Angry Robot Books launches new crime fiction imprint, Datura Books

Angry Robot Books has launched a new crime fiction imprint, Datura Books, which will focus on titles with a “strong sense of voice and place that push the boundaries of the genre, while playing with readers’ favourite tropes”. 

Datura Books will be headed by Angry Robot’s publisher Eleanor Teasdale alongside editors including Simon Spanton, Gemma Creffield, Daniel Culver and Ella Chappell. They are also supported by author and editor Bryon Quertermous who “brings his intimate knowledge of the genre in the US to the team”. The first Datura book, Death of a Dancing Queen by Kimberley G Giarratano, publishes in February 2023. 

Six titles are already committed to publish over the next year and will be distributed internationally by Penguin Random House, as well as sales, design and production support from Watkins.  

Teasdale said the new imprint is founded on “direct connection with our readers”. She said: “As avid readers in this genre, our team all believe that we can offer something special by using our experience with Angry Robot to choose the titles we would be so excited to pick up in a bookshop.” 

She said she is on the hunt for “brilliant translation projects, reinventions of sub genres and classic police procedurals”. Spanton’s passion lies in crime set in the American South during the civil rights era, as well as 1930s and 1970s/1980s settings in Britain. Chappell, who says “a locked-door mystery with a small cast of unforgettable characters never goes amiss”, is seeking gripping, modern psychological thrillers. Creffield recently commissioned a title previously set for self-publishing by a popular TikTokker due to enthusiasm on the platform, which exemplifies Datura’s mission of seeking submissions based first and foremost on what readers want. 

Vicky Hartley, deputy managing director, said: “We are delighted to be expanding our fiction publishing into the world of crime and thriller with Datura. The launch list is an exciting mix of styles, authors, and most importantly, fantastic writing.”