The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler -- Sienna returns home and finds a murder investigation has recently been reopened. She was dressed like the young lady who was killed, and often wondered if she were the intended target.
The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson -- I thought about not finishing this book when I had read a third of it. It was OK, but I was having trouble keeping up with all the people. Then I decided to keep reading for a while longer and finished the book that night. Bea and Selene are best friends from Boston who travel to neutral Portugal during World War II. There they get involved in spying for the Allied side. Pretty good.
Sweet Vidalia by Lisa Sandlin -- After Eliza's husband dies and she's left in a precarious financial situation, she is advised to rent out her house and live with one of her children. But Eliza doesn't want to live with her grown children and decides to take a course at the local business school and live at a place with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette. Yep, it's the Sweet Vidalia for her. There and at her school she meets some interesting characters and makes new friends. Pretty cute story.
Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor -- I saw somewhere that this was the first in the Franklin Warren series. As such, Detective Warren has recently moved to a small town in Vermont where he's put to work investigating the death of an ornery ol' cuss, Hugh Weber. Was this a suicide or murder?
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney -- Grady is an author who wants to celebrate his success with his wife, but as she drives home from the fish-and-chips shop, she stops for a person lying in the road. Then Abby disappears. About a year later, Grady's agent sent him off to a remote isle called Amberly where he meets some of the twenty-five residents and thinks he sees his missing wife.
The Names by Florence Knapp -- Cora is going to register her son's birth and hates the fact that her little boy will be yet another Gordon. She dreams of naming him Julian while her daughter Maia loves the name Bear. This book imagines what happens if Cora defies her husband and follows her heart or does as her daughter suggests. It also takes into account Cora following the demands of her controlling husband. Three scenarios viewed from years apart. An interesting and somewhat unique book!
The Book for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick -- Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy bond over a book by Betty Friedman so they refer to themselves as "the Bettys." The ladies meet for book club and other times, and share life experiences and struggles and successes.
The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen -- Last month I mentioned reading book 2 in the Martini Club series so I wanted to read the first book so I'd know more about these characters. This one focuses on Maggie living in Maine, raising her chickens, but a woman is killed and left on her property. This book explores Maggie's past as she worked for the Agency. Pretty good.
The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens -- Louisa's twin brother is thought to have burned the abbey, yet she's convinced she knew the moment he had died. Much to the chagrin of her proper aunt and uncle, not to mention the local law enforcement officers, she's determined to find out the truth.
The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish -- Jamie is a commuter on a river boat, and when his pal Kip doesn't show up, he assumes Kip is skipping work again after a party weekend. This book flashes back to when Clare and Jamie get to know Kip and his girlfriend Melia.
The Other Woman by Jane Green -- Ellie lost her mom when she was young, and is so excited about gaining a new family when she and Dan marry. Soon she realizes her doting mother in law is a bit much and her husband can hardly say no to his mom.
The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper -- Tildy is cleaning a closet in the library when she discovers a secret room with two stunning dollhouses. In her search to learn more about the creator of these dollhouses, she travels to New Hampshire. The alternate storyline shares the story of Cora as she works in Paris and later England during World War I.
The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak -- Billy is a fourteen year old in 1987, in danger of repeating ninth grade, but with a desire to create video games on his Commodore 64. These were early days for families having their own personal computers, and a rather cute book. I like that the main characters are 14 which is Zach's age as of a couple weeks ago, plus the year 1987 is meaningful to me. And oddly enough this is the 87th book I've read this year.
Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben -- Sami is a former police officer now investigating for an attorney. Years ago he fled Spain when a lady he met appeared dead and he had woken up with a knife in his hand. Years later he is teaching a criminology class when this lady, Anna, shows up in his class. She flees, and he follows.
Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff -- Did you know the Nazis opened a department store in Paris - the Lévitan - for prisoners to sort items they stole from Jewish families? There prisoners made piles of items to be shipped to Germany and many to be sold to German occupiers in France. This book has alternative stories of Louise and Helaine and their ties to this place.
The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French -- If you thought the bulk of these 400+ pages featured Kira Mullan, you'd be wrong. Instead Nancy North is moving to a new flat with her partner. There she meets the other tenants in this residence, and unfortunately her partner, Felix, tells everyone about her recent stay in the mental hospital. When Nancy runs into Kira on what would later be known as her last day, she is convinced that Kira did not die by suicide, but was murdered. But no one takes her seriously. Instead they say she's paranoid and going mad again - and needs to be sectioned (seems this is the English term for being committed to a mental hospital) against her will! Why will no one look into Kira's death?
Capture the Moment by Suzanne Woods Fisher -- The first book in a new series: National Park Summers, this story is about Coop who is a high school biology teacher who does seasonal work with the park service. Meanwhile Kate is after the one-in-a-million photograph of the grizzly bear called 399. A nice escape to the Grand Tetons and its stunning scenery, dangers, and a rumor of a poacher!
Daddy's Gone A Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark -- Kate is meeting a former employee Gus way too early in the morning when an explosion at the business kills Gus and knocks out Kate. Her sister Hannah wonders why Kate was meeting Gus. Did they start the fire in order to hurt Kate and Hannah's father?
