The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories, Penelope Lively, Viking – Penelope Lively has an enviable international reputation for bringing the human condition into focus in a way that’s particularly British.

Forever is the Worst Long Time, Camille Pagán, Lake Union Publishing – In 1998 James Hernandez flies from Michigan to New York City to meet his best buddy Rob’s fiancee – and falls head over heels in love with her.

Punitive Damages. Jim Lively, Merrimack Media – PJ is a rescued Wiemaraner dog with a mind of her own. Intelligent, by turns devious, philosophical and occasionally cunning,

Loren Eiseley: Collected Essays on Evolution, Nature, and the Cosmos, Edited by William Cronon – Loren Eiseley (1907-1977) has been described as “a paleontologist with the spirit of a poet.” His works have drawn comparisons to the great naturalist-writer Henry David Thoreau and have inspired other great scientist-authors such as Carl Sagan, Stephen Jay Gould and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

The Trapped Girl, Robert Dugoni, Thomas & Mercer – Seattle Detective Tracy Crosswhite investigates when a young woman’s body is fished up in a crab pot out of Puget Sound. It seems the victim went to great lengths to conceal her identity, but who was she and from whom was she trying to hide?

Sweet Lake, Christine Nolfi, Lake Union – Linnie Wayfair comes from a family with a long, illustrious history. The Wayfairs virtually built the town of Sweet Lake, Ohio. Their inn played a major part in the town’s economy.

The Mutual Admiration Society, Lesley Kagen, Lake Union – Eleven year old Tessie Finley has quite enough to cope with for her age. Her attractive, widowed mother lives in a permanent state of impatience with Tessie and her kid sister “Birdie.”

Moral Defense, Marcia Clark, Thomas and Mercer – Samantha Brinkman is a maverick lawyer with a strong sense of justice. She’s used to playing fast and loose inside and outside the law, but occasionally her decisions come back to bite her.

Her Every Fear, Peter Swanson, William Morrow — Kate Priddy agrees to a six month apartment exchange with a cousin she’s never met, swapping her cozy flat in London for Corbin Dell’s enormous place in Boston.

The 7th Canon, Robert Dugoni, Thomas & Mercer — December, 1987. Lawyer Peter Donley is new to the job, but not inexperienced.