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Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of August 11, 2013

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THE CUCKOO'S CALLING
Robert Galbraith
Cover of THE CUCKOO'S CALLING

THE CUCKOO'S CALLING

by Robert Galbraith · Mullholland Books/Little, Brown

5 wks at #1 · 2 on list

***The 7th novel in the Strike series, THE RUNNING GRAVE, is coming in September 2023. Pre-order now and be the first to read it*** 'The Cuckoo's Calling reminds me why I fell in love with crime fiction in the first place' VAL MCDERMID ----- Now a major BBC drama: The Strike series When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case. Strike is a war veteran - wounded both physically and psychologically - and his life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model's complex world, the darker things get - and the closer he gets to terrible danger . . . A gripping, elegant mystery steeped in the atmosphere of London - from the hushed streets of Mayfair to the backstreet pubs of the East End to the bustle of Soho - The Cuckoo's Calling is a remarkable book. Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. *** The latest book in the thrilling Strike series, TROUBLED BLOOD, is out now! *** ----- PRAISE FOR THE STRIKE SERIES: 'One of the most unique and compelling detectives I've come across in years' MARK BILLINGHAM 'The work of a master storyteller' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Unputdownable. . . Irresistible' SUNDAY TIMES 'Will keep you up all night' OBSERVER 'A thoroughly enjoyable classic' PETER JAMES, SUNDAY EXPRESS

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INFERNO
Dan Brown
Cover of INFERNO

INFERNO

by Dan Brown · Doubleday

11 wks on list

Dans ses best-sellers internationaux, Da Vinci Code, Anges et Démons et Le Symbole perdu, Dan Brown mêle avec brio l’histoire, l’art, les codes et les symboles. En retrouvant ses thèmes favoris, Dan Brown a certainement construit l’un de ses romans les plus stupéfiants, au cœur des grands enjeux de notre époque. C’est l’une des plus grandioses œuvres de la littérature italienne, L’Enfer de Dante, qui est le fil conducteur de cette nouvelle aventure. En Italie, plongé dans une atmosphère aussi opaque que mystérieuse, le héros de Dan Brown, Robert Langdon, professeur de symbologie à Harvard va devoir affronter un adversaire diabolique sorti des limbes de l’Enfer et déchiffrer l’énigme la plus complexe de sa carrière. Elle le fait plonger dans un monde où l’art et la science de pointe tissent un écheveau qui exige de sa part toute son érudition et son courage pour le démêler. S’inspirant du poème épique de Dante, Langdon se lance dans une course contre la montre pour trouver des réponses et découvrir en traversant les Cercles de l’Enfer ceux qui détiennent la vérité... avant que le monde ne soit irrévocablement changé. Traduit l’anglais par Dominique Defert et Carole Delporte

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THE ENGLISH GIRL
Daniel Silva
Cover of THE ENGLISH GIRL

THE ENGLISH GIRL

by Daniel Silva · Harper

2 wks on list

Seven days One girl No second chances Madeline Hart is a rising star in Britain's governing party: beautiful, intelligent, driven by an impoverished childhood to succeed. But she is also a woman with a dark secret: she is the lover of Prime Minister Jonathan Lancaster. Somehow, her kidnappers have learned of the affair, and they intend to make the British leader pay dearly for his sins. Fearful of a scandal that will destroy his career, Lancaster decides to handle the matter privately rather than involve the British police. It is a risky gambit, not only for the prime minister but also for the operative who will conduct the search. You have seven days, or the girl dies. Enter Gabriel Allon—master assassin, art restorer and spy—who is no stranger to dangerous assignments or political intrigue. With the clock ticking, Gabriel embarks on a desperate attempt to bring Madeline home safely. His mission takes him from the criminal underworld of Marseilles to an isolated valley in the mountains of Provence to the stately if faded corridors of power in London—and, finally, to a pulse-pounding climax in Moscow, a city of violence and spies where there is a long list of men who wish Gabriel dead. From the novel's opening pages until the shocking ending when the true motives behind Madeline's disappearance are revealed, The English Girl will hold readers spellbound. It is a timely reminder that, in today's world, money often matters more than ideology. And it proves once again why Daniel Silva has been called his generation's finest writer of suspense and foreign intrigue.

