Digital Bestseller Lists: Patient pays off for Michaelides

Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient re-claimed its top spot in the Publisher E-Book Ranking for the week ending 1st February, knocking Ellie Dean’s Homecoming from the number one spot after just one week.

Jack Fairweather’s Costa Book of the Year The Volunteer débuted in the chart in second place. The title racked up the best single-week sale for a Costa winner since Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies in 2013 in the week of its win, and looks to be selling strongly in e-book too.

Fiona Valpy had the Bookstat E-Book Top 10 number one sewn up with The Dressmaker’s Gift, which climbed eight places week on week (in the week ending 8th February). Impressively, it was the only title from the previous week’s chart to remain in the top 10, though Rachel Abbott’s Right Behind You, Claire McGowan’s What You Did and Michaelides’ The Silent Patient returned to the chart.

Mhairi McFarlane’s If I Never Met You zipped straight into the runner-up position, with Marian Keyes’ Grown Ups, after just three days’ worth of sales, débuting in eighth place. As we hurtle towards Valentine’s Day, the Bookstat Top 10 returned the lowest number of crime and thriller titles yet, with romance and literary fiction elbowing their way in.

Clarification: Hachette has stated its e-book volumes were: Little Fires Everywhere on 4,712 units; His Secret Family on 6,055; and The Silent Patient on 4,643.