1. “The Two Minute Rule,” by Robert Crais (Simon &Schuster: $24.95) A paroled bank robber tries to find out who killed his police officer son and why.
2. “The Da Vinci Code,” by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.
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. “Nightlife,” by Thomas Perry (Random House: $24.95) A female serial killer with a penchant for changing identities plays cat-and-mouse with those on her trail.
5. “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.
6. “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.
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. “The 5th Horseman,” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown: $27.95) A cop investigates the mysterious death of a young mother in a San Francisco emergency room.
9. “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.
10. “Veronica,” by Mary Gaitskill (Pantheon: $23) A former fashion model who faces some of life’s ugly realities recalls a friendship with a woman who was an early casualty of AIDS.
1. “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.
2. “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.
3. “Inspiration,” by Wayne W. Dyer (Hay House: $24.95) Dyer argues that we should connect with our inner spirits for inspiration instead of seeking motivation from outside sources.
4. “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.
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. “Eat, Pray, Love,” by Elizabeth Gilbert (Viking: $24.95) A newly single woman travels the globe and discovers much about herself as she tries to balance pleasure and discipline.
7. “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.
8. “You’re Wearing That?” by Deborah Tannen (Random House: $24.95) A linguist studies the conversations between mothers and daughters, the direct and indirect messages, intended or not.
9. “The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner,” by David Bach (Broadway: $19.95) How to save up enough to buy a first home or investment property and build wealth through real estate.
10. “Blink,” by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $25.95) An exploration of the workings of the human mind, perceptions and whether we can really trust our first instincts.
Los Angeles Times
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