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Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient has stormed to the Publisher E-Book Ranking number one for the first time, after a brief period priced at 99p a few weeks ago.
We’ve seen it before among e-books: sales boosted by a quick price drop can often carry on long after the title has returned to a higher price. The Tattooist of Auschwitz spent eight weeks as runner-up to Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, before a week at 99p gave it the shot in the arm to finally swipe the Publisher ranking’s number one.
Andrzej Sapkowski‚Äôs The Last Wish dropped from the top spot, but it looks like e-book buyers were simply moving on to the next in the series: The Blood of Elves débuted in 10th.
Though Adam Kay‚Äôs Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas dropped into fifth place—albeit still riding high nearly a month on from 25th December—This is Going to Hurt remained as popular as ever, rising to second place. For some reason UK bookbuyers seem particularly drawn to the junior doctor memoir over Valentine‚Äôs Day (no judgement), so maybe the e-book behemoth will rack up another number one in the Publisher Ranking in the next few weeks.
Lee Child’s Blue Moon also bounced upwards the week the author announced his retirement. Perhaps the few remaining Jack Reacher fans who hadn’t bought the book or received it as a Christmas gift were prompted to click "buy" after hearing the news.
Claire McGowan’s What You Did has finally been defeated atop the Bookstat top 10, with Cara Hunter’s All the Rage leapfrogging it with an estimated 14,399 units sold for the week ending 25th January.
Suzanne Goldring’s My Name is Eva was the Bookstat chart’s highest new entry, the sole non- crime title in the top five. The historical title, set in war-torn Germany, was closely followed by Fiona Valpy’s The Dressmaker’s Gift, which takes place in 1940s Paris. Both follow in the footsteps of e-book hit The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which is still charting regularly in the Publisher E-Book Ranking, more than two years on from its original publication.
Clarification: Hachette has stated the e-book volume for My Name is Eva was 8,220 units, with The Silent Patient selling 5,236 in the same week. Pan Macmillan said The Seagull’s e-book edition sold 4,089 units.