Has anyone read this yet?

And now I have given in and bought it for the Kindle. I will try to resist reading it until I am sitting by a pool in France...

annodomini.....Yes I too thought it was all a little too convenient.....I know I'm an old cynic, but if she had really wanted to keep it quiet I am sure she could have.

It does sound as if someone at the publisher leaked this story to the Sunday Times. The sales hadn't been huge despite great reviews. Now that the cat's out of the bag, it's suddenly at the top of Amazon's best sellers! Am I a conspiracy theorist?

I've read the Harry Potter novels, alongside the Philip Pullman northern lights trilogy at the same time as my daughters, when they were in their early teens. Philip Pullman is a wonderful writer. I get impatient with folks who criticise JK Rowling's writing - she has led to so many boys reading (including my grandsons) and achieved a lot in her life, good for her

That's interesting.

It was reported that J K Rowlings novel "A Casual Vacancy* (I think that's what it's called) was top of the list of books that people had bought but not finished. The result was put down partly to the fact that some people were expecting a Harry Potterish type book.

I'll look out for this one. So satisying to put one over on the critics

That sounds like one for DH will look out for it.

I was wondering whether to buy the Kindle edition.. I do like her style of writing so maybe it would be good for reading on hols..

No - I'm intrigued! Will read it, although I haven't read anything else she's written.