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Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of April 23, 2017

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THE BLACK BOOK
James Patterson and David Ellis
Cover of THE BLACK BOOK

THE BLACK BOOK

by James Patterson and David Ellis · Little, Brown

3 wks at #1 · 2 on list

How can you prove your innocence when you can't remember the crime?Being a cop runs in Billy Harney's family. The son of Chicago's Chief of Detectives whose twin sister, Patti, also followed in their father's footsteps, Billy would give up everything for the job, including his life. After a brutal shooting, Billy is left for dead alongside his tempestuous former partner and an ambitious assistant district attorney out for blood. But somehow Billy survives. He remembers nothing about the events leading up to the shootout and is charged with double murder.Desperate to clear his name, Billy retraces his steps to get to the bottom of what happened. When he discovers the existence of a little black book that everyone who's anyone in Chicago will stop at nothing to get their hands on, Billy suspects it contains the truth that will either set him free, or confirm his worst fears...

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ALL BY MYSELF, ALONE
Mary Higgins Clark
Cover of ALL BY MYSELF, ALONE

ALL BY MYSELF, ALONE

by Mary Higgins Clark · Simon & Schuster

1 wks on list

The thrilling new novel from the multi-million copy global bestselling author, 'Queen of Suspense' Mary Higgins Clark. A glamorous cruise on a luxurious ocean liner turns deadly... Fleeing the humiliating arrest of her husband-to-be on the eve of their wedding, Celia Kilbride, a gems and jewellery expert, hopes to escape from public attention by lecturing on a brand-new cruise ship, the Queen Charlotte. On board she meets eighty-six-year-old Lady Emily Haywood – the owner of a priceless emerald necklace that she intends to leave to a museum after the cruise. But three days out to sea Lady Emily is found dead – with the necklace missing. And the list of suspects is large and growing. Celia sets out to find the killer, not realizing that she has put herself in mortal danger before the ship reaches its final destination…

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THE CHOSEN
J. R. Ward
Cover of THE CHOSEN

THE CHOSEN

by J. R. Ward · Ballantine

1 wks on list

A scorching forbidden love threatens to tear a rift through the Black Dagger Brotherhood in J. R. Ward's newest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards, convicted of treason against the Blind King, is facing a brutal interrogation and torturous death at the hands of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Yet after a life marked by cruelty and evil deeds, he accepts his soldier's fate, his sole regret the loss of a sacred female who was never his: the Chosen Layla. Layla alone knows the truth that will save Xcor's life. But revealing his sacrifice and his hidden heritage will expose them both and destroy everything Layla holds dear - even her role of mother to her precious young. Torn between love and loyalty, she must summon the courage to stand up against the only family she has for the only man she will ever love. Yet even if Xcor is somehow granted a reprieve, he and Layla would have to confront a graver challenge: bridging the chasm that divides their worlds without paving the way for a future of even greater war, desolation and death. As a dangerous old enemy returns to Caldwell, and the identity of a new deity is revealed, nothing is certain or safe in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, not even true love . . . or destinies that have long seemed set in stone.

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THE LOST ORDER
Steve Berry
Cover of THE LOST ORDER

THE LOST ORDER

by Steve Berry · Minotaur

1 wks on list

The Lost Order continues renowned New York Times bestseller Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone series with another riveting, history-based thriller. The Knights of the Golden Circle was the largest and most dangerous clandestine organization in American history. It amassed billions in stolen gold and silver, all buried in hidden caches across the United States. Since 1865 treasure hunters have searched, but little of that immense wealth has ever been found. Now, one hundred and sixty years later, two factions of what remains of the Knights of the Golden Circle want that lost treasure—one to spend it for their own ends, the other to preserve it. Thrust into this battle is former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone, whose connection to the knights is far deeper than he ever imagined. At the center is the Smithsonian Institution—linked to the knights, its treasure, and Malone himself through an ancestor, a Confederate spy named Angus “Cotton” Adams, whose story holds the key to everything. Complicating matters are the political ambitions of a reckless Speaker of the House and the bitter widow of a United States Senator, who together are planning radical changes to the country. And while Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt face the past, ex-president Danny Daniels and Stephanie Nelle confront a new and unexpected challenge, a threat that may cost one of them their life. From the backrooms of the Smithsonian to the deepest woods in rural Arkansas, and finally up into the rugged mountains of northern New Mexico, The Lost Order by Steve Berry is a perilous adventure into our country’s dark past, and a potentially even darker future.

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MISSISSIPPI BLOOD
Greg Iles
Cover of MISSISSIPPI BLOOD

MISSISSIPPI BLOOD

by Greg Iles · Morrow/HarperCollins

3 wks on list

A father on trial for murder. A son whose world is falling apart. The No.1 New York Times bestselling final volume of the ground-breaking Natchez Burning Trilogy by Greg Iles.