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AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED
Khaled Hosseini
Cover of AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED

AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED

by Khaled Hosseini · Riverhead

10 wks on list

An unforgettable novel about finding a lost piece of yourself in someone else. Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

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GONE GIRL
Gillian Flynn
Cover of GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL

by Gillian Flynn · Crown

60 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 OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE
Neil Gaiman
Cover of THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE

by Neil Gaiman · Morrow/HarperCollins

6 wks on list

THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 'BOOK OF THE YEAR' AN ACCLAIMED WEST END THEATRE PRODUCTION ***** 'Neil Gaiman's entire body of work is a feat of elegant sorcery. He writes with such assurance and originality that the reader has no choice but to surrender to a waking dream' ARMISTEAD MAUPIN 'Some books just swallow you up, heart and soul' JOANNE HARRIS 'Summons both the powerlessness and wonder of childhood, and the complicated landscape of memory and forgetting' GUARDIAN --- 'My favourite response to this book is when people say, 'My childhood was nothing like that - and it was as if I was reading about me' NEIL GAIMAN --- This is what he remembers, as he sits by the ocean at the end of the lane: A dead man on the back seat of the car, and warm milk at the farmhouse. An ancient little girl, and an old woman who saw the moon being made. A beautiful housekeeper with a monstrous smile. And dark forces woken that were best left undisturbed. They are memories hard to believe, waiting at the edges of things. The recollections of a man who thought he was lost but is now, perhaps, remembering a time when he was saved . . . NEIL GAIMAN. WITH STORIES COME POSSIBILITIES.

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FIRST SIGHT
Danielle Steel
Cover of FIRST SIGHT

FIRST SIGHT

by Danielle Steel · Delacorte Press

2 wks on list

This cloth-bound special edition of Danielle Steel's First Sight is enhanced with gold leaf, comes with a special slip case, and is signed by the author. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Paris, L.A., and the world of ready to wear fashion provide rich backdrops for Danielle Steel's deeply involving story of a gifted designer whose talent and drive have brought her everything--except the ability to erase her past and trust relationships. FIRST SIGHT New York. London. Milan. Paris. Fashion Week in all four cities. A month of endless interviews, parties, and unflagging work and attention to detail at the semiannual ready to wear fashion shows--the famous prêt-à-porter. At the center of the storm and avalanche of work is American Timmie O'Neill, whose renowned line, Timmie O, is the embodiment of casual chic, in fashion and for the home. She has created a business that inspires, fills, and consumes her life. With an unerring instinct for what the next trend will be, an innate genius for business, tireless labor, and sheer fearlessness, starting from nothing, over two decades Timmie has built an international empire that has brought her enormous satisfaction and success. In a world where humility and compassion are all too rare, her humor, kindness, integrity, and creativity are inspirational. Yet as blessed as she feels by her success, Timmie harbors the private wounds of a devastating childhood and past tragedy. She is too smart, too experienced, and too hurt to want much in her personal life beyond a succession of convenient, very limited relationships. Always willing to take risks in business, she never risks her heart. But despite her well-ordered and highly controlled world, it turns out that Timmie O'Neill is not immune to magic when it strikes. And it strikes in Paris during Paris Fashion Week, when an intriguing Frenchman comes into her life when she gets sick. At first, Timmie and Jean-Charles Vernier are only patient and physician. They become confidants and friends, corresponding at a safe distance between Paris and Los Angeles once she goes home. There is every reason why they must remain apart. But neither can deny their growing friendship and the electricity that sparks whenever they meet. First Sight is as complex and compelling as modern life itself: careers, families, histories, losses, duty, obligation, and fear of losing control and getting hurt. It is a tale of daring to take risks, and losing control just enough to have a life, when the opportunity presents itself. When two very different worlds and strong-willed people collide, everything changes in an instant, as they confront the age-old question of whether to lay oneself bare and risk intimacy--or not. Are they brave enough to face what comes next? And will they do it together or apart? Praise for First Sight "A novel about love, in all its heartbreaking and splendid forms."--Kirkus Reviews "Steel is one of the world's most popular authors, and this poignant romance is sure to thrill her many loyal fans and reach many new readers, too."--Booklist "Steel deftly stages heartstring-tugging moments."--Publishers Weekly

