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Hardcover Fiction

Week of March 10, 2019

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING
Delia Owens
Cover of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

by Delia Owens · Putnam

54 wks at #1 · 25 on list

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE—The #1 New York Times bestselling worldwide sensation with more than 18 million copies sold, hailed by The New York Times Book Review as “a painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature.” New York Times Readers Pick: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

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THE CHEF
James Patterson and Max DiLallo
Cover of THE CHEF

THE CHEF

by James Patterson and Max DiLallo · Little, Brown

1 wks on list

Police detective by day, food truck chef by night, now Caleb Rooney has a new title: MOST WANTED. In the Carnival days leading up to Mardi Gras, Detective Caleb Rooney comes under investigation for shooting dead a notorious drug dealer. Has his sideline at the Killer Chef food truck given him a taste for murder? While fighting the charges against him, Rooney makes a shocking discovery: New Orleans is under threat of an imminent terrorist attack. As crowds of revellers gather, Rooney knows he needs to act fast – his beloved hometown and thousands of innocent lives are at stake.

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NEVER TELL
Lisa Gardner
Cover of NEVER TELL

NEVER TELL

by Lisa Gardner · Dutton

1 wks on list

THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR 'A TSUNAMI OF A THRILLER. This may well be Gardner's best work' - DAVID BALDACCI _______________ One death might be an accident. Two looks like murder. A man is shot dead in his own home, and his pregnant wife, Evie, is found with the gun in her hands. Detective D.D. Warren instantly recognises her. Sixteen years ago, Evie also shot her own father. That killing was ruled an accident. D.D. doesn't believe in coincidences. But this case isn't as open and shut as it first appears, and her job is to discover the truth. Evie might be a victim. Or she might be about to get away with murder again. _______________ 'Never Tell is raw, visceral, emotional, the sentences come at you like MP5 rounds, and features three incredible characters, D.D., Flora and Evie, who, alone, could carry any narrative.' - DAVID BALDACCI 'a shattering emotional journey that's utterly relentless in pacing and suspense. Tell everyone that Never Tell is an early candidate for the best thriller of 2019.' - PROVIDENCE JOURNAL 'Never Tell is a pacey and action-packed thriller that will leave you feeling breathless' - CULTUREFLY '...pulls no punches in its authenticity. She is one of the masters when it comes to crime fiction. Fans of her novels will consider this one of her best, and newcomers will be in awe of the compelling story and unpredictability of the proceedings.' - MAIL ONLINE 'This career-best thriller from the bestseller will keep you up into the wee small hours ... the twists just keep coming' - PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH 'Lisa Gardner has outdone herself with this powerful novel about three women, two murders, and uncountable secrets! From its stunning opening to its last thrilling page, Never Tell will captivate, surprise, and satisfy you.' - LISA SCOTTOLINE 'Never Tell shocks the system like ten thousand volts. D.D. Warren's most gripping case yet. Brace yourself, gulp down a deep breath, and dive in.' - A.J. FINN 'Gardner's writing is beautiful, and the plot weaves together masterfully with detail and precision... For anyone looking for a suspenseful, gripping read, Never Tell will not disappoint.' - NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS 'Her character work is beautifully done, and she deftly handles multiple narrators, timelines and plot arcs. Gardner strikes what feels like a perfect tone...Never Tell is an excellent addition to the D.D. Warren series and proof it's never too late to draw in new fans.' - SHELF AWARENESS 'Nail-biting ... Gardner's commendable storytelling will keep fans eagerly waiting for the next outing for D.D. and Flora' - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 'In her latest nail-biter Never Tell, Lisa Gardner knows just what her readers want and how to give it to them.' - REAL BOOK SPY 'This novel is on fire! Surprising twists and a great cast make this a brilliant page-turner that I can recommend to everyone.' - THE BELGIAN REVIEWER BLOG 'gripping, compelling, and full of twists' - BOOK AFTER BOOK BLOG

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THE SILENT PATIENT
Alex Michaelides
Cover of THE SILENT PATIENT

