Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton

This is the last book in the Alphabet mystery series.  There is no Z as Sue Grafton died before she could write the final book in the series. 

After serving 8 years in prison, Fritz McCabe has been released.  His parents have received a copy of a video which was made in 1979 that shows their son and his friends sexually assaulting a 14 year old classmate.  This was received along with a blackmail demand for money.  Mrs McCabe contacts private investigator Kinsey Millhone. 

Kinsey has to find and interview all the people who were involved in a series of events which led up to Fritz being sent to prison.  These started in a private school where an examination paper was stolen and a couple of the students used this to their advantage.  There was a house party and one of the students was shot and killed.  Two of the boys involved went to prison, but the ring leader disappeared and has not been seen or heard from since.  

Ned Lowe, who has tried to murder Kinsey, has been seen again in the local area and so she needs to be very carefully and keep a watchful eye out wherever she goes. 

I have now read all 25 books in this series.  

The Interview by CM Ewan

At 5pm on a Friday Kate enters an office building to attend an interview for her dream job.  Maggie her recruitment agent joins her for a few minutes to wish her well, settle her nerves, and arrange to meet up afterwards to talk about how it has gone.   Kate signs in and is soon escorted up to the 13th floor to the offices of Edge Communications.  

She is expecting to be interviewed by a woman, but instead Joel White appears who has just arrived in London from New York.  The interview starts and Kate is asked if she will undertake a psychometric test.  Maggie had already warned her that the company liked to do things differently and she could be asked some unconventional questions or to undertake a strange exercise, so she agrees.  The questions become more odd and intrusive.  Kate thinks about getting up and walking out.  

She starts to feel uncomfortable.  The office around has emptied as everyone has gone to a local pub for a drink. There is just Kate and Joel left in the offices on the 13th floor.  Joel leaves the office for a minute and then does not come back.  Kate finds that she has been locked in, her handbag and mobile phone are gone.  If this is an interview exercise it has gone too far.  Kate wants to get out but can't. 

In Pursuit of Happiness by Freya Kennedy

Jo Campbell is happy with things in her life, but secretly she wishes to become a published author.  She has been busy writing a book but no-one has ever read it.  

Finally Jo allows her friend Libby to read the book.  Libby loves it and shares a copy with an author who is coming to do a book signing at her bookshop.  Ewan the writer makes contact with Jo and asks to meet her.  He then says he will mentor her and asks her to accompany him on his research trip.  

New friend Lorcan, who has come to stay with his granddad, did not like Ewan and was aware that he had previously stolen work from other writers. 

Last Days of the Bus Club by Chris Stewart

This is the fourth book in the Driving over Lemons Trilogy!  

Chris and Ana are still living at El Valero, raising sheep and growing lemons, oranges and pomegranates.  Daughter Chloe is just finishing school and heading off to university.  

Stories told by neighbours are passed on.  Rick Stein visits to film for one of his cooking shows.  After lots of flooding a bridge is washed away and needs to be rebuilt.  Chris is asked to undertake a few public speaking events where his grasp of the Spanish language causes a few misinterpretations.  

I have previously read the other three books:
Driving Over Lemons
A Parrot in the Pepper Tree
The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society

Case Sensitive by AK Turner

This is the third book in the Cassie Raven series. 

Cassie is living on a narrowboat to 'house-sit' for one of her friends.  One morning she hears something knocking on the side of the boat and finds a dead body in the canal.  The man is wearing designer clothing but has no identification.  He has lovely golden-green eyes.  

Police Officer Phyllida Flyte visits the mortuary and there is a small spark of some recognition about the unknown man.  It takes a her a while to place where she has seen him.  He had been a policeman with the Met and had left his job and moved to Canada 10 years ago.  If he should have been in Canada how had he ended up in the canal at Camden?  Cassie, who had been sure that she was losing her connection with the dead, hears him say something to her which sparks off some ideas which she and Phyllida can investigate.   