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HIDDEN ORDER
Brad Thor
Cover of HIDDEN ORDER

HIDDEN ORDER

by Brad Thor · Emily Bestler/Atria

3 wks on list

#1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor returns with his hottest and most action-packed thriller yet! And don’t miss Free Fall: A Prelude to Hidden Order, available for free download now! The most secretive organization in America operates without any accountability to the American people. Hiding in the shadows, pretending to be part of the United States government, its power is beyond measure. Control of this organization has just been lost and the future of the nation thrust into peril. When the five candidates being considered to head this mysterious agency suddenly go missing, covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath is summoned to Washington and set loose on the most dangerous chase ever to play out on American soil. But as the candidates begin turning up murdered, the chase becomes an all-too-public spectacle, with every indicator suggesting that the plot has its roots in a shadowy American cabal founded in the 1700s. With the United States on the verge of collapse, Harvath must untangle a web of conspiracy centuries in the making and head off the greatest threat America has ever seen. This is thriller writing at its absolute best, where the stakes have never been higher, nor the line between good and evil so hard to discern.

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THE WHITE PRINCESS
Philippa Gregory
Cover of THE WHITE PRINCESS

THE WHITE PRINCESS

by Philippa Gregory · Touchstone

1 wks on list

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE FAIRMILE SERIES, PHILIPPA GREGORY, COMES THIS COMPELLING NOVEL. Somewhere beyond the shores of England, a Pretender is mustering an army. He claims to be brother to the queen, the true heir to the throne. When Henry Tudor picked up the crown of England from the mud of Bosworth Field, he knew he would have to marry the princess of the rival house – Elizabeth of York – in an effort to unify a country divided by war for nearly two decades. His bride was still in love with his enemy, and her mother and all the loyal House of York still dream of their missing heir making a triumphant return. Elizabeth faces a terrible dilemma: can she stand by a king whose support and courage are crumbling before her eyes? How can she choose between Tudor and York, between her new husband and the boy who claims to be her beloved lost brother. But is he the lost boy sent into the unknown by his mother, the White Queen, or a counterfeit prince? – a low-born enemy to Henry Tudor and his York princess wife? Praise for Philippa Gregory: ‘Meticulously researched and deeply entertaining, this story of betrayal and divided loyalties is Gregory on top form’ Good Housekeeping ‘Gregory has popularised Tudor history perhaps more than any other living fiction writer…all of her books feature strong, complex women, doing their best to improve their lives in worlds dominated by men’ Sunday Times ‘Engrossing’ Sunday Express ‘Popular historical fiction at its finest, immaculately researched and superbly told’ The Times

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BAD MONKEY
Carl Hiaasen
Cover of BAD MONKEY

BAD MONKEY

by Carl Hiaasen · Knopf

7 wks on list

Coming as an Apple Original series from Ted Lasso Executive Producer Bill Lawrence and starring Vince Vaughn • A wickedly funny novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Squeeze Me in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of what’s left of pristine Florida—now, of the Bahamas as well—get their comeuppance. “[A] comedic marvel … [Hiaasen] hasn’t written a novel this funny since Skinny Dip.”—The New York Times Andrew Yancy—late of the Miami Police and soon-to-be-late of the Monroe County sheriff’s office—has a human arm in his freezer. There’s a logical (Hiaasenian) explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its shadowy owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, the sheriff might rescue him from his grisly Health Inspector gig (it’s not called the roach patrol for nothing). But first—this being Hiaasen country—Yancy must negotiate an obstacle course of wildly unpredictable events with a crew of even more wildly unpredictable characters, including his just-ex lover, a hot-blooded fugitive from Kansas; the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; two avariciously optimistic real-estate speculators; the Bahamian voodoo witch known as the Dragon Queen, whose suitors are blinded unto death by her peculiar charms; Yancy’s new true love, a kinky coroner; and the eponymous bad monkey, who with hilarious aplomb earns his place among Carl Hiaasen’s greatest characters.

