Book Buzz: Readers are truly mad for Moriarty's latest novel

Here’s a look at what’s new on Paste BN’s Best-Selling Books list…

It’s a good week for Liane Moriarty. Not only does the Australian author score her highest debut on Paste BN’s Best Selling Books List with Truly Madly Guilty — landing at No. 2 —  but her 2012 book The Hypnotist’s Love Story makes its first appearance on the list at No. 47 as well. And her publisher is happy too. "We are thrilled that Liane has debuted the highest she ever has ... And if we can’t be No. 1, I can’t think of anyone we’d rather be behind than the boy wizard," says Amy Einhorn, senior vice president and publisher for Flatiron Books. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is No. 1 this week.

Paste BN’s Jocelyn McClurg gave the tale about a barbecue in Sydney that goes horribly wrong. **½ out of four stars, writing “Moriarty is a talented tale-spinner and a sharp, witty social observer, and this book certainly has its moments."

In an interview with Here & Now via Skype, the author shared her inspiration for Truly Madly Guilty, “I was inspired by something that happened to me when I was at a barbecue with friends, and, it just stayed with me for months afterwards and that became the inspiration.”

Moriarty added, “I tend to write about what’s preoccupying me but yes in this one I definitely explore that constant, almost permanent, state of terror that you feel as a parent.”

The author first made the list in 2013 with The Husband’s Secret, entering the list at 32 and rising as high as No. 3. She followed that up the next year with  a No. 3 debut for Big Little Lies in 2014. This year, her earlier books The Last Anniversary rose to No. 15 and What Alice Forgot peaked at No. 27.

No word yet on whether Truly Madly Guilty will follow in the Hollywood footsteps of Moriarty’s previous books, Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret.