TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of August 20, 2006

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1
ANGELS FALL
Nora Roberts

ANGELS FALL

by Nora Roberts · Putnam

4 wks on list
3
THE MESSENGER
Daniel Silva
Cover of THE MESSENGER

THE MESSENGER

by Daniel Silva · Putnam

2 wks on list

On the trail of a deadly al-Qaeda operative, Gabriel Allon returns in a spellbinding story of deception, power, and revenge by the #1 New York Times bestselling "world-class practitioner of spy fiction" (Washington Post). Gabriel Allon—art restorer and spy—is about to face the greatest challenge of his life. An al-Qaeda suspect is killed in London, and photographs are found on his computer—photographs that lead Israeli intelligence to suspect that al-Qaeda is planning one of its most audacious attacks ever, aimed straight at the heart of the Vatican. Allon and his colleagues soon find themselves in a deadly duel of wits against one of the most dangerous men in the world—a hunt that will take them across Europe to the Caribbean and back. But for them, there may not be enough of anything: enough time, enough facts, enough luck. All Allon can do is set his trap—and hope that he is not the one caught in it.

4
1
THE RUINS
Scott Smith
Cover of THE RUINS

THE RUINS

by Scott Smith · Knopf

3 wks on list

'Superior horror literature' New York Times 'A compelling set-up and provocative premise' Kirkus 'There's no let-up, not so much as a chapter-break where you can catch your breath' Stephen King __________________ Craving an adventure to wake them from their lethargic Mexican holiday before they return home, four friends set off in search of one of their own who has travelled to the interior to investigate an archaeological dig in the Mayan ruins. After a long journey into the jungle, the group come across a partly camouflaged trail and a captivating hillside covered with red flowers. Lured by these, the group move closer until they happen across a gun-toting Mayan horseman who orders them away. In the midst of the confrontation, one of the group steps inadvertently backwards into the flowering vine. And at that moment their world changes for ever...

7
2
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
Sara Gruen
Cover of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

by Sara Gruen · Algonquin

7 wks on list

A great, glorious, big-hearted novel set in a travelling circus touring the backblocks of America during the great depression of the early 1930s. It's a story of love and hate, trains and circuses, dwarves and fat ladies, horses and elephants - or, to be specific, one elephant, Rosie, star of the Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show on Earth . . .

10
2
DEAD WRONG
J. A. Jance
Cover of DEAD WRONG

DEAD WRONG

by J. A. Jance · Morrow

2 wks on list
11
2
THE EXPECTED ONE
Kathleen McGowan
Cover of THE EXPECTED ONE

THE EXPECTED ONE

by Kathleen McGowan · Touchstone/Simon & Schuster

2 wks on list

Two thousand years ago, Mary Magdalene hid a set of scrolls in the rocky foothills of the French Pyrenees, a gospel that contained her own version of the events and characters of the New Testament. Protected by supernatural forces, these sacred scrolls could be uncovered only by a special seeker, one who fulfills the ancient prophecy of The Expected One. When journalist Maureen Pascal begins the research for a new book, she has no idea that she is stepping into an ancient mystery so secret, so revolutionary, that thousands have killed and died for it. Maureen's journey takes her from the dusty streets of Jerusalem to the cathedrals of Paris--and ultimately to search for the scrolls themselves.--From publisher description.

14
3
BREAK NO BONES
Kathy Reichs
Cover of BREAK NO BONES

BREAK NO BONES

by Kathy Reichs · Scribner

4 wks on list

When Tempe Brennan finds a fresh skeleton among ancient bones, clues lead to a clinic where patients have gone missing and some have turned up dead. On top of this, Tempe's romantic life is in for a hiccup.

16
NEW
THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS
Gordon Dahlquist
Cover of THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS

THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS

by Gordon Dahlquist · Bantam

Blending science fiction and dark fantasy, this monumental Victorian thriller is a dazzling feast for the senses: an action-packed roller-coaster ride of suspense, betrayal, and richly fevered dreams. It starts with a simple note. Roger Bascombe regretfully wishes to inform Celeste Temple that their engagement is forthwith terminated. Determined to find out why, Miss Temple takes the first step in a journey that will propel her into a dizzyingly seductive, utterly shocking world beyond her imagining. Nothing could have prepared Miss Temple for the things she would find behind the closed doors of forbidding Harschmort Manor: men and women in provocative disguise, acts of licentiousness and violence, heroism and awakening. But she will also find two allies: Cardinal Chang, a brutal assassin with the heart of a poet, and a royal doctor named Svenson, at once fumbling and heroic—both of whom, like her, lost someone at Harschmort Manor. As the unlikely trio search for answers, hurtling them from elegant brothels to gaslit alleyways to shocking moments of self-discovery, they are confronted by puzzles within puzzles. And the closer they get to the truth, the more their lives are in danger. For the conspiracy they face—an astonishing alchemy of science, perverted religion, and lust for power—is so terrifying as to be beyond belief. Praise for The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters “The most original thing I’ve read in years: deftly executed, relentlessly inventive, and with a trio of the most unusual and engaging heroes who ever took on a sinister cabal out to rule the world by means of sex and dreams.”—Diana Gabaldon “A tale that combines swashbuckling adventure, a big dose of science fiction and burgeoning romance.”—USA Today “Rich . . . studded with treats . . . beautifully written.”—Entertainment Weekly “Sweeping, highly original and absorbing . . . defies categorization.”—The Dallas Morning News

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