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Hardcover Fiction

Week of November 16, 2008

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1
NEW
THE GATE HOUSE
Nelson DeMille
Cover of THE GATE HOUSE

THE GATE HOUSE

by Nelson DeMille · Grand Central

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

The upmarket and salubrious area of Long Island is the stamping ground for a dying breed of America's super-rich. It is also the residence of John Sutter, lawyer - very top-drawer, old money, right clubs - and his sensual wife, Susan. Their lives are about to be turned dramatically upside down by their new 'next-door' neighbour - a certain Mr Frank Bellarosa, top Mafia don and master manipulator. It is he who will impress upon them a rule much older than the archaic etiquette of the old-money set: a favour accepted is a favour owed. Twenty-five years after it was first published, Nelson DeMille's Gold Coast stands as a modern thriller classic, a stylish, compelling and provocative novel will grip readers from beginning to end.

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EXTREME MEASURES
Vince Flynn
Cover of EXTREME MEASURES

EXTREME MEASURES

by Vince Flynn · Atria

2 wks on list

Charismatic hero Mitch Rapp wages a war against a new enemy with the help of a fellow soldier as dedicated - and as lethal - as they come.

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THE BRASS VERDICT
Michael Connelly
Cover of THE BRASS VERDICT

THE BRASS VERDICT

by Michael Connelly · Little, Brown

3 wks on list

Things are finally looking up for defense attorney Mickey Haller. After two years of wrong turns, Haller is back in the courtroom. When Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits his biggest case yet: the defense of Walter Elliott, a prominent studio executive accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But as Haller prepares for the case that could launch him into the big time, he learns that Vincent's killer may be coming for him next. Enter Harry Bosch. Determined to find Vincent's killer, he is not opposed to using Haller as bait. But as danger mounts and the stakes rise, these two loners realize their only choice is to work together. Bringing together Michael Connelly's two most popular characters, The Brass Verdict is sure to be his biggest book yet.

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THE LUCKY ONE
Nicholas Sparks
Cover of THE LUCKY ONE

THE LUCKY ONE

by Nicholas Sparks · Grand Central

5 wks on list

In this stunning New York Times bestselling follow-up to The Notebook, a hardworking but distant husband vows to win back the love of his life by looking to Noah and Allie's legendary romance. After thirty years, Wilson Lewis is forced to face a painful truth: the romance has gone out of his marriage. His wife, Jane, has fallen out of love with him, and it is entirely his fault. Despite the shining example of his in-laws, Noah and Allie Calhoun, and their fifty-year love affair, Wilson himself is a man unable to express his true feelings. He has spent too little time at home and too much at the office, leaving the responsibility of raising their children to Jane. Now his daughter is about to marry, and his wife is thinking about leaving him. But if Wilson is sure of anything, it is this: His love for Jane has only grown over the years, and he will do everything he can to save their marriage. With the memories of Noah and Allie's inspiring life together as his guide, he vows to find a way to make his wife fall in love with him...all over again. In this powerfully moving tale of love lost, rediscovered, and renewed, Nicholas Sparks once again brings readers his unique insight into the only emotion that ultimately really matters.

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A GOOD WOMAN
Danielle Steel
Cover of A GOOD WOMAN

A GOOD WOMAN

by Danielle Steel · Delacorte Press

1 wks on list

Nineteen-year-old Annabelle Worthington was born into a life of privilege, but everything changed on an April day in 1912, when the sinking of the "Titanic" shattered her family and her world forever. Finding strength within her grief, Annabelle pours herself into volunteer work, igniting a passion for medicine that would shape the course of her life. But for Annabelle, first love, and a seemingly idyllic marriage, will soon bring grief caused by the secrets of her husband. Betrayed, and pursued by undeserved scandal, Annabelle flees New York for war-ravaged France, hoping to lose herself in a life of service. There, in the heart of the First World War, in a groundbreaking field hospital run by women, Annabelle finds her true calling, studying medicine and saving lives. When the war ends, Annabelle begins a new life in Paris--now a doctor, a mother, her past almost forgotten...until a fateful meeting opens her heart to the world she had left behind. Filled with breathtaking images and historical detail, Danielle Steel's new novel introduces one of her most unique and fascinating characters: Annabelle Worthington, a remarkable woman--a good woman--who triumphs against overwhelming odds. More than compelling fiction, her story is a powerful celebration of life, dignity, and courage--and a testament to the human will to survive.

