1. “A Dirty Job,” by Christopher Moore (William Morrow: $24.95) A San Francisco shopkeeper is tapped to collect souls from the newly departed in this dark comedy.
2. “The Tenth Circle,” by Jodi Picoult (Atria: $26) The seemingly bucolic life of a Maine family unravels as the past and present converge with haunting consequences.
3. “In the Company of the Courtesan,” by Sarah Dunant (Random House: $23.95) A cunning dwarf and a celebrated courtesan remake themselves in Venice after fleeing conflict in Rome in 1527.
4. “Tomb of the Golden Bird,” by Elizabeth Peters (William Morrow: $25.95) Archaeologist Amelia Peabody and her assorted supporters and competitors race to find King Tut’s tomb.
5. “Gone,” by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine: $22.95) Psychologist Alex Delaware and an LAPD detective combine forces to solve the disappearance and death of an aspiring actress.
6. “False Impression,” by Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin’s: $27.95) A young art expert investigates the forces behind the murder of an English aristocrat and the theft of her Van Gogh.
7. “The Templar Legacy,” by Steve Berry (Ballantine: $24.95) Intrigue swirls around a medieval monastic order and its long-lost archive that purports to disprove central Christian dogma.
8. “Intuition,” by Allegra Goodman (Dial Press: $25) Researchers at a Boston cancer center doubt the findings of a fellow scientist in a hurry to publish his claim of reducing tumors in lab mice.
9. “The Fallen,” by T. Jefferson Parker (William Morrow: $24.95) San Diego homicide Detective Robbie Brownlaw tries to find a killer and uncover a corruption scandal.
10. “The Secret Supper,” by Javier Sierra (Atria: $25.95) Murder, betrayal, an Old Master painting and Vatican politics mix in this mystery set in 15th century Milan.
1. “American Theocracy,” by Kevin Phillips (Viking: $26.95) Phillips argues that an overzealous global reach, a rise in fundamentalist religion and high debt historically lead to downfall.
2. “Game of Shadows,” by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams (Gotham: $26) The authors chronicle alleged steroid use among some of baseball’s brightest stars.
3. “Marley &Me,” by John Grogan (William Morrow: $21.95) A columnist recalls how Marley, an incorrigible Labrador retriever, flunked obedience school, terrorized a pet sitter and won over his family.
4. “The Year of Magical Thinking,” by Joan Didion (Knopf: $23.95) The author explores the nature of grief and survival in the months after her writer-husband’s sudden death.
5. “Manhunt,” by James L. Swanson (William Morrow: $26.95) The search for President Lincoln’s killer, actor John Wilkes Booth, and how he eluded capture for 12 days.
6. “The World Is Flat,” by Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus &Giroux: $27.50) How technology and the forces of globalization are connecting – and changing – the world.
7. “Freakonomics,” by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.
8. “The Jesus Papers,” by Michael Baigent (HarperSanFrancisco: $27.95) A historian tries to reconcile the facts about Jesus’ life, crucifixion and death against the mythology surrounding him.
9. “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” by Mireille Guiliano (Knopf: $22) The chief executive of the French wine conglomerate Clicquot Inc. reveals the French secret of eating for pleasure without the bulge.
10. “Barbra: The Way She Is,” by Christopher Andersen (William Morrow: $25.95) A portrait of the Oscar-winning diva, political activist, philanthropist and art patron who is Barbra Streisand.
Los Angeles Times
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
