Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos

On July 4th, when a plane crashes in Lincoln County, Nevada, sheriff Porter Beck discovers that it went down on land owned by his childhood friend, Jesse. Porter has not seen Jesse in a while and, after visiting him, realizes that Jesse is probably involved in some illegal activities. It also seems that someone deliberately crashed the plane on his land. But why? Soon, Porter and his colleagues find themselves caught between a Mexican drug cartel, a teenage hacker, Chinese spies, and the federal government. Shades of Mercy is the second book in the Porter Beck series and features even more action than the first. A great choice for readers who like mysteries and thrillers.

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan

After being given a leave of absence from her job because of her drinking, Jane, an archivist, moves back to her hometown of Awadapquit, Maine. Jane is living in her mother's home that she and her sister, Holly, are getting ready to sell. With not a lot to do, Jane agrees to help Genevieve, a wealthy new resident, research the history of her house. Genevieve believes the house, built in the 1800's, is haunted. The Cliffs tells the story of Jane and the inhabitants of Genevieve's house over the years, and delves into the Native American history of the area. A great choice for book groups.

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

After Lula Dean has succeeded in removing all the books she has deemed inappropriate from all the school libraries and the public library in Troy, Georgia, she creates a little library in her front lawn, featuring the books she feels people should be reading. However, someone secretly removes the actual books and takes the book jackets from Lula's recommendations and puts them on books that have been banned. The novel tells the stories of the townspeople who read these books and the effects reading the books have on their lives. One also wonders what will happen when Lula finds out about the switch. A humorous, satirical read. Readalikes include The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, and Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society.