A copy of E.L. James’ upcoming book “Grey” has been reported missing by Penguin Random House, the publisher behind the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy.
The publishing house is concerned that the finished copy has been stolen and will be sold to media outlets or that it will be leaked online. The news comes a week before the novel was set to hit shelves on June 18.
Penguin Random House said Wednesday that Kent Police in southern England are investigating the theft of the finished copy. However, the publisher said it could not comment further because a police investigation is underway.
On June 1, E.L. James took to Instagram to announce she’s releasing a new version of her literary hit, this time written from Christian Grey’s perspective.
“Hello all. For those of you who have asked, Christian’s POV of #FSOG is published on 18th June for his birthday. It’s called GREY… I hope you enjoy it. #FiftyShades #Grey,” James wrote.
Erotic romance offering “Fifty Shades of Grey” sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and was translated into 52 languages. The critical reception wasn’t anywhere near as positive as the book’s popularity, however.
The Universal and Focus Features film adaptation released on Valentine’s Day weekend of this year also made big bucks, but was generally slammed by critics. A sequel based on the second novel of the trilogy, titled “Fifty Shades Darker,” is currently in the works.
Penguin Random House still plans to go ahead with the original publishing date of June 18 — Christian Grey’s birthday.