Embla Books seizes Sandler’s ‘gripping’ gardening murder mystery series

Embla Books has acquired three books in a new cosy murder mystery series by Rosie Sandler.

Jane Snelgrove, formerly publishing director and now editor-at-large at Embla, bought world English language rights for all formats from Jenny Todd at The Literary Office. The first in the series, Seeds of Murder, will be published in e-book, paperback and audio in August 2023, with the second book in The Gardener Mysteries to follow in early 2024.

The Gardener Mysteries will introduce readers to amateur detective Stephanie Williams, as she embarks on a live-in gardening project at The Heights – an exclusive gated community of wealthy, eccentric inhabitants and their staff. Soon after Steph and her beloved dog Mouse begin work in the gardens, buried secrets start to emerge, which threaten Steph’s future at The Heights.

Sandler said: “I feel so lucky that my wonderful agent Jenny secured this deal. The whole team at Embla is energetic, talented, dedicated and enthusiastic. It’s such a luxury to have the space to develop rafts of quirky characters under the watchful eye of my gardening detective, Steph Williams, and Mouse, her canine sidekick.”

Seeds of Murder is Sandler’s début adult novel. She co-authored the Agatha Oddly children’s detective series, published by HarperCollins, and has led events for the Greenway Literary Festival at Agatha Christie’s former holiday home.

Snelgrove said: “As soon as I discovered Rosie’s delightful cast of characters, and innate talent for mystery, I leapt. There is a touch of Christie to Rosie’s work that drew me in, and I enjoyed pruning and planting with Steph as much as watching her solve mysteries. The Embla team is thrilled to be working with Rosie and can’t wait to bring The Gardener Mysteries to readers this summer.”

Jenny Todd added: “Rosie Sandler crafts vibrant characters and addictive plots with ease. She is a natural-born (almost Christie-esque) storyteller. Embla’s vision for her series and long-term career made it the stand-out publishing partner.”