Embla Books signs new cosy Golden Age mystery series from Veitch Smith  

Embla Books has snapped up three books in a new 1920s mystery series from Fiona Veitch Smith.

Editorial director Cara Chimirri acquired world English language rights from Sara Keane at Keane Kataria Literary Agency. The first in the series, The Picture House Murders, will be published in September 2023 followed by two more titles in 2024.

The Picture House Murders follows the story of Miss Clara Vale, the daughter of a wealthy family who has defied convention by studying chemistry at Oxford, rather than finding herself a husband. But Clara is finding it a challenge to put her skills into practice in the real world, as no one wants to hire a woman chemist.

When her estranged uncle in Newcastle upon Tyne dies, the synopsis adds, Clara suddenly finds she has inherited his private detective agency, with a basement laboratory, and that her scientific brain and knowledge of chemistry make her uniquely suited to solving crime. When a tragic fire at a local cinema is suspected to be something much more sinister, Clara must put herself to the test before the killer strikes again.

Veitch Smith is best known for her Poppy Denby Investigates series, The Jazz Files (Lion Fiction) which was shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger 2016. She said: “Bonnier Books UK, with its reputation for discerning curation of titles and a nurturing approach to authors, is a perfect fit for me as I look to bring a new series to lovers of Golden Age mysteries. When Cara met Clara it was magic, and I am delighted to have found such a passionate publisher for my new heroine.”

Chimirri added: “I adore the 1920s and a Golden Age mystery series has been on my wish list for quite some time. As soon as I started The Picture House Murders I knew this was the series – and the heroine – I had been waiting for. Fiona combines such incredible knowledge of the period with wonderful characters and terrific plotting. I can’t wait for fans of historical cosy mystery to get their hands on these amazing books and to fall in love with Clara as I have.”