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Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of July 26, 2009

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1
NEW
BLACK HILLS
Nora Roberts
Cover of BLACK HILLS

BLACK HILLS

by Nora Roberts · Putnam

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Nora Roberts takes readers deep into the rugged hills of South Dakota, where the shadows keep secrets, hunters stalk the land, and a friendship matures into something more.... Cooper Sullivan spent the summers of his youth on his grandparents’ South Dakota ranch, sharing innocent games and stolen kisses with the neighbor girl, Lil Chance. Now, twelve years after they last walked together hand in hand, fate has brought them back to the Black Hills. Though the memory of Coop’s touch still haunts her, Lil has let nothing stop her dream of opening the Chance Wildlife Refuge, but something—or someone—has been keeping a close watch. When small pranks and acts of destruction escalate into a heartless attack on Lil’s beloved cougar, memories of an unsolved murder have Coop springing to action to keep Lil safe. Both of them know the natural dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. But a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts has singled them out as prey....

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FINGER LICKIN’ FIFTEEN
Janet Evanovich
Cover of FINGER LICKIN’ FIFTEEN

FINGER LICKIN’ FIFTEEN

by Janet Evanovich · St. Martin’s Press

3 wks on list

Recipe for disaster: Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head – literally. Throw in some spice: Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she'll talk to is Trenton cop, Joe Morelli. Pump up the heat: Chipotle's sponsor is offering a million-dollar reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the killers. Stir the pot: Lula recruits bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah. Add a secret ingredient: Stephanie's Grandma Mazur. Enough said. Bring to a boil: Can Stephanie hunt down two killers, a traitor, five skips, keep her grandmother out of the sauce, solve Ranger's problems and not jump his bones? Warning: Janet Evanovich's Finger Lickin' Fifteen is habanero hot. So good you'll want seconds.

5
2
THE APOSTLE
Brad Thor
Cover of THE APOSTLE

THE APOSTLE

by Brad Thor · Atria

2 wks on list

From #1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Brad Thor, comes the white-knuckled thriller The Apostle. A new administration and a new approach to dealing with America’s enemies have left covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath without a job. But when American doctor Julia Gallo is kidnapped in Afghanistan, the terms of her ransom leave the president with only one course of action. In a dangerous assignment that the United States government will deny any knowledge of, Scot Harvath must secretly infiltrate Kabul’s notorious Policharki Prison and free the man the kidnappers demand as ransom—al-Qaeda mastermind Mustafa Khan. But when Harvath arrives, he quickly learns that there is more to the kidnapping than anyone dares to admit. And as the subterfuge is laid bare, Harvath must examine his own career of hunting down and killing terrorists, and ask himself if he has what it takes to help one of the world’s worst go free. Brimming with the kind of ripped-from-the-headlines authenticity Brad Thor’s internationally bestselling novels are known for, The Apostle doubles down on the blockbuster success of The Last Patriot and reaffirms Thor’s status as the master of the political thriller.

6
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BURN
Linda Howard
Cover of BURN

BURN

by Linda Howard · Ballantine

1 wks on list

When Jenner Redwine wins a lottery jackpot, she can’t imagine ever finding a place in the world of the wealthy. Seven years later, though, she finds an ally—and a guide to the rarefied realm of privilege—in the kind-hearted heiress Sydney Hazlett, who invites Jenner on a charity cruise aboard a luxury liner. But what Jenner gets is more like a Hitchcock movie than a Love Boat episode. Taken hostage by a menacing stranger, with nowhere to run, Jenner is drawn into a game of dizzying intrigue and harrowing danger. But as fear of her captor turns to fascination, Jenner rediscovers feelings she hasn’t had in years—and realizes she’s found a life worth living. If she survives.

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2
THE DOOMSDAY KEY
James Rollins
Cover of THE DOOMSDAY KEY

THE DOOMSDAY KEY

by James Rollins · Morrow/HarperCollins

3 wks on list

Three brutal murders, three high-profile victims, three bodies marked with a mysterious and archaic symbol...The massive SIGMA Force thriller from the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of MAP OF BONES and THE LAST ORACLE. At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in the heart of St Peter's Basilica. In Africa, a US Senator's son is slain within a Red Cross camp in Ghana. These three murders on three continents bear a horrifying tie: all the victims are marked by a Druidic pagan cross burned into their flesh. The bizarre murders thrust Commander Gray Pierce and SIGMA Force into a global hunt for a powerful group of industrialists who have a stranglehold on the world's food supply. Aided by two women from his past, Gray flees a trio of high-tech assassins as he pieces together the clues. But saving the world comes at a price: Pierce must sacrifice one of the women. Yet even that price might not be enough, for, as he soon discovers, the only true path to salvation lies with the Doomsday Key.

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RETURN TO SULLIVANS ISLAND
Dorothea Benton Frank
Cover of RETURN TO SULLIVANS ISLAND

RETURN TO SULLIVANS ISLAND

by Dorothea Benton Frank · Morrow/HarperCollins

2 wks on list

“Her books are funny, sexy, and usually damp with seawater.” —Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides In Return to Sullivans Island, Dorothea Benton Frank revisits the enchanted landscape of South Carolina’s Lowcountry made famous in her beloved New York Times bestseller Sullivans Island. Frank focuses on the next generation of Hamiltons and Hayes, earning high praise from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which writes, “Frank brings to vivid life the rich landscape and its unpretentious folks….A reader need only close her eyes for a moment to feel that thick-sticky heat, smell the wild salt marshes.” If you enjoy getting lost in the works of Anne Rivers Siddons, Rebecca Wells, and Pat Conroy—novels brimming with atmosphere and strong Southern charm—you are going to love Dotty Frank’s Return to Sullivans Island.

