Election boosts sales of thriller

The death of Pope John Paul II has boosted interest in The Da Vinci Code by novelist Dan Brown. He has been attacked by a leading cardinal for offending the Catholic Church.

Brown’s Angels and Demons, a thriller that includes purported details on the conclave - the secret gathering of cardinals that picks the next pope - has seen a significant” increase in sales, according to publisher Simon & Schuster.

“We attribute the increased sales to interest in the conclave,” Simon & Schuster spokesman Adam Rothberg said.

Angels and Demons has more than eight million copies in print.