THE SILENT PATIENT

by Alex Michaelides · Celadon

3 wks on list

- THE RECORD-BREAKING, MULTIMILLION COPY GLOBAL BESTSELLER AND TIKTOK SENSATION - Discover the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that everyone is talking about - as seen on TikTok. Soon to be a major film. Alicia Berenson lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago. When she shot her husband in the head five times. Since then she hasn't spoken a single word. It's time to find out why. READERS LOVE THE SILENT PATIENT ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Everything you need from a psychological thriller with a killer twist that is impossible to see coming!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Fiendishly clever ... believe the hype.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Grabs your afternoon from the start and never lets go' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A fantastic thriller with an incredible plot twist that I really didn't see coming. I highly recommend.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'OMG, my heart is still pounding from the final chapters of this amazing thriller.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I'm honestly speechless, best book I have read for a very long time' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The twists when they come, wow oh wow!' CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED 'The perfect thriller' AJ FINN 'Terrific' - THE TIMES Crime Book of the Month 'Smart, sophisticated suspense' - LEE CHILD 'Compelling' - OBSERVER 'Absolutely brilliant' - STEPHEN FRY 'A totally original psychological mystery' - DAVID BALDACCI 'One of the best thrillers I've read this year' - CARA HUNTER 'The pace and finesse of a master' - BBC CULTURE

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BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF
Marlon James
Cover of BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF

BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF

by Marlon James · Riverhead

3 wks on list

THE SUNDAY TIMES NO.1 BESTSELLER Escape into a world of magic and danger with THE DARK STAR TRILOGY. Drawing on a rich tradition of African mythology, fantasy and history, this is the story of a lost child, an extraordinary hunter, and a mystery with many answers . . . *Perfect for fans of Pratchett, George R. R. Martin and Octavia Butler* 'The kind of novel I never realized I was missing until I read it. A dangerous, hallucinatory, ancient Africa, which becomes a fantasy world as well-realized as anything Tolkien made' Neil Gaiman ***** Tracker is a hunter. Known throughout the thirteen kingdoms as one who has a nose, he always works alone. But he breaks his own rule when, hired to find a lost child, he finds himself part of a group of hunters, each stranger and more dangerous than the last. As the mismatched gang follow the boy's scent from perfumed citadels to enchanted darklands, Tracker starts to wonder: Who really is this mysterious boy? Why do so many people want to stop him from being found? And, most important of all, who is telling the truth and who is lying? Marlon James weaves a breathtaking tapestry - at once ancient and startlingly modern - exploring the fundamentals of truth, limits of power, excesses of ambition, and our need to understand them all. Chronicling the same events but telling a very different story - who will you believe? Read THE DARK STAR TRILOGY in any order! Book two, MOON WITCH, SPIDER KING, is available to pre-order now. ***** 'Complex, lyrical, moving and furiously gripping . . . This new book will propel James into a new galaxy of literary stardom' Observer 'A game-changing modern fantasy classic' Financial Times 'James has thrown African cultures, mythologies, religions, histories, world-views and topographies into the mighty cauldron of his imagination to create a work of literary magic' New Statesman

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AN ANONYMOUS GIRL
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Cover of AN ANONYMOUS GIRL

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL

by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen · St. Martin's

7 wks on list

The instant #1 New York Times bestseller (January 2019) everyone is talking about! People Magazine's Book of the Week • Bookish's "Must-Read Books of Winter" • PopSugar's "Best Books of Winter" • Cosmopolitan's "2019 Books to Bring to Your Book Club" • Bookbub's "Biggest Books of Winter" • Refinery 29's "Best Books of January 2019" • Crime Reads' "January's Best Psychological Thrillers" • InStyle's "7 Books That You Should Resolve to Read This January" • HelloGiggles' "The 50 Most Anticipated Books of 2019" • USA Today's "5 New Books Not to Miss" • Marie Claire's "The Best Women’s Fiction of 2019 (So Far)" • Hypable's "Winter Releases You Can’t Afford to Miss" "Hendricks and Pekkanen are at the top of their game...You won't see the final twist coming." —People Magazine “Beware strange psychologists...the authors know exactly how to play on their characters’ love of danger to bring them to the brink of disaster - and dare them to jump off.” —New York Times Book Review "Slickly twisty [with] gasp-worthy final twists...major league suspense." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "For those who relished the creepy stalking in Hendricks and Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us, this unnerving tale will have them rethinking what secrets are safe to share and if moral and ethics really matter when protecting the ones you love." —Library Journal (starred review) "Masterfully escalates the suspense." —Booklist (starred review) Looking to earn some easy cash, Jessica Farris agrees to be a test subject in a psychological study about ethics and morality. But as the study moves from the exam room to the real world, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields’s experiments blurs. Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking... and what she’s hiding. Jessica’s behavior will not only be monitored, but manipulated. Caught in a web of attraction, deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly. From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl will keep you riveted through the last shocking twist.

