TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of July 8, 2012

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1
NEW
WICKED BUSINESS
Janet Evanovich
Cover of WICKED BUSINESS

WICKED BUSINESS

by Janet Evanovich · Bantam

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

Lizzy Tucker's once normal life as a pastry chef in Salem, Massachusets, turns upside down as she battles both sinister forces and an inconvenient attraction to unnaturally talented but off-limits partner Diesel.

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GONE GIRL
Gillian Flynn
Cover of GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL

by Gillian Flynn · Crown

3 wks on list

THE ADDICTIVE No.1 BESTSELLER AND INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON OVER 20 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE THE BOOK THAT DEFINES PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER Who are you? What have we done to each other? These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife? 'Flynn is a brilliantly accomplished psychological crime writer and this latest book is so dark, so twisted and so utterly compelling that it actually messes with your mind' DAILY MAIL 'A near-masterpiece. Flynn is an extraordinary writer who, with every sentence, makes words do things that other writers merely dream of' SOPHIE HANNAH, Sunday Express 'You think you're reading a good, conventional thriller and then it grows into a fascinating portrait of one averagely mismatched relationship...Nothing's as it seems - Flynn is a fabulous plotter, and a very sharp observer of modern life in the aftermath of the credit crunch' THE TIMES 'One of the most popular thrillers of the year is also one of the smartest... Flynn's book cleverly outpaces its neo-noir trappings and consistently surprises the reader.' FINANCIAL TIMES

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CALICO JOE
John Grisham
Cover of CALICO JOE

CALICO JOE

by John Grisham · Doubleday

11 wks on list

This story, based on the Cubs and Mets 1973 season follows the divergent paths of Joe Castle, a rookie hitter for the Chicago Cubs, and Warren Tracey, a hard-throwing Mets pitcher.

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MISSION TO PARIS
Alan Furst
Cover of MISSION TO PARIS

MISSION TO PARIS

by Alan Furst · Random House

2 wks on list

“A master spy novelist.”—The Wall Street Journal “Page after page is dazzling.”—James Patterson NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Late summer, 1938. Hollywood film star Fredric Stahl is on his way to Paris to make a movie. The Nazis know he’s coming—a secret bureau within the Reich has been waging political warfare against France, and for their purposes, Fredric Stahl is a perfect agent of influence. What they don’t know is that Stahl, horrified by the Nazi war on Jews and intellectuals, has become part of an informal spy service run out of the American embassy. Mission to Paris is filled with heart-stopping tension, beautifully drawn scenes of romance, and extraordinarily alive characters: foreign assassins; a glamorous Russian actress-turned-spy; and the women in Stahl’s life. At the center of the novel is the city of Paris—its bistros, hotels grand and anonymous, and the Parisians, living every night as though it were their last. Alan Furst brings to life both a dark time in history and the passion of the human hearts that fought to survive it. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Alan Furst's Midnight in Europe. Praise for Mission to Paris “The most talented espionage novelist of our generation.”—Vince Flynn “Vividly re-creates the excitement and growing gloom of the City of Light in 1938–39 . . . It doesn’t get more action-packed and grippingly atmospheric than this.”—The Boston Globe “One of [Furst’s] best . . . This is the romantic Paris to make a tourist weep. . . . In Furst’s densely populated books, hundreds of minor characters—clerks, chauffeurs, soldiers, whores—all whirl around his heroes in perfect focus for a page or two, then dot by dot, face by face, they vanish, leaving a heartbreaking sense of the vast Homeric epic that was World War II and the smallness of almost every life that was caught up in it.”—The New York Times Book Review “A book no reader will put down until the final page . . . Critics compare [Alan] Furst to Graham Greene and John le Carré [as] a master of historical espionage.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Alan Furst’s writing reminds me of a swim in perfect water on a perfect day, fluid and exquisite. One wants the feeling to go on forever, the book to never end. . . . Furst is one of the finest spy novelists working today.”—Publishers Weekly

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A DANCE WITH DRAGONS
George R. R. Martin
Cover of A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

by George R. R. Martin · Bantam

46 wks on list

A latest installment of the popular series follows a showdown set in the north of the Seven Kingdoms and reveals the circumstances that shaped southern-region events. By the best-selling author of A Feast for Crows.

