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Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of October 21, 2012

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THE CASUAL VACANCY
J. K. Rowling
Cover of THE CASUAL VACANCY

THE CASUAL VACANCY

by J. K. Rowling · Little, Brown

3 wks at #1 · 2 on list

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils. . . Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? A big novel about a small town, THE CASUAL VACANCY is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.

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MAD RIVER
John Sandford
Cover of MAD RIVER

MAD RIVER

by John Sandford · Putnam

1 wks on list

The sixth Virgil Flowers novel by internationally bestselling author John Sandford Bonnie and Clyde, they thought. And what's-his-name, the sidekick. Three teenagers with dead-end lives, and chips on their shoulders, and guns. The first person they killed was a highway patrolman. The second was a woman during a robbery. Then, hell, why not keep on going? As their crime spree cuts a swath through rural Minnesota, some of it captured on the killers' cell phones and sent to a local television station, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator Virgil Flowers joins the growing army of cops trying to run them down. But even he doesn't realize what's about to happen next. * * * Praise for John Sandford and the Virgil Flowers novels * * * ‘Along the way to the satisfying ending, Virgil displays the rough humor and rough justice that make him such an appealing character’ Publishers Weekly on Deep Freeze ‘A knowing portrait of small-town life layered into a very well plotted mystery. Virgil understands that, in small towns, no one ever outgrows high school... One of the very best novels in a superior series’Booklist (starred review) on Deep Freeze ‘Add a gripping storyline, a generous helping of exquisitely conceived characters and laugh-out-loud humor that produce explosive guffaws, not muted chuckles, and you’re in for the usual late-night, don’t-even-think-of-stopping treat when Flowers hits town’ Richmond Times-Dispatch on Deep Freeze ‘An outstanding novel’ Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Escape Clause ‘Perfect entertainment’ Kirkus Reviews on Escape Clause

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WINTER OF THE WORLD
Ken Follett
Cover of WINTER OF THE WORLD

WINTER OF THE WORLD

by Ken Follett · Dutton

3 wks on list

Winter of the World is the second novel in Ken Follett’s uniquely ambitious Century trilogy. On its own or read in sequence with Fall of Giants and Edge of Eternity, this is a gripping epic of global conflict and personal drama. A BATTLE OF IDEALS 1933, and at Cambridge, Lloyd Williams is drawn to irresistible socialite Daisy Peshkov, who represents everything that his left-wing family despise, but Daisy is more interested in aristocratic Boy Fitzherbert, a leading light of the British Union of Fascists. AN EVIL UPRISING Berlin is in turmoil. Eleven-year-old Carla von Ulrich struggles to understand the tensions disrupting her family as Hitler strengthens his grip on Germany. Many are resolved to oppose Hitler’s brutal regime – but are they willing to betray their country? A GLOBAL CONFLICT ON A SCALE NEVER SEEN BEFORE Shaken by the tyranny and the prospect of war, five interconnected families’ lives become ever more enmeshed. An international clash of military power and personal beliefs is sweeping the world, but what will this new war mean for those who must live through it? *Ken Follett’s Column of Fire was an instant Sunday Times HB bestseller when it published in 2017

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GONE GIRL
Gillian Flynn
Cover of GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL

by Gillian Flynn · Crown

18 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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THE TIME KEEPER
Mitch Albom
Cover of THE TIME KEEPER

THE TIME KEEPER

by Mitch Albom · Hyperion

5 wks on list

FROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER WHOSE BOOKS HAVE TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 40 MILLION READERS 'Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary' Cecilia Ahern __________ Banished for centuries, as punishment for trying to measure time, the inventor of the world's first clock is finally granted his freedom, along with a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two people the true meaning of time. He embarks on a journey with two unlikely partners: a teenage girl who is about to give up on life and a wealthy, ageing businessman who wants to live for ever. To save himself, he must save them both. Gripping, and filled with deep human truth, this unforgettable story will inspire readers everywhere to reconsider their own notions of time and just how precious it truly is. __________ WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT THE TIME KEEPER 'As usual, Albom kept me completely captivated throughout this entire book. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer!' 'A touching story which everyone can relate to. This book is philosophical, touching and insightful - a true gem' 'Another awesome read . . . Wish his books went on forever' 'One of the best books I have ever read!' 'An absolute masterpiece! This one book provides much wisdom'

