Bedford Square Publishers scoops three new novels by 'queen of the impossible mystery' Sophie Hannah

Bedford Square Publishers has snapped up three new novels by the "queen of the impossible mystery" Sophie Hannah.

C.e.o. Jamie Hodder-Williams acquired British Commonwealth rights from agent Peter Straus at RCW. The first book, No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done, is a standalone "emotional suspense" novel and will be published in hardcover in spring 2025.

Hannah is a writer of crime fiction and also writes poetry, short stories and non-fiction. Her first crime novel, Little Face, was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2006, and Hodder will continue to publish her Culver Valley series.

With the permission of Agatha Christie’s family and estate, Hannah has also published five new Poirot novels, most recently Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night (HarperCollins) in October 2023. She is also the founder and coach of the Dream Author Coaching programme for writers, and is an honorary fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. 

Carolyn Mays, who will edit the book, said: "I first published Sophie Hannah nearly 20 years ago and have known from the very beginning how talented and energetic a writer she is. She has a uniquely perceptive view, an extraordinary insight into the psychology of her characters, and an unparalleled ability to create impossible puzzles with solutions that, once we know them, seem purely logical and inevitable.

"I could not be more thrilled that she’s joining us at Bedford Square, and am immensely looking forward to working with her again."

Hannah added: "I had the idea for No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done several years ago, and didn’t dare mention it to anyone because it felt a bit too daring. Now, it seems as though the idea was just waiting for its perfect publisher to come along, and that is definitely Bedford Square."