Publication day, and I’m in the mother of all bad moods: four years’ work, and it’s all over. What to do next? No idea. 

But here’s a challenge.

Beside me on the desk are signed first editions of three books: ‘Cocaine’, ‘Brainwash’ and the new one, ‘A History of the World since 9/11′. They’re yours – if you can answer this not-entirely-simple question.

A History of the World since 9/11 contains a sort of code.

Scattered throughout the book are phrases and terms designed to link the eight stories inside it together. These phrases crop up time and time again, in weird places.

They’re not obvious (at least, I hope they’re not!) but they’re there. If you want these three signed books you have to find them, let me know what they are, and why they’re there. Email this site when you’ve got the answer.

Just so you know what you’re looking for, here’s a clue. The most obvious of the hidden words is POMEGRANATE – which shows up in chapters 1, 2, 3 (six times), 7 and in the epilogue. Why? And what are the others?

Got the idea? Happy hunting!

Oh, and if anyone out there has an idea what I should write a book about next, my editor would love to hear from them. So would I.