TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of May 31, 2009

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1
NEW
WICKED PREY
John Sandford
Cover of WICKED PREY

WICKED PREY

by John Sandford · Putnam

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

For twenty years, John Sandford's novels have been beloved for their "ingenious plots, vivid characters, crisp dialogue and endless surprises" (The Washington Post), and nowhere are those more in evidence than in the sudden twists and shocks of Wicked Prey.Out of Lucas Davenport's past comes a psycho nursing a violent grudge. But why go after Davenport for revenge when Davenport's young daughter is so close-and so vulnerable?

2
NEW
CEMETERY DANCE
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Cover of CEMETERY DANCE

CEMETERY DANCE

by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child · Grand Central

1 wks on list

A New York Times reporter is murdered, and his wife is injured, supposedly by a man who was dead and buried ten days previous. FBI Special Agent Pendergast must discover the truth.

3
2
DEAD AND GONE
Charlaine Harris
Cover of DEAD AND GONE

DEAD AND GONE

by Charlaine Harris · Ace

2 wks on list

Now it's the turn of the weres and shifters to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world. Sookie Stackhouse already knows about them, of course - her brother turns into a panther at the full moon, she's friend to the local Were pack and Sam, her boss at Merlotte's bar, is a shifter. At first the great Were revelation seems to go well - then the horribly mutilated body of a were-panther is found outside Merlotte's. Though Sookie never cared that much for the victim, no one deserves such a horrible death, so she agrees to use her telepathic talent to track down the murderer. But what Sookie doesn't realise is that there is a far greater danger than this killer threatening Bon Temps: a race of unhuman beings, older, more powerful and far more secretive than the vampires or the werewolves is preparing for war ...

4
2
THE 8TH CONFESSION
James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Cover of THE 8TH CONFESSION

THE 8TH CONFESSION

by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro · Little, Brown

3 wks on list

As San Francisco's most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is watching--waiting for a chance to take vengeance on Isa and Ethan Bailey, the city's most celebrated couple. Finally, the killer pinpoints the ideal moment, and it's the perfect murder. Not a trace of evidence is left behind in their glamorous home. As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile murder, someone else is found brutally executed--a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless. His death nearly falls through the cracks, but when reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it, she knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been quite as saintly as everyone thought. As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay sees sparks fly between Cindy and her partner, Detective Rich Conklin. The Women's Murder Club now faces its toughest challenge: will love destroy all that four friends have built? The exhilarating new chapter in the Women's Murder Club series, The 8th Confession serves up a double dose of speed-charged twists and shocking revelations as only James Patterson can. And remember, this is the only Murder Club episode of the year.

5
1
FIRST FAMILY
David Baldacci
Cover of FIRST FAMILY

FIRST FAMILY

by David Baldacci · Grand Central

4 wks on list

David Baldacci's First Family is the fourth gripping New York Times bestseller in the King and Maxwell series. The President’s niece is missing. Former secret service agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return to the White House. Camp David, USA. A children’s birthday party at the presidential retreat turns into a nightmare when a child is snatched after the celebrations. First Lady. The FBI doesn’t want private investigators King and Maxwell anywhere near the case. Regardless, they are enlisted by the First Lady to bring the child home safely. A shared history. The First Lady trusts King, for years ago he saved her then-senator husband from political disaster. But is there a greater secret in their past? With Maxwell battling her own demons, and forces aligned on all sides against her and King, the two are pushed to the absolute limit. In the race to save an innocent victim, the line between friend and foe will become impossible to define . . . or defend. David Baldacci's smash-hit series continues with The Sixth Man and King and Maxwell.

6
3
PYGMY
Chuck Palahniuk
Cover of PYGMY

PYGMY

by Chuck Palahniuk · Doubleday

2 wks on list

Agent Number 67, nicknamed Pygmy for his diminutive size, arrives in the United States from his totalitarian homeland. An 'exchange student' he is welcomed with open arms by his Midwestern host family. Simpsons-spinoffs, they introduce him into the rituals of postmodern American life, which he views with utter contempt. Along with his fellow operatives, he is planning something big, something truly, truly awful, to bring this big dumb country's fat inhabitants to their knees.

7
1
THE HOST
Stephenie Meyer
Cover of THE HOST

THE HOST

by Stephenie Meyer · Little, Brown

53 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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3
TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT
Alexander McCall Smith
Cover of TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT

TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT

by Alexander McCall Smith · Pantheon

4 wks on list

BOOK 10 IN THE BELOVED NO.1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIES The one where Mma Makutsi has a love rival . . . Mma Makutsi's engagement to Phuti Radiphuti has progressed smoothly so far, but suddenly there is trouble in the form of her glamorous, empty-headed rival Violet Sephotho. While solving the amorous problems of her neighbours and clients is where Mma Ramotswe excels, the world of football is decidedly less familiar - however, when the owner of the Kalahari Swoopers comes to the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, she promises to find the traitor among the team's ranks. 'Brims with good humor and compassion' Entertainment Weekly 'Totally addictive' Daily Mail 'McCall Smith has done it again' Washington Times 'These stories are a balm for readers' Irish Independent

10
NEW
THE LAST CHILD
John Hart
Cover of THE LAST CHILD

THE LAST CHILD

by John Hart · Minotaur

1 wks on list

Winner of the 2010 Edgar Award for Best Novel Heralded by the Washington Post as a "a magnificent creation, Huck Finn channeled through Lord of the Flies", John Hart's The Last Child is his most significant work to date, an intricate, powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil. Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he'd been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is---confident in a way that he can never fully explain. Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene. Then a second child goes missing . . . Undeterred by Hunt's threats or his mother's pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit. Traveling the wilderness between innocence and hard wisdom, between hopelessness and faith, The Last Child leaves all categories behind and establishes John Hart as a writer of unique power. Now with an excerpt from John Hart's next book The Hush, available in February 2018.

