New books this week: Crossroads by Belva Plain (Delacorte, $26). Two women — one privileged but plain, the other beautiful but poor — become entangled in a web of deceit.

Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity by Michael Lewis (Norton, $27.95). The author of Liar’s Poker, The New New Thing and Moneyball gives his understanding of market forces and human foibles.

Arctic Drift: A Dirk Pitt Novel by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler (Putnam, $27.95). A potential breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming, a series of unexplained sudden deaths in British Columbia, and a rash of international incidents between the United States and Canada: There has to be a connection.

Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz (Bantam, $27). The medical miracle that gave Ryan Perry a second chance at life is about to become a curse worse than death.

Knit Two: A Friday Night Knitting Club Novel by Kate Jacobs (Putnam, $24.95). Five years after the death of the knitting stores owner, Georgia Walker, Georgia’s daughter, 18-year-old Dakota, is running the knitting store part-time, but only with the help of the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club.