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A WANTED MAN
Lee Child
Cover of A WANTED MAN

A WANTED MAN

by Lee Child · Delacorte Press

4 wks on list

A masterpiece of suspense from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child Four people in a car, hoping to make Chicago by morning. One man driving, eyes on the road. Another man next to him, telling stories that don’t add up. A woman in the back, silent and worried. And next to her, a huge man with a broken nose, hitching a ride east to Virginia. An hour behind them, a man lies stabbed to death in an old pumping station. He was seen going in with two others, but he never came out. He has been executed, the knife work professional, the killers vanished. Within minutes, the police are notified. Within hours, the FBI descends, laying claim to the victim without ever saying who he was or why he was there. All Reacher wanted was a ride to Virginia. All he did was stick out his thumb. But he soon discovers he has hitched more than a ride. He has tied himself to a massive conspiracy that makes him a threat—to both sides at once. In Lee Child’s white-hot thriller, nothing is what it seems, and nobody is telling the truth. As the tension rises, the twists come fast and furious, keeping readers guessing and gasping until the explosive finale. Praise for #1 bestselling author Lee Child and his Reacher series “Child is a superb craftsman of suspense.”—Entertainment Weekly “The truth about Reacher gets better and better.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times “Implausible, irresistible Reacher remains just about the best butt-kicker in thriller-lit.”—Kirkus Reviews “Like his hero Jack Reacher, Lee Child seems to make no wrong steps.”—Associated Press “Lee Child [is] the current poster-boy of American crime fiction.”—Los Angeles Times “Indisputably the best escape artist in this escapist genre.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times “Jack Reacher is much more like the heir to the Op and Marlowe than Spenser ever was.”—Esquire

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DARK STORM
Christine Feehan
Cover of DARK STORM

DARK STORM

by Christine Feehan · Berkley

1 wks on list

Return to the “steamy and dreamy” (Publishers Weekly) world of Christine Feehan’s #1 New York Times bestselling Carpathian novels as thundering passions signal a dark force on the horizon... Buried alive for hundreds of years in a volcano in South America, Dax worries that he has become the abomination that every Carpathian male fears, a victim of the insidious evil that has crept relentlessly into his mind and body over the centuries. But Dax isn’t the only one emerging from the darkness... His name is Mitro, and he once stood by the side of the prince of the Carpathian people. Now he is the epitome of malevolence, and perpetrator of one of the most shocking killing sprees known to man. No one escaped the bloodshed, including his lifemate, Arabejila. Now, between Dax and Mitro, a violent game has begun—one that has marked Riley Parker, the last descendent of Arabejila, as the reward.

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LIVE BY NIGHT
Dennis Lehane
Cover of LIVE BY NIGHT

LIVE BY NIGHT

by Dennis Lehane · Morrow/HarperCollins

1 wks on list

Joe Coughlin is nineteen when he meets Emma Gould. A smalltime thief in 1920s Boston, he is told to cuff her while his accomplices raid the casino she works for. But Joe falls in love with Emma - and his life changes for ever. That meeting is the beginning of Joe's journey to becoming one of the nation's most feared and respected gangsters. It is a journey beset by violence, double-crossing, drama and pain. And it is a journey into the soul of prohibition-era America... A powerful, deeply moving novel, Live By Night is a tour-de-force by Dennis Lehane, writer on The Wire and author of modern classics such as Shutter Island, Gone, Baby, Gone and The Given Day.

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PHANTOM
Jo Nesbø
Cover of PHANTOM

PHANTOM

by Jo Nesbø · Knopf

1 wks on list

**DETECTIVE HOLE IS NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES** 'Expertly plotted and structured...relentlessly paced...a compulsive page turner' Independent on Sunday __________________________ Harry Hole is in trouble. The police don't want him back... After the horrors of a case that nearly cost him his life, Harry Hole left Oslo and the police force far behind him. Now he's back, but the case he's come to investigate is already closed, and the suspect already behind bars. The criminals don't want him back... Denied permission to reopen the investigation, Harry strikes out on his own, quickly discovering a trail of violence and mysterious disappearances apparently unnoticed by the police. At every turn, Harry is faced with a wall of silence. But Harry is not the only one interested in the case. From the moment he steps off the plane, someone is watching his every move. ...Someone wants him silenced _______________________ *JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 60 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE*

