Compass Points 94

A new prime time autumn series on BBC One is always a major event – especially when it features a whole host of big name stars. This September, Academy award-nominees Miranda Richardson and Anna Chancellor will play E F Benson’s notorious small-town social rivals Miss Elizabeth Mapp and Mrs Emmeline ‘Lucia’ Lucas, in a fantastic new adaptation by Steve Pemberton of the comic drama Mapp and Lucia. And I’m pleased to tell you that the original timeless classic (first published in the 1930s) by EF Benson is coming from Hesperus in September (pb, £8.99, 978 1843915461) This poisonous witty, comic tale of two upper-class women battling for social supremacy in the most underhand ways possible was immensely popular when Channel 4 made it into a TV series in the 1980s and this new BBC series is certain to do the same for its fortunes, introducing Mapp and Lucia to a whole new readership. You can have a sneaky behind the scenes look at some photos from the series (which is being filmed at the moment). Miranda Richardson says: "I am so looking forward to a summer of hard work and I hope, great fun, working with the ensemble on Steve's masterly adaptation of EF Benson's delicious confection" while Anna Chancellor added "I am thrilled to be playing the glorious Lucia. I hope I can do justice to EF Benson's wonderful creations." They will be joined by Mark Gatiss who said "EF Benson's tales of life in Tilling are some of the slyest, funny and waspishly brilliant stories in the language. It's an absolute treat to be joining my old friend Steve and such a glorious cast to bring them to life. "The cast also includes Alan Partridge, Gemma Whelan, Paul Ritter, Katy Brand and Frances Barber. What a treat this is going to be – I foresee massive book sales; do make sure you order plenty! Mapp and Lucia by E F Benson is a carefully observed tale of 1930s village life and social ranking which features two of the most unpleasant, disgraceful women you’re ever likely to encounter! It is published by Hesperus in September and you can find out more and order it here.

While we’re on the subject of the BBC; The BBC National Short Story Award 2014 is a unique paperback publication of the five short-listed stories in the world’s biggest prize for the form. The book, which is introduced by Alan Yentob, features all the short-listed stories by this year’s selected authors (this information is strictly embargoed until 15 September 2014). The stories will receive extensive coverage on BBC Radio Four everyday for a week after the short-list announcement, with readings in the afternoon and interviews with the authors the evening before on Front Row. The BBC National Short Story Award is one of the most prestigious awards for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000, the runner-up £3,000 and three further shortlisted authors £500 each. The prize continues to serve as a reminder of the power of the short story and to celebrate a literary form that is proving ever more versatile in the 21st century. All previous anthologies in the series (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013) have consistently sold out, with last year’s anthology selling almost 2,000 copies since September, so do not delay in ordering your copies of this title! The BBC National Short Story Award 2014 (Pb, £7.99 978 1905583676) is published by Comma Press in September and you can order it here

Aids: Don’t Die of Prejudice by Normal Fowler is an important title which examiness the HIV/AIDS crisis that –scandalously – continues to affect millions of people across the world, despite the fact that we now have all the necessary means to prevent it. Travelling to nine different cities, from Russia and the Ukraine to the United States, Fowler shows that the problem is not limited to Africa, and that the threat often lies closer to home that we might think. According to health experts, the world has reached a tipping point. If governments do not take the necessary action to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, we face the prospect of an ever-rising death toll: a tragedy which must be avoided at all costs. This title attracting a lot of attention; there was a piece in the Financial Times last week which said “Fowler’s message of tolerance and pragmatism, and his con­tinued commitment to the field, is creditable in a world that still has a long way to go in fighting prejudice, and as a result in ending the scourge of HIV” and you can see a short interview with Norman Fowler talking about the book here.

Aids: Don’t Die of Prejudice has just been published by Biteback (Pb, £14.99 978 1849547048) and you can order it here.

