Blood Money by Thomas Perry

Teenager Rita Shelford needs a new identity. She contacts Jane Whitefield, who retired from helping people disappear in order to devote more time to her husband, Carey. Rita was a maid in Florida working in the home of mobster Bernie "the Elephant." Bernie was responsible for squiring away money for mob families all around the country for many years. The mobsters think Bernie has been killed, but he's still alive and is plagued by memory problems. He and Jane hatch a plan to give away all the billions to charity. When the mob suspects that their riches are being diverted, it makes them even more determined to find Rita. Will Jane be able to keep Bernie and Rita safe? Blood Money is the fifth book in the Jane Whitefield series.

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

A boy awakes to find his mother gone and a snowman outside wearing her scarf. Inspector Harry Hole and his colleagues are called to the home and slowly realize that the case and clues are similar to other cases of mothers who have disappeared. Harry is also troubled by the fact that he's received a letter from the perpetrator, whom the Oslo police nickname "the Snowman." Soon, one of the women is found brutally murdered and Harry realizes that they are on the trail of a serial killer. With Harry being the only Norwegian policeman to have received serial killer training in the U.S., he's the perfect person to catch him. The Snowman is the seventh book in the Harry Hole series, but only the fourth to be published in the U.S. It will be released next month.

One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Reverend Clare Fergusson has just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. The eighteen months away from the man she loves, police chief Russ Van Alstyne, have seemed like an eternity. In their hometown of Millers Kill, New York, Clare has joined a support group for Iraq war veterans. Each is dealing with different after-effects of the war, ranging from substance abuse to excessive violence, memory loss and an extramarital affair conducted in-country. When one of the group dies and Russ delivers a verdict of suicide, the surviving members believe it was murder and work together to prove this fact. This seventh book of the Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne mystery series concentrates on exploring the impact of war on the returning veterans, along with the continuing relationship of Clare and Russ.

Deadly Threads by Jane K. Cleland

Josie Prescott, owner of Prescott's Antiques and Auctions, has recently expanded her business into vintage clothing. When Riley Jordan, a guest lecturer for a series of presentations on vintage fashions that Prescott's is hosting, is found dead by Josie under a table, the local police are called. The prime suspect is Riley's husband, successful restauranteur Bobby Jordan. It's rumored that Bobby had been having an affair. Did Bobby kill Riley or was it someone else? Deadly Threads is the sixth book in the Josie Prescott series. While the novel has an enjoyable main character in Josie and an interesting setting in the world of antiquing surrounded by Josie's circle of friends and employees, it lacks a mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the end (similar to Cleland's second book, Deadly Appraisal).

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly

Defense attorney Mickey Haller is handling mostly foreclosure cases right now because of the downturn in the economy. When Lisa Trammel, one of his clients, is accused of murdering Mitchell Bondurant, Mickey agrees to defend her. Bondurant was a vice president at the bank that held Lisa's mortgage. In fact, Lisa had held numerous protests at the bank and there was a restraining order against her. The prosecution feels they have enough evidence to convict Lisa, but Mickey and his team delve into Lisa's, Bondurant's, and the bank's backgrounds in order to present a case to the jury. The Fifth Witness is the fourth book to feature Mickey Haller and is actually the best of the lot, focusing on Mickey's preparation for the trial and the trial itself. A page-turning legal thriller.

Live Wire by Harlan Coben

Sports agent Myron Bolitar is asked by his client, former tennis star Suzze T, to find her husband, rock star Lex Ryder. Lex has run off because a Facebook post has insinuated that their unborn child is not his. While trying to find Lex, Myron sees his sister-in-law, Kitty, who disappeared with his brother, Brad, over fifteen years ago. Myron and Brad have been estranged since then and Myron wishes that they could reconcile after all this time. But he discovers that the past is still relevant--in more ways than one.

Lucifer's Tears by James Thompson

Inspector Kari Vaara has taken a job with the homicide squad in Helsinki at his American wife Kate's urging. While Kari is happy to leave his hometown of Kittila after the traumatic events of his last case, he has unhappy memories of his previous time as a cop in Helsinki. His co-workers now like neither him, nor his partner, Milo Nieminen. Kari and Milo are investigating the death of Iisa Filippov, who has been brutally murdered in her lover's apartment. Both Kari and Milo believe that her husband had something to do with her death, but are told by the national chief of police to leave him alone. Kari is also asked to interview ninety-year-old Arvid Lahtinen about possible war crimes he committed during World War II. When given the case, Kari learns that his favorite grandfather worked alongside Arvid and probably was involved in the atrocities, too. To complicate matters further, Kari's brother-in-law and sister-in-law have come to Finland to stay with him and Kate while they await the birth of their first child. While reading Lucifer's Tears, I found it hard to put it down. Even better than the first book in the series, Snow Angels, with more insight into Finnish culture and history.