New 'Fifty Shades of Grey' book stolen ahead of publication

'Grey' would still be published as scheduled on June 18, which is the fictional character Christian Grey's birthday

Police are investigating reports that a copy of 50 Shades author E L James's latest novel Grey, has been stolen just a week before publication, her British publisher Random House said on Wednesday.

A publicity firm representing Random House said that the latest in James's series of hugely successful erotic novels would still be published as scheduled on June 18, which is the fictional character Christian Grey's birthday.

"We have no further comment to make due to an ongoing police

investigation," the statement said. Reports of the book's theft had been circulating, raising fears that it could be leaked or that extracts could be sold to the media.

PHOTO: YOUTUBE

The trilogy about the erotic relationship between a college
student, Anastasia Steele, and business tycoon Christian Grey, is one of the most successful series in the history of publishing, with more than 125 million books sold since its release in 2011. The trilogy was mostly told from the point of view of Anastasia, but James has said the new book looks at the affair from Grey's vantage point.

According to BBC, when announcing the release of Grey last week, James said she wrote the new book after "thousands of readers" had written to her requesting to hear Christian's point of view.

"Christian is a complex character and readers have always been fascinated by his desires and motivations, and his troubled past," she said.

PHOTO: FANPOP

"Also, as anyone who has ever been in a relationship knows, there are two sides to every story."