The Winter Garden by Heidi Swain

Following the death of Eloise who owned the Broad-Meadows Estate in Suffolk, Freya, who had been taken in as a gardener and a friend feels she will have to leave.  She can't work for the horrid nephew who has inherited the estate.  He constantly berates Freya for a lack of qualifications, yet wants her to stay and keep the estate looking nice for prospective buyers.  He takes her cottage off her, which is a part of her salary package, as he wants to rent it out to make more money.  

Freya hears a radio interview about Prosperous Place in Norfolk and decides to visit.  She meets Luke, the owner, and they talk about creating a winter garden.  Luke then offers Freya the job as head gardener so that she can create the winter garden they have discussed.  She is offered a house in Nightingale Square which will become her new home.  All the residents of Nightingale Square are friendly and welcoming.  With the exception of Finn.  He is an artist who works and lives in one of the converted barns on the estate.  Their first meeting does not go well and they really struggle to be polite to each other on the odd occasions they have to work together.  

Because of You by Dawn French

On 1 January 2000 two women give birth in the same London hospital.  One has a still born daughter, the other has a healthy daughter.  

Hope leaves the hospital with a baby hidden in her overnight bag.  She then moves back to Bristol with baby Minnie to be near her family.  

Anna leaves the hospital without her baby and with a husband who will use the disappearance of their daughter as a tool to further his political career.  

When Minnie is 17, she needs to register with a doctor and requests her birth certificate.  Hope finally has to tell Minnie the truth about her birth.  

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

Following the breakdown of her marriage, Hanna returns to Ireland and moves in with her mother.  She takes on the job of librarian in Finfarran.  

After a number of years Hanna really needs to get out and live somewhere on her own.  She has an old rundown cottage which was left to her by an elderly aunt years ago.  She decides to renovate it and make it habitable.  Just as she commits to a loan to be able to undertake the work, her job is at risk as the library may close as part of a regeneration project.  She has to find a way to help the community and convince the local council that the community of Finfarran need support to, not just those in the nearest town.  

Summer Kisses at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett

Images suddenly appear on-line of a real mermaid being seen at Mermaids Point.  This brings lots of visitors to the area.  Laurie Morgan runs a cafe, her parents have a shop and her brother has a boat offering sea tours. They could all benefit from extra trade with more visitors coming to mermaid hunt.  

Jake Smith, a reporter, hires a cottage for the summer.  He tells people he is there to write a book about myths and their origins.  He really wants to know the truth behind the mermaid stories. Jake is attracted to Laurie from their first meeting.  He then uncovers something which may indicate that her family are involved in shady deals.  

Murder at Madingley Grange by Caroline Graham

Brother and sister, Simon and Laurie, are left in charge of their aunt's large gothic mansion house for a few weeks.  Simon is convinced they can capitalise on this opportunity by setting up a 1930s murder mystery weekend for paying guests.  

He advertises for help and employs the only two people who apply.  They have their own agenda as to why they want to be in the house.  

Simon plans the weekend, but it is Laurie who has to do most of the work.  Each of the guests is given a character to play and one of them is to be the victim.  No-one want to play the victim.  They all want to investigate.  Finally a body does turn up.  

The Stranger in Our House by Sarah A Denzil

Aaron, Meera and their children Noah and Uma move from their small London apartment to a cottage in the lovely village of Little Crake.  

Noah goes missing for 3 days.  He was last seen walking towards the forest.  Aaron finds him in the hollow of a tree, he is only partly clothed, has cuts on his upper body and is covered in mud.  Noah has no memory of what has happened to him and why he is there.  He then becomes withdrawn from his family.  He walks around the house at night and draws a lot of evil, dark sketches.  He becomes very cruel and starts making trouble at school.  

Meera is convinced that the boy who came back to them from the forest is not their son. 

How it all Began by Penelope Lively

Rose works as an assistant to Lord Peters.  She should be accompanying him to Manchester where he is to make a speech.  As her mother has been mugged and broken her hip, Rose needs to stay at home to care for her.  Lord Peters asks his niece Marion to accompany him instead.  The whole trip is a disaster.   

Lord Peters decides that he needs to do something different to get his name mentioned in a more positive light.  This set off a whole series of unlikely events.  

Marion, who has been seeing a married man, sends him a text message about their next meeting.  She doesn't know that he has been unexpectedly called back home.  His wife sees the message and is then adamant that she wants a divorce.  Marion is not sure that she actually wants to continue with their relationship.  

Rose meets one of her mother's mature students and starts a friendship with him.  Everyone's lives are changed after the one event of the mugging.  

Date With Evil by Julia Chapman

This is the 8th book in the Dales Detective Series 

Delilah, with the help of Ida, is trying to keep the Dales Detective Agency running whilst Samson is in London helping to clear his name with the Met police.  The agency is getting busier and busier and they are struggling to cope.  

One person has been constantly trying to speak to Delilah, she then turns up at the agency.  She is the mother of the local estate agent who went off travelling.  She is not convinced.  She has received a postcard and does not believe it is from him.  She wants Delilah to investigate and find out where he is.  

Ida is investigating some missing washing which has been stolen off a washing line.  Suddenly a number of cases all fall into place when links between them emerge.