Faber snaps up R O Thorp's 'cosy mystery' Death on Ice

Faber has snapped up Death on Ice by R O Thorp, a "delightful cosy mystery, featuring twin scientists investigating a crime on an Arctic voyage".

Crime editor Sara Helen Binney acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Claire Conrad at Janklow & Nesbit, and the book will be published in paperback, e-book and audiobook in February 2025.

This new crime series marks a new departure for the author, whose literary debut Learwife (Canongate) led to her being chosen as an Observer best debut novelist in 2021. 

"Rose and Finn are looking for sharks on the seabed," the synopsis says. "When they return to the Dauphin they make a terrible discovery: their colleague has been murdered on the ice—with a harpoon that should never have been there [...] Rose and Finn were the only two at sea and they’re miles from anywhere, so it’s up to them to investigate."

Thorp said: "The Blanchard twins have brought their cheerful scientific chaos to Faber, and I couldn’t be more excited for people to meet them."

Binney added: "Death on Ice is a perfect, and perfectly delightful, cosy murder mystery with an insistence on queer joy and happiness at its heart. I’m thrilled to be introducing readers to Rose and Finn Blanchard, a duo to rival the Dinner Lady Detectives—and who knew sharks could be this cute!?"