'Dead' Books that come alive again

As I've often mentioned, I keep getting parcels of my books in translation. Sometimes these come in batches, dozens at once, and then at other times nothing arrives for ages. This week has been one of the times when a lot have arrived - Danish, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Japanese, Polish . . .

And one of those Japanese editions has amazed me because it is the third reprint of a book that has come back again and again. Back in 1994, I had a book published that was called Shattered Mirror. A short time after that (1995), it was reprinted in Japan.

Then in 2000, it was reprinted in Japan in this edition.

Now it's back again in a special edition for Harlequin Japan's 30th birthday. And this time it looks like this:

It's intrigued me and made me wonder just why it has been so popular in Japan so that it's reprinted this number of time. I'm thinking of pulling the book off my shelves and rereading for myself to see if I can understand why.

But first I shall be listening to Radio London (94.9 FM) where the Babe Magnet has an interview at around 12.30. He has gone to London to talk about one of his latest books - a history of the City of London Police - Square Mile Bobbies which was just published last month so it's his turn to be a radio star.

Then he'll be able to hear it on the listen again facility.