Cover comparison: Roadside Crosses | 1st October 2010, 20:49

I'm being a little naughty with this one because the US cover (on the left) is, I think, from the hardback and the UK cover (on the right) is from the paperback. This is because I couldn't find a decent resolution image of what I think is the US paperback. The paperback is basically the same though but with some added text. The UK hardback however has a completely different cover picture, while retaining the same colour scheme and layout. To me, the UK version looks much more contemporary. The font chosen is more stylish and modern, whereas the text on the US edition looks like the standard of the 1990s that graced original John Grisham and Ken Follett publications. It makes the book look dated, rather than the relatively new release it still is. It's interesting that the two publishers have chosen to plug different books from Deaver's back catalogue in their 'best-selling author of' strapline. The UK version highlights the first book in the Lincoln Rhyme series (published 1997), and the US version the recent first novel in the Brynn McKenzie series (2008 in the US, 2009 in the UK). My only assumption is that the recent novel didn't perform well enough in the UK and the British publisher wanted to get the words 'number one' onto the cover. The UK edition also takes the space to mention that it's a Kathryn Dance thriller, whereas the US version fails to mention this - suggesting perhaps that the previous Dance novel didn't perform so well in the US and they are trying to sell this one on the author's name rather than the series. Finally, the UK publisher (Hodder) have added the words "Watch for the warning signs...". I wonder how many meetings there were to discuss what to write in that space. I'd like to think it was many. I also wonder how many extra copies they sold. The US version plumps for 'A novel' - at which I continue to laugh... does anyone seriously think it's going to be mistaken for the truth. The picture is the remaining element, and here I'm torn. The image used on the US cover is so much nicer, and the cross itself is much more accurate compared to the descriptions in the novel. However, it doesn't look like a crime book. It looks like the sort of shot you would get of the poppy fields following the first world war. It puts me in mind of Sebastian Faulkes's Birdsong rather than a gritty whodunnit. The UK image looks much more menacing but is somewhat at odds with the title as it depicts the cross in the middle of the road rather than at the side. In conclusion, I have to say I'd go with the UK version - it looks like a crime novel and one from the 21st century. Just for fun, this is what they released in Australia:

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