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Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of November 10, 2019

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1
NEW
THE NIGHT FIRE
Michael Connelly
Cover of THE NIGHT FIRE

THE NIGHT FIRE

by Michael Connelly · Little, Brown

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

LAPD Detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch come together again on the murder case that obsessed Bosch's mentor - but was this flame kept alive, or a secret that was meant to be snuffed out? Back when Harry Bosch was just a rookie homicide detective, he had an inspiring mentor who taught him to take the work personally and light the fire of relentlessness for every case. Now that mentor, J.J. Thompson, is dead, but after his funeral his widow hands Bosch a murder book that Thompson took with him when he left the LAPD 20 years before - the unsolved killing of a troubled young man in an alley used for drug deals. Bosch brings the murder book to Renée Ballard and asks her to help him find what about the case lit Thompson's fire all those years ago. That will be their starting point. The bond between Bosch and Ballard tightens as they become a formidable investigation team. And they soon arrive at a worrying question: Did Thompson steal the murder book to work the case in retirement, or to make sure it never got solved?

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THE GUARDIANS
John Grisham
Cover of THE GUARDIANS

THE GUARDIANS

by John Grisham · Doubleday

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

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

by Delia Owens · Putnam

60 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.

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THE DESERTER
Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille
Cover of THE DESERTER

THE DESERTER

by Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille · Simon & Schuster

1 wks on list

Lod Airport, Israel: Two Concorde jets take off for a U.N. conference that will finally bring peace to the Middle East. Covered by F-14 fighters, accompanied by security men, the planes carry warriors, pacifists, lovers, enemies, dignitaries -- and a bomb planted by a terrorist mastermind. Suddenly they're forced to crash-land at an ancient desert site. Here, with only a handful of weapons, the men and women of the peace mission must make a desperate stand against an army of crack Palestinian commandos -- while the Israeli authorities desperately attempt a rescue mission. In a land of blood and tears, in a windswept place called Babylon, it will be a battle of bullets and courage, and a war to the last death.

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AGENT RUNNING IN THE FIELD
John le Carré
Cover of AGENT RUNNING IN THE FIELD

AGENT RUNNING IN THE FIELD

by John le Carré · Viking Press

1 wks on list

A twenty-six-year-old solitary figure desperately attempts to resist the political turbulence swirling around him and makes connections that will take him down a dangerous path.

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THE 19TH CHRISTMAS
James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Cover of THE 19TH CHRISTMAS

THE 19TH CHRISTMAS

by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro · Little, Brown

3 wks on list

If the Women's Murder Club can't be together this Christmas, a killer is to blame. As the holidays approach, Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends in the Women's Murder Club have much to celebrate. Crime is down. The medical examiner's office is quiet. Even the courts are showing some Christmas spirit. And the news cycle is so slow that journalist Cindy Thomas is on assignment to tell a story about the true meaning of the season for San Francisco. Then a fearsome criminal known only as "Loman" seizes control of the headlines. He is planning a deadly surprise for Christmas morning. And he has commissioned dozens of criminal colleagues to take actions that will mask his plans. All that Lindsay and the SFPD can figure out is that Loman's greed? for riches, for bloodshed, for attention? is limitless. Solving crimes never happens on schedule, but as this criminal mastermind unleashes credible threats by the hour, the month of December is upended for the Women's Murder Club. Avoiding tragedy is the only holiday miracle they seek.

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THE WATER DANCER
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Cover of THE WATER DANCER

THE WATER DANCER

by Ta-Nehisi Coates · One World

5 wks on list

"Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage--and lost his mother and all memory of her when he was a child--but he is also gifted with a mysterious power. Hiram almost drowns when he crashes a carriage into a river, but is saved from the depths by a force he doesn't understand, a blue light that lifts him up and lands him a mile away. This strange brush with death forces a new urgency on Hiram's private rebellion. Spurred on by his improvised plantation family, Thena, his chosen mother, a woman of few words and many secrets, and Sophia, a young woman fighting her own war even as she and Hiram fall in love, he becomes determined to escape the only home he's ever known. So begins an unexpected journey into the covert war on slavery that takes Hiram from the corrupt grandeur of Virginia's proud plantations to desperate guerrilla cells in the wilderness, from the coffin of the deep South to dangerously utopic movements in the North. Even as he's enlisted in the underground war between slavers and the enslaved, all Hiram wants is to return to the Walker Plantation to free the family he left behind--but to do so, he must first master his magical gift and reconstruct the story of his greatest loss. This is a bracingly original vision of the world of slavery, written with the narrative force of a great adventure. Driven by the author's bold imagination and striking ability to bring readers deep into the interior lives of his brilliantly rendered characters, The Water Dancer is the story of America's oldest struggle--the struggle to tell the truth--from one of our most exciting thinkers and beautiful writers"--

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THE INSTITUTE
Stephen King
Cover of THE INSTITUTE

THE INSTITUTE

by Stephen King · Scribner

7 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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THE TESTAMENTS
Margaret Atwood
Cover of THE TESTAMENTS

