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Hardcover Fiction

Week of March 31, 2013

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GONE GIRL
Gillian Flynn
Cover of GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL

by Gillian Flynn · Crown

41 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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ALEX CROSS, RUN
James Patterson
Cover of ALEX CROSS, RUN

ALEX CROSS, RUN

by James Patterson · Little, Brown

4 wks on list

Kill Alex Cross was "Patterson at the top of his game" (Washington Post). Alex Cross, Run is even better. DON'T LOOK, ALEX CROSS Top plastic surgeon Elijah Creem is renowned for his skills in the operating room, and for his wild, no-expense-spared "industry parties," bringing in underage exotic dancers and models for nights of drugs, champagne, and uninhibited sex. That is, until Detective Alex Cross busts one of Creem's lavish soirees and ruins his fun. Now Creem is willing to do anything to avoid going to jail. DON'T THINK, ALEX CROSS But Alex doesn't have time to dwell on that case. A beautiful woman has been found murdered in her car, a lock of her hair viciously ripped off. Then a second woman is found hanging from a sixth-floor window with a brutal scar slashed across her stomach. When a third mutilated body is discovered, rumors of three serial killers on the loose send Washington D.C. into an all-out frenzy. JUST RUN Alex is under so much pressure to solve these three grim cases that he hasn't noticed that someone else investigating him-someone so obsessed and so twisted that they'll do anything-ANYTHING- to get the vengeance they require. Alex Cross, Run is James Patterson's most unrelenting story yet-a white-hot, sensational thrill ride with the most extreme and gripping characters Patterson has ever brought to life.

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A WEEK IN WINTER
Maeve Binchy
Cover of A WEEK IN WINTER

A WEEK IN WINTER

by Maeve Binchy · Knopf

5 wks on list

After many happy years of marriage and raising a family, Brian and Kathleen suddenly find themselves a bit lost in life. Midwesterners who’ve never traveled, Kathleen decides that what she and Brian need is a vacation, and with the help of an enthusiastic travel agent she plans a trip to Ireland in search of her roots. In beautiful, quaint Lisdoonvarna, to the couple’s surprise, they find themselves in the midst of a joyous yearly gathering dedicated to celebrating the life and work of a late Irish poet, and they rediscover something much more important than evidence of long-dead ancestors: their love for each other and for life itself.

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BREAKING POINT
C. J. Box
Cover of BREAKING POINT

BREAKING POINT

by C. J. Box · Putnam

1 wks on list

The thrilling new Joe Pickett novel from the New York Times–bestselling author. Critics called Force of Nature an“amazing” (Associated Press), “outstanding” (Minneapolis Star Tribune), “warp speed . . . showdown between good and evil” (The Denver Post). “This is the best Box I’ve ever read, and I’ve read them all” (Library Journal). Breaking Point, however, takes Joe Pickett into uncharted territory. The question is: What will he do when he gets there? Joe Pickett always liked Butch Roberson—a hard-working local business owner whose daughter is friends with Joe’s girls. Little does he know that when Butch says he’s heading into the mountains to scout elk, he is actually going on the run. Two EPA employees have been murdered and all signs point to Butch as the killer. Joe learns that the land Butch and his wife had bought to retire on was declared a protected wetland by the EPA, and the subsequent fines have torn the family apart. Finally, it seems, the man just cracked. It’s an awful story, but is it the whole story? The more Joe investigates, the more he begins to wonder—and he soon finds himself in the middle of a war in which he must choose sides.

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THE STRIKER
Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
Cover of THE STRIKER

THE STRIKER

by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott · Putnam

2 wks on list

The Striker is the sixth novel in Clive Cussler's Isaac Bell series. It is 1902, and a bright, inexperienced young man named Isaac Bell, only two years out of his apprenticeship at the Van Dorn Detective Agency, has an urgent message for his boss. Hired to hunt for radical unionist saboteurs in the coal mines, he is witness to a terrible accident. And it begins to become clear that the trouble doesn't stop with the men he's looking for. Much bigger stakes are in play. Little does he know just how big . Given exactly one week to prove his case, Bell quickly finds himself pitted against two of the most ruthless opponents he has ever known, men of staggering ambition and cold-bloodedness . . . who are not about to let some wet-behind-the-ears detective stand in their way. In The Striker we meet Isaac Bell early in his career in an adventure that would show him just how dangerous and exciting his chosen profession would turn out to be. From the master of adventure and action and creator of the Dirk Pitt Adventure series comes The Striker, the sixth exciting installment in the Isaac Bell detective series. Following The Thief and The Race, The Striker is another nail-biting, action-packed historical thriller from Top 10 bestselling author Clive Cussler. Praise for Clive Cussler: 'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily Mail 'The guy I read' Tom Clancy 'The Adventure King' Daily Express