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THE INNOCENT
David Baldacci
Cover of THE INNOCENT

THE INNOCENT

by David Baldacci · Grand Central

10 wks on list

From a #1 New York Times bestselling author, America's best hitman must rescue a teenage runaway and investigate her parents' murder. It begins with a hit gone wrong. Robie is dispatched to eliminate a target unusually close to home in Washington, D.C. But something about this mission doesn't seem right to Robie, and he does the unthinkable—he refuses to pull the trigger. Now, Robie becomes a target himself and is on the run. Fleeing the scene, Robie crosses paths with a fourteen-year-old runaway from a foster home. But she isn't an ordinary runaway—her parents were murdered, and her own life is in danger. Against his professional training, Robie rescues her and finds he can't walk away. He needs to help her. The more Robie learns about the girl, the more he's convinced she is at the center of a vast cover-up, one that involves unimaginable levels of power. Now, Robie may have to step out of the shadows in order to save this girl's life...and perhaps his own.

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THE STORM
Clive Cussler and Graham Brown
Cover of THE STORM

THE STORM

by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown · Putnam

4 wks on list

The Storm is Clive Cussler's thrilling tenth NUMA Files novel. In the middle of the Indian Ocean, a NUMA research vessel is taking water samples at sunset, when a crew member spots a sheen of black oil ahead of them. But it is not oil. Like a horde of army ants, a swarm of black particles suddenly attacks the ship, killing everyone aboard, while the ship itself goes up in flames. A few hours later, Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are on their way to the Indian Ocean. What they will find there on the smouldering hulk of the ship will eventually lead them to the discovery of the most audacious scheme they have ever known: a plan to permanently alter the weather on a global scale. It will kill millions . . . and it has already begun. Packed with blazing action and daring exploits, The Storm is a nerve-shredding Kurt Austin Numa Filesthriller from Top Ten bestseller Clive Cussler, the master of action-adventure for over four decades, and co-author Graham Brown. Praise for Clive Cussler: 'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily Mail 'Clive Cussler is the guy I read' Tom Clancy 'The Adventure King' Daily Express

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THE THIRD GATE
Lincoln Child
Cover of THE THIRD GATE

THE THIRD GATE

by Lincoln Child · Doubleday

2 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An archaeological expedition digging where it shouldn’t ... A crown so powerful it is rumored to be cursed ... And the one man who can explain it all ... Deep in a nearly impassable swamp south of the Egyptian border, an archaeological team is searching for the burial chamber of King Narmer, the fabled pharaoh. Narmer's crown might be buried with him: the elusive "double" crown of the two Egypts. Amid the nightmarish, disorienting tangle of mud and dead vegetation, strange things begin to happen. Could an ancient curse be responsible? Jeremy Logan, history professor and master interpreter of bizarre and inexplicable enigmas, is brought onto the project to investigate. What he finds raises fresh questions ... and immediate alarm Don't miss Lincoln Child's new thriller, Chrysalis!

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PORCH LIGHTS
Dorothea Benton Frank
Cover of PORCH LIGHTS

PORCH LIGHTS

by Dorothea Benton Frank · Morrow/HarperCollins

2 wks on list

Astirring, emotionally rich, multi-generational story, as a nurse returning to Sullivans Island from the Afghanistan War finds her life has been irrevocably altered by tragedy. She now must rediscover love and purpose with the help of her son and aging mother. Porch Lightsis an evocative visit to the enchanting Sullivans Island with its unique landscape and colourful local folklore - a novel filled with unforgettable characters and enlivened by tales of the past.

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STOLEN PREY
John Sandford
Cover of STOLEN PREY

STOLEN PREY

by John Sandford · Putnam

7 wks on list

A Lucas Davenport thriller by internationally bestselling novelist John Sandford Lucas Davenport has seen many terrible murder scenes. This is one of the worst. In the small Minnesota town of Deephaven, an entire family has been killed - husband, wife, two daughters, dogs. There's something about the scene that pokes at Lucas's cop instincts - it looks an awful lot like the kind of scorched-earth retribution he's seen in drug killings sometimes. But this is a seriously upscale town, and the husband was an executive vice president at a big bank. It just doesn't seem to fit. Until it does. And where it leads Lucas will take him into the darkest nightmare of his life. ***READERS LOVE THE PREY SERIES*** 'John Sandford knows all there is to know about detonating the gut-level shocks of a good thriller' The New York Times Book Review ​ 'The best Lucas Davenport story so far. The man has a fine touch for outlaws' Stephen King on Golden Prey 'Sandford’s trademark blend of rough humor and deadly action keeps the pages turning until the smile-inducing wrap-up, which reveals the fates of a number of his quirky, memorable characters' Publishers Weekly on Golden Prey 'It appears there is no limit to John Sandford’s ability to keep new breath and blood flowing into his Lucas Davenport series. This is a series you must be reading if you are not already' Bookreporter.com 'Sandford has always been at the top of any list of great mystery writers. His writing and the appeal of his lead character are as fresh as ever' The Huffington Post 'Sandford is consistently brilliant' Cleveland Plain Dealer