10
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THE CASTAWAYS
Elin Hilderbrand
Cover of THE CASTAWAYS

THE CASTAWAYS

by Elin Hilderbrand · Little, Brown

1 wks on list

"The perfect summer read" (Booklist) from New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand: an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life. With rumors of infidelity straining Greg and Tess MacAvoy's marriage, the couple head out on their sailboat one early summer day to celebrate their wedding anniversary, hoping the roughest waters are behind them. But in an accident off Nantucket, they mysteriously drown, leaving behind two small children as well as three couples who have long been their closest friends. Tragedy brings to the surface long-simmering conflicts and emotions, and the MacAvoys' six grieving friends find themselves unprepared for the revelation of secret upon secret as they struggle to answer the question: What happened to Greg and Tess? The Castaways probes the boundaries of friendship and forgiveness as it tells a page-turning story of passion, betrayal, and suspense, filled with the perfect details of summer island life that have made Elin Hilderbrand's novels beloved bestsellers.

11
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BY HERESIES DISTRESSED
David Weber
Cover of BY HERESIES DISTRESSED

BY HERESIES DISTRESSED

by David Weber · Tor/Tom Doherty

1 wks on list

In David Weber's By Heresies Distressed, the battle for the soul of the planet Safehold has begun. The Kingdom of Charis and the Kingdom of Chisholm have joined together, pledged to stand against the tyranny of a corrupt Church. The youthful Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm has wed King Cayleb of Charis, forging a single dynasty, a single empire, dedicated to the defense of human freedom. Crowned Empress of that empire, Sharleyan has found in Cayleb's arms the love she never dared hope for in a "marriage of state." In Cayleb's cause, his defiance of the ruthless Group of Four who govern mother Church, she has found the task to which she can commit her mind and her courage. It is a cause for which she was born. Yet there are things Sharleyan still does not know. Secrets Cayleb has not been permitted to share, even with her. Secrets like the true story of humanity on Safehold. Like the intricate web of lies, deception, and fabricated "religion" which have chained humanity for almost a thousand years. Like the existence of the genocidal alien Gbaba, waiting to complete mankind's destruction should humans ever attract their attention once more. Like the existence of a young woman, Nimue Alban, nine hundred years dead, whose heart, mind, and memories live on within the android body of the warrior-monk she knows as Merlin. And so Empress Sharleyan faces the great challenge of her life unaware of all that task truly entails...or of how the secrets the man who loves her cannot share may threaten all they have achieved between them...and her own life. Safehold Series 1. Off Armageddon Reef 2. By Schism Rent Asunder 3. By Heresies Distressed 4. A Mighty Fortress 5. How Firm A Foundation 6. Midst Toil and Tribulation 7. Like A Mighty Army 8. Hell's Foundations Quiver 9. At the Sign of Triumph At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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SHANGHAI GIRLS
Lisa See
Cover of SHANGHAI GIRLS
13
5
THE ANGEL'S GAME
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Cover of THE ANGEL'S GAME

THE ANGEL'S GAME

by Carlos Ruiz Zafón · Doubleday

4 wks on list

'A heady brew of detective thriller, supernatural horror tale, magical realist fable and a heartbreaking love story' DAILY MAIL 'Readers familiar with The Shadow of the Wind will find themselves back in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books where, from a labyrinthine library, volumes seem to select their readers . . . rattling good gothic fun' SPECTATOR In an abandoned mansion in the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martín, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at an unsolved mystery. Like a slow poison, the history of the place and an impossible love bring David close to despair. But then he receives a letter from a reclusive French editor who makes him the offer of a lifetime . . . 'Will grip you from start to finish' DAILY EXPRESS

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KNOCKOUT
Catherine Coulter
Cover of KNOCKOUT

KNOCKOUT

by Catherine Coulter · Putnam

4 wks on list

The 13th book in Catherine Coulter's hugely popular FBI series. After witnessing her relatives burying a pile of dead bodies in the middle of the night, a seven-year-old uses her telepathic powers to call a man she's seen only on television: FBI Agent Dillon Savich. Now Savich and his wife and partner, Agent Lacey Sherlock, face their most elusive foes to keep the child out of harm's way-before it's too late.

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5
THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE
Katherine Howe
Cover of THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE

THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE

by Katherine Howe · Voice

5 wks on list

While clearing out her grandmother's cottage for sale, Connie Goodwin finds a parchment inscribed with the name Deliverance Dane. And so begins the hunt to uncover the woman behind the name, a hunt that takes her back to Salem in 1692 . . . and the infamous witchcraft trials. But nothing is entirely as it seems and when Connie unearths the existence of Deliverance's spell book, the Physick Book, the situation takes on a menacing edge as interested parties reveal their desperation to find this precious artefact at any cost. What secrets does the Physick Book contain? What magic is scrawled across its parchment pages? Connie must race to answer these questions - and reveal the truth about Salem's women - before an ancient family curse once more fulfils its dark and devastating prophecy . . .

16
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DEAD AND GONE
Charlaine Harris
Cover of DEAD AND GONE

DEAD AND GONE

by Charlaine Harris · Ace

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 ...

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