Tell Me Anything by Elizabeth Strout

This author has masterfully linked the stories that she has created over the years across books to produce full pictures of the characters that she writes about--now she has put Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton together, side by side, to see what they have to say to each other. So while Lucy and Olive do develop a relationship here, the center of the novel belongs to Bob Burgess, the 65-year-old lawyer, the neighbor that Lucy went on leisurely walks with during COVID and beyond. Lucy still lives with her ex-husband William, the father of her grown daughters, with whom she’s rekindled a romance. Bob lives within the shadow of his overbearing minister wife, Margaret, but a fresh legal challenge spurs him into action: the defense of a middle-aged hermit, Matt Beach, accused of murdering his elderly mother in nearby Shirley Falls. The beauty of this book is that it is so ordinary--meaning it is both relatable and believable, the people within could be your neighbors. It is not so much reality TV but more Mr. Roger's Neighborhood meets Lake Woebegone; everyone is a little above average and very decent.