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Hardcover Fiction

Week of August 26, 2012

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1
GONE GIRL
Gillian Flynn
Cover of GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL

by Gillian Flynn · Crown

11 wks at #1 · 10 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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SWEET TALK
Julie Garwood
Cover of SWEET TALK

SWEET TALK

by Julie Garwood · Dutton

1 wks on list

In the new contemporary romance from #1 "New York Times "bestselling author Julie Garwood, a detective and a lawyer are falling in love-- and making a federal case out of it. When FBI agent Grayson Kincaid first encounters Olivia MacKenzie, she makes quite an impression. The beautiful, tough, young attorney has stumbled into the middle of an FBI sting operation and has reduced it to chaos. Months of surveillance and careful planning down the drain, Kincaid's partner is furious and lets Olivia know that she's ticked off the wrong guy. After all, he's FBI. Olivia isn't intimidated by his partner's bullying because she's something even scarier . . . she's IRS. And working for the IRS isn't for the faint of heart. She's on the trail of an elaborate Ponzi scheme, one that threatens to ruin the lives of naive and unsuspecting victims, and one she has personal reasons to be angry about. But after she asks questions of the wrong people, her life is suddenly endangered. She's accustomed to fighting for the underdog but being vulnerable herself is a very different story. Smart enough to know when to call for reinforcements, she contacts Grayson Kincaid. Together they make an excellent team to fight corruption but Olivia is also fighting the immediate and intense attraction she feels for Agent Kincaid, and that may be a battle she is bound to lose.

3
WHERE WE BELONG
Emily Giffin
Cover of WHERE WE BELONG

WHERE WE BELONG

by Emily Giffin · St. Martin's

3 wks on list

From New York Times –bestselling author Emily Giffin, Where We Belong delivers an unforgettable story of two women, the families that make them who they are, and the longing, loyalty, and love that binds them together. "[ Where We Belong ] is that special type of story that takes priority over getting to bed on time. And the payoff is well worth it." —Boston Globe Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian's perfectly constructed world—and her very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her. For the precocious and determined Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever. "In another surefire hit, [Giffin] serves up pathos, humor, and one doozy of a twist." — Entertainment Weekly

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CHARON'S CLAW
R. A. Salvatore
Cover of CHARON'S CLAW

CHARON'S CLAW

by R. A. Salvatore · Wizards of the Coast

1 wks on list

In this third installment of the New York Times–bestselling Neverwinter Saga, Drizzt draws his sword once more for the sake of his friends Drizzt and Dahlia Sin’felle have defeated the sorceress Sylora Salm, but Dahlia’s thirst for revenge is far from slaked. Now, she speaks of nothing but the moment she will face the evil Netherese lord Herzgo Alegni—a moment she has been waiting for since she was just a child. Though Drizzt and Dahlia’s bond is no longer just one of friendship, there is much he does not know about his new lover. What is the driving force behind the darkness he’s seen within her? Can he justify another battle to settle a grudge he does not understand? But Dahlia isn’t the only one seeking vengeance against Alegni. Artemis Entreri, Drizzt’s former enemy, offers to aid Dahlia in her mission, hoping it will win him his freedom. But partnering with Entreri poses new challenges: Charon’s Claw, Algeni’s sentient sword, dominates Entreri’s movements—if not his mind. And then there’s the way Entreri looks at Dahlia, causing Drizzt to wonder if the cunning assassin is still more foe than friend. Charon's Claw is the third book in the Neverwinter Saga and the twenty-fifth installment in the Legend of Drizzt series.

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ODD APOCALYPSE
Dean Koontz
Cover of ODD APOCALYPSE

ODD APOCALYPSE

by Dean Koontz · Bantam

2 wks on list

“Koontz gives [Odd Thomas] wit, good humor, a familiarity with the dark side of humanity—and moral outrage.”—USA Today Once presided over by a Roaring ’20s Hollywood mogul, the magnificent West Coast estate known as Roseland now harbors a reclusive billionaire financier and his faithful servants—and their guests: Odd Thomas, the young fry cook who sees the dead and tries to help them, and Annamaria, his inscrutably charming traveling companion. Fresh from a harrowing clash with lethal adversaries, they welcome their host’s hospitality. But Odd’s extraordinary eye for the uncanny detects disturbing secrets that could make Roseland more hell than haven. Soon enough the house serves up a taste of its terrors, as Odd begins to unravel the darkest mystery of his curious career. What consequences await those who confront evil at its most profound? Odd only knows. “Odd Thomas is the greatest character Dean Koontz has ever created. He’s funny, humble, immensely likable, courageous, and just a joy to read about.”—Seattle Post-Intelligencer “[Odd Thomas is] one of the most remarkable and appealing characters in current fiction.”—The Virginian-Pilot “Supernatural thrills with a side of laughs.”—The Denver Post

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THE SPYMASTERS
W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV
Cover of THE SPYMASTERS

THE SPYMASTERS

by W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV · Putnam

1 wks on list

#1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author W.E.B. Griffin continues his gripping series featuring the legendary OSS—fighting a silent war of spies and assassins in the shadows of World War II. Summer 1943. Two of the Allies’ most important plans for winning World War II are at grave risk—the coming D-Day invasion and the Manhattan Project’s race to build the atomic bomb. OSS spy chief William “Wild Bill” Donovan turns to his top agent, Dick Canidy, and his team. They’ve certainly got their work cut out for them. In the weeks to come, they must fight not only the enemy in the field—and figure out how to sabotage Germany’s new “aerial torpedo” rockets—but also the enemy within. Someone is feeding Manhattan Project secrets to the Soviets. And if the Soviets build their own atomic bomb, winning the war might only lead to another, even more terrible conflict… FIRST TIME IN PAPERBACK

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THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS
M. L. Stedman
Cover of THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS

THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS

by M. L. Stedman · Scribner

2 wks on list

A novel set on a remote Australian island, where a childless couple live quietly running a lighthouse, until a boat carrying a baby washes ashore.

