Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

Helen MacInnes

Charting Jul 20, 1942 → Dec 9, 1984 · 307 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 13.45%; week of Mar 9, 1969
Career Power: 2,327; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 18; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 503; July 1968 – July 1969
Peak Five Years: 805; July 1964 – July 1969
Top-five weeks: 148; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 307; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 14.53%; week of Nov 10, 1968
Comebacks: 9; March 1955, April 1958, December 1960, November 1963, February 1966, October 1968, November 1971, April 1974, July 1976

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After absence	Jan 4, 1943	Mar 27, 1955	637	245	8.56%	3.15%
After absence	May 15, 1955	Apr 6, 1958	151	147	8.56%	3.11%
After absence	Oct 5, 1958	Dec 25, 1960	114	108	8.56%	3.15%
After absence	Jun 18, 1961	Nov 24, 1963	126	122	8.56%	3.19%
After decline	Aug 9, 1964	Feb 27, 1966	79	75	10.06%	3.97%
After decline	Nov 20, 1966	Oct 20, 1968	100	96	10.06%	4.18%
After absence	Sep 7, 1969	Nov 21, 1971	115	108	13.45%	5.12%
After decline	May 21, 1972	Apr 14, 1974	99	94	13.45%	4.93%
After decline	Oct 6, 1974	Jul 11, 1976	92	84	13.45%	5.08%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

18 books · 2,327 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
The Salzburg Connection	#1November 1968	42	September 1968 – July 1969	503.0	503.0
The Double Image	#2March 1966	33	January 1966 – September 1966	302.2	302.2
The Venetian Affair	#2December 1963	31	October 1963 – June 1964	282.9	282.9
Message from Malaga	#4October 1971	28	October 1971 – April 1972	218.7	218.7
The Snare of the Hunter	#2April 1974	24	March 1974 – August 1974	209.2	209.2
North from Rome	#4April 1958	23	March 1958 – August 1958	154.1	154.1
Agent in Place	#4June 1976	21	May 1976 – October 1976	144.2	144.2
Decision at Delphi	#5December 1960	26	November 1960 – May 1961	139.8	139.8
Assignment in Brittany	#2September 1942	12	July 1942 – October 1942	134.6	134.6
Pray for a Brave Heart	#7February 1955	12	January 1955 – April 1955	50.4	50.4
Prelude to Terror	#6November 1978	11	November 1978 – January 1979	50.2	50.2
The Hidden Target	#7December 1980	14	November 1980 – March 1981	47.7	47.7
Cloak of Darkness	#8October 1982	6	October 1982 – November 1982	22.6	22.6
Rest and Be Thankful	#11September 1949	7	September 1949 – October 1949	19.2	19.2
I and My True Love	#9March 1953	6	March 1953 – April 1953	17.7	17.7
Ride a Pale Horse	#10November 1984	5	November 1984 – December 1984	17.5	17.5
Friends and Lovers	#13September 1947	3	September 1947 – September 1947	7.2	7.2
Neither Five nor Three	#16April 1951	3	April 1951 – May 1951	5.5	5.5