First and foremost: Stef Penney with her winning novel. Photograph: Joel Ryan/PA
Well, well, well: an unexpected result from the Costa 2006 judging panel, who revealed tonight that the first-ever Costa book of the year award (the coffee chain took over from Whitbread as the sponsors of the awards this year) has gone to the first novel category winner, Stef Penney, for The Tenderness of Wolves. The book, which is set in 19th-century Canada, apparently led the judges to feel made the judges feel "enveloped in the country's snowy wastes"- quite a feat, considering the fact that Penney wrote it all from a desk at the British Library and hasn't set foot in Canada in her life. She beat off competition from William Boyd for Restless, Linda Newbery for Set in Stone, John Haynes for Letter to Patience and Brian Thompson for Keeping Mum. Read the full story here.

It shames me to admit that I've yet to read the book, but my curiousity is definitely piqued and I shall be doing so forthwith. Meanwhile, opinions from those of you better informed than me would be very welcome. Is it good? Was Boyd robbed? Has the whole thing gone to hell in a handcart since the baristas took over?

We'll have more on here tomorrow from one of the judges, Adele Geras, so I'll keep this short as it's a bit past my bedtime. Until tomorrow, then, over to you.