For a book first published in 1917, The Candy Cookbook by Alice Bradley is a ground-breaking work, featuring as it does mouth-watering recipes for fudge, meringues, fondants and all kinds of other sweets – perhaps more importantly though, it was the first ever recipe book to contain recipes for cooking with chocolate! The Candy Cookbook is a must-have for any keen baker of confectionary. Reprinted in a beautiful edition, with brand new striking line-drawn illustrations, this is a book both to treasure and to use practically, helped along the way with the handy lists of instructions and desirable utensils. With The Great British Bake Off moving to BBC1 in autumn 2014 the interest in baking and confectionary has never been higher and this is the perfect gift book for Christmas and all occasions. The Candy Cookbook (Pb, £8.99, 978 1843915331) is a stylish, nostalgic volume perfect for cooks and bakers of all skills! It is published by Hesperus in September and you can find out more and order it here

And here is the perfect video to get you in the mood for some candy love!

On Further Reflection by Jonathan Miller (hb, 978 0992627065 £20.00) has just been published by published by Skyscraper and as you might expect is getting plenty of publicity. Actor, doctor, TV presenter, film director, opera director, sculptor – Sir Jonathan Miller’s careers cover a vast range. He is also a gifted and insightful writer, but his writings have been scattered across a series of books and articles over the last sixty years. This selection gives an idea of the depth and variety of his preoccupations, from mesmerism to neurology, film and theatre to art history and technique, parody to reportage. Each extract has an introduction by Miller, setting it in the context of his interests in the arts and sciences. A big interview with Jonathan will appear in this coming Sunday's Mail on Sunday magazine (3 August); with a circulation almost 2 million this is sure to increase demand for this title!

Order On Further Reflection here

The Good Food Guide is the UK’s bestselling and longest-running restaurant guide. The guide and its loyal readers lead the discovery of hidden dining gems and new restaurant talent. Combining expert, anonymous inspections with thousands of pieces of reader feedback, the 2015 Guide will lead you to brilliant brunches, perfect lunch spots, great value local restaurants – or something really special for that once in a lifetime experience. New in for this year are the Top 50 Budget Restaurants list and the Top 50 Pubs list; and of course as always it will contain the hotly anticipated list of the UK’s Top 50 restaurants. It contains over 1,300 independent, impartial reviews and recommendations and is a one-stop guide to the culinary trends for 2015, containing many foodie features and chef interviews. It also contains £50 worth of money-off vouchers and full colour maps. This is the second year that The Good Food Guide has been published by Waitrose; which is terrific as that means there will be a significant marketing campaign through Waitrose Weekend and Waitrose Kitchen magazine (combined monthly circulation of over 2.2 million). The Good Food Guide 2015 (pb, £17.99 978 0953798322) is published in September and you can find out more and order it here

And here’s a customer in a restaurant who possibly shouldn’t really be eating any more today!

Have you ever thought that there might be something wrong with human beings, even that we might be slightly insane? Why is it that so many human beings are filled with a restless discontent, and an insatiable desire for material goods, status and power? Why it is that human history has been filled with endless conflict, oppression and inequality Back to Sanity: Healing the Madness of our Minds is a ground-breaking and inspiring book in which Steve Taylor shows that we do suffer from a psychological disorder, which he refers to as humania, or ego-madness. This disorder is so close to us that we don't realize it's there, but it's the root cause of all our dysfunctional behaviour, both as individuals and as a species. This book explains the characteristics of humania, where it stems from and how it leads to the madness of materialism, status-seeking, warfare, inequality and other symptoms of our insanity. But equally importantly, Back to Sanity shows how we can heal this mental disorder and allow the fleeting moments of harmony that we all experience from time to time to become our permanent state of being. Back to Sanity: Healing the Madness of our Minds (Pb, £11.99 978 1848505476) by Steve Taylor is published by Hay House. There has just been a brilliant article about it in the Guardian which you can read here, and it was there was a big feature in Guardian Weekend Magazine on 19^th July.

Well, we seem to have been a bit low on funky music videos this week as I don’t really count Dick Van Dyke as a musical maestro supreme, whatever he says. So while we’re on the subject of psychological disorders, let’s have a look at three of the best ever example of inspired lunacy, and see what really happens when you’re going slightly mad, suffering from virtual insanity or afflicted by madness: they call it madness!

 That’s all for now folks! Compass Points is off on holiday – back on 15 August!

