Fictional heroes to live another day

Two of fiction's most memorable characters are being resurrected for another adventure.

Anthony Horowitz, the author of a series of stories about teenage spy Alex Rider, has been chosen to write a new full-length Sherlock Holmes novel and US thriller writer Jeffrey Deaver is penning a new James Bond book.

The Conan Doyle Estate, which represents the family of Holmes's creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, chose Horowitz to write the novel which will be published in September.

He said: "I couldn't resist this opportunity to write a new adventure for this iconic figure and my aim is to produce a first-rate mystery for a modern audience while remaining absolutely true to the spirit of the original."

Meanwhile, Deaver's book, called Carte Blanche, features 007 in a contemporary story set partly in the Middle East.