President Is Coming to Lunch — Nan Lyons

Set in a posh New York City restaurant, a watering hole to see and be seen, where the goings on of the rich and not so rich are the daily fare, where not being seen there for lunch is a fate worse than death. The perfect backdrop for this hilarious novel from the authors of "Someone Is Killing The Great Chefs of Europe."

At Libby's, Manhattan's hottest restaurant, where the glitterati in publishing, show biz and finance have regular tables, Libby Dennis, redheaded former dancer, juggles seating arrangements and reservations with aplomb, unfazed until she hears that the president wishes to lunch there, too. The Secret Service begins the required pre-presidential visit vetting, checking out the staff from lowest kitchen prepper to Libby's son, the maitre d'. Head investigator Birnbaum wonders what is bothering the unflappable proprietress, even as he falls under her spell. Perceptive readers are alerted to a secret early on, leading them to wonder who else will find out, and what the repercussions might be of a 20-year-old indiscretion.