Sounds murder: New book put back on shelves

Ian Wishart's book on the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope was pulled amid threats of legal action. Photo / Chris Gorman

Ian Wishart's book on the Marlborough Sounds murders is being put back onto the shelves, after earlier being pulled amid threats of legal action.

The book, Elementary: The Explosive File on Scott Watson and the Disappearance of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope, was taken off sale at Whitcoulls after author Keith Hunter, who has also written on the 1998 case, said he would sue Wishart and anyone connected to selling Elementary if it contained criticism of his professional conduct.

Wishart then threatened his own court action against Hunter "for slander of goods".

Wishart said the book went back on sale at Whitcoulls at 2pm today, and three of the six branches contacted by the Herald said they were now selling it again.

Whitcoulls has been repeatedly contacted for comment but has so far not responded.

Despite being unavailable at the major bookseller for the past two days, the book was this morning the 476th best-seller on online retailer Amazon's Kindle Store.

It also achieved number-one best-seller status in the sub-categories Murder & Mayhem and Forensic Psychology.