TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of November 23, 2025

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
Jump to
1
1
THE WIDOW
John Grisham
Cover of THE WIDOW

THE WIDOW

by John Grisham · Doubleday

5 wks at #1 · 3 on list

'A classic, compulsive, taut and thrilling novel from one of the great storytellers of our time. No one does it better' CHRIS WHITAKER SHE NEEDS A LAWYER. HE NEEDS A PAYDAY. Lawyer Simon Latch is struggling with debt, gambling issues and an impending divorce. But when Eleanor Barnett, an 85-year-old widow, visits his office to secure a new will, it seems his luck has finally changed: she claims she's sitting on a $20 million fortune and no one else knows about it. Once he's hooked the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But it's a terrible mistake. Hidden secrets have a way of being found out, and when Eleanor is hospitalised after a car accident, Simon realises that nothing is as it seems. As events spiral out of control, he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn't commit: murder. The Widow is classic Grisham courtroom drama combined with a confounding murder mystery that will enthral his legion of fans. 💥350+ million copies, 45 languages, 10 blockbuster films: JOHN GRISHAM IS THE MASTER OF THE LEGAL THRILLER💥

2
2
THE SECRET OF SECRETS
Dan Brown
Cover of THE SECRET OF SECRETS

THE SECRET OF SECRETS

by Dan Brown · Doubleday

9 wks on list

The world’s most celebrated thriller writer returns with his most stunning novel yet—a propulsive, twisty, thought-provoking masterpiece that will entertain readers as only Dan Brown can do. Robert Langdon, esteemed professor of symbology, travels to Prague to attend a groundbreaking lecture by Katherine Solomon—a prominent noetic scientist with whom he has recently begun a relationship. Katherine is on the verge of publishing an explosive book that contains startling discoveries about the nature of human consciousness and threatens to disrupt centuries of established belief. But a brutal murder catapults the trip into chaos, and Katherine suddenly disappears along with her manuscript. Langdon finds himself targeted by a powerful organization and hunted by a chilling assailant sprung from Prague’s most ancient mythology. As the plot expands into London and New York, Langdon desperately searches for Katherine . . . and for answers. In a thrilling race through the dual worlds of futuristic science and mystical lore, he uncovers a shocking truth about a secret project that will forever change the way we think about the human mind.

3
2
ALCHEMISED
SenLinYu
Cover of ALCHEMISED

ALCHEMISED

by SenLinYu · Del Rey

7 wks on list

In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past. “What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.” Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed. In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive. According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit? To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.

4
2
GONE BEFORE GOODBYE
Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben
Cover of GONE BEFORE GOODBYE

GONE BEFORE GOODBYE

by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben · Grand Central

4 wks on list

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben, a woman is trapped in a deadly conspiracy—where uncovering the truth could cost her everything. "Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben have delivered a winner. Gone Before Goodbye is a dynamic, riveting and twisty thriller—complete with a heroine that you’ll absolutely love." —Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan ... until it wasn’t. Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion. Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is ... Gone Before Goodbye. "A tour de force thriller that delivers a killer premise and thundering plot with serious emotional punch. Maggie is flawed, compelling and utterly real. Coben and Witherspoon are a dream team! " —Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List

5
NEW
THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER
Richard Paul Evans
Cover of THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER

THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER

by Richard Paul Evans · Gallery

1 wks on list

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Christmas classic The Christmas Box and the #1 Netflix movie The Noel Diary comes a powerful and thought-provoking holiday story about love, loss, and the mysterious workings of heaven. Sometimes the universe sends us exactly who we need... Three years after losing his family in a Christmas Eve accident, grief-stricken Paul Wanlass hasn’t just given up on Christmas, he’s given up on life. He can’t imagine anything to keep him here—not his work as a computer repairman, not the residents in his Salt Lake City neighborhood, and certainly not the idea of connecting with someone new. When a stranger knocks on his door, claiming to be picking up a laptop, Paul allows him in—but discovers the man has a very different mission in mind. Paul wakes the next morning unsure if his encounter with the stranger really happened or was just a dream–but when the stranger shows up again, Paul challenges him to give him just one reason to live. The stranger agrees to the challenge but warns Paul not to expect a path he would have guessed or chosen. As the stranger promised, Paul’s life takes a wild and fateful turn. A robbery connects him with a woman who has also lost the love of her life, and, in a seemingly unrelated incident, Paul rescues a young boy from bullying, only to find the boy needs a different kind of rescue. The twists leave Paul wondering what these people have in common, and why they were brought together. Who—or what—really is this Christmas stranger, and how will Paul find meaning once again?

