Canelo snares new Gerlis spy series

Canelo has snared three books in a new spy series from ex-BBC journalist and e-book star Alex Gerlis, alongside his backlist.

Publishing director Michael Bhaskar acquired world English language rights from Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown. The first title, Prince of Spies, will be published in March 2020 in e-book, with print editions to follow.

The publisher explained: "Set during the Second World War, Alex’s new series follows Richard Prince, a Lincolnshire police detective unexpectedly drafted into the secret service. He travels to Copenhagen, a hotbed of agents, double-crosses and intrigue, where he investigates rumours of the Nazi’s developing a war-ending weapon. The Richard Prince books are set to become essential reads for any fan of the genre."

Gerlis said: "I’m thrilled a company as innovative and exciting as Canelo has shown such confidence in my writing, in the genre and in the stories. From the beginning, their enthusiasm about the trilogy has been infectious. It’s a real pleasure to work with Michael and the friendly and professional team at Canelo."

Canelo will also take on a backlist that includes Second World War espionage thriller The Best of Our Spies, recently bought for screen by a production company, and its three Major Edgar sequels.

Bhaskar said: "Alex is just a flat out brilliant author. These books are everything you’d want from wartime espionage thrillers: slick, stylish, tense, superbly executed and observed, drenched with atmosphere, unafraid to confront the stark moral dilemmas of conflict but alive to a story you can’t stop reading. His track record in e-book speaks for itself but we look forward to taking him into new places over the coming years."

Wise added: "Alex’s page-turning and immaculately researched Second World War espionage crime writing has been a personal passion of mine for a decade now, and we were proud to launch his first series under Curtis Brown’s Studio 28 imprint back in 2013. With six-figure sales and a significant TV deal under our belt, I’m thrilled that this new series – which has grown out of his first – has found such a committed home with Michael Bhaskar at Canelo."