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Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of April 30, 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 · 3 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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THRAWN
Timothy Zahn
Cover of THRAWN

THRAWN

by Timothy Zahn · Del Rey

1 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The origin story of one of the greatest Star Wars villains . . . a book that fans have wanted for decades.”—The Verge One of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating villains in the Star Wars universe. Since his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn has earned an iconic status equal only to the most notorious of Sith lords, Darth Vader. But Thrawn’s origins and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious. Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, Zahn chronicles the fateful events that launched the blue-skinned, red-eyed master of military strategy and lethal warfare into the highest realms of power—and infamy. After Thrawn is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated. On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again—even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy. All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy—and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy.

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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

2 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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ONE PERFECT LIE
Lisa Scottoline
Cover of ONE PERFECT LIE

ONE PERFECT LIE

by Lisa Scottoline · St. Martin's

1 wks on list

An emotional thriller and suburban crime story that will have you riveted up to the shocking end, from "one of the very best writers at work today" (Michael Connelly). On paper, Chris Brennan looks perfect. He's applying for a job as a high school government teacher, he's ready to step in as an assistant baseball coach, and his references are impeccable. But everything about Chris Brennan is a lie. Susan Sematov is proud of her son Raz, a high school pitcher so athletically talented that he's being recruited for a full-ride scholarship to a Division I college, with a future in major-league baseball. But Raz's father died only a few months ago, leaving her son in a vulnerable place where any new father figure might influence him for good, or evil. Heather Larkin is a struggling single mother who lives for her son Jordan's baseball games. But Jordan is shy, and Heather fears he is being lured down a dark path by one of his teammates, a young man from an affluent family whose fun-loving manner might possibly conceal his violent plans. Mindy Kostis succumbs to the pressure of being a surgeon's wife by filling her days with social events and too many gin and tonics. But she doesn't know that her husband and her son, Evan, are keeping secrets from her – secrets that might destroy all of them. At the center of all of them is Chris Brennan. Why is he there? What does he want? And what is he willing to do to get it? Praise for Lisa Scottoline "Scottoline writes riveting thrillers that keep me up all night, with plots that twist and turn." —Harlan Coben "Scottoline is a powerhouse." —David Baldacci "Scottoline knows how to keep readers in her grip." — The New York Times Book Review "Smartly structured mystery thrillers written with genuine snap." — Entertainment Weekly "Punchy, wisecracking thrillers . . . characters who are earthy, fun, and self-deprecating. Scottoline has one of the best-branded franchise styles in crime writing today." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times

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TWO FROM THE HEART
James Patterson and Frank Constantini, Emily Raymond and Brian Sitts
Cover of TWO FROM THE HEART

TWO FROM THE HEART

by James Patterson and Frank Constantini, Emily Raymond and Brian Sitts · Little, Brown

1 wks on list

From the bestselling author of Sundays at Tiffany's, two heart-warming tales about the power of a good story to open our eyes to life's possibilities. Anne McWilliams has lost everything. After her marriage falls apart and a hurricane destroys her home she realises that her life has fallen out of focus. So she takes to the road to ask long lost friends and strangers a simple question: 'What's your best story?' Can the funny, tragic, inspirational tales she hears on her journey help Anne see what she's been missing? Tyler Bron seemingly has it all – a successful company and more money than he knows how to spend. But he has no life. So he hires a struggling novelist to write one for him. There are no limits to the fictional world that Bron's money can transform into a reality, and he soon becomes the protagonist of a love story beyond his wildest imagination. But will Tyler Bron be able to write the happy ending himself?

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SONG OF THE LION
Anne Hillerman
Cover of SONG OF THE LION

SONG OF THE LION

by Anne Hillerman · Harper

1 wks on list

Don’t miss the TV series, Dark Winds, based on the Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito novels, now on AMC and AMC+! New York Times Bestseller “Fans of Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito, characters created by the author’s father, Tony Hillerman, will savor this multilayered story of suspense, with its background of contemporary environmental vs. development issues.” — Library Journal A deadly bombing takes Navajo Tribal cops Bernadette Manuelito, Jim Chee, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, back into the past to find a vengeful killer in this riveting Southwestern mystery from the bestselling author of Spider Woman’s Daughter and Rock with Wings. When a car bomb kills a young man in the Shiprock High School parking lot, Officer Bernadette Manuelito discovers that the intended victim was a mediator for a multi-million-dollar development planned at the Grand Canyon. But what seems like an act of ecoterrorism turns out to be something far more nefarious. Piecing together the clues, Bernadette and her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, uncover a scheme to disrupt the negotiations and inflame tensions between the Hopi and Dine tribes. Retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn has seen just about everything in his long career. As the tribal police’s investigation unfolds, he begins to suspect that the bombing may be linked to a cold case he handled years ago. As he, Bernadette, and Chee carefully pull away the layers behind the crime, they make a disturbing discovery: a meticulous and very patient killer with a long-simmering plan of revenge. Writing with a clarity and grace that is all her own, Anne Hillerman depicts the beauty and mystery of Navajo Country and the rituals, myths, and customs of its people in a mystery that builds on and complements the beloved, bestselling mysteries of her acclaimed father, Tony Hillerman.

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THE LOST ORDER
Steve Berry
Cover of THE LOST ORDER

THE LOST ORDER

by Steve Berry · Minotaur

2 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

4 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

3 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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THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Colson Whitehead
Cover of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

by Colson Whitehead · Doubleday

34 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • "An American masterpiece" (NPR) that chronicles a young slave's adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South. One of The New York Times’s 10 Best Books of the 21st Century • A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Century • A Los Angeles Times Best Fiction Book of the Last 30 Years The basis for the acclaimed original Prime Video series directed by Barry Jenkins. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is on the cusp of womanhood—where greater pain awaits. And so when Caesar, a slave who has recently arrived from Virginia, urges her to join him on the Underground Railroad, she seizes the opportunity and escapes with him. In Colson Whitehead's ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor: engineers and conductors operate a secret network of actual tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora embarks on a harrowing flight from one state to the next, encountering, like Gulliver, strange yet familiar iterations of her own world at each stop. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the terrors of the antebellum era, he weaves in the saga of our nation, from the brutal abduction of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is both the gripping tale of one woman's will to escape the horrors of bondage—and a powerful meditation on the history we all share.

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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

22 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

4 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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THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT
Karen White
Cover of THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT

THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT

by Karen White · Berkley

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street series comes a stunning novel about a young single mother who discovers that the nature of friendship is never what it seems.... Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail. Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past. Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world. In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee’s house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women....

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