6
3
TWICE
Mitch Albom
Cover of TWICE

TWICE

by Mitch Albom · Harper

5 wks on list

'Thought-provoking, heartwarming and compelling' DAILY MAIL A stunning and emotional new novel from the author of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. __________ When he is eight years old, Alfie Logan discovers the magical ability to get a second chance at everything. He can undo any moment and live it again. The one catch: he must accept the consequences of his second try - for better or worse. He grows up correcting his mistakes and saving himself from adolescent embarrassments. He even takes foolishly dangerous risks, just to see what it's like to come close to death, before tapping back to safety. Eventually, Alfie turns his gift to his love life, studying his crushes and going back to make himself more appealing. In time, he falls deeply in love with Gianna, the woman he believes is the one. He seems to find contentment. But as the years pass, Alfie's eye begins to wander. Which is when he learns a lone caveat to his power: once he undoes a love, that person can never fall in love with him again. Knowing if he gives into to temptation, he will risk losing what he has with Gianna, Alfie makes a choice that changes his life forever. The book begins many years later, after an ailing Alfie is arrested for allegedly cheating and winning millions at a casino roulette wheel. As a curious detective interrogates him, he slowly uncovers Alfie's incredible story, and its most unlikely conclusion. In Twice, the world's favourite storyteller, Mitch Albom, is at the top of his powers. A love story that is enchanting, probing and clairvoyant in matters of the heart, Twice will make you think, weep and overflow with love from beginning to end. __________ Praise for TWICE 'I cried tears of both happiness and sadness' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Whether you're a longtime fan of Albom or new to his work, Twice is a must-read. Poignant, imaginative and ultimately unforgettable!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Pure magic' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'A story filled with love, heartbreak and valuable life lessons . . . Albom's writing remains as inspiring and enjoyable as ever' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'BRAVO Mitch Albom BRAVO! Phenomenal! I'm awestruck with every single thing about this story!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'My heart is wrecked. Profoundly wrecked. How does Mitch write such deeply emotional books without making them feel heavy?' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'An amazing read, mesmerising and so cleverly written' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

7
REMAIN
Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan
Cover of REMAIN

REMAIN

by Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan · Random House

4 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A one-of-a-kind novel that grapples with the supernatural mysteries of life, death, and human connection—an unprecedented collaboration between the globally bestselling author of love stories like The Notebook and the renowned writer and director of blockbuster thrillers like The Sixth Sense COMING SOON AS A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN AND STARRING JAKE GYLLENHAAL AND PHOEBE DYNEVOR When New York architect Tate Donovan arrives in Cape Cod to design his best friend’s summer home, he is hoping to make a fresh start. Recently discharged from an upscale psychiatric facility where he was treated for acute depression, he is still wrestling with the pain of losing his beloved sister. Sylvia’s deathbed revelation—that she can see spirits who are still tethered to the living world, a gift that runs in their family—sits uneasily with Tate, who struggles to believe in more than what reason can explain. But when he takes up residence at a historic bed-and-breakfast on the Cape, he encounters a beautiful young woman named Wren who will challenge every assumption he has about his logical and controlled world. Tate and Wren find themselves forging an immediate connection, one that neither has ever experienced before. But Tate gradually discovers that below the surface of Wren’s idyllic small-town life, hatred, jealousy, and greed are festering, threatening their fragile relationship just as it begins to blossom. Tate realizes that in order to free Wren from an increasingly desperate fate, he will need to unearth the truth about her past before time runs out . . . a quest that will make him doubt whether we can ever believe the stories we tell about ourselves, and the laws that govern our existence. Love—while transformative—can sometimes be frightening. A story about the power of transcendent emotion, Remain asks us all: Can love set us free not only from our greatest sorrows, but even from the boundaries of life and death?

8
THE PROVING GROUND
Michael Connelly
Cover of THE PROVING GROUND

THE PROVING GROUND

by Michael Connelly · Little, Brown

3 wks on list

Mickey Haller - The Lincoln Lawyer - leaves criminal court behind for his first civil lawsuit. But to him, this is still a murder trial. An AI company's chatbot encouraged a sixteen-year-old boy to kill his ex-girlfriend. Can Haller prove the company knew the dangers of its own creation? To do so, he turns to Jack McEvoy - a journalist who knows how powerful the coming wave will be - and together they soon uncover a whistleblower in hiding. As the tech titans try to buy or bully their way out, the scale of their courtroom battle before them becomes clear. Because billions are at stake - along with countless lives - in an all or nothing case, which could change everything... From the author of the books behind the #1 Netflix show The Lincoln Lawyer, and #1 Amazon Prime series Bosch and Ballard. ***** PRAISE FOR MICHAEL CONNELLY & THE LINCOLN LAYWER THRILLERS: 'An incredible writer' RICHARD OSMAN 'The Lincoln Lawyer series keeps getting better' WASHINGTON POST 'A superb natural storyteller' LEE CHILD 'The pre-eminent detective novelist of his generation' IAN RANKIN 'Mickey Haller is a worthy colleague of Atticus Finch' LOS ANGELES TIMES 'A master of the genre' STEPHEN KING 'A terrific writer' THE TIMES 'A powerhouse, an unstoppable force in crime fiction' MICK HERRON 'Crime thriller writing of the highest order' GUARDIAN 'Nobody writes a better modern thriller' EVENING STANDARD 'One of the world's greatest crime writers' DAILY MAIL 'The master of modern crime fiction' EXPRESS