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THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE
Jessica Shattuck
Cover of THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE

THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE

by Jessica Shattuck · Morrow/HarperCollins

2 wks on list

In war they made impossible choices. Now can they live with them? 'Moving . . . surprises and devastates' New York Times 'Masterful' People 'Mesmerising . . . reveals new truths about one of history's most tragic eras' USA Today The Third Reich has crumbled. The Russians are coming. Marianne von Lingenfels - widow of a resister murdered by the Nazi regime - finds refuge in the crumbling Bavarian castle where she once played host to German high society. There she fulfils her promise to find and protect the wives and children of her husband's brave conspirators, rescuing her dearest friend's widow, Benita, from sexual slavery to the Russian army, and Ania from a work camp for political prisoners. As Marianne assembles this makeshift family she is certain their shared pain will bind them together. But as Benita begins a clandestine relationship and Ania struggles to conceal her role in the Nazi regime, Marianne learns that her clear-cut, highly principled world view has no place in these new, frightening and emotionally-charged days. All three women must grapple with the realities they now face, and the consequences of decisions each made in the darkest of times . . . Deeply moving and compelling, The Women of the Castle is a heart-wrenching and hopeful novel of secrets and survival, a reckoning, and the astonishing power of forgiveness. Perfect for fans of All the Light You Cannot See, The Reader and The Light Between Oceans.

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IF NOT FOR YOU
Debbie Macomber
Cover of IF NOT FOR YOU

IF NOT FOR YOU

by Debbie Macomber · Ballantine

3 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Debbie Macomber has written an emotionally stirring novel that shows how sometimes a choice can seem wrong even though it’s absolutely right. If not for her loving but controlling parents, Beth Prudhomme might never have taken charge of her life and moved from her native Chicago to Portland, Oregon, where she’s reconnected with her spirited Aunt Sunshine and found a job as a high school music teacher. If not for her friend Nichole, Beth would never have met Sam Carney, although first impressions have left Beth with serious doubts. Sam is everything Beth is not—and her parents’ worst nightmare: a tattooed auto mechanic who’s rough around the edges. Reserved and smart as a whip, Beth isn’t exactly Sam’s usual beer-drinking, pool-playing type of woman, either. But if not for an awkward setup one evening, Beth might never have left early and been involved in a car crash. And if not for Sam—who witnessed the terrifying ordeal, rushed to her aid, and stayed with her until help arrived—Beth might have been all alone, or worse. Yet as events play out, Sam feels compelled to check on Beth almost daily at the hospital—even bringing his guitar to play songs to lift her spirits. Soon their unlikely friendship evolves into an intense attraction that surprises them both. Before long, Beth’s strong-willed mother, Ellie, blows into town spouting harsh opinions, especially about Sam, and reopening old wounds with Sunshine. When shocking secrets from Sam’s past are revealed, Beth struggles to reconcile her feelings. But when Beth goes a step too far, she risks losing the man and the life she’s come to love. Praise for If Not for You “[An] uplifting and deliciously romantic tale with vibrant characters and a wide range of emotions.”—RT Book Reviews “A heartwarming story of forgiveness and unexpected love.”—Harlequin Junkie “A fun, sweet read.”—Publishers Weekly

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A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW
Amor Towles
Cover of A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW

A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW

by Amor Towles · Viking Press

21 wks on list

Selected as a BOOK OF THE YEAR in THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES AND IRISH TIMES More than half a million readers have fallen in love with the New York Times bestseller A Gentleman in Moscow ‘This novel is astonishing, uplifting and wise. Don’t miss it’ Chris Cleave ‘No historical novel this year was more witty, insightful or original than Amor Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow’ Sunday Times, Books of the Year ‘Charming ... shows that not all books about Russian aristocrats have to be full of doom and nihilism’ The Times, Books of the Year On 21 June 1922, Count Alexander Rostov – recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt – is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. But instead of his usual suite, he must now live in an attic room while Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval. Can a life without luxury be the richest of all?

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THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE
Lisa See
Cover of THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE

THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE

by Lisa See · Scribner

3 wks on list

The story of a Chinese mother and her daughter, who has been adopted by an American couple, tracing the very different cultural factors that compel them to consume a rare native tea that has shaped their family's destiny for generations.

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VICIOUS CIRCLE
C. J. Box
Cover of VICIOUS CIRCLE

VICIOUS CIRCLE

by C. J. Box · Putnam

3 wks on list

One man hell-bent on avenging his family, the other dead-set on protecting his... Joe Pickett always knew there'd be a day of reckoning. And now that day has come. Two years ago, his daughter was beaten and dumped by the side of a country road. Joe's determination to avenge her forced him into a catastrophic confrontation with the Cates clan that left three of their number dead and put the two survivors behind bars. Now the youngest son, Dallas, is out of prison and back in town. Joe knows exactly why he's returned, but all he can do is wait for Dallas to make the first move...

