Sarah Brown beats Gordon in book race

Pre-orders for the memoirs of Sarah Brown, the wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, have outstripped her husband's by 41 per cent, according to online retailer Amazon.

Behind the Black Door, which goes on sale today, has also outsold pre-publication orders for Cherie Blair's Speaking for Myself, which was published in 2008, a year after her husband left office - as well as Hillary Clinton's Living History and George W Bush's Decision Points.

Ms Brown, a former PR executive who lives with her husband in North Queensferry, signed a deal last summer with publisher Ebury. In a promotional video on Amazon, she says her book will chart the life of an "ordinary family" living in No 10 Downing Street. They were based in the prime minister's official residence for three years, before Labour lost the election last year.

"Sarah Brown really struck a chord with the public during her husband's time at N0 10, and it looks like that popularity has converted into book sales as she heads to the top of the political memoirs charts," said Darren Hardy, head of books buying at Amazon.co.uk.

Gordon Brown's memoir about his time in office, entitled Beyond the Crash, was published last year.