Vaseem Khan's Second Q Mysteries Novel Sets UK Release for October 22, 2026

The Man with the Golden Compass, the second novel in Vaseem Khan's Q Mysteries series, will be published in the UK on October 22, 2026, through Zaffre, an imprint of Bonnier Books. Pre-orders are open, according to Screen Rant.

The book centres on Major Boothroyd, the James Bond character known as Q, now working as an amateur detective in his hometown of Wickstone-on-Water. In the new story, Q has become a civilian contractor for the police and investigates the murder of Laurence Noble, a tech millionaire who had turned to dealing in online antiques.

The 352-page hardcover is priced at £20, or $28 USD. It can be pre-ordered through the Ian Fleming Shop and Amazon. Audiobook and e-book editions are also planned, and select independent bookstores are offering collectible hardcovers with sprayed edges.

The first Q Mysteries novel, Quantum of Menace, launched in October 2025 and was named The Sunday Times' Thriller of the Month. Khan has also written the Baby Ganesh Agency novels and the Malabar House series, whose first installment, Midnight at Malabar House, won the Crime Writers' Association's Historical Dagger in 2021; he chaired the association from 2023 to 2025.

Bond on screen

On screen, Daniel Craig's final appearance as James Bond came in No Time to Die, released five years before this announcement. Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the next James Bond film, with Steven Knight writing the screenplay.