Exit Strategy takes top spot in latest Waterstone’s Ballymena chart

Saturday 22 August 2026

Crime and thriller heavyweights dominate the latest bestseller chart at Waterstone’s Ballymena, with Lee Child taking the number one spot as John Grisham, Freida McFadden, Ann Cleeves and Val McDermid all feature in this week’s Top 10.

There is plenty beyond crime fiction too, with Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent, V.E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, Monisha Rajesh’s Moonlight Express and Stephen Fry’s Odysseyshowing the breadth of reading tastes among local customers.

The latest update also brings half-price offers, four new releases, Saturday Storytime and details of the next General Fiction Book Club.

Top 10 this week

1. Exit Strategy — Lee Child

Lee Child delivers another dose of fast-paced suspense and high-stakes action, offering thriller fans the page-turning storytelling that has made him one of the biggest names in the genre.

2. The Widow — John Grisham

The master of the legal thriller returns with another gripping tale of crime, secrets and the pursuit of justice, combining mounting tension with the twists and intrigue readers have come to expect from Grisham.

3. The Housemaid’s Wedding — Freida McFadden

Freida McFadden returns to the world of her phenomenally successful Housemaid series, bringing readers another helping of psychological suspense centred on Millie and the secrets and dangers surrounding her life.

4. The Correspondent — Virginia Evans

A warm and quietly compelling novel told through letters, following Sybil Van Antwerp as her correspondence gradually reveals a story of friendship, loss, forgiveness and human connection.

5. The Killing Stones — Ann Cleeves

The bestselling crime writer behind the Vera and Shetland novels delivers another atmospheric mystery, combining a strong sense of place with a carefully constructed investigation.

6. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil — V.E. Schwab

From the bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue comes a spellbinding queer love story following the desires and dreams of three enigmatic young women.

7. Moonlight Express — Monisha Rajesh

From Austria’s Nightjet to Finland’s Santa Claus Express, Rajesh takes readers on an entertaining global adventure aboard nocturnal sleeper trains, combining travel writing with the romance of rail.

8. Gone Before Goodbye — Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon

Two major names join forces for a fast-moving thriller filled with danger, secrets and twists, bringing together Coben’s trademark suspense with an emotionally charged story.

9. Trick of the Dark — Val McDermid

One of Britain’s foremost crime writers delivers a dark and absorbing psychological mystery where questions of guilt, obsession and truth propel the story towards its conclusion.

10. Odyssey — Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry turns his distinctive storytelling style to the final instalment of his Greek mythology series, retelling Odysseus’ extraordinary journey home following the fall of Troy.

Half-price offers

Three very different reads feature among the latest half-price offers, spanning bestselling romantasy and children’s fiction.

• Reckless — Lauren Roberts

Following on from Powerless, the second bewitching instalment in Roberts’ bestselling romantasy trilogy finds the balance between hunter and hunted shift as the king-killer Paedyn Gray and the new king’s brother Kai Azer meet in the reckless, hostile city of Dor.

• Esme Pepper — Jacqueline Wilson

When her well-meaning mum gets in trouble, Esme is placed in foster care with an elderly couple in this heartwarming story about finding your way through challenges from the beloved author of the Tracy Beaker series.

• Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories 2 — Jeff Kinney

Ghoulish surprises galore await in this hilarious follow-up to Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories, as Greg Heffley’s best buddy shares more of his comically terrifying tales of monsters, oversized insects and more.

New releases arrive in store

Politics, technology, family and contemporary social issues feature prominently among this week’s new titles.

• The Kill Switch — Robert Peston

Following on from the bestselling The Whistleblower and The Crash, the popular journalist and presenter thrusts Gil Peck into the dangerous world of big tech after the Prime Minister dies in highly suspicious circumstances.

• Where Are The Kings — Donal Ryan

The highly acclaimed author of The Spinning Heart and The Queen of Dirt Island returns with another psychologically acute and affecting novel of family and secrets, as twelve-year-old Jack learns to grow up without the presence of his mother.

• A Better Life — Lionel Shriver

From the acclaimed author of We Need to Talk About Kevin comes a characteristically contentious and satirical dissection of twenty-first century immigration, as a liberal New Yorker and her cynical Gen-Z son take in a Honduran migrant with unforeseen consequences.

• Can Nothing Save Us? — Irvine Welsh

A pulsating literary thriller from the bestselling author of Trainspotting that mines the hedonism and paranoia of Las Vegas, as a drug-fuelled club promoter drags his wealthy family into a nightmare of suspicious neighbours, charismatic cult leaders and more.

Saturday Storytime

Younger readers can enjoy another morning of stories and activities at Waterstone’s Ballymena next weekend.

Storytime and colouring takes place at 12pm on Saturday 29 August, with this week’s featured book being Says Who? by Rachel Emily and Paul Delaney.

Book Clubs

• General fiction

The next General Fiction Book Club meeting takes place on Thursday 3 September at 7pm, with Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant selected as this month’s read.

The group is small and informal, with refreshments provided and no charge to join. New members are welcome to drop in for some relaxed discussion and book chat.

• Romance

Waterstone’s Ballymena’s Romance Book Club was also scheduled to meet on Friday 21 August, with members discussing Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe.

The 18+ group offers readers the opportunity to talk all things romance over snacks and plenty of laughs.

From some of the biggest names in crime fiction to literary favourites, travel writing and Greek mythology, this week’s Top 10 offers a particularly varied snapshot of what Ballymena readers are picking up.

With new releases continuing to arrive, half-price offers for younger and adult readers, and regular events bringing the local reading community together, there is plenty to discover at Waterstone’s Ballymena as the summer draws to a close.