Booksellers have enjoyed a sales bonanza this week with the launch of the new Dan Brown book, which one leading retailer said could sell 1 million hardback copies in the UK.

The Lost Symbol, the long-awaited sequel to The Da Vinci Code, shot to the top of the bestseller lists after its release on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for Waterstone’s said The Lost Symbol had the potential to sell 1 million hardback copies in the UK market overall, which would be unprecedented for an adult novel.

Waterstone’s buying manager for fiction Simon Burke said: “We have seen phenomenal sales for the new Dan Brown. The Lost Symbol is Waterstone’s fastest-selling adult novel since records began.”

Publication of the book also sparked a price war. Asda slashed its price on the £18.99 hardback to just £5 on the day of its release and Amazon followed suit.

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