News

Sian Hughes’ new novel, Purity, which, like her 2023 Booker Prize long-listed Pearl, is based on narrative poems included in the medieval romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, has been signed up by discerning independent Indigo Press which published Pearl.

Sally Smith’s debut mystery novel, the first in a series centred within the Temple area of legal London, was published by Bloomsbury UK in July. ‘It is rare that an original protagonist appears in historical crime fiction but Sally Smith has created one in Gabriel Ward…. A delight from first page to last.’ SundayTimes; ‘Irresistible…. written with wit and elegance.’ Literary Review; ‘A triumph of ingenuity.’ Daily Mail. And Sally has also recently signed a contract with Bloomsbury USA: A Case of Mice and Murder will be published in the US next summer.

Daybreak in Gaza: Stories of Palestinian Lives and Culture, edited by Matthew Teller and others, was published in October. ‘An extraordinary, vital, urgent book.’ The Guardian; ‘a collection of brave, resilient,heartbreaking, defiant stories. … If this extraordinary volume tells usanything, it is that Gaza and Palestine will endure, the monuments will be restored and one day Palestinians will again watch the day break in peace.’ The Spectator

Netflix have renewed their option in spy thriller Zero Kill by M K Hill. M K is working on a new thriller, which will be out on submission soon.

Tendai Huchu has signed a new 3-book contract with Tor, which includes the fifth book in his highly successful Edinburgh Nights series, for which Sony have a screen rights option. Book 4 in the series, The Legacy of Arniston House, will be published in November.

Damn This War!, Julie Hankey’s wartime memoir about her parents, is The Bookseller’s Paperback Pick of the Month for December.

Fast by the Horns, the second novel by award-winning writer Moses McKenzie, was published in May. ‘…an urgent novel of ideas…fascinating…compelling’. The Guardian; ‘tense, propulsive…impressive’ Daily Mail

DeadTown, a third novel in the wonderfully edgy and funny Raine and Hume detective fiction series written by Stephen Williams, was published by Joffe Books in September.

Rebecca Roache is writing Spit It Out!, on the meaning behind what we say, for OUP, following the success of her book on swearing, For F*ck’s Sake.

A new novel from crime fiction star Sharon Bolton is always an event. Her latest eagerly awaited thriller The Neighbour’s Secret will be published by Orion in November.

Rob Woodhouse’s novel set in a canal-boat community has been signed by Inkspot Publishing. Audiobook rights have been sold to W F Howes, who have also taken audio rights to Mike Walters’ Annie Delamere crime series set in Derbyshire.

Rachel Lynch’s stand-alone mystery The Secret Inheritance has just been published by Storm. Rachel is working on a prequel to her million-selling DI Kelly Porter crime series set in the Lake District.

The twelfth novel in Michael Wood’s brilliant Matilda Darke crime series, Last One Left Alive, was published by One More Chapter in October.

PLUS, as ever, an impressive range of translation deals across the world achieved by our colleagues at The Buckman Agency. Especially notable are recent deals for Jin Yong, Vikas Swarup, Sharon Bolton, Georgette Heyer.