This blog is read weekly by over 700 booksellers as well as publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

Compass Points 93

Well, if watching the extraordinary kerfuffle surrounding Le Grand Depart of the Tour de France hasn’t inspired you to get up off the sofa and onto a bike, then I really don’t know what will. The numbers of Brits taking up cycling – whether as a method of commuting, or for leisure or fitness purposes – has never been greater, but many of us are still a bit daunted by the whole thing, and don’t quite know where to start.  Well, now How to be a Cyclist is here to help. This is a humorous, one-of-a-kind gift book by journalist John Deering featuring stunning, inspirational photography by Phil Ashley. It’s an essential manual and source of wisdom for those who would be kings of the road. Many pitfalls await the unwary middle-aged-man-in-Lycra, but fear not, for How to be a Cyclist will steer you through choppy waters. No more passing out halfway up a hill. No more ridicule in the work place. No more hurty knee. And no more sock crimes. Pearls of wisdom are scattered throughout this book like rose petals before a princess on her wedding day. For instance, who could deny that life is too short to drink bad coffee? That a noisy bike is marginally more annoying than a whiney toddler? Or that style should ever be sacrificed for speed? No bicycle repair was ever made easier by turning your bike upside down. White shorts are for other people. A helmet perched on the back of your head is perfect if you ride your bike backwards – These and a host of other handy pointers jostle for attention within this A–Z guide to being a cyclist. Written by experts who know everything there is to know about cycling, yet never forget that there is nothing funnier than a rabbit playing a trumpet; How to be a Cyclist is mandatory reading for all bike riders. John Deering’s first book was a study of his time with the chaotic but charismatic Linda McCartney Cycling Team and went on to be voted 5th best cycling book of all time. He has supplied many features to publications such as Procycling, The Official Tour de France Guide and Ride Cycling Review,and contributed regularly to Eurosport’s cycling coverage. He is also the author of Bradley Wiggins: Tour de Force. How to be a Cyclist (978 1909715158, £12.99, hb) by John Deering and Phil Ashley is published by Arena Sport in September. I can certainly think of umpteen middle aged friends who have recently become boringly evangelical about the joys of cycling and I feel this book may just be the perfect Christmas present for all of them.

Order How to be a Cyclist here

On the same subject, I found this geeky YouTube film explaining the joys of cycling to be both true, and hilarious!

And while we’re on a  bit of a health kick, why not go one step further, and after your energising bike ride, whizz yourself up an energising juice drink? No idea where to start? Well then, The Juice Solution: More than 90 feel-good recipes to energise, fuel, detoxify and protect is exactly what you need. The Juice Solution shows how to unleash the powerful health bene­fits in raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts by turning them into delicious juice concoctions. Consuming fruit and vegetables in juice form pre­serves nutrients that would be otherwise lost in the cooking process and provides a quick and easy way to enjoy your daily dose of fruits and vegetables. Organised by different nutritional needs, this book offers a juice for any time of day. Energising juices wake up your system without the use of stimulants. Fuelling juices, made from fibrous ingredients and healthy fats, help keep you satisfied. Detoxifying juices flush toxins from your body by releasing the natural antibacterial qualities found in many fruits and vegetables. Protective juices unleash the immune-boosting properties in certain types of fresh produce. This full colour hardback also contains guides to choosing an electric juicer model that’s right for you, suggestions on how to selec­t produce to target specific health needs, and tips and tricks for making the most of your machine. Whether you’re a first time juicer, an avid juicer, or just looking for fresh and exciting ways to use your home juicer, this book offers something for everyone whose looking to feel healthier. This book is an attractively produced, 112 page hardback, with over 60 inspiring colour photographs. The Juice Solution by Erin Qoin and Briana Stockton (hb, £12.99 978 0992705855) is published in September by Emex.

Order The Juice Solution here

If it’s September titles we’re talking about, then it must be time for some annuals to appear on the Compass list, and The Oldie Annual 2015 is likely to be one of our most successful. This is the best of The Oldie’s writers, columnists, cartoonists and artists from the archive in one book, and it’s a bargain at £9.99 for 112 pages – 16 more than last year! Founded in 1992, The Oldie is Richard Ingrams’s irreverent magazine for the independent-minded, and has been called “the most original magazine in the country” (The Independent.)  Writers include Raymond Briggs, Jane Gardam, Virginia Ironside, Susan Hill, Chris Mullin and Merlin Holland, and as Joan Bakewell said in the Daily Telegraph: “The mix of high humour and good writing is the recipe for a successful magazine and The Oldie has got it right. It’s like sitting around a warm fire with friends”. The Best of The Oldie (pub. 2012) was a huge sell-out success, and the SIX previously published Oldie Annuals are a tried and tested Christmas present for parents and grandparents.

