One of my favorite book covers we advertised in 2024 was Those Opulent Days by Jacquie Pham. The gold accents against the shadowy lake and dark sky perfectly suggest elegance and intrigue—as the kids say, “it’s giving glamour mystery!” But we all know it’s what’s inside that matters most, and this debut doesn’t disappoint. We loved helping Grove Atlantic connect with literary fiction fans, book club members, NPR listeners, and more for Pham’s fantastic debut.
Those Opulent Days is a historical murder mystery set in the glamor and darkness of 1920s French-colonial Vietnam. Lifelong friends Duy, Phong, Minh, and Edmond—power players in Saigon’s elite—gather for a lavish evening in a Dalat mansion, but not all will make it to morning. Told across the night of the murder and the six days leading up to it, the story reveals betrayal, secrets, and class tensions through the perspectives of the four men, their mothers, lovers, and servants. Publishers Weekly calls it “a memorable and disturbing historical set in French-occupied Vietnam…[with] lyrical prose and an immersive evocation of the period.” Fans of The Guest List and Downton Abbey will love this one!
The campaign included a mix of native and banner ads, and focused on reaching literary fiction, general fiction, and bestselling book readers/buyers. We also included traits like readers interested in literary awards, book club members, Goodreads users, NPR listeners, readers interested in book subscriptions and book reviews, world lit readers, fans of film adaptations of books, and more!
Comps included books like The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan, Age of Vice by Deepit Kapoor, Banyan Moon by Thao Thai, Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters, Happiness Falls by Angie Kim, and Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See. Keywords included terms and phrases like new in fiction, literary fiction, bestselling literary fiction, bestselling fiction, fiction bestsellers, AAPI fiction, international mystery and crime, world literature, books that take place in Vietnam, and book club picks.
The ads resonated strongly with NPR listeners who read fiction and literature (.45% CTR!), avid readers and book buyers interested in literary awards (.28% CTR), world literature readers (.25% CTR), general fiction and novel readers (.24% CTR), and book influencers and followers (.21% CTR). The campaign finished at a strong .24% CTR (click through rate) and .66% IAR (Interaction rate), and ran on top sites including The Guardian, Crime Reads, Smithsonian Magazine, Salon, Slate, BBC, Rolling Stone, Book Club Chat, Parade, and more!
If you’re ready for your next book club pick, be sure to check out Those Opulent Days. You can grab your copy here! And if you’re ready for your next campaign, you know where to find me — marybeth@adbiblio.com.
