Grand Slam, by Kathryn Ledson. Michael Joseph. $32.99.

Erica Jewell is great fun, Australia's answer to Stephanie Plum, solving crimes, getting into trouble, being sassy and generally causing havoc. Her latest adventure is the perfect January read, set, as it is, against the background of the Australian Open tennis tournament. Jewell's the sponsorship manager and when a deal goes wrong and the No 1 drawcard wants out she's go to not only calm him down but keep him safe from someone who's trying to kill them both. While there's nothing here to set the literary world on fire, there's plenty of laughs, great characters, and still enough intrigue to keep you guessing. Keep this one close by for those long five setters.

The Things We Keep, by Sally Hepworth. Macmillan. $29.99.

Hepworth's The Secrets of Midwives was one of the highest-selling Australian debuts of 2015 and there's no second book syndrome here. A touching look at how dementia, indeed the diminishing of all memories, shapes lives and futures. Anna, only 38, is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and when she's put into care she wonders what's ahead of her. Eve, once a pampered society wife, is now cooking and cleaning to make ends meet. You'll shed a few tears as the women try to forge a new life, despite the fact that they can't, or won't, remember the past. One for long afternoons.

Strictly Between Us, by Jane Fallon. Michael Joseph. $32.99.

Tamsin's story begins with her sleeping with her best friend's husband. Hear me out, she says, let me justify the unjustifiable. If you're willing to let her you're in for a treat. Jane Fallon's books are always sharp and witty, taking you to places you didn't expect, making you think about things in a different way. It's an interesting start to a book that purports to lead you in a different direction. A beach house read that you won't mind leaving behind.