Double Cross

In any given week, James Patterson shows up in numerous spots on our lists. This week brings two new releases: Criss Cross, #4 in the country, is the 25th outing for detective and psychologist Alex Cross. Ali Cross, #5 in children’s frontlist fiction, is a middle grade novel focused on the adventures of the detective’s 11-year-old son. All told, Patterson authored or coauthored five books that appear on three of our adult lists, as well as another two on our children’s fiction list—not at all atypical for the cross-generational author.

Under Advisement

A week after Anonymous’s A Warning debuted as the #2 book in the country, three more titles about the Trump presidency land on our lists.

At #7 in hardcover nonfiction, Crime in Progress is by Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, cofounders of the private intelligence firm Fusion GPS, who in 2016 hired Christopher Steele to investigate then–presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Inside Trump’s White House by Doug Wead, #13 in hardcover nonfiction, was “written with unprecedented access to the president, his family, and his closest advisors,” according to the publisher. Wead has served as an advisor to George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Rand Paul.

And veteran Supreme Court lawyer Neal Katyal lands at #3 in trade paper with Impeach, which makes, per the subtitle, the case against Donald Trump.

Steel Dossier

Two espionage novels set during WWII sneak onto our hardcover fiction list.

In Spy by Danielle Steel, #9, a young British woman fluent in French and German is recruited as a secret agent at the outset of the war and begins a long career of dangerous work behind enemy lines.

Under Occupation by Alan Furst, #18, centers on Paul Ricard, a spy novelist who becomes an agent for the resistance in Paris. “While sure to please the author’s many fans,” our review said, “the novel, replete with curvy women for Ricard to romance, nevertheless misses opportunities to dig deep within its protagonist, making for an exciting, if shallow, romp.”

NEW & NOTABLE

THE RISE OF MAGICKS
Nora Roberts
#1 Hardcover Fiction, #3 overall
Roberts closes out her Chronicles of the One trilogy, which began with 2017’s Year One and continued with 2018’s Of Blood and Bone. The three books are the top three titles on our monthly fantasy bestsellers list.

JAY-Z
Michael Eric Dyson
#15 Hardcover Nonfiction
“In this astute cultural biography,” our starred review said, Dyson, who teaches a course at Georgetown University on his book’s subject, “analyzes the impact of Jay-Z through his music—from his hard-knock life as a drug dealer from Brooklyn, to his becoming a billionaire rapper and husband of megastar Beyoncé.”