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MISSION CRITICAL
Mark Greaney
Cover of MISSION CRITICAL

MISSION CRITICAL

by Mark Greaney · Berkley

1 wks on list

From Mark Greaney, the New York Times bestselling author of Gunmetal Gray and a co-author of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels, comes a high-stakes thriller featuring the world's most dangerous assassin: the Gray Man. Court Gentry's flight on a CIA transport plane is interrupted when a security team brings a hooded man aboard. They want to kick Gentry off the flight but are overruled by CIA headquarters. The mystery man is being transported to England where a joint CIA/MI6 team will interrogate him about a mole in Langley. When they land in an isolated airbase in the UK, they are attacked by a hostile force and the prisoner is kidnapped. Only Gentry escapes. His handlers send him after the attackers, but what can one operative do against a trained team of assassins? A lot, when that operative is the Gray Man.

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

CONNECTIONS IN DEATH

by J.D. Robb · St. Martin's

3 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER (February 2019) Lieutenant Eve Dallas fights to save the innocent—and serve justice to the guilty—on the streets of New York in Connections in Death, the gritty and gripping new In Death novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb. Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads—and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering—whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support. Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison—and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene. Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances...

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THE RECKONING
John Grisham
Cover of THE RECKONING

THE RECKONING

by John Grisham · Doubleday

18 wks on list

Books are leather-bound, signed and numbered, with printed endpapers, gold stamping, a slipcase, and a ribbon marker. John Grisham returns to Clanton, Mississippi, to tell the story of an unthinkable murder, the bizarre trial that follows it, and its profound and lasting effect on the people of Ford County. Pete Banning was Clanton's favorite son, a returning war hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning in 1946. he rose early, drove into town, walked into the Church, and calmly shot and killed the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder wasn't shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete's only statement about it--to the sheriff, to his defense attorney, to the judge, to his family and friends, and to the people of Clanton--was "I have nothing to say." And so the murder of the esteemed Reverend Bell became the most mysterious and unforgettable crime Ford County had ever known.

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FIRE AND BLOOD
George R.R. Martin

FIRE AND BLOOD

by George R.R. Martin · Bantam

14 wks on list

The thrilling history of the Targaryens comes to life in this masterly work by the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the inspiration for HBO's Game of Thrones. With all the fire and fury fans have come to expect from internationally bestselling author George R. R. Martin, this is the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros. Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen--the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria--took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart. What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why did it become so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What is the origin of Daenerys's three dragon eggs? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring more than eighty all-new black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley. Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes as The World of Ice & Fire, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed. With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire and Blood is the ultimate game of thrones, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros.

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CIRCE
Madeline Miller
Cover of CIRCE

CIRCE

by Madeline Miller · Little, Brown

12 wks on list

"A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story," this #1 New York Times bestseller is "both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right" (Alexandra Alter, The New York Times). In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world. #1 New York Times Bestseller -- named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, the Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor, Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self, Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider.

