth receives an order to kill and if she fails to do this then Joyce will be killed.  She has to work out how to save her friend.  

Meanwhile romance flourishes between Bogdan and Donna and Ron meets Pauline, a make-up artist who works with Mike Waghorn, and finds himself completely outside his comfort zone with the younger woman. 

Happy Dreams at Mermaid Cover by Marie Laval

Needing to get away and have a fresh start after getting out of a controlling relationship, Jenna Palmer applies to become the mobile librarian for Arrandale on the Isle of Skye.  She calls the little yellow van Buttercup and has lots of ideas for getting the children and community reading.  

Her boss is Daniel McGregor, a local farmer and the Laird, who bought the van when the local council closed the facilities.  

Daniel is often grumpy, and is the guardian of his niece Katrina.  Katrina loves books but Daniel doesn't have time to read for himself.  He only reads bedtime stories to Katrina.  There are lots of local legends about mermaids and lost treasure.  Some of the stories have been made up by Daniel to explain to Katrina why she does not see her mum who left her with Daniel to go to Florida diving.  

Date with Death by Julia Chapman

This is the first book in the Dales Detective Series. 

Struggling to keep her businesses afloat Delilah Metcalfe decides to rent out the lower floor of her building.  She is running her Dales Dating Agency (DDA) from the first floor.  Samson O'Brien who left Bruncliffe 14 years ago and hasn't been seen in years turns up with an estate agent to view the office and agrees to a 6-month let.  Delilah is not happy to see him but needs the money so agrees.  Samson, who has spent many years in the police force in London, plans to set up in business as the Dales Detective Agency - also DDA and another reason for Delilah to be annoyed.  

His first job is to investigate the suicide of Richard Hargreaves whose mother is convinced he would not have killed himself but the police are not listening.  When there is another accidental death in the area Delilah becomes concerned as the men were both members of her agency.  Delilah and Samson join forces to investigate and hopefully set a trap for whoever is the possible killer.  

The Plumberry School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley

Just as Verity finds herself out of a job, Gloria the mother of her best friend asks for her help as she is setting up her own cookery school.  Verity hasn't cooked since best friend Mimi died two years ago.  This may be the opportunity she needs to get away and start cooking again.  She is happy to move to York for a few weeks as one of the reasons she has lost her job is that boyfriend Liam has stolen her marketing ideas and pitched them as his own. 

Chef Tom McDonald has agreed to help out at the cookery school for a few weeks, although some of his ideas aren't quite what Gloria and Verity have in mind for food being fun. When Gloria has an accident Verity, Tom and Mags have to take over and get the cookery school open.  

This story also includes the characters Gabe and Noah who appear in the book 'The Lemon Tree Cafe'.  (I have read the books the wrong way round). 

There are a number of recipes includes at the end.