1. “The Last Patriot,” by Brad Thor (Atria, $26). A Homeland Security agent, searches for an ancient secret that could defeat Islamic militants.

2. “Fearless Fourteen,” by Janet Evanovich (St. Martin’s, $27.95). Stephanie Plum and her boyfriend Joe Morelli become involved when his cousin’s bank robbery goes bad.

3. “Sail,” by James Patterson and Howard Roughan (Little, Brown, $27.99). A sailing vacation turns into a disaster when someone attempts to destroy a family.

4. “Tailspin,” by Catherine Coulter (Putnam, $25.95). Husband and wife FBI agents come to the aid of a colleague protecting a Washington psychiatrist.

5. “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle,” by David Wroblewski (Ecco, $25.95). A mute takes refuge with three dogs in the Wisconsin woods after his uncle murders his father.

Nonfiction

1. “When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” by David Sedaris (Little, Brown, $25.99). The humorist’s latest essays deal with middle age, mortality and giving up smoking.

2. “Fleeced,” by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann (Harper, $26.95). Americans are fleeced by government, business, labor unions and lobbyists.

3. “What Happened,” by Scott McClellan (PublicAffairs, $27.95). A former White House press secretary in the current Bush administration regrets he was “deceived” by top officials. 4. “Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea,” by Chelsea Handler (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $24.95). Humorous personal essays from the stand-up comedian.

5. “The Monster of Florence,” by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi (Grand Central, $25.99). An American writer in Florence and an Italian journalist work to discover the identity of a local serial killer.