Friday, April 08, 2011

Quercus acquires Hull-set crime novel

The Bookseller - 06.04.11 - Katie Allen

Quercus has won a "keenly contested" auction to a debut literary crime novel set in Hull and East Yorkshire.
Editor Jon Riley acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada to The Dark Winter from Oliver Munson at Blake Friedmann in a two-book deal.

Written by former Yorkshire Post crime reporter David Mark, The Dark Winter is set in the area and follows Highland-born DS Aector McAvoy who is "obsessed with a need to understand the true nature of people".

Riley said: "Not since Philip Larkin was its university librarian has Hull had a writer who identified with the city. It can take time for a crime writer to make a place their own. We think of Edinburgh and Ian Rankin, of Yorkshire’s West Riding and David Peace.
"Pretty soon readers will think of Hull and David Mark."

Quercus will publish in spring 2012, with the second title to follow a year later. David Mark has been a journalist for 15 years, including seven as crime reporter with the Yorkshire Post in its Hull office.

No comments: