The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen, 347 pages

 Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.

Lies, Damned Lies, And History by Jodi Taylor, 347 pages

 'I've done some stupid things in my time. I've been reckless. I've broken a few rules. But never before have I ruined so many lives or left such a trail of destruction behind me.'

As Max would be the first to admit, she's never been one for rules. They tend to happen to other people. But this time she's gone too far and everyone is paying the price.

Grounded until the end of time, how can she ever put things right?

A Song of Comfortable Chairs by Alexander McCall Smith, 347 pages

 In this latest installment in the beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, Grace Makutsi encounters a pair of quandaries that will require all of her and Mma Ramotswe’s cleverness and generosity to resolve

Grace Makutsi’s husband, Phuti, is in a bind. An international firm is attempting to undercut his prices in the office furniture market. Phuti has always been concerned with quality and comfort, but this new firm seems interested only in profits. To make matters worse, they have a slick new advertising campaign that seems hard to beat. Nonetheless with Mma Ramotswe’s help, Phtui comes up with a campaign that may just do the trick.
Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is approached by an old friend who has a troubled son. Grace and Phuti agree to lend a hand, but the boy proves difficult to reach, and the situation is more than they can handle on their own. It will require not only all of their patience and dedication, but also the help of Mma Ramotswe and the formidable Mma Potokwani in order to help the child.
Faced with more than her fair share of domestic problems, Mma Makutsi deals with it all with her usual grace. That, along with the kindness, generosity, and good sense that the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is known for, assure us that in the end, all these matters will be set right.

The Arabian Nights: The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor and Other Stories, 347 pages

 Having invited his brother, Schahzeman, to pay a royal visit, Schahriar finds his fraternal guest sadly out of humour. The cause of Schahzeman's ailment is his wife's infidelity, which he has remedied by smiting her and her lover. His mood improves when he discovers that Schahriar is being similarly duped, that faithless spouses are commonplace; but explaining his miraculous recovery leads his brother to take drastic action regarding the occupants of the royal bed.

To ensure his consorts' chastity, Schahriar has each new bride executed on the morning after the nuptials. Eventually, the stock of eligible females is depleted, leaving Wazir - the supplir of fresh maidenhood - in despair. Wazir's daughter, Scheherazade, volunteers herself for the task, armed with nothing but the countless tales she has collected over many years. The stories, always left tantalizingly unfinished at dawn, ensure her safety and that of all the virgins of the kingdom.
The Arabian Nights tales, including the adventures of Sindbad and Aladdin, are full of wonder and exotic charm, transporting readers to distant lands that have become part of our imaginative landscape.

Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth, 347 pages

Lovers of historical mystery will relish this chilling Victorian tale based on real events and cloaked in authenticity. Best of all, it casts British literature's most fascinating and controversial figure as the lead sleuth. (UK title: Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders). Published in the USA simultaneously in hardcover and paperback.

Lovers of historical mystery will relish this chilling Victorian tale based on real events and cloaked in authenticity. Best of all, it casts British literature's most fascinating and controversial figure as the lead sleuth.

A young artist's model has been murdered, and legendary wit Oscar Wilde enlists his friends Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Sherard to help him investigate. But when they arrive at the scene of the crime they find no sign of the gruesome killing -- save one small spatter of blood, high on the wall. Set in London, Paris, Oxford, and Edinburgh at the height of Queen Victoria's reign, here is a gripping eyewitness account of Wilde's secret involvement in the curious case of Billy Wood, a young man whose brutal murder served as the inspiration for The Picture of Dorian Gray. Told by Wilde's contemporary -- poet Robert Sherard -- this novel provides a fascinating and evocative portrait of the great playwright and his own "consulting detective," Sherlock Holmes creator, Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King, 347 pages

I love this Sherlock Holmes homage series. Holmes has basically retired and comes across a young woman with a mind as sharp as his. I'd reread the first chapter somewhere and had to pick this book back up. A must read for Sherlock fans.

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg, 347 pages

This has been reviewed by others so I won't say a lot but it was fabulous. I read it in one sitting because I didn't want to put it down. Fanni Flagg creates some of the most compelling and interesting characters, and this is one of her best books.

The Annals of Unsolved Crime by Edward Epstein, 347 pages

From the title and cover of this book, I thought it would be an interesting read, filled with unsolved crimes and who-dun-its. I didn't realize that it would be politically based unsolved crimes, and would be presented in a totally dry manner. By the end, my eyes were pretty glazed over.