John Grisham slipped from the #1 spot on the mass market slot after a nine-week stint in that position with A Painted House. In a way, it's the first time J.D. Robb has reached that level; her latest, Reunion in Death, has 1,050,000 copies in print, according to publisher Berkley. As most of her fans know by now, Robb's other name is Nora Roberts. For Betrayal in Death, Berkley mounted a "Betrayed by J.D. Robb" campaign, to tie in with the author's unmasking. The revelation certainly did not hurt Robb's sales. Back in 1999, her books regularly landed in the bottom third of our weekly charts. Robb/Roberts fans have only to wait until April 1 for Three Fates, bearing the Nora Roberts byline; the Putnam hardcover will be published with a 450,000-copy first printing.
With reporting by Dick Donahue
