A sunny visit to Hampshire last weekend to see my sister and brother-in-law resulted in the three of us visiting Waterstones on our jaunt into Reading. (They stood in the doorway blinking, slightly confused as to how we ended up in another bookshop while I went galloping among the shelves.) As well as spotting Hugh Howey’s new book Shift, I also found several A&B treats on the front 3 for 2 table including Death on the Pont Noir and The Stationmaster’s Farewell. So the next twenty minutes involved me running around the shop pointing out everything published by A&B – Edward Marston and Jacqueline Winspear had nice corners in the crime section – and my family making appropriate ‘Oooo’-ing noises.

As much as I enjoy browsing and looking for something new to read, I love being in a bookshop and seeing someone pick up an A&B title. It’s quite a surreal and proud moment. So if you’re ever in Waterstones reading a book blurb and see a girl lurking nearby, nodding over-enthusiastically at the title in your hands, then you’ve probably got an A&B book. And it’s me. 🙂

Sophie Robinson, Publishing Assistant