THE TESTAMENTS

by Margaret Atwood · Nan A. Talese/Doubleday

7 wks on list

En esta brillante secuela de El cuento de la criada, la aclamada autora Margaret Atwood responde a las preguntas que han cautivado a los lectores durante décadas. Novela ganadora del Man Booker Prize 2019 Subo y penetro en la oscuridad del interior; o en la luz.» Cuando las puertas de la furgoneta se cerraron de golpe tras Offred al final de El cuento de la criada, los lectores no tenían forma de saber cuál iba a ser su futuro: la libertad, la prisión o la muerte. Con la publicación de Los testamentos, la espera ha terminado. Margaret Atwood recupera la historia quince años después de que Offred se adentrara en lo desconocido, con los testimonios asombrosos de tres narradoras del mundo de Gilead. «Queridos lectores y lectoras: vuestras preguntas sobre Gilead y su funcionamiento interno han sido la fuente de inspiración de este libro. ¡Bueno, casi todo! La otra es el mundo en el que vivimos.»- Margaret Atwood ENGLISH DESCRIPTION #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE The Testaments is a modern masterpiece, a powerful novel that can be read on its own or as a companion to Margaret Atwood’s classic, The Handmaid’s Tale. More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results. Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third: Aunt Lydia. Her complex past and uncertain future unfold in surprising and pivotal ways. With The Testaments, Margaret Atwood opens up the innermost workings of Gilead, as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.

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THE BURNING WHITE
Brent Weeks
Cover of THE BURNING WHITE

THE BURNING WHITE

by Brent Weeks · Orbit

1 wks on list

The Burning White is the epic conclusion to the Lightbringer series by New York Times bestseller Brent Weeks - one of the most popular fantasy series of the decade. IN THE DARKEST HOUR, WILL THE LIGHTBRINGER COME? Gavin Guile, once the most powerful man the world had ever seen, has been laid low. He's lost his magic, and now he is on a suicide mission. Failure will condemn the woman he loves. Success will condemn his entire empire. As the White King springs his great traps and the Chromeria itself is threatened by treason and siege, Kip guile must gather his forces, rally his allies, and scramble to return for one impossible final stand. With over four million copies sold, Brent Weeks is one of the fastest-selling fantasy authors of all time. PRAISE FOR THE LIGHTBRINGER SERIES 'One of the best examples of modern fantasy that I have read' Fantasy Faction 'Brent Weeks has a style and immediacy of detail that pulls the reader relentlessly into his story. He doesn't allow you to look away' Robin Hobb 'Brent Weeks is so good it's beginning to tick me off' Peter V. Brett 'Nobody does breakneck pacing and amazingly executed plot twists like Brent Weeks' Brian McClellan The Lightbringer series The Black Prism The Blinding Knife The Broken Eye The Blood Mirror The Burning White More novels from Brent Weeks: The Night Angel series: The Way of Shadows Shadow's Edge Beyond the Shadows Perfect Shadow (novella)

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TO THE LAND OF LONG LOST FRIENDS
Alexander McCall Smith
Cover of TO THE LAND OF LONG LOST FRIENDS

TO THE LAND OF LONG LOST FRIENDS

by Alexander McCall Smith · Pantheon

1 wks on list

In the latest book in the widely beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series Precious Ramotswe takes on a case for a childhood friend, but when her inquiries attract the attention of a prominent politician she lands herself in more trouble than maybe even she can handle. Mma Ramotswe happily reconnects with an old friend when his teaching job brings him back to Gaborone. In the course of their conversations, though, Mma Ramotswe learns that Hope, one of their mutual acquaintances, has fallen on hard times. This initially comes as a shock to her, as the woman came from wealth. But when she learns that Hope has recently separated from her husband, a local politician with a less than stellar reputation, she becomes determined to find out the truth. Elsewhere, Charlie and Fanwell are also involved in tricky matters of the heart, as Queenie-Queenie, Charlie's girlfriend, seems to have transferred her affections to Fanwell. It's up to Mma Makutsi to set things right, but she may be too distracted by Violet Sephotho, who has somehow been appointed to the board of a charity. What is Violet up to now? As all of these mysteries are unravelled, Mma Ramotswe and the entire No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency will be reminded of the value of tried and true wisdom--she chooses to believe in goodness, that if our hearts are open, true equality can be found with one another. But in this world can that assumption be justified? It will take all her ingenuity and great moral sense to get to the heart of the matter.

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OLIVE, AGAIN
Elizabeth Strout
Cover of OLIVE, AGAIN

OLIVE, AGAIN

by Elizabeth Strout · Random House

2 wks on list

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

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NINTH HOUSE
Leigh Bardugo
Cover of NINTH HOUSE

NINTH HOUSE

by Leigh Bardugo · Flatiron

3 wks on list

'Impossible to put down' STEPHEN KING __________________ THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST FANTASY OF 2019 AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF OCTOBER 2019 A 2020 LOCUS AWARD FINALIST IN DEVELOPMENT FOR TELEVISION WITH AMAZON STUDIOS BY THE BESTSELLING CREATOR OF THE GRISHAVERSE AND THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES SHADOW AND BONE STEP INTO THE WORLD OF NINTH HOUSE __________________ Galaxy 'Alex' Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale's freshman class. A dropout and the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved crime, Alex was hoping for a fresh start. But a free ride to one of the world's most prestigious universities was bound to come with a catch. Alex has been tasked with monitoring the mysterious activities of Yale's secret societies - well-known haunts of the rich and powerful. Now there's a dead girl on campus and Alex seems to be the only person who won't accept the neat answer the police and campus administration have come up with for her murder. Because Alex knows the secret societies are far more sinister and extraordinary than anyone ever imagined. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And sometimes they prey on the living . . . 'One of the best fantasy novels I've read in years' LEV GROSSMAN 'Ninth House rocked my world' JOE HILL 'I wouldn't blame you for taking the day off to finish it' KELLY LINK 'Mesmerising' CHARLAINE HARRIS 'Compulsively readable' KIRKUS 'Atmospheric' BOOKLIST 'The fantasy novel of the year' THE I

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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

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

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