9
1
THE INTRUDER
Freida McFadden
Cover of THE INTRUDER

THE INTRUDER

by Freida McFadden · Poisoned Pen

5 wks on list

There's someone at your front door - should you let them in? Find out in a riveting new thriller from global sensation and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Housemaid, Freida McFadden! Who knows what the storm will blow in... Casey's cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she's a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window. She's young. She's alone. And she's covered in blood. The girl won't explain where she came from, or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse. The girl has a dark secret. One she'll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning. In this taut, deadly tale of survival and desperation, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Freida McFadden explores how far one girl will go to save herself.

10
NEW
EMPIRE OF THE DAWN
Jay Kristoff
Cover of EMPIRE OF THE DAWN

EMPIRE OF THE DAWN

by Jay Kristoff · St. Martin's

1 wks on list

From New York Times bestselling author of the Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned, Jay Kristoff, comes the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series. From holy cup comes holy light; The faithful hand sets world aright. And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight, Mere man shall end this endless night. Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and his last hope of ending the endless night—the Holy Grail, Dior. With no desire left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of the Augustin Empire to claim the life of the Forever King. Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives—speeding towards Augustin’s besieged capital in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath forever. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may be the last time, there will be no-one left for them to trust. Not even each other.

11
10
THE BLACK WOLF
Louise Penny
Cover of THE BLACK WOLF

THE BLACK WOLF

by Louise Penny · Minotaur

2 wks on list

The 20th mystery in the #1 New York Times-bestselling Armand Gamache series. Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding. Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf. But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division. Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf. A warning... In a dry and parched land where there is no water. Gamache and his small team of supporters realize that for the Black Wolf to have gotten this far, they must have powerful allies, in law enforcement, in industry, in organized crime, in the halls of government. From the apparent peace of his little village, Gamache finds himself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse with an invisible foe who is gathering forces and preparing to strike.

12
9
BONDS OF HERCULES
Jasmine Mas
Cover of BONDS OF HERCULES

BONDS OF HERCULES

by Jasmine Mas · Canary Street

2 wks on list

HERCULES IS BACK. AND YOU'RE BOUND TO LOVE HER. In this hotly anticipated follow-up to Jasmine Mas’s BLOOD OF HERCULES, the stakes are higher and the villains darker than ever...

14
NEW
QUEEN ESTHER
John Irving
Cover of QUEEN ESTHER

QUEEN ESTHER

by John Irving · Simon & Schuster

1 wks on list

After forty years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award-winning The Cider House Rules, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr Wilbur Larch takes in Esther, a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by anti-Semitism. Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board a ship from Bremerhaven to Portland, Maine, and anti-Semites murder her mother in Portland. In the orphanage at St. Cloud’s, it’s clear to Dr Larch, the physician and director of the orphanage, that the abandoned child not only knows she’s Jewish, but she’s familiar with the biblical Queen Esther she was named for. Dr Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther; he doubts he’ll find any family to adopt her. When Esther is fourteen, soon to become a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic family with a history of providing for unadopted orphans. The Winslows aren’t Jewish, but they detest anti-Semitism and similar prejudice. Esther’s gratitude to the Winslows is unending. As she retraces her steps to her birth city, Esther keeps loving and protecting the Winslows – even in Vienna. The final chapter of this historical novel is set in Jerusalem in 1981, when Esther is seventy-six.

15
NEW
THE BRIDGE KINGDOM
Danielle L. Jensen
Cover of THE BRIDGE KINGDOM

THE BRIDGE KINGDOM

by Danielle L. Jensen · Del Rey

The iconic Bridge Kingdom series begins: a sweeping, sizzling fantasy romance filled with political intrigue and passionate love, from the New York Times bestselling author of A Fate Inked in Blood. "Heart-pounding romance and intense action wrapped in a spellbinding world. I was hooked from the first page!"—Elise Kova, USA Today bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she'll be the one to bring him to his knees. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she's sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king. Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she's the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she'll save . . . and which kingdom she'll destroy. Don’t miss any of Danielle L. Jensen's Bridge Kingdom series: THE BRIDGE KINGDOM • THE TRAITOR QUEEN • THE INADEQUATE HEIR • THE ENDLESS WAR • THE TWISTED THRONE (April 8, 2025)

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