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BLOODFIRE QUEST
Terry Brooks
Cover of BLOODFIRE QUEST

BLOODFIRE QUEST

by Terry Brooks · Ballantine

1 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The adventure that started in Wards of Faerie takes a thrilling new turn, in the second novel of Terry Brooks’s brand-new trilogy—The Dark Legacy of Shannara! The quest for the long-lost Elfstones has drawn the leader of the Druid order and her followers into the hellish dimension known as the Forbidding, where the most dangerous creatures banished from the Four Lands are imprisoned. Now the hunt for the powerful talismans that can save their world has become a series of great challenges: a desperate search for kidnapped comrades, a relentless battle against unspeakable predators, and a grim race to escape the Forbidding alive. But though freedom is closer than they know, it may come at a terrifying price. Back in the village of Arborlon, the mystical, sentient tree that maintains the barrier between the Four Lands and the Forbidding is dying. And with each passing day, as the breach between the two worlds grows larger, the threat of the evil eager to spill forth and wreak havoc grows more dire. The only hope lies with a young Druid, faced with a staggering choice: cling to the life she cherishes or combat an army of darkness by making the ultimate sacrifice. Includes a preview of the next book in the Dark Legacy of Shannara series, Witch Wraith Praise for Bloodfire Quest “Explodes from the first page . . . and the action doesn’t stop until the novel’s cliffhanger ending. . . . Intense and exhilarating . . . The author balances character development with intense action, and he has a gift for creating characters the reader cares about. Brooks is one of the best fantasy writers in the business, and Bloodfire Quest is better than its predecessor.”—Associated Press “Shannara fans will delight in Brooks’s sorcerous action, skilled characterizations, and rapid-fire storytelling twists.”—Publishers Weekly “Brooks mixes things up here with several sharp battle scenes, for which he brings his distinct talent, giving a true grandeur to clashes involving terrifying creatures and powerful magic. . . . A fine middle chapter to Brooks’ latest Shannara adventure.”—Kirkus Reviews “From the first pages to the harrowing ending, Bloodfire Quest . . . is a thrill ride that will leave readers wanting more. . . . This volume, paired with the first, might be just the right place to introduce new readers to this fine writer.”—Booklist (starred review) Praise for Terry Brooks “I can’t even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks’s books I’ve read (and reread) over the years. From Shannara to Landover, his work was a huge part of my childhood.”—Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind “Terry Brooks has been my constant companion over a lifetime of exploring my beloved fantasy genre. I say with all honesty I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara. If Tolkien is the grandfather of modern fantasy, Terry Brooks is its favorite uncle.”—Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Desert Spear “Terry Brooks is a master of the craft and a trailblazer who established fantasy as a viable genre. Not only do I owe him for many hours of reading pleasure, I owe him my job. He is required reading.”—Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Angel Trilogy

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CALCULATED IN DEATH
J. D. Robb
Cover of CALCULATED IN DEATH

CALCULATED IN DEATH

by J. D. Robb · Putnam

3 wks on list

Lieutenant Eve Dallas must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke’s world of big business to uncover the identity of a hit man in this thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series. On Manhattan’s East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better. A well-off accountant and a beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn’t seem the type to be on anyone’s hit list. But when Eve and her partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the lieutenant knows Marta’s murder was the work of a killer who’s trained, but not professional or smart enough to remove all the evidence. But when someone steals the files out of Marta’s office and the killer’s violent streak begins to escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it means using herself as bait…

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FROST BURNED
Patricia Briggs
Cover of FROST BURNED

FROST BURNED

by Patricia Briggs · Ace

2 wks on list

Shapeshifter and mate of the local werewolf pack's Alpha, Mercy Thompson, discovers the entire pack has been abducted while she was in a minor fender bender with her stepdaughter in the seventh novel of the series following River Marked. Original. 250,000 first printing.

