Thanks so much everyone for your input. Unfortunately I have read many of the authors you have suggested, PD James, Barbara Pym, Rosamund Pilcher, Kate Morton, MC Beaton, Dick Francis, Ken Follett and James Herriot (my all time favorite) but have not tried Caroline Kingston, Elizabeth Chadwick, Val McDermid, Katie Ford, Jacqueline Winspear, or the book Larkrise to Candleford. So I have much to look forward to thanks to all of you.
Here's a couple of suggestions I haven't heard mentioned yet for those of you who have any interest. Have any of you read Lilian Beckwith? She has a number of books which are set in the Hebrides and are short reads but quite charming. One other author who comes to mind and is quite popular so many of you may have already heard of her is Maeve Binchy. I have found her earlier works more enjoyable than her more recent efforts, such as Circle of Friends (my favorite) and The Glass Lake and The Copper Beech. Enjoy!