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Vincenzi scandal at number one

01.04.08 Philip Stone

A record-breaking weekly sale from Penny Vincenzi vaulted her into pole position in the overall chart for the first time. An Absolute Scandal (Headline Review) sold 40,632 copies through BookScan's Total Consumer Market in the seven days ending 29th March, Vincenzi's highest ever weekly sale. In doing so, she became Headline Review's first chart-topper since Jed Rubenfeld's Richard and Judy Best Read winner The Interpretation of Murder achieved the feat this time last year.

Revenue through the Total Consumer Market fell week-on-week by 12.1% to £27.6m but remained static in year-on-year comparisons. Revenue was down just 0.1% on the same week last year, although, at £7.01, average selling price was down 1.7%.

Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble dropped to fifth position with a 20,341 seven-day sale, while Nothing to Lose, his latest Jack Reacher thriller, catapulted into sixth position, having sold 15,379 copies in its first full week on sale. Both books were Border's half-price "Book of the Week" choices over the weekend.

The most recent choices in Waterstone's half-price "Book of the Week" promotion, Karin Slaughter's Skin Privilege (Arrow) and Sebastian Faulks' Engleby (Vintage), which was this week's highest new entry, sneaked ahead in third and fourth place respectively. Delia Smith, despite topping the Indie Retail Chart, fell one place to second position overall.

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