A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball

Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget have been friends for many years. After Bridget's husband passes away, they decide to leave their lives in Baltimore, and buy together an old fixer-upper in rural Virginia. They arrive in the spring, full of optimism about being able to do each of their passions--Bridget-cooking, Lindsay-art, and Cici-being handy around the house. Despite the tranquil life, the women's resolve is tested as the home needs more and more repairs--and their bank accounts dwindle. Their agreement was to live there for a year, then re-assess the situation. As the year draws to a close, will they go back to their previous lives or stay put?

Eddie’s Boy by Thomas Perry

Michael Shaeffer is living a quiet life in England with his wife when some men break into his home to kill him. Knowing that his past has intruded on his life once again, Michael takes care of the situation and flees to Australia to regroup and think about who is trying to eliminate him this time. Growing up, Michael was taken in by Eddie Mastrewski after his parents died and he learned to become a skilled contract killer. After Eddie’s death and his own marriage, Michael retired, although periodically, over the years, Michael still has to take care of old business. Eddie’s Boy takes the reader on Michael’s journey to eliminate the threat so he can go back to his peaceful life. Interspersed throughout the book are Michael’s recollections of growing up with Eddie and his training to become a hit man.

The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson

At 64, DI Hulda Hermannsdottir will be retiring at the end of the year from the Reykjavik police department. When her boss, Magnus, tells her that she actually has to retire right now, she is stunned, because her job means everything to her and she doesn't know what she will do with all the time she will have. Hulda is is able to get Magnus to agree that she can work two more weeks on a cold case of her choosing. Hulda knows just the case she will work on--the death of Elena, an asylum seeker from Russia who died less than two years ago. As she begins to investigate, Hulda realizes how much a colleague botched the original investigation, and there is little doubt that Elena was murdered. Will Hulda be able to wrap up the case in the time she's been given? The Darkness is the first book in the Hulda series. The series is actually a trilogy that will go backwards in time, with the next book taking place twenty-five years before this one. I really enjoyed The Darkness and look forward to reading the other books.

Save Me From Dangerous Men by S.A. Lelchuk

Nikki Griffin is a private detective. She also owns a bookstore and practices her own brand of vigilantism against men who abuse women. She is hired by Silicon Valley CEO Gregg Gunn to follow an employee Gunn believes is stealing information from the company. As Nikki observes the employee, Karen Li, she notices that Karen acts more like someone who is scared rather than an errant employee. Soon, Nikki is involved in something that puts her in great danger--and she knows that she has limited time to figure out the puzzle of what Gunn is really involved in before people lose their lives. Save Me From Dangerous Men is the debut of a new series and doesn't disappoint--an intriguing main character, engaging story and a solid sense of place. I can't wait for the second book when it's published in the spring.

I Found You by Lisa Jewell

When Alice sees a man sitting on the beach all day outside her home, she begins to worry. After talking to him, she realizes he's lost his memory and has no idea who he is. While in London, newlywed Lily fears her husband, Carl is missing after he doesn't come home from work. In an alternate storyline set in 1993, the Ross family arrives at the cottage they rent every summer in Ridinghouse Bay in East Yorkshire. Teenager Kirsty meets a man named Mark whom her older brother, Gray, takes an immediate dislike to. It soon becomes clear that all is not right with Mark and his feelings for Kirsty. I Found You explores the lives of Alice, Lily, and the Ross family, with the reader wondering how the storylines will intersect.