In the bookshop we have CCTV, an alarm system, and a full time Security Guard. We stick security tags in books that we think are most likely to be stolen. My colleague urges me to tag books by three fiction authors in particular. Anyone care to guess the names of these most likely to be pinched writers?
Edit – Our fiction floor is separate from our Sci fi and fantasy books, our crime and horror novels, and our young adults and children’s fiction.
Sara Crowley 
My guess is Bukowski, Burroughs and Philip K. Dick. Hope you're having a good week – James
Jamie Oliver, Jordan and that Chicken Soup for the Soul series!
Dan Brown, JK Rowling, and Stephanie Myer?
Ok, I'm crap, ignored the word "fiction". I echo Sophie. I think she's hit it.
Barbara Cartland, Paulo Coelho and Jeffrey Archer
Paris Hilton, Crime such as er Ian Rankin? no James Patterson. Val McDermid and maybe Terry PratchettA-Z although that's not (really) fiction
It has to be books that would be embarassing to buy. The pop-up Karma Sutra perhaps? Or any old poop by Jeffrey Archer? A Beginner's Guide to Shoplifting?My bet would also be on books on the occult and the manga series of books for 13+ – stolen by 9 year olds…..
Tania Hershman, Vanessa Gebbie and Alex Keegan?
Ha ha, except I realised that none of those authors are published by Salt. I think Bob is closer.
'Women's fiction'?? Jodi Picoult, Sheila O'flanagan, Marian Keyes – that type of thing? This is fun!
One person has guessed two names correctly, the third author hasn't been mentioned at all. I will reveal the answer tomorrow!
Meant to say though that manga is with Sci-fi/fantasy and Graphic novels so is ineligible for this guess, Cookery is elsewhere, Paolo Coelho belongs with Mind, Body and Spirit as does the occult so that's also out of the vote, Crime is on a separate floor so nope, and Pratchett is Sci Fi and Fantasy.
Trying to get into a shoplifter's head…I still think that 'sordid' little books might be the type of things that kleptomaniac but ashamed old ladies steal…so Martina Cole is probably the one. Or books that people really want but can't afford – like Rowling's huge toe-smashers.Stephen King surely has to be a contender?
Ok, quiz over!Well done James for naming Burroughs and Bukowski – you are bang on. How did you know?And the third author my colleague insists is always tagged is Hunter S Thompson.: )
Sara – I remember reading somewhere that cult novels have a higher resale price at second hand bookshops. I wonder whether people are stealing them to read or to resell?James
That is actually pretty funny. My guess for the shop as a whole though would be medical text books, as they're dead expensive and would re-sell well.
It would seem that those authors are popular for the literate thief worldwide:http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2001/12/08/10
Ah, see James I always assumed it was because people perceived Burroughs, Bukowski and Thompson as edgy counter heroes who wouldn't mind being stolen, but yeah, I suppose that it's about reselling.That's funny Julia – from a while back too so things have stayed the same.