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DAMASCUS COUNTDOWN
Joel C. Rosenberg
Cover of DAMASCUS COUNTDOWN

DAMASCUS COUNTDOWN

by Joel C. Rosenberg · Tyndale House

2 wks on list

Book 3 in the bestselling 3-book espionage and spy thriller series that has sold 700,000 copies! " Damascus Countdown is fantastic! Rosenberg always keeps me riveted." —Rush Limbaugh, radio host This time, all eyes are not just on Iran, but on Syria as well. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads—and causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. U.S. President William Jackson threatens to support a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression. Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted information indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing missile strikes on Iran but also from the increasingly hostile and suspicious governments of multiple countries, David and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before disaster strikes. A Christian thriller that combines nail-biting action and deep faith International political intrigue with a focus on the Middle East Perfect for fans of fast-paced suspense novels inspired by current events

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THE DINNER
Herman Koch
Cover of THE DINNER

THE DINNER

by Herman Koch · Hogarth Press

5 wks on list

THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER THAT'S GOT EVERYONE TALKING... A summer's evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant. Between mouthfuls of food and over the delicate scraping of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of politeness - the banality of work, the triviality of holidays. But the empty words hide a terrible conflict and, with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened... Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. Together, the boys have committed a horrifying act, caught on camera, and their grainy images have been beamed into living rooms across the nation; despite a police manhunt, the boys remain unidentified - by everyone except their parents. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children and, as civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love. SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS - INTERNATIONAL AUTHOR OF THE YEAR LONGLISTED FOR THE IMPAC DUBLIN LITERARY AWARDS 'A brilliantly addictive novel that wraps its hands around your throat on page one and doesn't let go' -- SJ Watson

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A MEMORY OF LIGHT
Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Cover of A MEMORY OF LIGHT

A MEMORY OF LIGHT

by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson · Tor/Tom Doherty

10 wks on list

The Wheel of Time is now an original series on Prime Video, starring Rosamund Pike as Moiraine! With Robert Jordan’s untimely passing in 2007, Brandon Sanderson, the New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn novels and the Stormlight Archive, was chosen by Jordan’s editor—his wife, Harriet McDougal—to complete the final volume in The Wheel of Time®, later expanded to three books. In A Memory of Light, the fourteenth and concluding novel in Jordan’s #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, the armies of Light gather to fight in Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle, to save the Westland nations from the shadow forces of the Dark One. Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, is ready to fulfill his destiny. To defeat the enemy that threatens them all, he must convince his reluctant allies that his plan—as foolhardy and dangerous as it appears—is their only chance to stop the Dark One’s ascension and secure a lasting peace. But if Rand’s course of action fails, the world will be engulfed in shadow. Across the land, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene engage in battle with Shadowspawn, Trollocs, Darkfriends, and other creatures of the Blight. Sacrifices are made, lives are lost, but victory is unassured. For when Rand confronts the Dark One in Shayol Ghul, he is bombarded with conflicting visions of the future that reveal there is more at stake for humanity than winning the war. Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters. The last six books in series were all instant #1 New York Times bestsellers, and The Eye of the World was named one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read. The Wheel of Time® New Spring: The Novel #1 The Eye of the World #2 The Great Hunt #3 The Dragon Reborn #4 The Shadow Rising #5 The Fires of Heaven #6 Lord of Chaos #7 A Crown of Swords #8 The Path of Daggers #9 Winter's Heart #10 Crossroads of Twilight #11 Knife of Dreams By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson #12 The Gathering Storm #13 Towers of Midnight #14 A Memory of Light By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons The Wheel of Time Companion By Robert Jordan and Amy Romanczuk Patterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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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

64 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 CHANCE
Karen Kingsbury
Cover of THE CHANCE

THE CHANCE

by Karen Kingsbury · Howard Books

2 wks on list

From the New York Times bestselling author of Someone Like You comes a heartwarming story about childhood friends, broken lives, and an age-old promise, proving it’s never too late for love. Years ago, the day before Ellie moved from Georgia to California, she and her best friend Nolan sat beneath the Spanish moss of an ancient oak tree and wrote letters to each other, sealing them in a rusty old metal box. The plan was to return eleven years later and read them in 2013, the year Nolan’s time traveling books say all the mysteries of the world will be understood. Now, as that date approaches, much has changed. Ellie, bereft of the faith she grew up with, is a single mom living in a tired apartment and trying to make ends meet. Nolan, now an NBA star, has dealt with terrible personal tragedies that fueled his faith and athletic drive in equal measure. Ever since his father and coach succumbed to a heart attack, Nolan has suffered from a transcendent loneliness. Drowning in an ocean of grief, he often thinks about Ellie and the innocence of their childhood days together. As Ellie and Nolan move toward the possibility of a reunion at the oak tree, Molly and Ryan, the central characters from author Karen Kingsbury’s previous novel The Bridge, return in their own ongoing story. Written by the “Queen of Christian Fiction” (Time) with eloquence and grace, The Chance is a beautiful tale of heart-wrenching loss, the power of faith, and the wounds that only love can heal.

