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Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of January 26, 2020

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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 · 71 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.

2
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DEAR EDWARD
Ann Napolitano
Cover of DEAR EDWARD

DEAR EDWARD

by Ann Napolitano · Dial Press

1 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • “Make sure you have tissues handy when you read [this] sure-footed tearjerker” (NPR) about a young boy who must learn to go on after surviving tragedy, from the author of the Oprah’s Book Club pick Hello Beautiful. Now streaming as an Apple TV+ series starring Connie Britton, written and executive produced by Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights and Parenthood) ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, Parade, LibraryReads What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live? One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them are a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured veteran returning from Afghanistan, a business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. Halfway across the country, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor. Edward’s story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a part of himself has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery—one that will lead him to the answers of some of life’s most profound questions: When you’ve lost everything, how do you find the strength to put one foot in front of the other? How do you learn to feel safe again? How do you find meaning in your life? Dear Edward is at once a transcendent coming-of-age story, a multidimensional portrait of an unforgettable cast of characters, and a breathtaking illustration of all the ways a broken heart learns to love again. Praise for Dear Edward “Dear Edward is that rare book that breaks your heart and stitches it back together during a reading experience that leaves you profoundly altered for the better.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Mad Honey “Will lead you toward something wonderous, something profound.”—Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Now Is Not the Time to Panic

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MORAL COMPASS
Danielle Steel
Cover of MORAL COMPASS

MORAL COMPASS

by Danielle Steel · Delacorte Press

1 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • At an elite private school in Massachusetts, a wide circle of lives will be forever changed by a devastating series of events in Danielle Steel’s riveting new novel. Saint Ambrose Prep is a place where the wealthy send their children for the best possible education, with teachers and administrators from the Ivy League, and graduates who become future lawyers, politicians, filmmakers, and CEOs. Traditionally a boys-only school, Saint Ambrose has just enrolled one hundred and forty female students for the first time. Even though most of the kids on the campus have all the privilege in the world, some are struggling, wounded by their parents’ bitter divorces, dealing with insecurity and loneliness. In such a heightened environment, even the smallest spark can become a raging fire. One day after the school’s annual Halloween event, a student lies in the hospital, her system poisoned by dangerous levels of alcohol. Everyone in this sheltered community—parents, teachers, students, police, and the media—are left trying to figure out what actually happened. Only the handful of students who were there when she was attacked truly know the answers and they have vowed to keep one another’s secrets. As details from the evening emerge, powerful families are forced to hire attorneys and less powerful families watch helplessly. Parents’ marriages are jeopardized, and students’ futures are impacted. No one at Saint Ambrose can escape the fallout of a life-altering event. In this compelling novel, Danielle Steel illuminates the dark side of one drunken night, with its tragic consequences, from every possible point of view. As the drama unfolds, the characters will reach a crossroads where they must choose between truth and lies, between what is easy and what is right, and find the moral compass they will need for the rest of their lives.

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SUCH A FUN AGE
Kiley Reid
Cover of SUCH A FUN AGE

SUCH A FUN AGE

by Kiley Reid · Putnam

2 wks on list

_______________ 'Essential. This year's hit debut' - Guardian 'A biting tale of race and class' - Sunday Times 'I couldn't put this down' - Jojo Moyes _______________ The instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Longlisted for the Booker Prize A Times, Guardian, Sunday Times, Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, Red, Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan Book of the Year _______________ When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for 'kidnapping' the white child she's actually babysitting, it sets off an explosive chain of events. Her employer Alix, a feminist blogger with the best of intentions, resolves to make things right. But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix's desire to help. When a surprising connection emerges between the two women, it sends them on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know – about themselves, each other, and the messy dynamics of privilege. _______________ 'Bites into the zeitgeist then spits it out with gusto. You really should read it, ASAP' - Stylist 'About power dynamics, race, social commentary, and also why and how we are the woman we are' - Pandora Sykes 'An extraordinarily deft debut, written with wisdom, kindness and sharp humour' - Daily Mail 'A beautiful tale of how we live now' - Elizabeth Day _______________ A Reese Witherspoon and Zoella Book Club Pick

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THE GUARDIANS
John Grisham
Cover of THE GUARDIANS

THE GUARDIANS

by John Grisham · Doubleday

13 wks on list

Books are leather-bound, signed and numbered, with printed endpapers, gold stamping, a slipcase, and a ribbon marker. The suspense never rests in John Grisham's pulse-pounding new legal thriller. The latest novel from the New York Times #1 bestselling author moves at breakneck speed, delivering some of his most inventive twists and turns yet. In the small north Florida town of Seabrook, a young lawyer named Keith Russo was shot dead at his desk as he worked late one night. The killer left no clues behind. There were no witnesses, no real suspects, no one with a motive. The police soon settled on Quincy Miller, a young black man who was once a client of Russo's. Quincy was framed, convicted, and sent to prison for life. For twenty-two years he languished in prison with no lawyer, no advocate on the outside. Then he wrote a letter to Guardian Ministries, a small innocence group founded by a lawyer/minister named Cullen Post. Guardian handles only a few innocence cases at a time, and Post is its only investigator. He travels the South fighting wrongful convictions and taking cases no one else will touch. With Quincy Miller, though, he gets far more than he bargained for. Powerful, ruthless people murdered Keith Russo, and they do not want Quincy exonerated. They killed one lawyer twenty-two years ago, and they will kill another one without a second thought.

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LONG BRIGHT RIVER
Liz Moore
Cover of LONG BRIGHT RIVER

LONG BRIGHT RIVER

by Liz Moore · Riverhead

1 wks on list

In a city rocked by the opioid crisis, one family strikes a particularly poignant profile. One sister, Kacey, has been living on the streets for years in the vise of a fierce heroin addiction. The other sister, Mickey, is the police officer whose beat includes Kacey's regular haunts. The two don't speak anymore, and the police department has no idea of their connection, but Mickey never stops worrying and watching over her sibling. Mickey understands what Kacey is contending with. Mickey just has different demons. Then Kacey disappears, suddenly, at the same time that a mysterious string of murders begins within Mickey's precinct, and Mickey panics over her sister's safety. The victims, it seems, fit Kacey's profile precisely. Risking her job, and maybe even the welfare of her four-year-old son, Mickey becomes dangerously obsessed with finding out what happened to her sister and the other missing women. Alternating this present-day mystery with the story of the sisters' childhood and adolescence, and with Mickey's adult attempts to balance work and single-motherhood, Long Bright River is a rich and cinematic novel that is so riveting, surprising, heart-pounding and heart-wrenching, that it is impossible to look away.

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THE SILENT PATIENT
Alex Michaelides
Cover of THE SILENT PATIENT

THE SILENT PATIENT

by Alex Michaelides · Celadon

32 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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THE GIVER OF STARS
Jojo Moyes
Cover of THE GIVER OF STARS

THE GIVER OF STARS

by Jojo Moyes · Pamela Dorman/Viking

14 wks on list

THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK The spellbinding story of love, community and the power of reading from the bestselling author of Me Before You ______ THE GREATEST LOVE STORY IS THE ONE YOU LEAST EXPECT . . . Alice Wright doesn't love her new American husband. Nor her domineering father-in-law or the judgmental townsfolk of Baileyville, Kentucky. Stifled and misunderstood, she yearns for escape and finds it in defiant Margery O'Hare and the sisterhood bringing books to the isolated and vulnerable. But when her father-in-law and the town turn against them, Alice fears the freedom, friendship and the new love she's found will be lost . . . ______ 'A beguiling tale of unlikely love. The most appealing thing is Moyes' wonderful way with romance. Delightful' The Times 'Beautiful, special . . . with characters so real they feel like dear friends. I loved it and didn't want it to end!' Liane Moriarty 'Inspiring and wildly romantic' Daily Mail, Books of the Year 'Her best book yet. It's a romance - but about female friends, the outdoors and the magic of reading' Grazia 'Epic' David Nicholls, bestselling author of One Day Jojo Moyes, Sunday Times bestseller, June 2024

