Why a Booktrail?
2026: What has Major Boothroyd been up to since the first book?
The Man with the Golden Compass
What you need to know before your trail
Dismissed from MI6’s Q Branch, where he developed weapons and field technology, Major Boothroyd (aka ‘Q’) has found a new lease of life as an amateur detective in his sleepy hometown of Wickstone-on-Water.
Fresh from successfully solving the murder of his childhood friend, Q is now hired by the police to re-examine the unsolved killing of Lawrence Noble, a tech millionaire turned online antique dealer.
Why was Noble tortured before his death? What is the significance of the circular golden object inscribed with mysterious runes found by his body?
As Q investigates, danger stalks those around him, and he soon finds himself dragged into a chilling conspiracy where past and present meet in a way he could not possibly have imagined . . .
Travel Guide
Q places with Vaseem:
Bradford – Q visits the city of Bradford, formerly the wool capital of Britain, in order to interview a former associate of the murdered man. Today Bradford is a highly cosmopolitan city with one of the UK’s largest annual literature festival each year.
Brighton – Q visits Brighton to speak to the murdered man’s lawyer, and to learn about his will. Brighton is one of Britain’s most colourful cities, on the south coast, and famed for its welcoming vibe.
Milton Keynes – Q visits Milton Keynes to meet with a police officer investigating another case that might be related to the case Q is investigating. Milton Keynes was a planned city and is renowned for its roundabouts and robots.
St Hilda’s College, Oxford University – Q’s father Mort goes to St Hilda’s to meet with a former colleague, a historian, to investigate the strange runes found on the ‘golden compass’ found beside the victim’s body. St Hilda’s is the location of an annual crime fiction lecture weekend that has been running for thirty years.
The British Museum – Q’s father Mort visits the museum (currently where the Bayeux Tapestry is being displayed!) to find out more about the golden compass.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Man with the Golden Compass
Destination/location: England Author/Guide: Vaseem Khan Departure Time: 2026
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