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SECOND HONEYMOON
James Patterson and Howard Roughan
Cover of SECOND HONEYMOON

SECOND HONEYMOON

by James Patterson and Howard Roughan · Little, Brown

5 wks on list

A walk down the aisle, a resort hotel, a drink on the beach...for these unlucky couples, the honeymoon's over. A newlywed couple steps into the sauna in their deluxe honeymoon suite--and never steps out again. When another couple is killed while boarding their honeymoon flight to Rome, it becomes clear that someone is targeting honeymooners, and it's anyone's guess which happy couple is next on the list. FBI Agent John O'Hara is deep into solving the case, while Special Agent Sarah Brubaker is hunting another ingenious serial killer, whose victims all have one chilling thing in common. As wedding hysteria rises to a frightening new level, John and Sarah work ever more closely together in a frantic attempt to decipher the logic behind two rampages. SECOND HONEYMOON is James Patterson's most mesmerizing, most exciting, and most surprising thriller ever.

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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

81 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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BOMBSHELL
Catherine Coulter
Cover of BOMBSHELL

BOMBSHELL

by Catherine Coulter · Putnam

3 wks on list

The number 1 New York Times–bestselling author is back with an electrifying new entry in the FBI series featuring Savich and Sherlock. FBI Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith, last seen in Backfire, has been recruited by Dillon Savich to join his unit in Washington, D.C. Savich sees something special in Hammersmith, an almost preternatural instinct for tracking criminals. While on his way to D.C., Hammersmith plans to visit his sister, Delsey, a student at Stanislaus School of Music in Maestro, Virginia. Before he arrives, he gets a phone call that Delsey was found naked, unconscious, and covered with blood after a wild party. The blood isn't hers—so who does it belong to? Meanwhile, back in D.C., Savich and Sherlock have their hands full when the grandson of former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank is found murdered, every bone in his body broken, and frozen at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. Was Savich right—is Griffin gifted with a unique ability to "see" how criminals think? And will he figure out who was behind the attempt on Delsey's life—before it's too late?

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LOVE, DISHONOR, MARRY, DIE, CHERISH, PERISH
David Rakoff
Cover of LOVE, DISHONOR, MARRY, DIE, CHERISH, PERISH

LOVE, DISHONOR, MARRY, DIE, CHERISH, PERISH

by David Rakoff · Doubleday

From the incomparable David Rakoff, a poignant, beautiful, witty, and wise novel in verse whose scope spans the twentieth century Through his books and his radio essays for NPR's This American Life, David Rakoff has built a deserved reputation as one of the finest and funniest essayists of our time. Written with humor, sympathy, and tenderness, this intricately woven novel proves him to be the master of an altogether different art form. LOVE, DISHONOR, MARRY, DIE, CHERISH, PERISH leaps cities and decades as Rakoff sings the song of an America whose freedoms can be intoxicating, or brutal. The characters' lives are linked to each other by acts of generosity or cruelty. A daughter of Irish slaughterhouse workers in early-twentieth-century Chicago faces a desperate choice; a hobo offers an unexpected refuge on the rails during the Great Depression; a vivacious aunt provides her clever nephew a path out of the crushed dream of postwar Southern California; an office girl endures the casually vicious sexism of 1950s Manhattan; the young man from Southern California revels in the electrifying sexual and artistic openness of 1960s San Francisco, then later tends to dying friends and lovers as the AIDS pandemic devastates the community he cherishes; a love triangle reveals the empty materialism of the Reagan years; a marriage crumbles under the distinction between self-actualization and humanity; as the new century opens, a man who has lost his way finds a measure of peace in a photograph he discovers in an old box—an image of pure and simple joy that unites the themes of this brilliantly conceived work. Rakoff's insistence on beauty and the necessity of kindness in a selfish world raises the novel far above mere satire. A critic once called Rakoff "magnificent," a word that perfectly describes this wonderful novel in verse.

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