Quercus wins Yorkshire-set cosy crime series at auction

Quercus has won at auction three books in a new Yorkshire-set "cosy crime" series by author Helen Cox.

The first title in the new contemporary cosy mystery series, slated for July, will be Murder by the Minster. Set in and around York, it will feature amateur sleuth and librarian Kitt Hartley as she works to clear her best friend’s name of the murder of an old boyfriend. The second and third novels will again feature Kitt as she solves unusual crimes in the ancient city of York and the picturesque north Yorkshire countryside.

Quercus fiction editor Therese Keating acquired World English rights at auction from Joanna Swainson at Hardman & Swainson.

Cox has previously written two romance novels for Avon, and Murder by the Minster marks her move into a new genre as well as her first print deal. The book will be published in hardback, e-book and audio in July 2019.

Keating said: "I fell in love with Helen’s writing from the opening chapter of Murder by the Minster. It’s full of charm and wry humour, with tons of heart as well as a gripping mystery. I can’t wait for readers to meet new sleuth on the block Kitt Hartley, and I’m so excited to welcome Helen to the Quercus list."

Cox added: "I couldn't be more thrilled to be working with Therese and the Quercus Fiction team on a series of books set in my home county of Yorkshire. I can't wait to introduce Kitt Hartley to the world, who puts her own forthright, northern spin on the business of being a sleuth."