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THE WEDDING GUEST
Jonathan Kellerman
Cover of THE WEDDING GUEST

THE WEDDING GUEST

by Jonathan Kellerman · Ballantine

3 wks on list

An uninvited guest. A missing identity. A trail of deadly secrets. When a horrified bridesmaid finds the body of a young woman at a wedding reception, it makes the bride and groom's choice of a Saints and Sinners theme all the more macabre. There are no means of identification and nobody knows the victim. The bride is convinced someone is trying to sabotage her big day. The groom is sure it's a dreadful mistake. . . It is up to brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis to uncover the truth. They have a hundred guests to question, and a strong suspicion that the motive for murder is personal. The party is over. And the hunt for the killer is on. _________________________ 'Jonathan Kellerman's new crime thriller delivers a killer wedding in more ways than one. . . a thoroughly engaging whodunit' CULTUREFLY _________________________ Jonathan Kellerman's readers love The Wedding Guest: 'Unputdownable!' 'The book ticks all of the boxes and does not disappoint' 'It has to be 5 stars' 'This book had me gripped throughout' 'Always a thrill to read Mr Kellerman's work and this did not disappoint' 'I devoured it in one sitting!'

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THE LAST ROMANTICS
Tara Conklin
Cover of THE LAST ROMANTICS

THE LAST ROMANTICS

by Tara Conklin · Morrow

3 wks on list

"When the renowned poet Fiona Skinner is asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work, The Love Poem, she tells her audience a story about her family and a betrayal that reverberates through time. It begins in a big yellow house with a funeral, an iron poker, and a brief variation forever known as the Pause: a free and feral summer in a middle-class Connecticut town. Caught between the predictable life they once led and an uncertain future that stretches before them, the Skinner siblings—fierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden boy Joe and watchful Fiona—emerge from the Pause staunchly loyal and deeply connected. Two decades later, the siblings find themselves once again confronted with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices they’ve made and ask what, exactly, they will do for love. A sweeping yet intimate epic about one American family, The Last Romantics is an unforgettable exploration of the ties that bind us together, the responsibilities we embrace and the duties we resent, and how we can lose—and sometimes rescue—the ones we love. A novel that pierces the heart and lingers in the mind, it is also a beautiful meditation on the power of stories—how they navigate us through difficult times, help us understand the past, and point the way toward our future." -- Amazon.com.

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LOVE POEMS FOR MARRIED PEOPLE
John Kenney

LOVE POEMS FOR MARRIED PEOPLE

by John Kenney · Putnam

2 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Based on his wildly popular New Yorker piece, Thurber Prize-winner John Kenney presents a hilarious collection of love poems for, well, married people. Full of brilliant wit, dynamic energy, and a heavy dose of reality, Love Poems for Married People takes the poetic form, turns it upside down and leaves it in the dishwasher to dry. Inspired by one of the most shared New Yorker pieces of all time, this collection captures the reality of life once the spark of a relationship has settled--and hilariously so. With brand new pieces that cover all areas of married life, from parental gripes to dwindling sex lives, Kenney's wry observations and sharp humor remind us exactly what it's like to spend the rest of your life with the person you love. I was almost feeling fondness for you As you gave me a shoulder massage at the sink-- What a small, lovely surprise. And then you grabbed my boobs and made a "wha-wha" noise. In an instant, I felt disgust and sadness and regret.

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DEVOTIONS
Mary Oliver
Cover of DEVOTIONS

DEVOTIONS

by Mary Oliver · Penguin Press

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver, from "The Summer Day" Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver presents a personal selection of her best work in this definitive collection spanning more than five decades of her esteemed literary career. “No matter where one starts reading, Devotions offers much to love.” —The Washington Post Throughout her celebrated career, Mary Oliver has touched countless readers with her brilliantly crafted verse, expounding on her love for the physical world and the powerful bonds between all living things. Identified as "far and away, this country's best selling poet" by Dwight Garner, she now returns with a stunning and definitive collection of her writing from the last fifty years. Carefully curated, these 200 plus poems feature Oliver's work from her very first book of poetry, No Voyage and Other Poems, published in 1963 at the age of 28, through her most recent collection, Felicity, published in 2015. This timeless volume, arranged by Oliver herself, showcases the beloved poet at her edifying best. Within these pages, she provides us with an extraordinary and invaluable collection of her passionate, perceptive, and much-treasured observations of the natural world.

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