TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of March 15, 2020

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
Jump to
1
NEW
BLINDSIDE
James Patterson and James O. Born
Cover of BLINDSIDE

BLINDSIDE

by James Patterson and James O. Born · Little, Brown

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

___________________________ The mayor of New York has a daughter who's missing. Detective Michael Bennett has a son who's in prison. Can one father help the other? Bennett and the mayor have always had a tense relationship, but now the mayor sees in Bennett an exceptional investigator who might be willing to take on a case that needs to be kept under the radar. The two men strike the deal. Sources lead Bennett to a homicide in the Bronx. The victim has ties to a sophisticated hacking operation - and also to the mayor's missing daughter. But this murder is part of a serial killing spree, one with national security implications. And suddenly Bennett is at the centre of a dangerous triangle anchored by NYPD, FBI and an international crime organization. Michael Bennett has always been an honourable man, but sometimes honour has to take a back seat. Survival comes first.

2
1
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING
Delia Owens
Cover of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

by Delia Owens · Putnam

78 wks 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.

3
1
AMERICAN DIRT
Jeanine Cummins
Cover of AMERICAN DIRT

AMERICAN DIRT

by Jeanine Cummins · Flatiron

6 wks on list

Download a free excerpt from Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt! También de este lado hay sueños. On this side too, there are dreams. Already being hailed as "a Grapes of Wrath for our times" and "a new American classic", American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope. If it’s only a better life you seek, seek it elsewhere...This path is only for people who have no choice, no other option, only violence and misery behind you. And your journey will grow even more treacherous from here. Everything is working against you. —American Dirt Lydia Quixano Perez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with four books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same. Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia—trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to? American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed when they finish reading it. It is a page-turner, it is a literary achievement, it is filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page. It is one of the most important books for our times.

4
NEW
THE WARSAW PROTOCOL
Steve Berry
Cover of THE WARSAW PROTOCOL

THE WARSAW PROTOCOL

by Steve Berry · Minotaur

1 wks on list

In New York Times bestseller Steve Berry’s next Cotton Malone adventure, one by one the seven precious relics of the Arma Christi, the weapons of Christ, are disappearing from sanctuaries across the world. After former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone witnesses the theft of one of them, he learns from his old boss, Stephanie Nelle, that a private auction is about to be held where incriminating information on the president of Poland will be offered to the highest bidder—blackmail that both the United States and Russia want, but for vastly different reasons. The price of admission to that auction is one of the relics, so Malone is first sent to a castle in Poland to steal the Holy Lance, a thousand-year-old spear sacred to not only Christians but to the Polish people, and then on to the auction itself. But nothing goes as planned and Malone is thrust into a bloody battle between three nations over information that, if exposed, could change the balance of power in Europe. From the tranquil canals of Bruges, to the elegant rooms of Wawel Castle, to deep beneath the earth into an ancient Polish salt mine, Malone is caught in the middle of a deadly war—the outcome of which turns on a secret known as the Warsaw Protocol.

5
2
THE SILENT PATIENT
Alex Michaelides
Cover of THE SILENT PATIENT

THE SILENT PATIENT

by Alex Michaelides · Celadon

39 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

6
NEW
COCONUT LAYER CAKE MURDER
Joanne Fluke
Cover of COCONUT LAYER CAKE MURDER

COCONUT LAYER CAKE MURDER

by Joanne Fluke · Kensington

1 wks on list

New York Times Bestseller USA Today Bestseller Publishers Weekly Bestseller Bakery owner Hannah Swensen is leaving Lake Eden to help a friend in sunny California. But an unexpected phone call swiftly brings her back to a cold Minnesota winter . . . and murder . . . When Hannah learns that her sister Michelle’s boyfriend, Detective Lonnie Murphy, is the prime suspect in a murder case, she flies straight home from a Los Angeles movie sound stage to frigid Minnesota. But proving Lonnie’s innocence will be harder than figuring out what went wrong with a recipe, especially with Lonnie’s hazy memory of the night in question. Hannah doesn’t know what to believe. Before everything comes crashing down on Lonnie like a heaping slice of coconut layer cake, it’ll be up to Hannah to rack up enough clues to toast a flaky killer . . . Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!

7
NEW
APEIROGON
Colum McCann
Cover of APEIROGON

APEIROGON

by Colum McCann · Random House

1 wks on list

Rami Elhanan și Bassam Aramin trăiesc aproape unul de celălalt – și totuși sunt complet diferiți. Rami e israelian. Bassam e palestinian. Plăcuța de înmatriculare a lui Rami e galbenă. Plăcuța de înmatriculare a lui Bassam e verde. Rami face cincisprezece minute cu mașina până în Cisiordania. Același drum îi ia lui Bassam o oră și jumătate. Ambii bărbați și-au pierdut fiicele. Fata de treisprezece ani a lui Rami, Smadar, a fost ucisă într-un atentat sinucigaș în timp ce se ducea să-și cumpere cărți împreună cu prietenele ei. Fiica lui Bassam, Abir, în vârstă de zece ani, a fost ucisă cu un glonț de cauciuc de un membru al poliției de frontieră în fața școlii. În buzunar avea o brățară de dropsuri pe care nu apucase să le mănânce. Rami și Bassam au fost crescuți să se urască unul pe celălalt. Și totuși devin cei mai buni prieteni. În acest roman epic – numit după un poligon cu un număr de laturi infinit numărabil –, Colum McCann străbate secole și continente, realizând o țesătură în care timpul, arta, istoria, natura și politica alcătuiesc o tapiserie de prietenie, dragoste, pierdere și apartenență. Muzical, plin de forță, delicat și ambițios, Apeirogon este romanul vremurilor noastre. „Apeirogon nu seamănă cu nici o carte pe care ați citit-o vreodată... Veți descoperi o formă narativă fără precedent și profund autentică. Vă pot spune doar atât: citiți cartea lui McCann. Este o carte importantă.” Michael Cunningham „McCann face o echilibristică perfectă între viață și artă; scriind cu un lirism și o empatie extraordinare, surprinde modul în care se propagă atât efectele provocate de violență și durere, cât și frumusețea și puterea miraculoasă a prieteniei și a iubirii, a curajului și a adevărului.” Booklist „Un apeirogon este un poligon cu un număr infinit de laturi – iar cartea transcendentă a lui Colum McCann este plină de sute de segmente emoționale care îndeamnă la reflecție. McCann transformă aceste realități crude în ficțiune captivantă, și o face cu o imensă forță poetică.” Independent „Orbitor... hipnotic... sfâșietor și fascinant... Pe lângă strălucirea caleidoscopică a narațiunii, aceasta este și o poveste profund umană.” San Francisco Chronicle

