BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 A Dirty Job by Christopher 1 2 Moore (William Morrow: $24.95) A San Francisco shopkeeper is tapped to collect souls from the newly departed in this dark comedy.

2 The Tenth Circle by Jodi 3 4 Picoult (Atria: $26) The seemingly bucolic life of a Maine family unravels as the past and present converge with haunting consequences.

3 In the Company of the 4 7 Courtesan by Sarah Dunant (Random House: $23.95) A cunning dwarf and a celebrated courtesan remake themselves in Venice after fleeing conflict in Rome in 1527.

4 Tomb of the Golden Bird by -- 1 Elizabeth Peters (William Morrow: $25.95) Archaeologist Amelia Peabody and her assorted supporters and competitors race to find King Tut’s tomb.

5 Gone by Jonathan Kellerman -- 1 (Ballantine: $22.95) Psychologist Alex Delaware and an LAPD detective combine forces to solve the disappearance and death of an aspiring actress.

6 False Impression by 11 4 Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin’s: $27.95) A young art expert investigates the forces behind the murder of an English aristocrat and the theft of her Van Gogh.

7 The Templar Legacy by 8 5 Steve Berry (Ballantine: $24.95) Intrigue swirls around a medieval monastic order and its long-lost archive that purports to disprove central Christian dogma.

8 Intuition by Allegra 10 3 Goodman (Dial Press: $25) Researchers at a Boston cancer center doubt the findings of a fellow scientist in a hurry to publish his claim of reducing tumors in lab mice.

9 The Fallen by T. Jefferson 7 6 Parker (William Morrow: $24.95) San Diego homicide Det. Robbie Brownlaw tries to find a killer and uncover a corruption scandal.

10 The Secret Supper by 14 2 Javier Sierra (Atria: $25.95) Murder, betrayal, an Old Master painting and Vatican politics mix in this mystery set in 15th century Milan.

11 The Night Watch by Sarah -- 1 Waters (Riverhead: $25.95) Amid the rubble and nightly air raids of World War II-era London, lovers and friends steal moments of passion and calm.

12 Dirty Blonde by Lisa 5 3 Scottoline (HarperCollins: $22.95) A newly appointed federal judge is enmeshed in a deadly battle between a former prosecutor and a Hollywood producer.

13 The Last Templar by 15 9 Raymond Khoury (Dutton: $24.95) Four horsemen dressed like the Knights Templar crash a Vatican artifacts exhibit at a New York museum and steal a code cracker.

14 The Da Vinci Code by Dan 2 151 Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

15 The 5th Horseman by James 6 7 Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown: $27.95) A cop investigates the mysterious death of a young mother in a San Francisco emergency room.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 American Theocracy by 1 2 Kevin Phillips (Viking: $26.95) Phillips argues that an overzealous global reach, a rise in fundamentalist religion and high debt historically lead to downfall.

2 Game of Shadows by Mark 9 2 Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams (Gotham: $26) The authors chronicle alleged steroid use among some of baseball’s brightest stars.

3 Marley & Me by John Grogan 2 20 (William Morrow: $21.95) A columnist recalls how Marley, an incorrigible Labrador retriever, flunked obedience school, terrorized a pet sitter and won over his family.

4 The Year of Magical 3 27 Thinking by Joan Didion (Knopf: $23.95) The author explores the nature of grief and survival in the months after her writer-husband’s sudden death.

5 Manhunt by James L. 10 7 Swanson (William Morrow: $26.95) The search for President Lincoln’s killer, actor John Wilkes Booth, and how he eluded capture for 12 days.

6 The World Is Flat by 7 51 Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $27.50) How technology and the forces of globalization are connecting -- and changing -- the world.

7 Freakonomics by Steven D. 13 45 Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.

8 The Jesus Papers by -- 1 Michael Baigent (HarperSanFrancisco: $27.95) A historian tries to reconcile the facts about Jesus’ life, crucifixion and death against the mythology surrounding him.

9 French Women Don’t Get Fat 6 28 by Mireille Guiliano (Knopf: $22) The chief executive of the French wine conglomerate Clicquot Inc. reveals the French secret of eating for pleasure without the bulge.

10 Barbra: The Way She Is by -- 1 Christopher Andersen (William Morrow: $25.95) A portrait of the Oscar-winning diva, political activist, philanthropist and art patron who is Barbra Streisand.

11 Burlesque and the Art of 8 3 the Teese by Dita Von Teese (ReganBooks: $34.95) A former Playboy model and burlesque stripper known for her elaborate costumes expounds on the art of the tease.

12 You’re Wearing That? by 12 7 Deborah Tannen (Random House: $24.95) A linguist studies the conversations between mothers and daughters, the direct and indirect messages, intended or not.

13 A Year in the World by 15 3 Frances Mayes (Broadway Books: $26) The woman famed for restoring a villa indulges her wanderlust in travels to Morocco, Turkey and out-of-the-way places in Europe.

14 Inspiration by Wayne W. 5 5 Dyer (Hay House: $24.95) The therapist and self-help guru argues for finding inspiration from within rather than seeking it from others.

15 Cobra II by Michael R. 4 3 Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor (Pantheon: $27.95) A military expert and the New York Times’ Pentagon reporter chronicle America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq.

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