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TREASON
Stuart Woods
Cover of TREASON

TREASON

by Stuart Woods · Putnam

1 wks on list

Stone Barrington takes on a scheming rebel in this latest action-packed thriller from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Stuart Woods. Upon returning to New York City after a whirlwind British excursion, Stone Barrington is notified of a delicate situation within the country's administration. A close friend requires his expertise and subtlety to eradicate a destructive presence in a classified agency--only it soon becomes clear that this renegade was sent by a rival Stone has encountered before. From the City of Light to the rocky Maine coastline, Stone will need to summon all his wit and daring to halt the audacious plots threatening to reveal confidential intel, and catch the evasive traitor at last. This enemy may be equipped with unlimited resources and devious schemes, but if Stone remains vigilant, justice may finally prevail. . . .

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THE INSTITUTE
Stephen King
Cover of THE INSTITUTE

THE INSTITUTE

by Stephen King · Scribner

18 wks on list

SOON TO BE A MAJOR SERIES FROM MGM + NO ONE HAS EVER ESCAPED FROM THE INSTITUTE. Luke Ellis, a super-smart twelve-year-old with an exceptional gift, is the latest in a long line of kids abducted and taken to a secret government facility, hidden deep in the forest in Maine. Here, kids with special talents - telekinesis and telepathy - like Luke's new friends Kalisha, Nick and Iris, are subjected to a series of experiments. There seems to be no hope of escape. Until Luke teams up with an even younger boy whose powers of telepathy are off the scale. Meanwhile, far away in a small town in South Carolina, former cop Tim Jamieson, looking for the quiet life, has taken a job working for the local sheriff. He doesn't know he's about to take on the biggest case of his career . . . THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT. 'It does everything you'd expect of a masterpiece - and it is one' Sunday Express 'Hums and crackles with delicious unease' Independent 'Captivating' The Sunday Times 'An absorbing thriller' Mail on Sunday 'An epic tale of childhood betrayal and hope regained... an immersive tale full of suspense and thrills that will keep readers up late at night racing towards a heartbreaking yet glorious finale... a dazzling achievement' Daily Express

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CRISS CROSS
James Patterson
Cover of CRISS CROSS

