By Clancy Martin
304 pages; Farrar, Straus and Giroux

How to Sell, Clancy Martin's sly debut novel, is a lesson in double dealing—in business and in romance. A teenager named Bobby filches his mom's wedding ring and gets bilked in turn by a pawnbroker. Lured by glittering prizes, Bobby becomes a jewelry salesman with itchy fingers and a gift for subterfuge. This is one of those books that make you slap your forehead and marvel at the intricate lies that ensnare the unwary, even as you check to make sure your wallet and your wits are right where you left them.

— Cathleen Medwick