Little, Brown acquires latest Cornwell thriller

Little, Brown Book Group, a division of Hachette UK, has jointly acquired world rights with Grand Central Publishing (GCP) in the US to the latest instalment in Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series.

Deputy managing director Cath Burke acquired for Little, Brown and senior vice president and publisher Ben Sevier acquired for Grand Central Publishing directly from the author. Unnatural Death will be published in the UK in hardback, e-book and audio on 23rd November 2023 and in the US on 28th November 2023.

Burke will be working with publishing director Tilda Key on the UK publication. For GCP, Karen Kosztolnyik, editorial director, fiction, will be editing.

In the novel, chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta finds herself in a Northern Virginia wilderness examining the remains of two campers wanted by federal law enforcement. The victims have been mauled beyond recognition, and other evidence is terrifying and baffling including a larger-than-life footprint. After the most frightening body retrievals of her career, Scarpetta must discover who would commit murders this savage, and why.

Cornwell said: “I’m excited to be working again with Grand Central Publishing and Little, Brown UK on my latest, Unnatural Death.”

Burke commented: “We are all delighted to continue working with Patricia Cornwell on publication of her new novel. The research, the action and the intrigue Patricia brings to her new Scarpetta book is truly exceptional and readers everywhere have a huge amount to look forward to."