CRISS CROSS

by James Patterson · Little, Brown

7 wks on list

NOW THE INSPIRATION FOR THE ORIGINAL SERIES 'CROSS' ON PRIME VIDEO ________________________________________ 'Sensationally plotted, it leaps off the page and grabs you by the throat' DAILY MAIL 'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades. The Alex Cross series proves it.' LEE CHILD 'Alex Cross is a legend.' HARLAN COBEN __________________________________ THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Could a ghost from his past take everything away from Alex Cross? Only hours after witnessing the execution of a killer he helped put behind bars, Alex Cross is called to the scene of a copycat murder. A note signed 'M' rests on the corpse: 'You messed up big time, Dr. Cross.' Was an innocent man just put to death? As the executed convict's family launch a vicious campaign against Cross, his abilities as a detective are called into question. The enigmatic 'M' lures Cross out of Washington, DC to the sites of multiple homicides, all marked with distressingly familiar details that conjure up decades-old cases and Cross family secrets. Details that make it clear M is planning to destroy much more than Cross's reputation. __________________________________ Readers say it's one of the best Alex Cross books yet: 'I have to say that this is one of my favourite Alex Cross books in a long time!' 'I read this book in one sitting and highly recommend it. I've read every single Alex Cross book and this one didn't disappoint. It has a great mix of new cases linked to old cases for Cross.' 'Romped through the latest Alex Cross book! Great read that I just couldn't put down.' 'An intriguing storyline involving the Cross family and enemies from his past. A must read for Patterson fans.' 'As always with James Patterson, he had me from the first page, and kept the pace up to the last.' 'Roll on the next instalment.' 'I absolutely loved this book and once I started reading I just couldn't put it down. It's a fast-paced read, no time to take a break or breathe out as the situations and mysteries are on a roll and unstoppable.' 'A great addition to the Cross series by the most known author in the world for mystery thrillers' 'James Patterson is back at the top of his game with this one.' 'I'm a massive fan of the Alex Cross series so I jumped at the chance to review the latest installment, and I'm so pleased it didn't disappoint. It's action-packed right from the start and had me gripped straight away. ' 'This book is fast paced with lots of twists and turns. My first James Patterson but not my last, really enjoyed and so will you.' 'I have long been a fan of the author and his long running Alex Cross series and this book does not disappoint .' 'I think this one constitutes a must read for fans of Patterson and Dr Cross.' __________________________________ 'It's no mystery why James Patterson is the world's most popular thriller writer . . . Simply put: nobody does it better.' JEFFERY DEAVER 'The master storyteller of our times' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON 'Patterson boils a scene down to the single, telling detail, the element that defines a character or moves a plot along. It's what fires off the movie projector in the reader's mind.' MICHAEL CONNELLY 'One of the greatest storytellers of all time' PATRICIA CORNWELL 'James Patterson is The Boss. End of.' IAN RANKIN

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BLUE MOON
Lee Child

BLUE MOON

by Lee Child · Delacorte Press

11 wks on list

Jack Reacher offers aid to an elderly couple only to be confronted by the most dangerous opponents of his career, and finds himself in the middle of a turf war between rival Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.

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A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT
David Baldacci
Cover of A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT

A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT

by David Baldacci · Grand Central

8 wks on list

In this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller, FBI Agent Atlee Pine returns to her Georgia hometown to investigate her twin sister's abduction, only to encounter a serial killer. FBI Agent Atlee Pine's life was never the same after her twin sister Mercy was kidnapped -- and likely killed -- thirty years ago. After a lifetime of torturous uncertainty, Atlee's unresolved anger finally gets the better of her on the job, and she finds she has to deal with the demons of her past if she wants to remain with the FBI. Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum head back to Atlee's rural hometown in Georgia to see what they can uncover about the traumatic night Mercy was taken and Pine was almost killed. But soon after Atlee begins her investigation, a local woman is found ritualistically murdered, her face covered with a wedding veil -- and the first killing is quickly followed by a second bizarre murder. Atlee is determined to continue her search for answers, but now she must also set her sights on finding a potential serial killer before another victim is claimed. But in a small town full of secrets -- some of which could answer the questions that have plagued Atlee her entire life -- and digging deeper into the past could be more dangerous than she realizes . . .

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OLIVE, AGAIN
Elizabeth Strout
Cover of OLIVE, AGAIN

OLIVE, AGAIN

by Elizabeth Strout · Random House

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout continues the life of her beloved Olive Kitteridge, a character who has captured the imaginations of millions. “Strout managed to make me love this strange woman I’d never met, who I knew nothing about. What a terrific writer she is.”—Zadie Smith, The Guardian “Just as wonderful as the original . . . Olive, Again poignantly reminds us that empathy, a requirement for love, helps make life ‘not unhappy.’”—NPR ONE OF PEOPLE’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR Prickly, wry, resistant to change yet ruthlessly honest and deeply empathetic, Olive Kitteridge is “a compelling life force” (San Francisco Chronicle). The New Yorker has said that Elizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” and she has never done so more clearly than in these pages, where the iconic Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but the lives of those around her in the town of Crosby, Maine. Whether with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire us—in Strout’s words—“to bear the burden of the mystery with as much grace as we can.” A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, Vogue, NPR, The Washington Post,Chicago Tribune, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Esquire, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, The New York Public Library, The Guardian, Evening Standard, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, BookPage

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