He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker

K.A. Tucker's new book He Will Be My Ruin follows Maggie Sparkes and Celine, who have been best friends since Celine's mother Rosa began working as the Sparkes family nanny over twenty years ago. Though they came from completely different lives, it didn't matter when it came to their friendship. Maggie grew up wealthy and privileged and Celine was the daughter of a hardworking Latina who lived paycheck to paycheck. Yet no matter where life took them, they remained friends.

Now when Celine has been found dead, of an apparent prescription drug/alcohol suicide, in her New York apartment, it's Maggie who is responsible for tying up the loose ends of Celine's life. Finding it hard to believe that Celine would ever be capable of suicide, Maggie starts searching her apartment for clues. When she stumbles on a few diaries and a locked box with the photo of a mysterious man in it, Maggie begins to question the idea of Celine having a double life.

Did Celine really commit suicide or is there a killer out there who will do anything to silence the people that get in the way?

Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves

Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves is the sixth in the series of British crime novels with Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope. Her protégé, Detective Joe Ashford discovers that a woman has been stabbed on a crowded Metro train just days before Christmas. The victim, Margaret Krukowski is an elderly woman that Vera learns has many secrets. A few days later a prostitute that Margaret was trying to help is also found murdered. The clues lead to the residents of Harbour Street who are trying to keep their own secrets safe. Through this is the sixth in a series, it stands alone with its vivid characters and suspenseful conclusion. The Netflix series, Vera, is based on the compelling and flawed characters from these books. What a moody and atmospheric story that keeps its readers guessing until the end.

The Case of the Dotty Dowager by Cathy Ace

The Case of the Dotty Dowager by Cathy Ace is an amusing British cozy mystery. This is the first in a planned series featuring the WISE Women Detective Agency.  These female detectives are WISE because they are from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England respectively. Henry Twyst, the eighteenth duke of Chellingworth, discreetly employs the detective agency to discover whether his mother, the Dowager Duchess, actually saw a corpse in her dining room. Has the Duchess gone senile? One of the WISE detectives is a family friend, the Honorable Christine Wilson-Smythe, who just so happens to be the only daughter of a Viscount and Viscountess. Christine and her friends discover what really happened that night in the Duchess’ dining room. This book is a clever beginning to a fun and entertaining genre series.