Sphere snaps up next two books in McTiernan Cormac Reilly series

Sphere has snapped up the next two books in Dervla McTiernan’s DS Cormac Reilly crime series.

Senior commissioning editor Lucy Dauman acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, Australia and New Zealand, from Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown Australia. The first book in the new deal, The Good Turn, will be published in March 2020.

The first two books in the Galway-set series, The Ruin (Sphere) and The Scholar (Sphere), were bestsellers in Australia and Ireland while film rights to The Ruin have been optioned by Hopscotch Features.

The Good Turn is told through the narratives of DS Reilly, Garda Peter Fisher and a young woman named Anna, whose daughter has stopped speaking due to an unknown trauma.

Dauman said: “I am delighted to be continuing to publish Dervla McTiernan at Sphere. She has already achieved so much with the series and her writing goes from strength to strength. With The Good Turn Dervla has delivered another emotionally engaging story that combines intricate plotting and rich atmosphere with superb characterisation. It was a thrill to be back in Cormac’s world and to get to know some new characters as well. “

McTiernan added: “I am so happy that I get to continue working with Lucy and the entire Sphere team on The Good Turn and my next book. I love writing these books, it has been so exciting watching them find their audience and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”