The Oldie Annual 2015 (hb, 978 1901170221 £9.99) is published in September by Oldie Publications.

Order The Oldie Annual here

Whether or not you personally think of yourself as an oldie, there’s no doubt that old age will catch up with all of us eventually (that is if working in a boiling hot bookshop doesn’t cut you off in your prime). I wonder what Harry Potter will be like once he retires? Have a look here for some amusing suggestions!

One famous oldie is Rowan Williams, and the Telegraph ran a big piece on him this week entitled Does Retirement Suit Rowan? which you can read here. It contained a review of The Poems of Rowan Williams (pb, 978 1 847774 52 1, £9.95) which is published by Carcanet and is getting lots of good coverage – definitely worth keeping it on display. As. AN Wilson, writing in the Daily Telegraph said: “Reading this poet, at such a period in our history, is like feeling the first drops of rain after a long season of drought” and all the reviews for it have been uniformly good.

As David Cameron decides to get rid of the stale pale males and replace them with a collection of catwalk cuties, you may be asking yourself whether there has ever been a worse time in history to be a man. If so, then Stand by Your Manhood: A Survival Guide for the Modern Man is the book you have been waiting for. Hilariously wry, investigative and long-overdue, this hilariously unforgiving, controversial bloke bible is by Daily Mail journalist Peter Lloyd, and is absolutely bound to attract massive media attention when it is published this autumn. Peter Lloyd writes a weekly column for the Daily Mail on men’s issues, and whilst all the material in this book is new; the newspaper promote the book. Men are brilliant. Being a man is brilliant - except for divorce, circumcisions, gold-diggers, penile dysmorphia, paying the bill, becoming a weekend dad, critics who've been hating on us for, well - pretty much forty years -oh, and those pesky early deaths. Covering all the taboo truths magazine editors typically blanch at, this rapid fire, politically incorrect-yet-actually-correct handbook covers everything you need to know about life, but were never told, including: sex, women, fatherhood, marriage and money. Stand by Your Manhood is a unique title seeking to highlight men’s issues in the modern age. There is nothing else like this on the market. Funny, irrelevant and completely politically incorrect, this is a male equivalent to Caitlin Moran’s How to Be a Woman, and I have a feeling it could be very big indeed.

Stand by Your Manhood (978 1849547437 £16.99, hb) is published by Biteback in September and you can find out more and order it here.

And on the subject of laughing at men – please enjoy this little clip of Michael Gove falling from grace...

Who remembers the terrible case of Baby P? In England in 2007 Peter Connelly, a 17 month old little boy - known initially in the media reporting as 'Baby P' - died following terrible neglect and abuse. Fifteen months later, his mother, her boyfriend and the boyfriend's brother were sent to prison. But media attention then turned on those who worked to protect children who quickly became the focus of the reporting and of the blame, especially the social workers and their managers. Five years later they are still harassed by press reporters. The Story of Baby P: Setting the Record Straight by Dr Ray Jones is an important book which draws together all evidence available on this high profile case and will makes a unique and crucial contribution to the topic of press reporting and journalism in general  It will make essential reading for everyone who is concerned about child protection and the media's impact on it.  The Social Policy Editor of the Guardian wrote: "Ray Jones is a courageous - and all too lonely - voice taking on the tabloids' distortions of child protection services." He is a Professor of Social Work and a frequent media commentator, who has written several books and numerous papers on social work and social policy, and this The Story of Baby P is getting quite a bit of media attention. It is certainly very interesting to examine the media frenzy that happened following this baby’s tragic death and what its repercussions were for the social work profession and child protection agencies in this country. Ray Jones was interviewed this Wednesday on ITV's Good Morning Britain programme and there was also local BBC coverage and a piece in the Guardian and there will be more to come. The Story of Baby P: Setting the Record Straight (pb, £12.99, :9781447316220) has just been published by Policy Press and you can find out more and order it here.