9
2
SUCH A FUN AGE
Kiley Reid
Cover of SUCH A FUN AGE

SUCH A FUN AGE

by Kiley Reid · Putnam

9 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

10
THE GIVER OF STARS
Jojo Moyes
Cover of THE GIVER OF STARS

THE GIVER OF STARS

by Jojo Moyes · Pamela Dorman/Viking

21 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

11
6
GOLDEN IN DEATH
J.D. Robb
Cover of GOLDEN IN DEATH

GOLDEN IN DEATH

by J.D. Robb · St. Martin's

4 wks on list

In the latest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas investigates a murder with a mysterious motive—and a terrifying weapon. Pediatrician Kent Abner received the package on a beautiful April morning. Inside was a cheap trinket, a golden egg that could be opened into two halves. When he pried it apart, highly toxic airborne fumes entered his body—and killed him. After Eve Dallas calls the hazmat team—and undergoes testing to reassure both her and her husband that she hasn’t been exposed—it’s time to look into Dr. Abner’s past and relationships. Not every victim Eve encounters is an angel, but it seems that Abner came pretty close—though he did ruffle some feathers over the years by taking stands for the weak and defenseless. While the lab tries to identify the deadly toxin, Eve hunts for the sender. But when someone else dies in the same grisly manner, it becomes clear that she’s dealing with either a madman—or someone who has a hidden and elusive connection to both victims. "The 50th book proves this series truly is the gold standard.” — Associated Press

12
4
A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA
Isabel Allende
Cover of A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA

A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA

by Isabel Allende · Ballantine

6 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The House of the Spirits, this epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents follows two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home. “One of the most richly imagined portrayals of the Spanish Civil War to date, and one of the strongest and most affecting works in [Isabel Allende’s] long career.”—The New York Times Book Review NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Esquire • Good Housekeeping • Parade In the late 1930s, civil war grips Spain. When General Franco and his Fascists succeed in overthrowing the government, hundreds of thousands are forced to flee in a treacherous journey over the mountains to the French border. Among them is Roser, a pregnant young widow, who finds her life intertwined with that of Victor Dalmau, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love. In order to survive, the two must unite in a marriage neither of them desires. Together with two thousand other refugees, Roser and Victor embark on the SS Winnipeg, a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda, to Chile: “the long petal of sea and wine and snow.” As unlikely partners, the couple embraces exile as the rest of Europe erupts in world war. Starting over on a new continent, they face trial after trial, but they will also find joy as they patiently await the day when they might go home. Through it all, their hope of returning to Spain keeps them going. Destined to witness the battle between freedom and repression as it plays out across the world, Roser and Victor will find that home might have been closer than they thought all along. A masterful work of historical fiction about hope, exile, and belonging, A Long Petal of the Sea shows Isabel Allende at the height of her powers. Praise for A Long Petal of the Sea “Both an intimate look at the relationship between one man and one woman and an epic story of love, war, family, and the search for home, this gorgeous novel, like all the best novels, transports the reader to another time and place, and also sheds light on the way we live now.”—J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Saints for All Occasions “This is a novel not just for those of us who have been Allende fans for decades, but also for those who are brand-new to her work: What a joy it must be to come upon Allende for the first time. She knows that all stories are love stories, and the greatest love stories are told by time.”—Colum McCann, National Book Award–winning author of Let the Great World Spin

13
4
THE GUARDIANS
John Grisham
Cover of THE GUARDIANS

THE GUARDIANS

by John Grisham · Doubleday

20 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.

14
2
CROOKED RIVER
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Cover of CROOKED RIVER

CROOKED RIVER

by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child · Grand Central

4 wks on list

A sea of unanswered questions. Dozens of identical shoes have washed up on the beach in the quiet resort town of Sanibel Island, Florida. They appear completely ordinary but for one thing – each contains a crudely severed human foot. Faced with an incomprehensible puzzle and ever more confusing pathology reports, the local police call on FBI Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast for his expertise. But with no answers and endless possibilities they are left with only questions: What has happened, and why? Where have the feet come from? And are the victims still alive? Soon Pendergast will find himself entrenched in one of the most complex and inexplicable challenges of his career. Praise for Preston and Child: 'Get ready for the ride of your life' DAVID BALDACCI 'Will leave you breathless' LEE CHILD 'Fast-moving, sophisticated and bursting with surprises... There's nothing else like them' WASHINGTON POST 'White-hot bestselling suspense. Simply brilliant!' LISA GARDNER

15
NEW
DEAR EDWARD
Ann Napolitano
Cover of DEAR EDWARD

DEAR EDWARD

by Ann Napolitano · Dial Press

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

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