And for James Patterson, Four Blind Mice is even nicer. The megaselling author hits the #1 spot on our hardcover fiction bestseller chart after a week in the stores—a feat Patterson has accomplished five times in the last five years. And his total at the three national chains was very strong—more than 50,000 at Barnes & Noble, Borders and Waldenbooks. It's also his best opening week at the three chains; his previous high was last year's Violets Are Blue; combined tally at the three chains was about 43,000. Patterson's numbers are heading north even in a season when retail sales are flat or down—excellent news for the author and his publishers. The first printing for Four Blind Mice was a hefty one million copies, and Little, Brown ordered a second printing of 85,000. The book has enjoyed stellar reviews and Patterson is traveling to 15 cities to promote it. His appearances were jammed with people buying multiple copies.