Always good to have one of our books recommended as a top summer read – and The Iraqi Christ by Hassan Blassim (pb, £9.99 978 1905583522 ) published by Comma Press, was chosen in the Guardian’s Best Summer Reading feature – you can read the whole article here.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This newsletter is sent weekly to over 700 booksellers as well as publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

Compass Points 92

What do you think were the five most crucial inventions or discoveries ever? Well, I’m daresay this is when many of us immediately begin lovingly caressing our iphones – but try to think a bit further back than that.  My nomination would probably have to be the printing press and would certainly NOT be the Kindle.  Invention and Discovery by Claire Hawcock (978 1782120964, full colour hb, £14.99) is a fascinating step back in time to look at five extraordinary and illuminating subjects: Leonardo da Vinci's design for a temple; Copernicus' view of the Solar System; a Roman ballista (catapult); Watt's beam engine; and yes, Gutenberg's printing press. But what is really great about this wonderfully designed book is that it also contains three-dimensional models of each of these historic inventions and discoveries, which readers can assemble for themselves! The models are beautifully designed and easy-to-make, and the book contains large gate-folded spreads containing extra information about the history of the model and full model assemble instructions. There are also spreads covering subjects such as building and architecture; hunting and fighting; agriculture to industry; writing and printing; and exploration. Invention and Discovery has been meticulously designed to replicate the feel of a long-lost journal and is published by Arcturus in September.

Order Invention and Discovery here

And talking of Leonardo da Vinci – I really love this beautiful two minute medley of Women in Art – including of course the Mona Lisa.

But what about the least crucial inventions ever? Have a look here to see the top 20 most pointless!

Could there be any more sport on TV than there is at present? With all the footie, motor racing tennis, cycling and so on filling the airwaves this is a good moment to tell you about a fab sporting tome coming from English Heritage . Played in London: Charting the Heritage of a City at Play by Simon Inglis (978 1848020573, pb £25) reveals the history of sport in London and takes the reader right up to and beyond the 2012 Olympics. This is a really terrific book which covers a vast range of sports from rowing to rugby, archery to athletics, billiards to boxing and much more. It is beautifully illustrated with archive and contemporary photography, maps and manuscripts. From its first century Roman amphitheatre to the 21st century Olympic Stadium at Stratford, London has always been a city of spectacles and sporting fever. In the 12th century crowds would gather at Smithfield to watch horse racing and ball games. In Tudor times they flocked to the tiltyards of Whitehall and Westminster to enjoy jousting, while in the 17th century the Stuarts were keen exponents of a game with the familiar name of Pall Mall. At Hampton Court the world’s oldest covered tennis court, completed in 1625, remains in daily use. Every July on the Thames there takes place the world’s oldest rowing race, initiated in 1715, while the crack of leather on willow may still be heard at the Artillery Ground in Finsbury, where cricket has been played since the 1720s. From more recent times Wembley, Wimbledon, Twickenham, Lord’s and the Oval are known around the world; and as the first city to have hosted three Olympic Games, London has also led the way in the development of athletics, boxing and gymnastics. In the 20th century, greyhound and speedway racing, and even darts, once a fairground favourite, now is now contested in front of massive crowds at one of the capital’s latest coliseums, the O2 Arena at Greenwich. Anyone with even a passing interest in sport or social history will love this book – I really think it could be one of your big sellers for the Autumn, and there is sure to be mega media interest.

Played in London is published in September by English Heritage and you can find out more and order it here.

And if you’d like to see some great pics of all the different ways that Argentinians can look happy, click here!

Who’s a Leonard Cohen fan? Well if you are you’ll no doubt be aware that his 80th birthday is on 21 September 2014, which will no doubt attract much media attention. Leonard Cohen: An Illustrated Record (978 0859655194 £14.99, pb) is a 160 page, richly illustrated tribute coming out this month. This is the first complete guide to his studio and live albums – from his debut, Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), to his most recent record, Old Ideas (2012).  It is a comprehensive (160 page) and richly illustrated guide to all of Cohen’s studio and live albums, featuring original artwork and rare photographs. Cohen is a legend in his own lifetime; for more than four decades, his mournful ballads of desire, heartbreak and lost faith have captivated audiences the world over. Now more popular than ever, the award-winning Canadian songwriter, novelist and poet is revered as a cultural icon and master of his craft. His 2012-2013 sell-out world tour included over 45 dates in the US and Canada alone and he has sold more than 21 million records worldwide over the course of his four-decade career. This beautifully designed retrospective will no doubt prove irresistible to his notoriously devoted fans and it is published this month by Plexus.

