Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney

Pete Riley and his partner, Maddie, are stunned to discover that two-year-old Theo is not their biological child. Theo is actually the son of Miles and Lucy Lambert, who have been raising Pete and Maddie's son, David. The boys were switched sometime after their births, when both where transferred to a different hospital because they were premature. Miles explains that he would like both families to get to know one another and be in each other's lives. Soon, however, Pete and Maddie realize that Miles is controlling and is very keen to play a big role in Theo's life, since there are a lot of things David can't do because of developmental issues. Their lives become a nightmare as they face financial ruin and the fact that they might lose Theo to a monster who resorts to violence when he doesn't get what we wants. A novel of domestic suspense that's hard to put down.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

In 1913, Laura Lyons lives with her aspiring-novelist husband, Jack, and two children in the main branch of the New York Public Library, a perk of Jack's job as the superintendent. Laura has her heart set on attending the school of journalism at Columbia University, if they can just find the money for tuition.  Once she does, Laura begins writing about women's rights in the city. However, there have been a series of thefts of valuable books at the library and the family comes under suspicion. An alternating storyline tells the story of Laura's granddaughter, Sadie, who in 1993 has a position at the same library in the rare book room. Sadie has kept her family connection to the library secret, but when books again go missing, Sadie feels she needs to delve into the past to see if there's any connection between the crimes in order to save her reputation, the precious books, and her job.

Dead West by Matt Goldman

Private detective Nils Shapiro is hired by wealthy Beverly Mayer to check in on her grandson, Ebben, who lives in Los Angeles. Beverly is afraid that Ebben is squandering his inheritance. The sudden death of Ebben's fiancee Juliana, has made Beverly even more concerned. Minneapolis born and bred, Nils is not used to the California lifestyle, but he does take a liking to Ebben. When Nils realizes that Juliana was murdered and that the real target was Ebben, he decides that he needs to get to the bottom of the case. Dead West is the fourth book in the Nils Shapiro series and is very similar to the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben.

The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen

In 1973, when Joanna learns that her father, Hugo, has passed away, she returns to Langley Hall, the estate that had been in her family for many generations until her father had to sell it after World War II. Even after that,  Joanna grew up in the gatekeeper's lodge on the property. While going through Hugo's belongings, Joanna finds a letter her father wrote in 1945 to a woman named Sofia Bartoli in San Salvatore, Italy, which was returned to sender. Intrigued, Joanna decides to travel to Tuscany to see if Sofia is still alive and to learn about her connection to Joanna's father. Once there, Joanna is taken under the wing of a widow named Paola, who begins to teach her about all the wonderful food of the region. However, a cloud hangs over Joanna's visit,  because it seems that someone would like to keeps the secrets of the past buried. An alternating storyline in the novel tells the story of Hugo's and Sofia's relationship during the war when he crash landed in San Salvatore and Sofia nursed him back to health. Another enjoyable historical novel from author Bowen.

The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell

Adrian is in mourning for his wife, Maya, who recently died. Maya was his third wife, and he has great relationships with his two previous wives and his five children from those marriages. In fact, they all acted like one big happy family, even going on vacations together. However, Adrian finds out that someone was secretly sending horrible messages to Maya before she died, saying that the family hated her and wanted her gone. Did the messages come from someone in the family or a person close to them? In The Third Wife, the reader follows Adrian on his journey to discover the truth--and learns the reasons he finds himself  thrice-married and now alone. This Lisa Jewell book from a few years ago is more relationship-focused than her most recent books of psychological suspense.

The Survivors by Jane Harper

A pall has been cast over the town of Evelyn Bay, Tasmania since the day twelve years ago when teenager Gabby Birch disappeared and two residents died in a storm--including Kieran's older brother, Finn. Kieran has now returned to Evelyn Bay with his girlfriend, Mia, and baby daughter, Audrey. They are there to help his mother, Verity and father, Brian, pack up the family's home. Brian and Verity are moving to Hobart to place Brian in a nursing home because of his dementia. When recent resident Bronte is found dead on the beach, the authorities and residents wonder what happened. For Kieran and all those in the town, Bronte's death brings the memories and hurt of the past immediately back to the surface. Will the town of Evelyn Bay be able to heal and uncover what really happened twelve years ago and to Bronte? The Survivors is the latest novel by best-selling author Harper. I admit that I had really, really high hopes for this one since her book, The Lost Man was one of my favorite books of last year. This one seemed to be a leisurely-paced re-tread of that book. Let's hope she's back on track with the next novel. The Survivors will be published in February.