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TIME UNTIME
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Cover of TIME UNTIME

TIME UNTIME

by Sherrilyn Kenyon · St. Martin’s Press

1 wks on list

Prepare to enter a world full of richly imagined mythology - a world where dark and dangerous heroes fight to protect us. Prepare to enter an endless battle. Prepare to lose yourself . . . The Mayans aren't the only ones with a 2012 prophecy . . . Long before recorded history, there was a Keetoowah warrior so feared that everyone trembled before his wrath. Only a brutal betrayal by the one closest to him could defeat him. But not even death was the end of a man so strong. The Time Untime approaches . . . Kateri Avani has been plagued her entire life with dreams she doesn't understand: images of places she's never been and of a man she's never seen. Her quest for answers has driven her to Las Vegas where she hopes to finally silence the demons in her mind. What she never anticipates is coming face to face with the warrior who has haunted her her entire life. One who belongs to a world the scientist in her refuses to believe is real. Ren Waya came back from the dead to keep the prophecy he began from coming true and ending the world. For thousands of years, he has fought the same evil that once possessed him. But now that evil has found the one person he can't fight. The one person who, against his will, holds the most sacred part of him: his heart. But if he doesn't kill Kateri, the deadliest of evils will reemerge and destroy everyone else on the planet. It was a sacrifice he made once. Will he be able to make it again?

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BLACK LIST
Brad Thor
Cover of BLACK LIST

BLACK LIST

by Brad Thor · Emily Bestler/Atria

3 wks on list

From #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author Thor comes the follow-up to "Full Black," in which Scot Harvath, former Navy SEAL Team 6 member turned covert counterterrorism operative, joins forces with a fearsome member of the top-secret, all-female ATHENA team.

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FRIENDS FOREVER
Danielle Steel
Cover of FRIENDS FOREVER

FRIENDS FOREVER

by Danielle Steel · Delacorte Press

3 wks on list

Five children meet on their first day of school, one bright September morning. Drawn by that magical spark of connection that happens to the young, Gabby, Billy, Izzie, Andy and Sean – each bursting with their own personality, all with strikingly different looks and diverse talents – soon become an inseparable group, known to everyone else as the Big Five. As they grow up, their seemingly perfect lives are altered by families falling apart, unfortunate mistakes, and losses and victories great and small. Throughout their adolescence, the five are able to turn back to their trusted group to regain their footing and steady their course. But as they emerge from school, their futures seem neither safe nor clear. As their lives separate, the challenges and risks they face become greater, the losses sharper, and it becomes much harder to know the right path to choose. But despite life’s ups and downs, together they are able to face up to challenges with the help of the important bonds forged all those years ago. And the five realise just how lucky they are to treasure valuable friendships that last a lifetime.

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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

53 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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I, MICHAEL BENNETT
James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Cover of I, MICHAEL BENNETT

I, MICHAEL BENNETT

by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge · Little, Brown

5 wks on list

Police officers shot Detective Michael Bennett arrests an infamous Mexican crime lord in a deadly chase that leaves Bennett's lifelong friend Hughie McDonough dead. From jail, the prisoner vows to rain epic violence down upon New York City-and to get revenge on Michael Bennett. Judges murdered To escape the chaos, Bennett takes his ten kids and their beautiful nanny, Mary Catherine, on a much-needed vacation to his family's cabin near Newburgh, New York. But instead of the calm and happy town he remembers from growing up, they step into a nightmare worse than they could have ever imagined. Newburgh is an inferno of warring gangs, and there's little the police-or Bennett-can do to keep the children safe. Target: Michael Bennett As violence overwhelms the state, Bennett is torn between protecting his hometown and saving New York City. A partner in his investigations, federal prosecutor Tara McLellan, brings him new weapons for the battle-and an attraction that endangers his relationship with Mary Catherine. A no-holds-barred, pedal-to-the-floor, action-packed novel, I, Michael Bennett is James Patterson at his most personal and most thrilling best.

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SHADOW OF NIGHT
Deborah Harkness
Cover of SHADOW OF NIGHT

SHADOW OF NIGHT

by Deborah Harkness · Viking Press

5 wks on list

The #1 New York Times bestselling second installment in the All Souls series, from the author of The Discovery of Witches and The Black Bird Oracle. Look for the hit series “A Discovery of Witches,” now streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now, and Shudder! Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes reluctant witch Diana Bishop and vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew's old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782—the lost and enchanted manuscript whose mystery first pulled Diana and Matthew into one another's orbit—deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew's past tightens around them. Together they find they must embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey. “A captivating and romantic ripping yarn,”* Shadow of Night confirms Deborah Harkness as a master storyteller, able to cast an “addictive tale of magic, mayhem and two lovers”(Chicago Tribune).

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YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW
Lisa Jackson
Cover of YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW

YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW

by Lisa Jackson · Kensington

After spending the past two years in and out of Seattle mental institutions, unable to remember the details of her 2-year-old son Noah's disappearance, Ava returns to the family estate and, secretly visiting a hypnotist to restore her memories, discovers that her son may still be alive.

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