Swedish mystery writers continue to hit high on bestseller lists both at home and abroad. In Sweden, the collaboration between Swedish bestseller Liza Marklund and American megasell-ing author James Patterson, Postcard Killers, debuted at #1 in February. Postcards will be published in the U.S. in August by Patterson's U.S. house, Little, Brown, where the authorship is described as “James Patterson & Liza Marklund #1 Bestselling Author in Europe.” The new top-selling novel in Spain last month was The Blood Spilt by Swedish crime writer Asa Larsson. Spilt was published in the U.S. as a trade paperback by Delta in 2007, following the publication of Larsson's debut novel, Sun Storm in 2006. Delta published Larsson's The Black Path in 2008. All three titles are also available in Kindle editions.

The top three sellers in Germany in February were all new and included another Scandinavian, Norwegian author Jo Nesbø, whose Leopard landed in third place. Nesbø has been published in the U.S. by HarperCollins, and the publisher has just released The Devil's Star, the third title featuring Oslo detective Harry Hole. Nesbø has a five-city U.S. tour scheduled to promote Star, which received a starred PW review. The literary discussion in Germany, however, has been dominated by the book and author in the second position at the end of February—teenager Helene Hegemann and her Axolotl Roadkill. The book was an early critical success before it was discovered that Hegemann had copied parts of it. Her vigorous defense of her work as “mixing” rather than plagiarism has drawn international media attention but no American publisher.

In nonfiction, the #1 title in Sweden is one that could come straight from the Running Press or Cider Mill catalogue—Rubberband Exercise, which the publisher notes comes with that popular exercise tool, the rubber band.

International Bestsellers

Germany
Fiction Nonfiction
1 Der KochThe CookMartin Suter Diogenes Mein Glück kommt selten alleinFortune Is Not Coming by ItselfEchart von Hirschhausen Rowohlt
2 AxolotlRoadkillHelene Hegemann Ullstein Irre!: Wir behandein die FalschenInsane: We Treat the Wrong PeopleManfred Lutz Gütersloher Verlagshaus
3 LeopardJo Nesbø Ullstein In der Mitte des LebensIn the Middle of LifeMargot Kässmann Herder
For week ending February 21, used by arrangement with Buchreport
Sweden
Fiction Nonfiction
1 Postcard KillersLiza Marklund and James Patterson Piratförlaget Träna med gummibandExercise with a Rubber BandJonas Lissjanis, Gustav Ström Bokförlaget Semic
2 Den forlorade symbolenThe Lost SymbolDan BrownAlbert Bonniers Vär korbokOur Cook Book- Norstedts Forlag
3 Hundraaringen som klev ut genomfönstret och försvannThe Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out His Window and DisappearedJonas Jonasson Piratförlaget Guinness World Records 2010- Bonnier Fakta
For week ending February 21, used by arrangement with Svensk Bokhandel
Spain
Fiction Nonfiction
1 Sangre derramadaThe Blood SpiltAsa Larsson Seix Barral La hora de los sensatosThe Hour of the WiseLeopoldo Abadia Espasa Calpe
2 Perdoname pero quiero casarmecontigoExcuse Me But I Want to Marry YouFederico Moccia Planeta El factor humano: Nelson MandelaPlaying the Enemy: Nelson MandelaJohn Carlin Seix Barral
3 El tiempo entre costurasThe Time Between SeamsMaria Dueñas Vinuesa Temas de Hoy El SecretoThe SecretRhonda Byrne Urano
For week ending February 21, used by arrangement with El Cultural