Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

Margo and her husband, Ian, have been looking for the perfect home in the Washington D.C. area for over a year and a half and have been outbid eleven times. Margo then sees Jack's and Curt's home, which is soon to come on the market, and deems it perfect for herself and Ian and the baby they soon hope to have. Can Margo convince Jack and Curt to sell the house to them before it's listed? If they say no, is there anything Margo won't do to make the home her own? A suspenseful tale of obsession similar to The Last Mrs. Parrish, Stone Cold Fox, and The Perfect Girlfriend.

The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman

It's a Tuesday at Aunt Orsa's, the one fine dining restaurant in a small midwestern college town. Usually Tuesday evening is one of the slower nights, but best selling author John Grisham is dining at the restaurant after doing an event in the town. When Danny, the Operations Assistant, arrives at Orsa's in the morning he discovers that someone has stolen twenty-two rib eye steaks. He informs Orsa when she arrives of the theft and she wonders which of the employees could have taken them. The Reservation recounts the day and evening at the restaurant through the eyes of all the employees. Readalikes include Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman and Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan. It will be published in February.

59 Minutes by Holly Seddon

It's pandemonium in London and its environs when an alert says a nuclear missile will hit the area in 59 minutes. Carrie is on her way home from work and is desperate to be with her partner Emma and young daughter Clementine. Meanwhile, Frankie, newly pregnant, is on holiday with her boyfriend Otis. Mrs. Dabb, on the other hand, is frantically trying to find her teenage daughter Bunny, who did not take the school bus home and is missing. The reader follows these three women as they deal with their current situations the best way they can. Readalikes include 24 Hours by Greg Iles, Siege by Simon Kernick, and No Exit by Taylor Adams.

The Widow by John Grisham

All lawyer Simon Latch can see is dollar signs when eighty-five-year-old Eleanor Barnett comes to his office asking if he'll draft a new will for her. Eleanor is a widow with no children and says she has no debts and stocks worth $16 million. With a family to support and a penchant for small time sports betting, Simon is always in debt. Being Eleanor's lawyer could really help his financial situation, but he knows he needs to keep Eleanor's wealth secret so he doesn't lose out on making some real money. But is Eleanor really rich? And what about her two stepsons, Clyde and Jerry, who want their share of the fortune? Will meeting Eleanor turn out to be the best thing ever to happen to Simon or his worst nightmare?

The Dentist by Tim Sullivan

DS George Cross is extremely successful at his job. Having autism allows him to see things others don't, in addition to having a thoroughness and tenacity that is unmatched at the Bristol police station. Cross' latest case is the murder of Leonard Carpenter. Leonard was a former dentist who went missing years ago, was declared dead by his family, and has just been found dead near a gorge. Where has Leonard been all this time and why did he come back to his hometown of Bristol? Cross, his partner DS Josie Ottey and Police Staff Investigator Alice Mackenzie attempt to uncover the mystery of his death. The Dentist is the first book in the DS George Cross series with the next books being published over the next several months. A great read for those who enjoy British police procedurals.

Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

Martha Thornhill comes back to her hometown of Oxford to take a job as the senior editor of the Clarendon English Dictionary (think OED). She spent the last ten years living in Berlin, trying to put the disappearance of her older sister Charlie behind her. When letters start arriving addressed to Martha and her colleagues Simon, Alex, and Safi that seem like coded messages related to Charlie, the quartet can't ignore the clues in front of them. The police become involved again in the investigation, and the dictionary group start following their instincts and interviewing people themselves. It seems that maybe Martha and her father Gabriel will finally have closure. Guilty by Definition is a leisurely-paced novel for those who enjoy etymology, puzzles, and mysteries set in academia.

Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai

In this third volume of the Kamogawa Food Detective Series, people again come to Kyoto to have chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi make a meal that reminds them of a specific time in their lives. There's Sakyo, a former dancer, who wants the duo to make him the kake soba he ate with his father from whom he is now estranged. While Nobuo, who makes the laquerware that the restaurant uses, wants a curry and rice dish made by his daughter before she went to prison. Nobuo wants to be able to share the dish with his grandson. In addition, Yumiko, a former pianist, wants to eat the yakisoba a former boyfriend cooked for her. Knowing that Nagare and Koishi are always successful in their mission provides the reader with a cozy enjoyable read.