One of the enduring mysteries of popular culture is why certain mediocre works become wildly successful, even inescapable. In addition to the occasional masterpiece, book publishing produces hundreds of thousands of middling titles every year, and every so often one of them catches on, becoming the blockbuster that funds all the rest. But why that particular book? Take Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train, a psychological thriller of very modest accomplishment that has sold upward of 11 million copies, putting Hawkins on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid authors in the world, one slot above Game of Thrones’ George R.R. Martin. Most best-sellers aren’t any better than the drably written and predictably twist-ridden The Girl on the Train, of course, and some are much worse. But the typical successful commercial novelist—from James Patterson to Mary Higgins Clark—succeeds not by coming out of nowhere with a remarkable book but because she has hammered out a formula more or less her own, promising her readers a reassuringly familiar experience. Can Hawkins? Her new novel, Into the Water, will tell. Continue reading at 'Slate'
[ Slate | 2017-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
Former US president Bill Clinton and James Patterson are collaborating on a novel, publishing with Cornerstone, called The President is Missing. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The President Is Missing will see the former US leader make his prose fiction debut in collaboration with his golf partner the crime writing mega-sellerIn one of the most unexpected literary collaborations to date, former US president Bill Clinton is to publish a novel with bestselling crime... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has pre-empted a two book deal for Possession, a psychological thriller by J L Butler, for six figures. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One of the enduring mysteries of popular culture is why certain mediocre works become wildly successful, even inescapable. In addition to the occasional masterpiece, book publishing produces hundreds of thousands of middling titles every year, and every so often one of them catches on, becoming... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2017-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Granta has acquired Eleanor Catton's follow up to her Man Booker Prize-winning novel The Luminaries, which is to be a psychological thriller titled Birnham Wood. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Obamas’ $60m book deal has broken all records. From James Patterson to JK Rowling and Pope John Paul II, here are some of their closest rivals1. Seventeen books by James Patterson ($100-150m)When? 2009 Related: The audacity of hype: could Obama's presidential memoir be the greatest ever? ... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.P. Delaney's 'The Girl Before' rose to the top of the iBooks Bestseller list this past week, followed by another strong showing by James Patterson and Candice Fox's 'Never Never.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Patterson was the most borrowed author through UK public libraries for a 10th consecutive year in 2015/16. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Patterson's latest novel, 'Never Never,' which is co-written with Candice Fox, rose to the top of the iBooks bestsellers list last week, followed by another strong showing from Billy Taylor's self-published' Just Friends.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Patterson's first three Alex Cross detective novels are being released in e-format for the first time by Arrow. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Katy Evans's self-published romance 'Womanizer' dethrones the competition including David Baldacci, John Grisham, and James Patterson to nab the top slot. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big names dominated the iBooks bestseller list in the week ended November 27, with James Patterson's 'Cross the Line' taking the #1 spot. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ebury imprint Del Rey has acquired The One, an "original and modern take on a psychological thriller" by John Marrs. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orenda Books has signed The Other Twin, a "dark, sexy" debut psychological thriller by Lucy V Hay. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's boy vs. middle school. The live-action adaptation of James Patterson's bestselling novel 'Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life' opens on October 7. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Offering short, fast-paced novels designed to encourage book reading, James Patterson’s BookShots imprint sold a combined total of about 30,000 copies the first week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins is to publish a psychological thriller entitled Her Perfect Life by Sam Hepburn. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kensington lands a psychological thriller by a longtime BBC staffer, Bloomsbury re-ups Natasha Pulley, vlogger Melissa Maker takes her tips guide to Avery, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Patterson's '15th Affair,' the latest entry in his Women's Murder Club series, written with Maxine Paetro, is #1 on the iBooks Bestsellers list for the week that ended May 8. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cornerstone is to publish eight of James Patterson’s new line of short novels BookShots in June, as part of what it described as a “game-changing” approach to publishing. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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