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EARTHLY REMAINS
Donna Leon
Cover of EARTHLY REMAINS

EARTHLY REMAINS

by Donna Leon · Atlantic Monthly Press

1 wks on list

‘When she's writing about her beloved Venice, Donna Leon can do no wrong. . . Earthly Remains is one of her best’ New York Times A New York Times Bestseller Granted leave from the Questura, Commissario Guido Brunetti decides to take a well-earned break and visit Sant'Erasmo, one of the largest islands in the Venetian laguna. The recuperative stay goes according to plan until Davide Casati, the mysterious caretaker of the villa Brunetti has been staying in, goes missing following a sudden storm. Nobody can find him - not his daughter, not his friends, and not the woman he's been secretly visiting . . . Convinced that this was no accident, Brunetti is compelled to set aside his holiday and discover what happened to the man who had recently become his friend. ‘Leon shows that she can still spring surprises as Commissario Brunetti is confronted with a type of crime completely outside his experience’ The Times

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LINCOLN IN THE BARDO
George Saunders
Cover of LINCOLN IN THE BARDO

LINCOLN IN THE BARDO

by George Saunders · Random House

8 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE The “devastatingly moving” (People) first novel from the author of Tenth of December: a moving and original father-son story featuring none other than Abraham Lincoln, as well as an unforgettable cast of supporting characters, living and dead, historical and invented One of The New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century • One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years • One of Paste’s Best Novels of the Decade Named One of the Ten Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post, USA Today, and Maureen Corrigan, NPR • One of Time’s Ten Best Novels of the Year • A New York Times Notable Book • One of O: The Oprah Magazine’s Best Books of the Year February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy’s body. From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul. Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction’s ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end? “A luminous feat of generosity and humanism.”—Colson Whitehead, The New York Times Book Review “A masterpiece.”—Zadie Smith

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PRUSSIAN BLUE
Philip Kerr
Cover of PRUSSIAN BLUE

PRUSSIAN BLUE

by Philip Kerr · Marian Wood/Putnam

1 wks on list

When his cover is blown, former Berlin bull and unwilling SS officer Bernie Gunther must re-enter a cat-and-mouse game that continues to shadow his life a decade after Germany’s defeat in World War 2... The French Riviera, 1956: Bernie’s old and dangerous adversary Erich Mielke, deputy head of the East German Stasi, has turned up in Nice—and he’s not on holiday. Mielke is calling in a debt and wants Bernie to travel to London to poison a female agent they’ve both had dealings with. But Bernie isn't keen on assassinating anyone. In an attempt to dodge his Stasi handler—former Kripo comrade Friedrich Korsch—Bernie bolts for the German border. Traveling by night and hiding by day, he has plenty of time to recall the last case he and Korsch worked together... Obersalzberg, Germany, 1939: A low-level bureaucrat has been found dead at Hitler’s mountaintop retreat in Bavaria. Bernie and Korsch have one week to find the killer before the leader of the Third Reich arrives to celebrate his fiftieth birthday. Bernie knows it would mean disaster if Hitler discovers a shocking murder has been committed on the terrace of his own home. But Obersalzberg is also home to an elite Nazi community, meaning an even bigger disaster for Bernie if his investigation takes aim at one of the party’s higher-ups... 1939 and 1956: two different eras about to converge in an explosion Bernie Gunther will never forget.

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THE CUTTHROAT
Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
Cover of THE CUTTHROAT

THE CUTTHROAT

by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott · Putnam

Private Detective Isaac Bell crosses some of America's harshest terrain in pursuit of the most twisted killer yet, in the latest action-packed historical blockbuster from Sunday Times bestseller Clive Cussler. Women are being brutally murdered all over America . . . it's going to take an extraordinary mind to uncover the truth before it's too late. The year is 1911. Chief Investigator Isaac Bell of the Van Dorn Detective Agency has had many extraordinary cases before. But none quite like this. Hired to find a young woman named Anna Pape who ran away from home to become an actress, Bell gets a shock when her murdered body turns up instead. Vowing to bring the killer to justice, he begins a manhunt which leads him into increasingly more alarming territory. Anna Pape was not alone in her fate - petite young blonde women like Anna are being murdered in cities across America. And the pattern goes beyond the physical resemblance of the victims - there are disturbing familiarities about the killings themselves that send a chill through even a man as experienced with evil as Bell. If he is right about his fears, then he is on the trail of one of the greatest monsters of his time.

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