Hera Books picks up Walters series set in crime fiction bookshop

Hera Books has acquired The Dedley End Mysteries, a new "cosy crime" series by Victoria Walters.

Keshini Naidoo, publishing director, agreed world English language rights in a deal made with Hannah Ferguson at Hardman & Swainson. The first in the series, Murder at the House on the Hill, will be published in autumn 2021, with the second to follow in summer 2022. 

The synopsis for the series reads: "Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop – a crime fiction bookshop in a small, sleepy Cotswold village – but soon find themselves unlikely detectives when a woman is found dead at a lavish party thrown by the reclusive Roth family."

Naidoo commented: "The Dedley End Mysteries series delighted me from the very first page. Nancy and Jane Hunter are not only named after famous fictional detectives, but run a small crime fiction bookshop in the village of Dedley End – so who better to investigate a suspicious death at a party thrown by the mysterious Roth family? Populated with quirky, lovable characters and a twisty mystery that joyfully unfolds, crime fans are going to want to move to Dedley End this autumn! I’m so incredibly excited to be publishing this new direction in Victoria’s writing career and can’t wait for readers to take Nancy and Jane to their hearts."

Walters, also author of the Glendale Hall series, published by Hera, added: "I love murder mysteries and have always wanted to write one so I’m so excited to be publishing my first cosy crime, and to be working again with the Hera team! I can’t wait to share this story with readers and I really hope everyone enjoys discovering Dedley End, and everyone who lives there!"