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THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE
David Wroblewski
Cover of THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE

by David Wroblewski · Ecco

21 wks on list

A contemporary retelling of Hamlet of stark and striking brilliance set on a farm in remote northern Wisconsin. On a farm in remote northern Wisconsin the mute and brilliant Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents Gar and Trudy. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomised by Almodine, Edgar's lifelong companion. But when his beloved father mysteriously dies, Edgar blames himself, if only because his muteness left him unable to summon help. Grief-stricken and bewildered by his mother's desperate affair with her dead husband's brother, Edgar's world unravels one spring night when, in the falling rain, he sees his father's ghost. After a botched attempt to prove that his uncle orchestrated Gar's death, Edgar flees into the Chequamegon wilderness leading three yearling dogs. Yet his need to face his father's murderer, and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs, turn Edgar ever homeward. When he returns, nothing is as he expects, and Edgar must choose between revenge or preserving his family legacy...

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BONES
Jonathan Kellerman
Cover of BONES

BONES

by Jonathan Kellerman · Ballantine

2 wks on list

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Jonathan Kellerman's Victims. When it comes to writing deftly layered, tightly coiled novels of suspense, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman reigns supreme as “master of the psychological thriller” (People). Kellerman has worked his magic again in this chilling masterpiece. The anonymous caller has an ominous tone and an unnerving message about something “real dead . . . buried in your marsh.” The eco-volunteer on the other end of the phone thinks it’s a prank, but when a young woman’s body turns up in L.A.’s Bird Marsh preserve no one’s laughing. And when the bones of more victims surface, homicide detective Milo Sturgis realizes the city’s under siege to an insidious killer. Milo’s first move: calling in psychologist Alex Delaware. The murdered women are prostitutes–except the most recent victim; a brilliant young musician from the East Coast, employed by a wealthy family to tutor a musical prodigy, Selena Bass seems out of place in the marsh’s grim tableau. Conveniently–perhaps ominously–Selena’s blueblood employers are nowhere to be found, and their estate’ s jittery caretaker raises hackles. But Milo’s instincts and Alex’s insight are too well-honed to settle for easy answers, even given the dark secrets in this troubled man’s past. Their investigation unearths disturbing layers–about victims, potential victims, and suspects alike–plunging even deeper into the murky marsh’s enigmatic depths. Bizarre details of the crimes suggest a devilish serial killer prowling L.A.’s gritty streets. But when a new murder deviates from the pattern, derailing a possible profile, Alex and Milo must look beyond the suspicion of madness and consider an even more sinister mind at work. Answers don’t come easy, but the darkest of drives and desires may fuel the most devious of foes. Bones is classic Kellerman–relentlessly peeling back the skin and psyches of its characters and revealing the shadows and sins of the souls beneath. With jolt after jolt of galvanizing suspense, it drives the reader through its twists and turns toward a climax as satisfying as it is shattering.

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ROUGH WEATHER
Robert B. Parker
Cover of ROUGH WEATHER

ROUGH WEATHER

by Robert B. Parker · Putnam

2 wks on list

A high society wedding ends unhappily ever after in this mystery starring Boston PI Spenser—“the timeless hero of American detective fiction” (The New York Times Book Review). Hired as a bodyguard at an exclusive wedding, Spenser witnesses an unexpected crime: the kidnapping of the young bride, which opens the door for murder, family secrets, and the reappearance of an old nemesis.

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A LION AMONG MEN
Gregory Maguire
Cover of A LION AMONG MEN