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THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER
Junot Díaz
Cover of THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER

THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER

by Junot Díaz · Riverhead

4 wks on list

Finalist for the 2012 National Book Award A Time and People Top 10 Book of 2012 Finalist for the 2012 Story Prize Chosen as a notable or best book of the year by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The LA Times, Newsday, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, the iTunes bookstore, and many more... "Electrifying." –The New York Times Book Review “Exhibits the potent blend of literary eloquence and street cred that earned him a Pulitzer Prize… Díaz’s prose is vulgar, brave, and poetic.” –O Magazine From the award-winning author, a stunning collection that celebrates the haunting, impossible power of love. On a beach in the Dominican Republic, a doomed relationship flounders. In a New Jersey laundry room, a woman does her lover’s washing and thinks about his wife. In Boston, a man buys his love child, his only son, a first baseball bat and glove. At the heart of these stories is the irrepressible, irresistible Yunior, a young hardhead whose longing for love is equaled only by his recklessness--and by the extraordinary women he loves and loses. In prose that is endlessly energetic, inventive, tender, and funny, these stories lay bare the infinite longing and inevitable weakness of the human heart. They remind us that passion always triumphs over experience, and that “the half-life of love is forever.”

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THIS BOOK IS FULL OF SPIDERS
David Wong
Cover of THIS BOOK IS FULL OF SPIDERS

THIS BOOK IS FULL OF SPIDERS

by David Wong · Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's

1 wks on list

Fan favourite David Wong takes readers to a whole new level with this blistering sequel to the cult sensation John Dies at the End, now a movie starring Paul Giamatti. As the sequel opens, we find our heroes, David and John, again embroiled in a series of horrifying yet mind-bogglingly ridiculous events caused primarily by their own gross incompetence. The guys find that books and movies about zombies may have triggered a zombie apocalypse, despite a complete lack of zombies in the world. As they race against the clock to protect humanity from its own paranoia, they must ask themselves, who are the real monsters? Actually, that would be the shape-shifting horrors secretly taking over the world behind the scenes that, in the end, make John and Dave kind of wish it had been zombies after all. Hilarious, terrifying, engaging and wrenching, This Book Is Full of Spiders, the next thrilling installment, takes us for a wild ride with two slackers from the midwest who really have better things to do with their time than prevent the apocalypse.

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LOW PRESSURE
Sandra Brown
Cover of LOW PRESSURE

LOW PRESSURE

by Sandra Brown · Grand Central

3 wks on list

Number One New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with another suspenseful thriller Bellamy Lyston Price was only 12 years old when her older sister Susan was killed on a stormy Memorial Day. Bellamy's fear of storms is a legacy of the tornado that destroyed the crime scene as well as her memory of one vital fact that still eludes her . . . Now, 18 years later, Bellamy has written a novel based on Susan's murder. It's her first book, and it's an instant sensation. But because the novel is based on the most traumatic event of her life, she's published it under a pseudonym to protect herself and her family. But when a sleazy reporter for a tabloid newspaper discovers that the book is based on a real crime, Bellamy's identity -- and dark family secrets -- are exposed. Suddenly, she finds herself embroiled in a personal conflict and at the mercy of her sister's killer, who for almost two decades has gotten away with murder . . . and will stop at nothing to keep it that way. Praise for Sandra Brown 'Suspense that has teeth' Stephen King 'Lust, jealousy, and murder suffuse Brown's crisp thriller' Publishers Weekly 'An edge-of-the-seat thriller that's full of twists . . . Top stuff!' Star

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THE ROUND HOUSE
Louise Erdrich
Cover of THE ROUND HOUSE

THE ROUND HOUSE

by Louise Erdrich · Harper/HarperCollins

"[In this] story of a young Ojibwa girl, Omakayas, living on an island in Lake Superior around 1847, Louise Erdrich is reversing the narrative perspective used in most children's stories about nineteenth-century Native Americans. Instead of looking out at 'them' as dangers or curiosities, Erdrich, drawing on her family's history, wants to tell about 'us', from the inside. The Birchbark House establishes its own ground, in the vicinity of Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Little House' books." --The New York Times Book Review

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