Did You See Melody? by Sophie Hannah

Needing some time on her own away from her family, Cara Burrows books a two week break in Arizona.  When she finally arrives at her hotel in the middle of the night the receptionist gives her a room key.  Cara makes her way up the lift and into the hotel room only to find that it is already occupied by a man and a teenage girl.  The receptionist apologises for the mistake and gives Cara an upgraded suite as an apology.  

A couple of days later Cara hears one of the guests, an elderly lady, asking for the police to be called as she has seen Melody Chapa.  Cara finds out some details from another guest and then starts to investigate the story on her ipad.  Melody Chapa is believed to be dead.  Her parents are serving life in prison for her murder.  Everything Cara saw and heard when she entered the wrong hotel room points to the girl in there being Melody Chapa.  Cara's life could be in danger as she has also seen the girl.  

The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts by Alison Sherlock

After losing her job as a window dresser in New York, and before going to join her parents in Australia, Amber Green stops off in England to visit her godmother in Cranbridge.  

She has not been to Cranbridge for many years and is shocked to find that that the village store which is run by her godmother Cathy and son Josh is in financial trouble.  Since being widowed Cathy has not wanted to change things in the store and has left it as it was when her husband was there.  Josh is desperate to make changes so that the shop can survive but does not want to upset his mum who has been ill recently.  

With Amber's help Josh is able to clear out some of the old stock and declutter the cramped shop.  Amber clears out the windows and puts in some seasonal displays to attract people into the store.  When the weather turns and the village starts to flood people use the shop as a place of sanctuary. 

Tea is so Intoxicating by Mary Essex

Commander David Tompkins considers himself to be a very good cook.  He therefore decides that he and his wife Germayne should convert a part of their old house and garden into a tea house.  Other people in the village are not keen on this idea at all.  When David and Germayne first arrived in the village there were rumours that they were not properly married.  This was in fact true as Germayne was getting divorced from her first husband Digby.  They did very quietly get married one day to rectify the situation.  

Everything that David does seems to go wrong.  He used to work for the Dolly Varden Cosy Tea Shops and so is convinced that he can make a success of the idea.  Unfortunately he worked in an office and not in one of the tea shops.  Whilst setting up the new venture Ducks, Germayne's daughter, comes to stay for a while.  Then first husband Digby arrives too.  Mimi, a cake cook, is employed and she needs to live in which further complicates the situation.  David is annoyed that so many people have arrived and Germayne is at the end of her tether with David's ideas.  

The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah

Lucy had thought her marriage to William was happy.  But 2 weeks after she gave birth to their daughter, William left her for Jane Brinkwood who had been acting as their doula (this is not a term I have ever come across before but it is a person who helps and supports during a pregnancy and birth).  

A couple of years on William and Jane get married.  Lucy has a new partner, Pete, and they all end up at the same luxury holiday resort in the Culver Valley.  Lucy and Pete are having a few days away on their own.  William and Jane are on honeymoon.  

Jane has been receiving odd threatening notes since their arrival and is convinced they are from Lucy.  She makes a big scene at the start of an evening meal and then walks off with William back to their cottage.  Jane is found stabbed to death, William is in the room with his back turned and claims he did not see anyone.  Forensics show that blood spatter on his shirt is consistent with him being turned away and he is not a suspect in the murder.  

A police detective and his wife are also present at the resort and at the evening meal and are struggling to find out who committed the murder. 

The Village Inn of Secret Dreams by Alison Sherlock

Belle helps her aunt Angie and uncle Mick to run The Black Swan Inn in Cranbridge.   She has lived with them for many years.  The Inn is not doing well and ideally they want to sell up and retire.  But if they do what will happen to Belle?  

On his return to Cranbridge Pete Kennedy makes a drunken offer to buy the pub.  This is immediately accepted and Mick and Angie start to plan for their retirement and book a cruise.  Pete has big ideas for opening a high class restaurant.  Belle is not convinced that this is the right thing for the village.  

Pete moves into The Black Swan once Mick and Angie have moved out and he and Belle need to find a way for them to be able to live and work together.