A LION AMONG MEN

by Gregory Maguire · Morrow

3 wks on list

A Lion Among Men complements the New York Times bestseller Son of a Witch in fleshing out the world of Oz, seen this time through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion-remembered from Wicked as a tiny cub defended by Elphaba.While civil war looms in Oz, an ancient and tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before she can return to dust, however, the Cowardly Lion, an enigmatic figure named Brrr, arrives in search of information about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. As payment, Yackle who hovered on the sidelines of Elphaba's life, demands some answers of her own.Abandoned as a cub, Brrr's earliest memories are only gluey hazes. But his path from infancy in the Great Gillikin Forest is no Yellow Brick Road. Seeking to redress an early mistake, he tumbles though a swamp of ghosts, becomes implicated in a massacre of trolls, and falls in love with a Cat princess. Sidestepping the laws that oppress talking Animals, Brrr cannily avoids a jail sentence by agreeing to serve as a lackey to the warmongering Emperor of Oz.A Lion Among Men traces a battle of wits between adversaries distracted by the armies approaching on either side of them. What does the Lion know of the whereabouts of the Witch's boy, Liir? What can Yackle reveal about the auguries of the Clock of the Time Dragon? Is destiny ever arbitrary? Can those tarnished by infamy escape their sobriquets-cowardly, wicked, brainless, criminally earnest-to claim their own histories, to live honourably within their own skins before they're skinned alive?

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THE HOST
Stephenie Meyer
Cover of THE HOST

THE HOST

by Stephenie Meyer · Little, Brown

26 wks on list

The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. But Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves--Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.--From publisher description.

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THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY
Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Cover of THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows · Dial Press

13 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A NETFLIX FILM • A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name. “Treat yourself to this book, please—I can’t recommend it highly enough.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love “I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. . . . As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. Praise for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society “A jewel . . . Poignant and keenly observed, Guernsey is a small masterpiece about love, war, and the immeasurable sustenance to be found in good books and good friends.”—People “A book-lover’s delight, an implicit and sometimes explicit paean to all things literary.”—Chicago Sun-Times “A sparkling epistolary novel radiating wit, lightly worn erudition and written with great assurance and aplomb.”—The Sunday Times (London) “Cooked perfectly à point: subtle and elegant in flavour, yet emotionally satisfying to the finish.”—The Times (London)

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ONE FIFTH AVENUE
Candace Bushnell
Cover of ONE FIFTH AVENUE

ONE FIFTH AVENUE

by Candace Bushnell · Hyperion

6 wks on list

Tothom que sigui algú a Nova York sap que Victory, Wendy i Nico són les cares boniques de l'èxit a la ciutat dels gratacels: Victory s'ha convertit en la dissenyadora de moda més sol·licitada; Wendy és la directora general de Parador Pictures i, a més d'estar produint una pel·lícula que serà un veritable èxit, té tres fills preciosos; Nico, per últim, és la redactora en cap de la revista Bonfire, la bíblia novaiorquesa per estar al dia. Als ulls dels altres, totes tres es troben en el millor moment de les seves vides. Però malgrat tot, des del lloc que elles ocupen les coses no es veuen exactament així.

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DARK SUMMER
Iris Johansen
Cover of DARK SUMMER

DARK SUMMER

by Iris Johansen · St. Martin’s Press

2 wks on list

With a lightning-fast pace, unforgettable characters, and gut-wrenching action, Iris Johansen's Dark Summer is compelling terrain for this master storyteller. It begins with a single shot. Devon Brady is a devoted veterinarian working in a makeshift hospital on a remote search and rescue mission. When a man arrives with his wounded black Lab, Ned, she has no idea that she is about to be plunged into a whirlwind of terror and destruction. Jude Marrock is out for revenge and has no choice but to involve Devon in a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game with an escalating body count. She doesn't trust him one bit, but when the shots start flying and friends start falling, she finds herself with nowhere else to run. And there are innocent lives, both human and animal, at stake, including Ned and his mysterious pack. Is Jude her salvation or her damnation? Are the secrets he's protecting worth killing for . . . or dying for?

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A CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS
Debbie Macomber
Cover of A CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS

A CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS

by Debbie Macomber · Mira

Mother-to-be Mary Jo Wyse arrives in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, searching for her baby's father. David Rhodes had said he'd be in town. But he isn't. Which leaves Mary Jo stranded, pregnant and alone. And there's no room at the local inn.… So Grace Harding brings Mary Jo home to her nearby ranch. She and her husband, Cliff, have a houseful of guests, but they offer her a room over their stable (currently sheltering the animals—including a donkey and a camel—for Cedar Cove's Nativity pageant!). When Mary Jo goes into labor that night, a young man named Mack McAfee, a paramedic, comes to her rescue, just as her brothers—the three Wyse men—show up in town. The people of Cedar Cove join them in celebrating the birth of baby Noel. But no one has more to celebrate than Mack. Because this Christmas brings him faith, hope and love…

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.