Order Leonard Cohen here

And here is the gravelly voiced one, performing perhaps his most famous song; Hallelujah.

Lots of good publicity coming in for Quadrophenia by Simon Wells (978 0957078345 £9.99, pb) which has just been published. Author Simon Wells was on the Lorraine Kelly Breakfast show on ITV promoting it, and has also been on Radio 6 Music, and the Robert Elms show on BBC Radio London. Watch this great video here on YouTube to see Simon chatting about the book at its launch. Quadrophenia: A Way of LIfe is the first ever comprehensive look at this film on its 35^th anniversary. It explores the making of this timepiece of a generation, and its subsequent influence on popular culture. It is the definitive account of Britain’s greatest youth movie, with loads of great photos from the film – plus unseen shots, and has the full backing of The Who management. The Who are touring this summer and tickets for The Who Hits 50 UK Tour (which Pete Townshend describes as ‘Hits, Picks, Mixes and Misses’) are selling like crazy – this band is as popular as ever. Quadrophenia is being promoted on the band’s official Facebook page, which has over 5 million followers. The whole scooters/Mods/60s thing is still very much in vogue, and this book is appealing both to those who were young – and those who still are! Quadrophenia: A ay of Life: Inside the Making of Britain’s Greatest Youth Film  is published by Countdown and you can find out more and order it here.

Dame Paula Rego (b. 1935) is probably the best-known and best-loved female artist in Britain today. She was born in 1935 in Lisbon, Portugal and studied at the Slade School of Art in London and was shortlisted for the Turner prize in 1989 and awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by Oxford University in 2005. If you are unfamiliar with her vibrant and instantly recognisable style, you can watch a six minute film showing many of her paintings here on You Tube. Published in September, Stone Soup is in many ways an art book, containing thirteen richly coloured watercolours from this celebrated Portuguese artist. It is also a children’s book; a new version of the traditional Portuguese folk tale retold by Cas Willing: a fable of how starving travellers manage to persuade suspicious townspeople to supply them with food for their mysterious Stone Soup. With the macabre tenor and dark humour that has made Rego’s reputation, the story and these thirteen illustrations will appeal to adults and children alike.  The publication of the book will accompany an exhibition of Paula Rego’s new prints and drawings and a major feature is planned by the Sunday Times to coincide with its publication. Stone Soup by Cas Willing and Paula Rego (:9781910392010, £15, hb) is published by Enitharmon and you can find out more and order it here.

Klop: Britain’s Most Ingenious Spy by Peter Day is; as the Sunday Times said recently; “a vivid, richly researched and highly entertaining portrait of this most colourful of 20th-century spooks.”  Klop Ustinov was Britain’s most ingenious secret agent, but he wasn’t authorised to kill. Instead, he was authorised to tell tall tales, bemusing and beguiling his enemies into revealing their deepest, darkest secrets. From the Russian Revolution to the Cold War, he bluffed and tricked his way into the confidence of everyone from Soviet commissars to Gestapo Gruppenführer. In Klop: Britain’s Most Ingenious Secret Agent, journalist Peter Day brings to life a man descended from Russian aristocrats and Ethiopian princesses but who fancied himself the perfect Englishman. His codename was U35 but his better-known nickname ‘Klop’ meant ‘bedbug’, a name given to him by a very understanding wife on account of his extraordinary capacity to hop from one woman’s bed to another in the service of the King. Frequenting the social gatherings of Europe in the guise of innocent bon viveur, he displayed a showman’s talent for entertaining (a trait his son, the actor Peter Ustinov, undoubtedly inherited), holding a captive audience and all the while scavenging secrets from his unsuspecting companions. Klop was masterful at gathering truth by telling a story; this is his. Klop: Britain’s Most Ingenious Spy (978 1849546935, hb £20.00) has just been published by Biteback, and is getting great reviews – there was a terrific one in the Times this week.

Of course I cannot possibly let a mention of British spies go by without referencing either 007 or Spooks – so here’s the delicious Rupert Penry Jones’ best moments as tip top agent Adam Carter - enjoy!

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog is read weekly by over 700 booksellers as well as publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.