Karber completes UK bookshop tour

G T Karber, the author of the cosy crime puzzle series Murdle (Souvenir Press), flew to the UK from Los Angeles to celebrate his Waterstones Gift of the Year 2023 win last week, attending book signings, as well as Christmas and media events.

The author signed hundreds of copies of Murdle at Hatchards St Pancras, Waterstones Piccadilly, Gower Street, Trafalgar Square and Tottenham Court Road. He also attended Christmas evenings at Waterstones Kensington, Cambridge and Piccadilly.

"Murdle was written as a love letter to British mysteries, so its reception across the pond feels like learning your crush likes you back," said Karber. "Whether it was meeting fans at the Christmas Evening at Waterstones Piccadilly, appearing on BBC Radio 4’s ’Start the Week’, or hosting a Merry Murdle Celebration with Profile Books, every day was a delight, and to top it all off, I read in The Bookseller that sales doubled while I was there. I’d have to call it a success. I met so many enthusiastic booksellers who told me how much they loved Murdle, and it meant so much coming from the people who know books best."

Claire Beaumont, commercial director at Souvenir Press, added: "We knew early on that we had something quite special on our hands with Greg’s clever, addictive Murdle, if we could just light the touch paper and get it known. The result is far beyond our wildest expectations and with the support of Waterstones it really is the surprise/triumph Gift of the Year!"

"Our marketing campaign has been non-stop since the first book in the series published in summer, featuring thousands of branded pencils for retailers, in-store-Murdle nights, and a staggered advertising campaign across gaming apps, national rail and print to coincide with the Waterstones Gift Book of the Year news and Greg’s visit," marketing director Dahmicca Wright added. "It’s been all hands on deck across the Profile teams, and we’re so proud of everyone’s hard work on contributing to its success."