Faber grabs Gran's 'seductive and scary' standalone novel

Faber has scooped The Book of the Most Precious Substance, a "seductive and scary" standalone novel by Sara Gran.

Publishing director Angus Cargill acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Rebecca Friedman at the Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency. 

Faber will publish in hardback in November, with a mass market paperback to follow in summer 2023. The release follows its US publication by Gran’s own small press, Dreamland Books. 

The synopsis reads: "Rare book dealer Lily Albrecht has just been given a tip-off about The Book of the Most Precious Substance, a 17th-century manual rumoured to be the most powerful occult book ever written, if it really exists at all.

"With some of the wealthiest people in the world willing to pay Lily a fortune to track it down, she embarks on a journey from New York to New Orleans to Munich to Paris. If she finds it, Lily stands to gain more than just money. This could erase the greatest tragedy of her life. But will Lily’s quest help her find some answers, or will she lose everything in search of a ghost?"

Cargill said: "This is a total dream of a book, a quest narrative as seductive and scary as it is moving. We’re thrilled to continue our long relationship with Sara Gran and know that this standalone novel will be the book to win the hearts of many new readers."

Gran is the author of six previous novels, including a crime series for Faber starring PI Claire DeWitt. She also writes for film and TV and has had work published in the New York Times, New Orleans Times and USA Today.

"I’m so happy to be working with Angus Cargill, [publicity manager] Hannah Turner and the entire team at Faber again," she said. "I know they’ll make a beautiful book with a fantastic campaign, as they have with our previous four books."