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TENTH OF DECEMBER
George Saunders
Cover of TENTH OF DECEMBER

TENTH OF DECEMBER

by George Saunders · Random House

10 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF TIME’S TEN BEST FICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY AND BUZZFEED • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: People, The New York Times Magazine, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, New York, The Telegraph, BuzzFeed, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Shelf Awareness Includes an extended conversation with David Sedaris One of the most important and blazingly original writers of his generation, George Saunders is an undisputed master of the short story, and Tenth of December is his most honest, accessible, and moving collection yet. In the taut opener, “Victory Lap,” a boy witnesses the attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced with a harrowing choice: Does he ignore what he sees, or override years of smothering advice from his parents and act? In “Home,” a combat-damaged soldier moves back in with his mother and struggles to reconcile the world he left with the one to which he has returned. And in the title story, a stunning meditation on imagination, memory, and loss, a middle-aged cancer patient walks into the woods to commit suicide, only to encounter a troubled young boy who, over the course of a fateful morning, gives the dying man a final chance to recall who he really is. A hapless, deluded owner of an antiques store; two mothers struggling to do the right thing; a teenage girl whose idealism is challenged by a brutal brush with reality; a man tormented by a series of pharmaceutical experiments that force him to lust, to love, to kill—the unforgettable characters that populate the pages of Tenth of December are vividly and lovingly infused with Saunders’s signature blend of exuberant prose, deep humanity, and stylistic innovation. Writing brilliantly and profoundly about class, sex, love, loss, work, despair, and war, Saunders cuts to the core of the contemporary experience. These stories take on the big questions and explore the fault lines of our own morality, delving into the questions of what makes us good and what makes us human. Unsettling, insightful, and hilarious, the stories in Tenth of December—through their manic energy, their focus on what is redeemable in human beings, and their generosity of spirit—not only entertain and delight; they fulfill Chekhov’s dictum that art should “prepare us for tenderness.” GEORGE SAUNDERS WAS NAMED ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD BY TIME MAGAZINE

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THE SUPREMES AT EARL'S ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
Edward Kelsey Moore
Cover of THE SUPREMES AT EARL'S ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT

THE SUPREMES AT EARL'S ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT

by Edward Kelsey Moore · Knopf

'Absolutely, positively an incredible read!!!! I found myself laughing out loud, yet also feeling pain for the Supremes as they faced life's challenges... I am now a #1 fan!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Pull up a chair by the window table at Big Earl's diner and meet the Supremes: three women from Plainview, Indiana, who've been best friends since their high school days in the 1960s. Through life's ups and down the Supremes are always by each other's side... There's Clarice, a pious wife and mother who is struggling with her husband's infidelity; Barbara Jean, who must confront the tragic reverberations of a youthful love affair; and Odette, whose fearlessness has saved her friends many times, but who now faces a terrifying situation of her own. Over iced tea and pecan pie, through forty years of marriage, children, happiness and the blues, the inseparable trio take on the world together. Come join them as they share the juiciest gossip, the occasional tear, and the most uproarious laughter... at the same time, at the same table, at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat. Readers are falling in love with the Supremes: 'I laughed, I cried... I loved every minute of it... I wonder what the Supremes are doing right now... Wonderful' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I LOVED this book... I couldn't get enough of it... It is a wonderful book that can take you, in one sitting, from laughing out loud (which Mama Dora, the tent revival, and wedding scene all do!) to sobbing (I'll save spoiler details here), back to laughing out loud again' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A warm, richly-woven book that is both moving and funny... I laughed and cried along with the central characters... there is a wedding scene that will make you cry with laughter... I love this novel for its quirky unfolding of life in a small American town... a quirky and utterly delightful read' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I literally laughed out loud (and sniffed a few tears, I admit)... Read it and enjoy!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Funny, witty, heartfelt.... Touching, soothing, makes you believe in love and friendship, triggers a good laugh. A real tingling bubble bath for the soul!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This book feels so REAL!... Everyone is so very realistically drawn. I just love this book' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I loved this book. Every time I sat down to read, I slipped comfortably into the story and felt like I was an honorary Supreme... I truly did not want the story to end' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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