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11TH HOUR
James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Cover of 11TH HOUR

11TH HOUR

by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro · Little, Brown

Your best friend Lindsay Boxer is pregnant at last! But her work doesn't slow for a second. When millionaire Chaz Smith is mercilessly gunned down, she discovers that the murder weapon is linked to the deaths of four of San Francisco's most untouchable criminals. And it was taken from her own department's evidence locker. Anyone could be the killer--even her closest friends. Or a vicious killer? Lindsay is called next to the most bizarre crime scene she's ever seen: two bodiless heads elaborately displayed in the garden of a world-famous actor. Another head is unearthed in the garden, and Lindsay realizes that the ground could hide hundreds of victims. You won't know until the 11th hour A reporter launches a series of vicious articles about the cases and Lindsay's personal life is laid bare. But this time she has no one to turn to--especially not Joe. 11TH HOUR is the most shocking, most emotional, and most thrilling Women's Murder Club novel ever.

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NEW
THE LONG EARTH
Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Cover of THE LONG EARTH

THE LONG EARTH

by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter · Harper/HarperCollins

1 wks on list

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A triumph' Independent 'Literary alchemy' SFX 1916: the Western Front. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong, and the wind in the leaves in the trees. Where has the mud, blood and blasted landscape of No Man's Land gone? 2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Cop Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive (some said mad, others dangerous) scientist when she finds a curious gadget - a box containing some wiring, a three-way switch and a...potato. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the way Mankind views his world for ever. And that is an understatement if ever there was one... ____________________ This is the first novel in the Long Earth series. 'The Long Earth series deserves a place on the bookshelves of hardcore SF fans and general readers alike' Independent on Sunday

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A BLAZE OF GLORY
Jeff Shaara
Cover of A BLAZE OF GLORY

A BLAZE OF GLORY

by Jeff Shaara · Ballantine

4 wks on list

“[An] exciting read . . . [Jeff] Shaara returns to the U.S. Civil War in this first book of a new trilogy. . . . This novel is meticulously researched and brings a vivid reality to the historical events depicted.”—Library Journal NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Spring 1862. The Confederate Army in the West teeters on the brink of collapse. General Albert Sidney Johnston is forced to abandon the critical city of Nashville and rally his troops in defense of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Hot on Johnston’s trail are two of the Union’s best generals: Ulysses Grant and Don Carlos Buell. If their combined forces can crush Johnston’s army and capture the railroad, the war in the West likely will be over. There’s just one problem: Johnston knows of the Union plans and is poised to launch an audacious surprise attack on Grant’s encampment—a small settlement in southwestern Tennessee anchored by a humble church named Shiloh. Drawing on meticulous research, Jeff Shaara dramatizes the key decisions of the commanders on both sides of the conflict—and brings to life the junior officers, conscripts, and enlisted men who gave their all for the cause. With stunning immediacy, Shaara takes us inside the maelstrom of Shiloh as no novelist has before. “Brilliant . . . riveting . . . a work to be embraced.”—Bookreporter Includes a preview of Jeff Shaara’s next Civil War novel, A Chain of Thunder.

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BRING UP THE BODIES
Hilary Mantel
Cover of BRING UP THE BODIES

BRING UP THE BODIES

by Hilary Mantel · John Macrae/Holt

7 wks on list

Now a major TV seriesWinner of the Man Booker Prize 2009Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2012Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2012Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2013Shortlisted for the the Orange Prize 2009Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2009

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A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING
Dave Eggers
Cover of A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING

A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING

by Dave Eggers · McSweeney's

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this visionary adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic work, the bestselling author of The Circle “is brilliant at portraying the exuberance and chaos of a young boy’s mind and heart” (San Francisco Chronicle). Max is a rambunctious eight-year-old whose world is changing around him: His father is absent, his mother is increasingly distracted, and his teenage sister has outgrown him. Sad and angry, Max dons his wolf suit and makes terrible, ruinous mischief, flooding his sister’s room and driving his mother half-crazy. Convinced his family doesn’t want him anymore, Max flees home, finds a boat and sails away. Arriving on an island, he meets strange and giant creatures who rage and break things, who trample and scream. These beasts do everything Max feels inside, and so, Max appoints himself their king. Here, on a magnificent adventure with these funny and complex monsters, Max can be the wildest thing of all.

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