The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen

Needing a summer escape, Ava rents Brodie's Watch in Maine.  She will use the time to finish writing her next food book.  She will have lots of time and space to try out new recipes.  

The previous tenant had moved out quickly before the end of her lease and seems to have disappeared.  At first Ava does not feel comfortable or welcomed into the house.  Then things change.  The ghost of Captain Brodie is seen in the house.  He speaks with her and says that no harm will come to her whilst she is in the house.  He knows what it is that she wants and needs.  He appears to her some nights and takes her hand and leads her up the stairs to the turret room where there is a widow's walk from which a teenage girl fell and died about 20 years ago.  Ava tries to find out what she can about the history of the house and also about Captain Brodie.  Both can be incorporated into her book.  

She contacts someone who deals with paranormal activity to say she thinks her house is haunted.  After some digging into the history of the house and the people who have died there, and a visit by a small team of people to do some investigation, Ava is told to leave the house immediately as her life could be in danger.  

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser

Within the same month Thea is made redundant from her job and then finds that her husband has been having an affair with one of her friends.  As she is packing her things to leave she receives a letter from the solicitors of her great-uncle advising that she has inherited his house and collection of old books in Scotland.  With no-where else to go Thea heads up to Scotland to deal with the house, an old lodge which was split away and sold off from the manor house in which Lord Hollinshaw lives.  Charles Maltravers, who is Lord Hollinshaw, would like to buy back the lodge.  Thea isn't sure if she wants to sell, or perhaps use it as a holiday let.  In the meantime she will stay there. 

Whilst in Scotland she will need to find a job and sees an advert for an assistant in a second hand bookshop.  The shop is owned and run by Edward Maltravers.  He is the older brother of Charles.  The brothers do not get along and have not spoken to each other for years.  

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain

At the age of 64, postman Albert Entwistle receives a letter from the post office advising him that in 3 months time, when he reaches his 65th birthday, he must retire.  

Albert has lived alone since his mum died and suddenly realises that he has no friends, no hobbies and doesn't know what he will do.  Albert has been keeping a secret which has shaped his life.  Now is the time that he must do something about it.  He asks for help from Nicole, a young single mum who lives on his post round.  She helps him to set up an email account and accounts on social media so the he can try to find the love of his life who he had let go.  Finally Albert comes out to his work colleagues as being gay.  

Albert and Nicole become good friends and support each other with their jobs and finding love.  

The Mystery of Mrs Christie by Marie Benedict

Following an argument with her husband Agatha Christie goes missing.  The police find her abandoned car near a cliff edge and it contains her overnight bag and a fur coat.  There is no sign of Agatha.  

The story goes back to when Agatha first met Archibald Christie, their love affair and marriage.  Then switches to 1926 and the time of her disappearance.  Archie is hiding from the police the fact that there had been an argument and he had received a letter from Agatha on the morning of her disappearance.  They were to spend the weekend apart, Archie playing golf with friends and Agatha visiting Yorkshire, but she never arrived at her planned destination.  

The police are sure Archie has something to do with his wife's disappearance.  Then 11 days later she is discovered at the Harrogate Spa Hotel and claims that she has no memory of who she is and offers no explanation for what has happened over the last few days.  

The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by James Patterson and Tad Safran

In the five years since their mother died Will and Ella have not received Christmas presents from their father.   They decide to sign him up on a dating app so that he can find love again in the hope that if he is happy they will get presents.  They immediately have a response from a Ms Truelove.  

The next day a parcel arrives which contains a small chick hidden within the greenery of a tree.  The following day another gift arrives.  They quickly realise that the gifts are following the song of The Twelve Days of Christmas.  They receive a visit from an Environmental Officer who issues them with a fine for holding the birds.  The house is soon overrun with animals.  

The story becomes rather silly with the number of animals and people in the house.  

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

Christmas is approaching and the bookshop where Carmen works is being used as a film set which is disputing her usual daily routine.  Her sister is looking for a nanny and so Carmen will need to move out and find somewhere else to live.  A businessman is buying up local shops and changing them to sell his rather low end touristy tatt which he says is very profitable, he is really interested in the bookshop and keeps making offers.  

The owner of the bookshop is nearly 80 and has the chance of a final trip of a lifetime and so he needs as much money as he can find to fund the trip.  Carmen tries all that she can to improve sales and make the bookshop profitable.  Once the electrics are sorted and they can see further back in the shop Carmen uncovers many rooms of previously unseen stock.  

Carmen finds she quite likes the new male nanny, but her heart is really with Oke who has moved away on a work trip and is not replying to her messages.  

Christmas at The Little Village Bakery by Tilly Tennant

Spencer returns home to the village of Honeybourne for Christmas and brings his American fiancée Tori.  His mum and dad are returning from Spain to join them and Tori's parents have also decided that they will come over from America to be with their daughter.   

When Spencer bumps into Jasmine, his first love, he unexpectedly questions his feelings for both Jasmine and for Tori.  Millie who runs the village bakery with boyfriend Dylan, is really busy over the Christmas period both looking after the shop and looking after her baby Oscar, but she is there for Spencer to talk to.  

The parents do not hit it off and sparks fly between them and then between Spencer and Tori who both feel that the other's parents are not making an effort to get along.

The Christmas Invitation by Trisha Ashley

Portrait artist Meg is asked to go to Lancashire to paint the portraits of Clara Mayhem-Doome and her husband Henry.  She hopes to get the paintings finished by the Solstice so that she can head back to London before Christmas.  She was not expecting to find Lex, an old friend of University there.  He is not happy to see her.  

Whilst Meg is painting, Clara is writing her memoirs so the story goes backwards and forwards in time.  

As Meg spent a lot of time in a pagan community she has never celebrated Christmas.  Clara is determined that Meg will stay with them for the celebrations.  This could give Meg an opportunity to speak with Lex and give him her version of the events of the night they spent together years ago.  

Blade of Light by Andrea Camilleri

This is book number 19 in the Inspector Montalbano series.  I've watched the programmes on the television but this is the first of the books I have come across.  

Inspector Montalbano and his team investigate an armed robbery which has been reported to them by the husband of the woman who was robbed.  When he speaks with the husband, the wife and the wife's friend they all give slightly different accounts of times, locations and happenings.  He is not convinced that this is a straight forward robbery and that the wife did not know the robber.  

At the same time a farmer reports that a locked door has appeared on one of his disused barns, then a body turns up which seems to have been a mafia killing.  Although this is not something Montalbano is supposed to be investigating he can't help but do so.