French moves to Viking for 'ambitious' standalone novel

Tana French, award-winning author of the Dublin Murder Squad series, has moved from Hodder to Viking for a standalone novel.

Editorial director Katy Loftus bought UK and Commonwealth rights to The Wych Elm from her long-term agent Darley Anderson at the Darley Anderson Literary Agency, who described the novel as “an ambitious, thought-provoking, page-turning, masterpiece”. It is slated for publication for spring 2019.

The American-Irish author has written six award-winning novels published by Hodder, all set in Dublin, featuring different members of a fictional murder squad. The Wych Elm marks a move away from that series, with a central character who finds himself at the centre of a murder case when a skull is discovered in his family’s ancestral home.

French is published by Viking the US, where her books frequently make the New York Times top five and her titles also regularly top the bestseller lists in Germany.

“Publishing Tana French is my dream come true,” Loftus said. “The entire Viking team is obsessed by The Wych Elm. It’s quite simply a literary masterclass; a propulsive mystery of the kind that inhabits your every waking thought, and an eviscerating psychological study.”

“Tana French fans are going to love it. I am tremendously excited to be able to share this novel with them, as well as bringing her to a whole new readership.”