Just days before the release of E.L. James’ new book, “Grey,” police are investigating the theft of a copy that could threaten sales. Should the book hit the internet before its release date, sales that already looked to make “Grey” a bestseller could deflate disastrously.

The book was reported missing Tuesday, just as Penguin Random House was preparing for a large scale publishing of the hotly-anticipated book. According to the Mirror, the publishing house made no comment as the police began their investigation.

The outlet also reported there were fears as to whether the thieves would unleash early copies to the highest bidder. Such a move would undermine the secrecy and care hiding the production of “Grey” from the public. This kind of potential leak could threaten the book’s massive sale potential if released a week before the book is available to the public. E.L. James’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy have sold over 125 million copies so far.

In a surprise move for fans, just months after the smash release of the big screen adaptation of E.L. James’ first novel, the author announced on Instagram her new book was headed to shelves. “Grey” is not to be considered a sequel of the popular “Fifty Shades” series, but merely a retelling of events from Christian Grey’s point of view. E.L. James revealed on Twitter that “Grey” would only cover the events in the first book.

The book was a best-seller almost instantly. With the book’s release set to coincide with the character’s birthday on June 18, several vendors like Barnes and Noble and Amazon have reported record figures. No mean feat, considering “Grey” shot to the top of the charts in less than a day of James’ announcement.

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