Two for Flinching
Stephen King has the #1 book on our hardcover fiction list, and #1 book in the country, with Never Flinch, which our starred review called the “thrilling sequel” to 2023’s Holly. PI Holly Gibney “shines as a quirky but lovable beacon of hope amid the plot’s grisly violence, and King never lets his Rube Goldberg–esque plot overshadow his characters’ humanity. Elegantly structured and sharply written, this moody mystery from the master of horror is a must-read.”
Ali Up
Debuting at the top of our trade paperback list, Ali Hazelwood’s Problematic Summer Romance centers on Maya, a 23-year-old grad student, and Conor, the 38-year-old business partner of Maya’s older brother, Eli. They convene in Sicily at the wedding of Eli and Rue, the central couple in 2024’s Not in Love. Maya and Conor were secondary characters in the earlier book, whose print unit sales are up 57% compared with the previous week.
Staying on Script
Annabel Monaghan’s adult fiction debut, 2022’s Nora Goes Off Script, was the first of her four summer romances to date, each of which received a starred PW review. Her latest, It’s a Love Story, debuts at #9 on our trade paperback list.
Faithful Companions
In an uncertain world, it’s nice to have things to count on: the sun will rise, the sun will set, and every few months, Nora Roberts or her alter ego, J.D. Robb, will release a bestseller. This week it’s Roberts’s turn, with Hidden Nature debuting at #2 on our hardcover fiction list. It’s “a solid standalone about a wounded cop tracking a series of mysterious disappearances,” according to our review. When said cop, Sloan Cooper, retreats to her hometown to recuperate, she meets Nash Littlefield, a former New York City lawyer turned contractor. Our review notes, “Roberts devotes more time to Nash’s renovation projects—and his budding romance with Sloan—than the core mystery, but provides plenty of lovable side characters and cozy escapism.”