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5
JUST TAKE MY HEART
Mary Higgins Clark
Cover of JUST TAKE MY HEART

JUST TAKE MY HEART

by Mary Higgins Clark · Simon & Schuster

6 wks on list

When Natalie Raines, famous Broadway star, is found in her home in Closter, New Jersey, dying from a gunshot wound, her former husband, Gregg Aldrich, whom she was in the process of divorcing, is the chief suspect. What no one knows is that, only days before she was murdered, Natalie accidentally came face to face with the man who killed her former roommate, Jamie Evans. Two years later, career criminal Jimmy Easton, comes forward to claim that Aldrich hired him to kill his wife, but he turned the job down. Based on Easton's testimony, Gregg is charged with the murder of his wife. Handling the case is Emily Wallace, an attractive thirty-two-year-old widowed assistant prosecutor. As Aldrich's trial is making headlines, Emily's boss, Ted Wesley, warns her that this high-profile case will reveal personal matters about her, such as the fact that she had a heart transplant. And, during the trial, Emily experiences sentiments which defy all reason and continue after Gregg Aldrich's fate is decided by the jury. In the meantime, she does not realize that her own life is now at risk.

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5
SUMMER ON BLOSSOM STREET
Debbie Macomber
Cover of SUMMER ON BLOSSOM STREET

SUMMER ON BLOSSOM STREET

by Debbie Macomber · Mira

3 wks on list

Knitting and life. They're both about beginnings—and endings. That's why Lydia Goetz, owner of A Good Yarn on Seattle's Blossom Street, offers a class called Knit to Quit. It's for people who want to quit something—or someone!—and start a new phase of their lives. First to join is Phoebe Rylander, who's trying to get over a man. Alix Turner and her husband want a baby, so she has to quit smoking. And Bryan Hutchinson needs a way to deal with the stress of running his family's business. Then there's Lydia's friend Anne Marie Roche. She and her adopted daughter, Ellen, have finally settled into a secure and happy routine—when a stranger appears asking questions. Meanwhile, Lydia and her husband, Brad, have their hands full with the angry, defiant twelve-year-old who unexpectedly becomes their foster child…. But when your life—and your stitches—get snarled, your friends can always help!

13
NEW
ROAD DOGS
Elmore Leonard
Cover of ROAD DOGS

ROAD DOGS

by Elmore Leonard · William Morrow and Company

1 wks on list

Three canine friends, including fading movie star Buddy, rough-and-tumble loner Antwan, and pampered Miss Betty, who privately envy each other's lives of comfort, wild freedom, and family, find out about friendship and life.

14
5
LOVER AVENGED
J. R. Ward
Cover of LOVER AVENGED

LOVER AVENGED

by J. R. Ward · New American Library

3 wks on list

As the vampire warriors defend their race against their slayers, one male’s loyalty to the Black Dagger Brotherhood will be tested in this breathtaking novel in J. R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling paranormal romance series. Caldwell, New York, has long been the battleground for the vampires and their enemies. It’s also where Rehvenge has staked out his turf as a drug lord and owner of a notorious nightclub that caters to the rich and heavily armed. His dangerous reputation is exactly why he’s approached to kill the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood—Wrath, the Blind King. Rehvenge is used to living in the shadows and keeping his distance from the Brotherhood. As a symphath, his identity is a deadly secret—the revelation of which will result in his banishment. But as Rehvenge is pulled into plots both within and outside of the Brotherhood, he turns to the only source of light in his darkening world. Ehlena is a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him—and the only thing standing between Rehvenge and eternal destruction...

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LOITERING WITH INTENT
Stuart Woods
Cover of LOITERING WITH INTENT

LOITERING WITH INTENT

by Stuart Woods · Putnam

In this action-packed thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stuart Woods, Stone Barrington is on the hunt for a man who doesn’t want to be found in Key West... Dumped by his glamorous Russian girlfriend during dinner at Elaine’s and running low on cash, Stone Barrington is not having a good week. So his luck seems to be improving when he’s hired to locate the missing son of a very wealthy man—lucky because the job pays well, and because the son seems to be hiding in the tropical paradise of Key West. But when Stone and his sometime running buddy Dino Bacchetti arrive in the sunny Keys, it appears that someone has been lying in wait. Stone very nearly loses his life after being blindsided at a local bar, and he realizes that the missing son he’s been hired to track may have good reason for not wanting to be found. Suddenly Key West is looking less like Margaritaville and more like the mean streets of New York...

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