Constable wins four-way auction for Horrible Histories author Terry Deary’s foray into crime fiction 

Constable has won a four-way auction for Actually, I’m a Murderer, a “funny, clever and deeply satisfying” murder mystery from Horrible Histories author Terry Deary.

Krystyna Green, publishing director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in two books from Oli Munson at A M Heath. Actually, I’m a Murderer will be published in trade hardback on 16th June 2025, with a “substantial” marketing and publicity campaign planned.

The mass-market paperback will follow in the spring of 2026, with the follow-up novel, Actually, I’m a Corpse, to be published later that year.

Set in the north of England in the 1970s, Actually, I’m a Murderer begins with four strangers on a train: an actor, a high-ranking civil servant, a business woman and a featureless man in a brown suit who calmly announces to the others: “Actually, I’m a murderer.”

Green said: “Actually, I was blown away by the audacity, authenticity and sheer fun of Terry’s writing. It’s no coincidence that his protagonist Tony Davies shares his initials with the author, as you do get the impression that a lot of this is based on Terry’s reminiscences from earlier days… not that he’s a murderer, of course. And anyway, we are just thrilled to welcome Terry on to the list and have him as one of our major titles for next year."

Deary said: “Writing more than 300 books for children over the past 48 years has been a joy. But murder-mystery books have always been my passion. All my literary heroes write mysteries, and I was determined to join them.

“Actually began life in the 1970s as an unpublished short story based on a real meeting on a train—though not with a murderer. Turning it into a novel was an exciting challenge. I was thrilled that agent Oli Munson found a home for it with the legendary Krystyna at Constable. Now I can’t wait to hear what the readers make of it.”